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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

An Epic First Day :)

David Lagos said:
So, I guess this won't be enough when I get my Epic?

17" MacBook Pro.
-2.8GHz Intel Core i7.
-8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
-500 GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm.
-Replace my optical drive with the OCW Data Doubler + Mercury 500GB SSD.
-Mobile Rocket HBA Kit
-New 1.8" SSD module, media and station from RED.
-Magic wand

Thoughts?:redface:
Click to expand...

I'd go for the Magic Wand Pro.

-:)
 
@David,

I got your PM about that same system, just wanted to let you know I'm not ignoring you. My PM box is at 99% full right now and I'm working on thinning it out and getting caught up. But I may as well respond here...

The system will work in a basic sense, but 2x500GB for internal storage isn't going to get you very far if you're pulling camera media onto the system. The biggest bottleneck to the whole operation will be attaching any storage and media readers. A Macbook pro just isn't up to the task of a primary DIT system these days, not even with a RED One. It works OK for the RED One in terms of data management -- you can read CF cards via FW800 and offload to media connected to eSATA via the ExpressCard interface. Likewise, you can replace the optical drive with an eSATA connector -- rather easy to do, if you're comfortable with putting ends on cables.

The mobile Rocket solution is OK for playback and look creation, but once again, you will run into bottlenecks for any serious transcodes and it ties up your ExpressCard slot, leaving you with FW800 as your next-best interface. You can always convert the SATA from the optical bay to an eSATA connection. That would be more flexible than having an internal 500GB SSD.

The OWC SSD's are based on the SandForce chipset, which uses on the fly compression to help shuttle more data back and forth and to boost its performance numbers. However, this approach falls apart when transferring a lot of data that can't be compressed further. Large files like H.264, R3D and even ProRes fall into this category and when you move a lot of this type of data around on SandForce SSDs, you will see performance drop to half of what you may be expecting. Personally, I don't think the SandForce SSD's are a good option and they definitely cost too much money for what you get (or what you don't get). There are more capable SSDs about to hit the market from some of the bigger HDD makers, within the next 3-4 months. Intel & Hitachi have some new entries that look very promising. I haven't seen a confirmed price yet...

I often use my 17" MBP as a primary DIT system for data management. But I also have to be quite mobile and will be shooting where anything larger is just too much to ask. In fact, there are times when the crew is myself and one other person and we're standing on the side of a mountain somewhere. For me, the EPIC can't get here fast enough and same with the SSD media.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
More pixels, more bits per pixel, lower compression ratio.. At 5:1, you're looking at around 120MB/s for full 5K 5120x2700. This translates into an average of about 7.3GB/minute or falls right into the 6GB-8GB/minute that Michael mentions.
Click to expand...

Red1MX @ 2.33 4480x1920 = 8,601,600 pixels
EpicMX @ 2.33 5129x2200 = 11,264,000 pixels.
That is a 1.31x increase in pixels. That's all I've been expecting in file growth. Not 2x-3x.

Isnt 5:1 the big size only needed for fx or greenscreen or whatnot? What about 10:1? Do you happen to remember the post where Jim went through the ratios and how those corresponded to RC28/36/42?

I know that when I tested RC28 vs 36 vs 42 on the Red, even in high-detail, I couldnt really tell a difference, even pixel peeping at 1:1 on my Mac
 
@Jeff

You're the man.

And because of that, I'm sure you get flooded with PM's which is why I humbly thank you for a) letting me know I wasn't being ignored...I'm sensitive like that :) and b) sharing your insights on my setup. Very much appreciated.

With the MBP being unworthy, I'm assuming a Mac Pro would suffice? What kind of adjustments would you recommend for it.

Hell, since I got your attention: From scratch, what would you put together considering upcoming media(SSD's from the future!), hardware?

Really, I'm just trying to start a discussion to try and help people with limited knowledge avoid major pitfalls.

And once again...

Jeff is the man.
 
Hey David

I recently had to set up a DIT station for a single camera M-X feature and I pretty soon forgot all about MBPs and shoved a MacPro in a cart. That gave us a 4 port eSATA card to the RedDrives/Red Station CF and 2x RAID 5 RAIDs (one to stay onset, one to travel to post nightly), plus a SAS card to the LTO5 drive (tapes are collected each day by courier and taken to secure offsite storage) and a Red Rocket for viewing on a 30" (2k) Eizo LCD.

It's worked a treat and seems to have got through the shoot with ease but Michael's fantastic post has raised the spectre of us needing more power when Epic arrives next April. Hmmm. PCIe RAIDs???
 
@Shane.

You're not kidding. Michael just gave us a huge heads up about the changes coming up that most were anticipating but not in the scope he described.

Sure am glad I checked here first.

I love you guys. (In an Internet forum kind of way....)
 
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Sorry David. Didn't meen to poke at you -:)

But on our current DIT trollies for 1 cam MX drama productions, we have a macpro, + raids + rocket + esata everything. And it keeps up ok.
But when planning for 2 cam Epic productions, we see that we need a bit of Magic Wand Pro to our current setups... -:)
 
Gunleik Groven said:
Sorry David. Didn't meen to poke at you -:)

But on our current DIT trollies for 1 cam MX drama productions, we have a macpro, + raids + rocket + esata everything. And it keeps up ok.
But when planning for 2 cam Epic productions, we see that we need a bit of Magic Wand Pro to our current setups... -:)
Click to expand...

No worries, buddy. I appreciate a sense of humor anywhere I can find it. And I agree upgrading to Magic Wand Pro is a must.

I'm probably going to follow your example for the DIT station - and I'll stay away from 3D for the time being. It's the editing station that has me perplexed.

So many different paths to take - so little money. :bored:
 
Editing stations are getting easier all the time. In a matter of months you should be able to have Avid, FCP, PP, Vegas and Lightworks all on one Mac with a Mac/Bootcamp-Win partitioned HDD and a Blackmagic or AJA card. Just take your pick at bootup. Even as the Rocket will become more integrated as Avid are doing, the size of these Epic files will start to put pressure on storage speeds and we'll be back to ProRez or DNxHD for cutting - or maybe H.264(?). On-camera cross-coding will become very handy.
 
Maybe for movie sets. We do a whole lot of corporate work and use the laptop for data every shoot. We usually move in 3-5 person crews so hardly have the hands to bring a desktop or big rig for data. So...perhaps the death to the laptop is a bit overstating? :-)

Kevin
 
Patrick Tresch said:
As of my experience with 3D. It works also in low light shots if there is some contrast in the frame and in the specific area where you want to have a depth sensation. I white surface without any detail will also kill the 3D feeling and be seen as a 2D picture without depth.

Pat
Click to expand...
Good to know. Thanks Pat.
 
@Shane

So, if I was to commission you to put together a DIT station and an editing station for me (which I might considering I'm obviously not as knowledgable as others on here) what'd you put together?

I'm not being lazy about trying to come up with this stuff myself, but you'll understand when you read below.

@Everyone else

As I'm learning more and more about configuring DIT stations and editing stations, I get a little more overwhelmed, so I hope you forgive my lack of knowledge. But the more you guys throw specs at me the more I read up on them and find out what they do.

I used to not know what RAID stood for, what the hell eSATA meant, and how it all fit together. Now that has changed. I'm learning thanks to the combined kindness, knowledge and patience I find here.

Thanks to all.

I'm not saying "I love you guys" again!
I did that a few posts back.
 
David Lagos said:
@Shane

So, if I was to commission you to put together a DIT station and an editing station for me (which I might considering I'm obviously not as knowledgable as others on here) what'd you put together?
Click to expand...

You might look elsewhere - the travel costs would kill you :tongue:

Everything is constantly changing. I'd be on the phone to Torrey Loomis when you're ready to move. But each day you leave it, the better will be the solution. I've just myself discovered SuperShare from CalDigit and I'm all excited about storage again. Who knew?
 
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