Mobile Editing / DIT Station - Build 2.0

dmpsk8

Well-known member
UPDATE: FEB 2018

All the old build notes are below, but I wanted to post some recent updates. I try to check into this thread every couple years to touch base on our current setup

  • We're now sporting 16 TB of storage built into our system, all SSD.
  • One rack of "online" ssd storage, and one duplicate rack for backing up everything.
  • I had a heck of a time trying to find shallow 1u drawers, so I ended up just making a couple from wood. Lighter, and they work perfect.
  • Installed a fan in the rear of the case, to get some additional air flow at warm locations.
  • Our second red mini-mag reader comes tomorrow, really looking forward to having two.











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July 2016

I still get messages about this build pretty regularly, so I try to post relevant updates when they happen. We've recently moved to all SSD's. Here's a look at v3.0 of our mobile system. Man, does it feel good to have the mechanical drives out of there...


The new setup has 8TB of SSD storage onboard, split into 2 4TB arrays. When the prices on Samsung's new 4tb Evo's start to come down, we'll be upgrading to a 16TB setup. While costly, this setup is infinitely faster and much more lightweight.

The dock had to be recessed to keep the drives out of harms way. It should also be noted that we made foam shims to keep the SSDs more secure in the slots. They were pretty bouncy in there before. All that give had me concerned about breaking the pins inside the dock.










Previous Build (2.0):

Alright fellas, here she is. 99% complete, I'm just waiting on one final part.

For those who followed the last build (here http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?253947-Mobile-DIT-Data-Transfer-station-(on-a-2K-budget) ), you already know a little bit. That system was great for data transfers, but my new production company needed something that had the horsepower to edit on location. We wanted something more modular too. Having everything built in was awesome, until you wanted to change a part, add a reader, swap drives, etc. The durability of the pelican case couldn't be beat, but it's design was inherently limiting. As much as we like the built in wheels, I've never had the testicular fortitude to go rolling that thing around and abuse the drives. Additionally, I really wanted rack mountable components in the new system.

The new system had a budget of about $4000, compared to $2K on the previous build.

That included ALL the components. We sourced the laptop and external cinema display gently used from ebay to save a ton of money.

Tech Specs:
(The full parts list is at the bottom of this page)
15" Macbook Pro Retina 2.6 Quad i7 (2012) - excellent bang for the buck on this machine.
Thunderbolt to Esata adapter
USB 3.0 hub / USB 3.0 multi card reader
7" External LCD with case mounted arm
12tb of raid storage - 2x 6tb esata Raid 0 arrays
Built in LED lighting
Magic Mouse / Full Apple Keyboard on board
Rack mount battery backup with 30min of battery power for the entire system
Rack mounted 4U storage drawer - holds the 7" LCD, cables and adapters





















 
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While purchasing the parts, we came across a great deal on a 23" cinema display. We plan on bringing it with the system when necessary.



 
Yep, Just for the computer. Having a screen you can swivel around for folks is super convenient.
 
I know a few people have been looking for a list of specific components, links, and costs. Here's a quick breakdown of the parts. Hopefully this spares someone the hours I spent measuring, guessing, swearing and piecing it all together. At FACTION, we aren't prissy about "proprietary builds." We believe in supporting the production community and building good karma. We hope you feel the same way.

COMPONENT LIST (with links) :

Loaded Apple 15" MBP Retina laptop
$1850 gently used from eBay. Happy hunting...
http://www.ebay.com


SKB Studio Flyer (4u model)
1SKB19-RSF4U
$220
http://www.rackmountsolutions.net/SKB_Studio_Flyer.asp


Cyberpower BATTERY BACKUP - Rack mountable UPS OR500LCDRM1U 500VA 300W
$150
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/981763-REG/cyberpower_or500lcdrm1u_500va_ups_smart_app.html


Glyph eSata 6TB raid system (x2):
$1080 (for 2)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/765104-REG/Glyph_Technologies_GT062E1F_6000_GT_062E_2_Drive_RAID.html

Glyph Raid rack mount brackets:
$50
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/513739-REG/Glyph_Technologies_GT_RACKEAR2_Two_Drive_Rack_Mount_Kit.html


Lacie eSATA Hub
$180
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/854934-REG/LaCie_9000186_LaCie_eSATA_Hub.html


Apple Keyboard - optional
$50
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/812534-REG/Apple_MB110LL_B_Keyboard_With_Numeric_Keypad.html


Apple Magic Mouse - optional
$60
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/656680-REG/Apple_MB829LL_A_Magic_Mouse.html


USB 3.0 Hub
$15
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817801107


USB 3.0 Readers
$18
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0BD-0012-00003


Thunderbolt cables
$60 (for 2)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Thunderbolt-2m-Cable-/380753843428?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a6b294e4


Gator Cases 2U locking drawer
$116
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/650576-REG/Gator_Cases_GE_DRAWER_2UDFM_GE_DRAWER_2UDFM_2U_14_2.html

AC INLET
$8-17 - For wiring battery backup into case. Many options for these, this one requires no wire splicing. Good option if you ever want to remove the battery backup fast:
http://www.amazon.com/NOCO-Genius-G...=UTF8&qid=1390498774&sr=8-8&keywords=ac+inlet

MISC SUPPLIES - APPROX $100
  • LED multicolor cabinet lights - got mine at Lowes, but I can't remember the brand
  • Short stingers (extension cords) for fitting all the AC adapters in the case nicely
  • Spare magsafe AC adapter to mount inside case - optional I suppose
  • zip ties for cable management in the case
  • a few spare rack screws… just in case...
  • thin rubber stick-on feet/pads to put between raids and drawer below
  • Epoxy glue
  • Adhesive velcro - for readers, hub, etc.
  • Surge protector - to give more plug in options
  • extra computer cables / adapters - optional
** If you have the room and transportation access, I'd suggest looking into a beefier rack mount road case instead of the SKB. The SKB is brilliantly designed, but don't expect it to have the toughness of a pelican with all this weight inside. I avoid rolling it around by the pull out handle whenever possible. Also, know that the plastic on the SKB comes a little greasy. You'll want to wipe it down before you start installing components.
 
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Bump for an amazing build!

I was checking out your original build, because I need something a little more rugged then the SKB, and had a quick question. Do you happen to have any pics of under the upper deck? I'm wondering how you got the battery backup to fit into the 1560 case? I have looked up the cyberpower OR500 and the one I keep finding looks nothing like the one in your case. Anything would help, thanks a ton!
 
Why are you using Raid 0 in a portable setup that's going to be moved around? If one drive goes down you lose everything.
 
We configure it differently depending on how its being used.

When using the drives as Raid 0's for more offload storage, one big disk is constantly backing up the other. When we're shooting a format where space is less of a concern, we set it up with two raid 1 for even more protection.
 
So why not set it up as RAID10 for your normal use, that way the data is copied near enough immediately rather than relying on some sort of scripted backup on the OS.

Really sweet build though, I do like how well protected everything looks.
 
So why not set it up as RAID10 for your normal use, that way the data is copied near enough immediately rather than relying on some sort of scripted backup on the OS.

Really sweet build though, I do like how well protected everything looks.

These particular Glyph drives can't be configured that way. There are some other rack mount Raids (OWC Mercury rack) that could definitely do a raid 10 setup. I decided on two independent enclosures to avoid problems if one enclosure (not drives) were to fail. If you only have one enclosure (ie: one rack with four drives in raid 10) and it's board/hardware fails, you're stuck. You could certainly pull the drives and recover the data, but that's going to take a minute. Two separate raids means one can die and you can stay online temporarily.

Depending on the application, consider this choice carefully. Pros and cons to each.
 
Hey mate - first ... mad props for this build - pretty impressive to say the least.

I'm looking at putting together something very similar and would appreciate your help (I definitely wouldn't call myself the greatest handyman in the world). Do you think you could post some pics of the setup inside the gator drawer?...I'm very curious to see how all the cabling sits and whether the drawer is still functional i.e. are you able to pull it in and out without disrupting the cabling arrangement? I'd also be interested to see how the cables feed from the drawer to the UPS below and to the gear above. Any help you could provide would be much appreciated.
 
Actually, that's an easy answer. All of the cables are routed to the rear of the UPS and the Raids. The cables that go up to the laptop are routed near the sides of the case, well outside of the rack area.

There's plenty of room for a fully-functional rack drawer without messing with cables. Double check that your drawer's z depth is well within the dimension of the case, and you should be fine.
 
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