Choppy performance due to RAID1

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DNathan

Well-known member
Just switched to FCPX and decided that since the file structure is so different I decided to build two RAID1 drives. Bay one for OS, Bay 2 & 3 for Media/Render files, Bay 4 and an eSATA external for Project files.

I think one of the two RAID1s have to go. Would the Project file RAID1 bring choppiness or the Media/Render RAID1?
 
I found FCPX playback not as good as FCP7 (same machine). Many times I get some stutters, chopiness like you said. Even in a rendered project (playing from timeline)
Not sure if it is a drive performance. It is one of the things that makes FCPX not so professional.
I hope this could be solved soon.
 
I might go to RAID0 for the Project HDD instead of RAID1. That would give me the speed, and if it failed, I would only lose some edit time. Would it make any difference, though, to speed up the project side, or does it need to be the Media/Render side?
 
I think FCPX try to playback most of the clips without render (even non PRORES mov clips) and we can't force render. Maybe the cause for choppiness.
In a project I had a MOV in photojpg codec and FCP wasn't asking for render, but the playback wasn't smooth.
Anyway, I got another project (everything prores) and FCP playback wasn't smooth in some points, but not repeatable at same location, and it was a 8 core macpro with 20gb.
 
You should run diagnostics to find out what read/write speeds you're getting out of each visible drive, and monitor performance during editing to see what's maxing out if anything.

If this were me I'd either go single or RAID0 for the media drive and just make a backup with every capture. If these are the production files they won't change during the edit, so besides convenience your current setup isn't any more effective than manual backups.
 
What kinds of formats/codecs/frame rates/resolutions are you trying to play back and on what kind of drive. Performance mileage varies greatly with what you're trying to play and on what your playing from.

-Noah
 
I collapsed the Events RAID1 and still had performance probs with the Projects RAID1. I'm going to collapse that one as well and put Projects and Events in the same folder. I found out that if I go RAID0 it will speed performance and take up half the space. Then when I sleep I can back it up to a 3TB drive. My new system will look like this:

Bay 1 - OS
Bay 2 - 1.5TB RAID0 (Projects and Events)
Bay 3 - 1.5TB RAID0 (Same)
Bay 4 - 3TB Time Machine for 2 & 3

Thoughts?
 
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