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View Full Version : Is FCP slow loading projects with lots of clips in bins?


ripupthehwy
08-10-2010, 02:50 PM
About to buy an Imac and FCP. I use Edius now. I have a project with about 1.5 TB of HD files (Shot on P2 cards, transferred to a 4 disc Raid 10 array with a 3ware Raid card). With all the clips in the NLE's bin, it takes about 10 minutes (no joke) to launch the project in Edius because it has to read/load all these clips. DOES FCP BEHAVE THE SAME WAY? And since I would be using some type of firewire external HD setup connected to the IMAC it's gonna be slower read/write anyways.
So I'm just trying to anticipate what to expect and find if this is going to be a workable setup. (will purchase the 27 inch Imac with 2.9ghz i7 processor)
Anyone else edit FCP with Imacs and firewire drives in HD...using alot of clips? Speed of access slow? Realtime? Problems??

Thanks for any input.


Current system: Gigabyte Motherboard with 3.0 core 2 duo processor (E6850), 4gb Ram, 1TB x 4 7200rpm HD's connected to 3ware Raid card with onboard 128mb ram.
Shane Ross
08-10-2010, 05:11 PM
FCP will be slow to load if the projects get large, and the more clips you have, the larger the project file. Duplicated sequences also add to the size, as to text generators.

An iMac will be slower than a macPro...but only in terms of video playback streams. As it is limited to FW drives.

I can't see it taking 10 min to load...if you keep the file size under 100MB.
ripupthehwy
08-10-2010, 06:06 PM
Looking at the new Macpro tower pricing, the 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” doesn't look bad. Only 3-4 hundred more than getting a 2.93 ghz Core i7 I-mac. I think this is a new processor as last week on apple's website they topped out at 2.9 on mac pros (i think).
J Davis
08-10-2010, 06:25 PM
I hace two projects in edit right now both are around half a T-byte each. FCP opens each of those projects in seconds and can have both of those projects open at the same time also opening in seconds. Machine is imac. Media is all 1080p prores 4444
ripupthehwy
08-12-2010, 11:24 AM
I hace two projects in edit right now both are around half a T-byte each. FCP opens each of those projects in seconds and can have both of those projects open at the same time also opening in seconds. Machine is imac. Media is all 1080p prores 4444

J Davis, what storage system are you using? An external drive connected to your Imac? Firewire or USB?. So, FCP loads all those clips (I have several hundred) into the bin in the project that quickly? Wow.
Shane Ross
08-12-2010, 11:28 AM
J Davis...you are confused about Project file size, and size of all of your MEDIA. I'm talking specificially the FCP project file that you double click to open. If that goes above 100MB, things start to slow down.