Canopus, FW400, FW800, SATA, Oh MY!

[mixboy bob]

Hey all!

Just upgraded to the new G5 and have several concert DVD projects coming up. I'm thinking the ADVC110 is the way for me to go, but, if I'm not mistaken, FW400 drives on the same bus as the ADVC would be bad, right? OK, so what would everyone recommend? I need roughly 1TB of drive space for audio at a time, so SCSI is cost prohibitive. SATA controllers aren't supported - any good reports from users would be welcome! How is everyone/anyone doing with audio from FW800 and video from ADVC?

I could just do dual displays and skip the ADVC all together, but there are some particulars about my workflow that would make that a bit inconvenient. At the end of the day, if that is the best answer and just use FW400 for audio, so be it.

I appreciate any and all help.

peace

mixboy

[filmixer]

The easy and cheap way would be to get DVI to S-Video adapter and use the second output for the video monitor. You would then go into System Preferences>Displays, set the second monitor to 680X480, and drag the video window on to the video display. If you want to use a ADVC-110, the best way is to get a PCI firewire card and use it for your audio. You don't want to put the Canopus and video drive on the audio chain. That's asking for trouble.

[mixboy bob]

Thanks!!

I like cheap and easy, but I'm a big fan of doing it right, also. I guess that means I should go SCSI!! LOL! I'm a hypocrite...

Will a PCIe firewire card interfere with my Expansion chassis by stealing from the bus?

Thanks again.

mixboy

[RobMacki]

The easy and cheap way would be to get DVI to S-Video adapter and use the second output for the video monitor. You would then go into System Preferences>Displays, set the second monitor to 680X480, and drag the video window on to the video display. If you want to use a ADVC-110, the best way is to get a PCI firewire card and use it for your audio. You don't want to put the Canopus and video drive on the audio chain. That's asking for trouble.

I am totally intrigued by this. I've been using ADVC-100 for over a year now. It's ok.

Do you know if I can use two Apple displays with this, one for PT and one for picture monitor or do I need an NTSC?
Is there a way to split the signal for ADR if I use an Apple display for control room picture?

Thanks. I thought I'd let someone else think this one through...

[Ken P]

The easy and cheap way would be to get DVI to S-Video adapter and use the second output for the video monitor. You would then go into System Preferences>Displays, set the second monitor to 680X480, and drag the video window on to the video display. If you want to use a ADVC-110, the best way is to get a PCI firewire card and use it for your audio. You don't want to put the Canopus and video drive on the audio chain. That's asking for trouble.

i have to ask... does this method above only apply to dual DVI port G5's? i am assuming there is no adapter for ADC connectors and i've yet to hear of someone doing this with an ADC port. i supose the adc port could be configured as the main monitor and the DVI port for the video out? but what do you do in situations like this where you want to utilize dual monitors AND have a 3rd video out(without the cost of fuse-x which seems to me the only obvious choice at the moment). i bought a canopus for this exact purpose, thinking it was that golden ticket wth a good price tag (plus i can use it with my laptop rig) but after all the sync issues posted i am trying to determin what is truly the right move before my 30 day return period on the canopus runs out...

can't i have my dual monitor cake and eat the video monitor too?

[filmixer]

> but what do you do in situations like this where you want to utilize dual monitors AND have a 3rd video out(<

If you want dual computer monitors, which is what I prefer, then you'll need a video decoder. Either a PCI card, like the Fuse-X, or a firewire device like the Canopus. The PCI cards are the more precise decoders, but the Canopus is fine for most work if you're just recording or mixing to picture. If I were mostly editing on the system, I would get a PCI solution.

[minister]

i would trust the DVI-->video method for sync, no drift and better scrubbing over a canopus. really big sessions, with lots of automation make the canopus drift.

so, if you can't do a PCIe solution, then use the cheaper, but better DVI-->video solution.


aurora's FUSE-X for PCIe will be out soon , and AJA and Blackmagic have them out now.

if you want. ATTOhas a PCIe card out now.

just adding my thoguths...

[Ken P]

> but what do you do in situations like this where you want to utilize dual monitors AND have a 3rd video out(<

If you want dual computer monitors, which is what I prefer, then you'll need a video decoder. Either a PCI card, like the Fuse-X, or a firewire device like the Canopus. The PCI cards are the more precise decoders, but the Canopus is fine for most work if you're just recording or mixing to picture. If I were mostly editing on the system, I would get a PCI solution.

i am doing mix to pic mostly, maybe some sparse video work but i doubt it. i ran a test last night with a DV file i exported out of final cut using random bars/tone flashes over a course of time, adjusted my qt movie offset in PT and all seems fine for now. but all these canopus sync issue threads scare me. i fear getting knee deep in a low budget indy feature coming up and finding out on playback of the video with my mix that it has weird drifts because the audio i was placing to pic was placed referencing a drifting video (MINISTER, your post as i was typing seems to confirm exactly this). can anyone at all tell me they have a canopus and they love it with their PT rig? works great? use it all the time on the biggest processor-hog of projects? if not, i may just have to get the fuse-x when i can afford it and use the suggested adapter in the meantime instead of the canopus...it just stinks because the canopus seems to be working ok now, but again, i don't really know until i get knee deep in a system-resource-taxing project, then it will be too late!

i guess the one thing i have going for me is having a non-PCIe G5, so when the new Arora hits MAYBE i might catch a deal somewhere on a fine pre-owned fuse-x?

sorry mixboy to bust in on your thread, just trying to clarify this canopus thing, so it might help us both out

[RobMacki]

[QUOTE]

. i fear getting knee deep in a low budget indy feature coming up and finding out on playback of the video with my mix that it has weird drifts because the audio i was placing to pic was placed referencing a drifting video (MINISTER, your post as i was typing seems to confirm exactly this). can anyone at all tell me they have a canopus and they love it with their PT rig? works great? use it all the time on the biggest processor-hog of projects? if not, i may just have to get the fuse-x when i can afford it and use the suggested adapter in the meantime instead of the canopus...it just stinks because the canopus seems to be working ok now, but again, i don't really know until i get knee deep in a system-resource-taxing project, then it will be too late!

I've been using Canopus for over a year (mostly commercials but some long form too) and have gotten used to it. You can spot, nuge, and scrub to frame and be in perfect sync however on playback it's a little rubbery. I would like to have another solution and have Syncheck too especially for my long form work. I can work fine with Canopus but the hardest thing for me is to have a client comment "are we in sync?" then go through a whole process of showing them that we are...yada yada yada....you can trust me...yada yada yada
If I would have known, I would have gotten Fuse-X instead. But then again I only have one more PCI slot and I'd like to get a Process card.

[Dan Pinder]

I just got a G5 (dual 2.7) and am dealing with the same thing. I was worried about track counts and video playback, but I'm getting 100 tracks (constant, linear tracks) across 2 FW800 drives, video on the 2nd internal SATA and a Canopus on the 400 port—all with no troubles. in a G5, all firewire is on one bus, even with different port speeds. It seems to be able to handle it fine.

I would have preferred 2 SATAs for the audio, but all my slots are filled with HD cards. I have always had good luck with internal ATAs in the past