newbie edit set-up: mbp + fcp6 + hard drive raid + what else?

R

robfilms

Veteran
newbie edit set-up: mbp + fcp6 + hard drive raid + what else? i'm a writer/producer who needs to have a functional final cut pro edit set-up.

i'm using a 15" macbook pro prev ver 2.4 to ingest sxs flash cards from the sony ex1. this same mbp will be the heart of my edit set-up. i will be running final cut studio2 because that is what the sony ex1 needs. i am looking at a g-tech or glymph raid 1 for backup (that will be another thread). i'm also looking at a expresscard adaptor either e-sata or fw800 to add another speedy port to the macbook pro.

but what else do i need?

a 2nd monitor that does hi-def? if so, the apple 23" hd, or a dell or samsung?

what about a ntsc monitor that does 4:3 and 16:9 to look over the footage? will that monitor even be helpful/needed in a hi-def suite?

a mackie-type mixer board to bring in other audio sources? is this still necessary or can i control the audio source within the acquisition software (garageband, itunes, audacity)

so, what do u fcp users think, what else do i need?

any specific equipment suggests would be equally helpful.

as always, thanks in advance for sharing your experience

be well

rob
 
i use g-tech g-raid 2TB and happy with them...

other than that i use mbp 15" as well. with fcs 2...

it is portable, and i need it to be exactly that...

but if i didnt need the portability so much i would deffinentaly go for a specialized keybord and another screen.
 
t-

thanks for your insight.

do u use a 2nd monitor to edit with?

do u edit w/ a ntsc monitor?

anyone else?

be well

rob
 
does ANYONE use a ntsc monitor when editing their hd footage?

is there a way to "see" the hd footage (sony ex1) on a ntsc monitor w/in fcp

sorry for the newbie type question

(and i apologize for SHOUTING :))

be well

rob
 
You can't use an SD monitor to monitor HD footage. You need an HD monitor. And you can't monitor XDCAM out via FW like you can DV. Since you are using a laptop your options for HD monitor are either the Matrox MXO (which when coupled w/a 23" ACD gives a lot of bang for the buck in terms of color accuracy) or the AJA Io HD.

-A
 
Adkimery has it right. Aja i/O all of the way.

BTW, if you throw HD footage in a DV timeline in FCP, you will see still downconverted frames in the NTSC DV output of your HD material, but only when the playhead is parked. That's no way to judge anything HD anyway but I just ran into this on a friend's system who was editing some P2 I shot for her into a DV originated timeline. I have the Aja Kona 3 so I had never tried HD in a DV timeline.

Dan
 
adkimery said:
You can't use an SD monitor to monitor HD footage. You need an HD monitor. And you can't monitor XDCAM out via FW like you can DV. Since you are using a laptop your options for HD monitor are either the Matrox MXO (which when coupled w/a 23" ACD gives a lot of bang for the buck in terms of color accuracy) or the AJA Io HD.
Click to expand...
If you are in a jam, you can use an SD monitor for HD, if you downconvert. In my classroom, I have an AJA IO HD with both an HD and an SD monitor connected. I set the AJA control panel to down-convert to 525i on the analog output and run it via S-video to a Sony 14" glass-tube (old-school) production monitor. The IO HD does a great job of down-converting in real-time. In a pinch, you could edit an HD sequence this way, but there are obvious limitations. My HD monitor is a Panasonic BT-LH1700W via HD-SDI. The 1700 is a great monitor for the money with 2 HD-SDI inputs. This means I can have the IO HD and a EX1 connected at the same time.

I'm new to the IO HD, so I'm just getting used to it. I've already learned that some of what I've read doesn't seem to be true. I was able to playback and edit 1080i footage from a Sony EX1, which a reviewer somewhere said wasn't possible. I had no problem playing the footage out from the viewer window or the timeline. Same with 1080i HDV.

My next purchase is some sort of eSata card and drive for my MBP. I'm leaning toward the Sonnet Fusion F2. I need something portable for training and that fits the bill exactly.

Good luck with your setup.


Tony.
 
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