Media Composer on an "unqualified" Mac that meets minimum system requirements at DVinfo.net

Jase Tanner · December 29th, 2011, 09:59 AM

I'm currently using FCP 7 and considering making the switch. I have a 2010 8 core "Westmere" Mac Pro with 8 gigs of ram.

To my surprise this particular model is not listed by Avid as a qualified machine. After contacting Avid support, I was told that while it does meet minimum system requirements, Avid could not guarantee performance. Of course I can and will download the trial to see how well it does.

In the meantime, I'd like to know how others with the same model are finding its performance with Media Composer.

Thanks

Phillip Palacios · January 2nd, 2012, 09:38 AM

I don't know the names that Intel randomly assigns to processors.
I made the switch smoothly a month ago on a non qualified machine, and haven't looked back.

My workstation is a Mac Pro early 2008, 2.8ghz 8 core with 8 gigs of ram, Nvidia GTX285 and GT120 Graphics cards, Blackmagic Intensity Pro, and an OWC SSD system drive running OSX Lion.
Performance is faster than FCP7 was at rendering, about the same with EOS footage, but more stable. The few errors I've encountered don't seem to crash the program, and they seem to be mostly related to having the audio on during scrubbing or if I'm outputting 10-bit quality on an unrendered timeline (the little green/yellow bottom on the bottom of the timeline).

Word of advice: Open up you keyboard map under settings and keep it open, It helps you learn the shortcuts. Also learn the trim mode, it saves a ton of time on precise editing. Effects are handled totally differently in AVID than in FCP, but once you're used to the mentality it makes a lot of sense.

Hope this helps
p

Jase Tanner · January 4th, 2012, 10:04 AM

Thanks Phillip

That does help. From what I could gather from Avid, the question of what is "qualified" or not, is in large part, a matter of which models they have tested or not. I plan to download the trial next week and see how it all goes but my guess is that it'll be fine

Trent Watts · January 15th, 2012, 07:51 PM

Rather than posting a new thread, I'll just use this one to pose my own workstation question.

I'm looking to purchase the fastest Avid workstation I can get for under $3,000. It can be PC or Mac. Any recommendations?

Phillip Palacios · January 17th, 2012, 07:41 AM

Video Guys, one of the forum sponsors has an excellent build guide. If apple discontinues the MacPro Line, I may switch to PC for my workstation using their recommended configurations.

Cees van Kempen · February 20th, 2012, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jase Tanner

Thanks Phillip

That does help. From what I could gather from Avid, the question of what is "qualified" or not, is in large part, a matter of which models they have tested or not. I plan to download the trial next week and see how it all goes but my guess is that it'll be fine

Dear Jase,

I think I might have the same 2010 Mac Pro.

Specs:
Processor Two 2.40GHz Quad-Core Intel Xe
Memory 8GB (4X2GB)
Graphics Card ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB
RAID Mac Pro RAID Card

Am I right this is the same? Did you run the trial and if yes, what are your findings?

Hope you can help.

Cees

Jase Tanner · February 21st, 2012, 12:59 AM

Hi Cees

I haven't had the time to do this yet. Hopefully soon, although I must admit with the update of FCP X I'm feeling more hopeful about its future. Not that that was my only reason for considering Avid but it is a big part of it.

We do have the same basic machine but I have no raid.

I'll post when I get around to it and would appreciate if you do the same.

Jase

Cees van Kempen · February 21st, 2012, 01:45 AM

Jase,

I am about to travel for a month, so it won't be before the end of March for me to give it a try. But I'll let you know in this thread if I am first.

Cees

Jase Tanner · April 29th, 2012, 02:05 AM

Cees

I finally downloaded MC 6 and have played around with it a little. Way to early to tell how well it will perform but so far so good in and of itself.

However, one thing I am noticing is that with upgrading to Lion (system requirement for version 6) I notice that in general my computer is just a little bit slower. I'm going to get in touch with Applecare about that.

On another forum one person wrote that MC 6 will function under Snow Leopard but you won't get any tech support from Avid. I cloned my boot drive before installing the new OS so I may give that a try if applecare doesn't produce.

Have you tried it yet?

December 29th, 2011, 09:59 AM	#1
Jase Tanner Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 346	Media Composer on an "unqualified" Mac that meets minimum system requirements I'm currently using FCP 7 and considering making the switch. I have a 2010 8 core "Westmere" Mac Pro with 8 gigs of ram. To my surprise this particular model is not listed by Avid as a qualified machine. After contacting Avid support, I was told that while it does meet minimum system requirements, Avid could not guarantee performance. Of course I can and will download the trial to see how well it does. In the meantime, I'd like to know how others with the same model are finding its performance with Media Composer. Thanks

January 2nd, 2012, 09:38 AM	#2
Phillip Palacios Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 233	Re: Media Composer on an "unqualified" Mac that meets minimum system requirements I don't know the names that Intel randomly assigns to processors. I made the switch smoothly a month ago on a non qualified machine, and haven't looked back. My workstation is a Mac Pro early 2008, 2.8ghz 8 core with 8 gigs of ram, Nvidia GTX285 and GT120 Graphics cards, Blackmagic Intensity Pro, and an OWC SSD system drive running OSX Lion. Performance is faster than FCP7 was at rendering, about the same with EOS footage, but more stable. The few errors I've encountered don't seem to crash the program, and they seem to be mostly related to having the audio on during scrubbing or if I'm outputting 10-bit quality on an unrendered timeline (the little green/yellow bottom on the bottom of the timeline). Word of advice: Open up you keyboard map under settings and keep it open, It helps you learn the shortcuts. Also learn the trim mode, it saves a ton of time on precise editing. Effects are handled totally differently in AVID than in FCP, but once you're used to the mentality it makes a lot of sense. Hope this helps p __________________ always learning www.phillippalacios.com

January 4th, 2012, 10:04 AM	#3
Jase Tanner Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 346	Re: Media Composer on an "unqualified" Mac that meets minimum system requirements Thanks Phillip That does help. From what I could gather from Avid, the question of what is "qualified" or not, is in large part, a matter of which models they have tested or not. I plan to download the trial next week and see how it all goes but my guess is that it'll be fine

January 15th, 2012, 07:51 PM	#4
Trent Watts New Boot Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Posts: 24	Avid Workstation under $3,000 Rather than posting a new thread, I'll just use this one to pose my own workstation question. I'm looking to purchase the fastest Avid workstation I can get for under $3,000. It can be PC or Mac. Any recommendations?

January 17th, 2012, 07:41 AM	#5
Phillip Palacios Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 233	Re: Media Composer on an "unqualified" Mac that meets minimum system requirements Video Guys, one of the forum sponsors has an excellent build guide. If apple discontinues the MacPro Line, I may switch to PC for my workstation using their recommended configurations. __________________ always learning www.phillippalacios.com

February 21st, 2012, 12:59 AM	#7
Jase Tanner Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 346	Re: Media Composer on an "unqualified" Mac that meets minimum system requirements Hi Cees I haven't had the time to do this yet. Hopefully soon, although I must admit with the update of FCP X I'm feeling more hopeful about its future. Not that that was my only reason for considering Avid but it is a big part of it. We do have the same basic machine but I have no raid. I'll post when I get around to it and would appreciate if you do the same. Jase

February 21st, 2012, 01:45 AM	#8
Cees van Kempen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Nieuw-Vossemeer, The Netherlands Posts: 455	Re: Media Composer on an "unqualified" Mac that meets minimum system requirements Jase, I am about to travel for a month, so it won't be before the end of March for me to give it a try. But I'll let you know in this thread if I am first. Cees

April 29th, 2012, 02:05 AM	#9
Jase Tanner Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 346	Re: Media Composer on an "unqualified" Mac that meets minimum system requirements Cees I finally downloaded MC 6 and have played around with it a little. Way to early to tell how well it will perform but so far so good in and of itself. However, one thing I am noticing is that with upgrading to Lion (system requirement for version 6) I notice that in general my computer is just a little bit slower. I'm going to get in touch with Applecare about that. On another forum one person wrote that MC 6 will function under Snow Leopard but you won't get any tech support from Avid. I cloned my boot drive before installing the new OS so I may give that a try if applecare doesn't produce. Have you tried it yet?