[Frameworks] Upgrading Mac Tower for optimal FCP 7 performance

[Warren Cockerham]

Hi Ken,

For hard drives, I would suggest getting a 2.5" SSD like these
<http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148949&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-Solid+State+Disk-_-N82E16820148949&gclid=CLiatd230soCFYEmHwodZJEFHQ>
instead of a 7200rpm 3.5". You'd need to get this adapter:
http://www.amazon.com/Sonnet-Technologies-Transposer-3-5-Inch-TP-25ST35TA/dp/B0057UHR2M

I'd also consider switching from FCP7 to Premiere. You might be maxed out
on RAM, but FCP7 doesn't care; it only uses 4gb of RAM. You can allocate as
much RAM as you need with Premiere. When I initially switched over to
Premiere, I also used the FCP7 keyboard shortcuts (a preferences option in
Premiere) - it was just like working in FCP7 but a lot faster. If you're
project originated on film and you need to have a negative conformed,
you'll probably want to stick with FCP7 and Cinema Tools. Otherwise,
there's not much of a reason to use it with an all-digital project. I think
you can get the entire Adobe CC package for $20 a month if you teach or
you're a student. Apple Pro Res files take up a lot of hard drive space. I
switched over for space, speed, text, and Adobe dynamic link. There's other
options of course, but if you love FCP7 like I did (and still do),
Premiere's probably your best bet. FCP7 doesn't take advantage of GPU in
your graphics card either (you might think of upgrading your video/graphics
card too).

Hope that helps. Good luck.

Warren
NYC

On Sat, Jan 30, 2016 at 3:43 PM, Ken Paul Rosenthal <
kenpaulrosenthal at hotmail.com> wrote:

> My current project will likely be my last project on FCP 7. My Mac tower
> is rather ancient and it's starting to make ticking noises--sounds like a
> door latch--that I've never heard before. It's likely the hard drive, so
> I'm going to take it in for replacement shortly so that my unit doesn't
> crash, mid-edit. I'm seeking advice as to what additionally upgrades I can
> do to optimize my tower for this project in terms of speed and safety, as I'm
> editing from a pool of infinitely more images than any prior
> project--well over 2,500. My pool of images and project files are backed up
> on two additional drives.I believe I'm maxed out on RAM.  Not looking for a
> comprehensive overhaul as I will likely sell this computer after this
> project.  Here's the specs:
>
> OSX 10.6.8
> Processor 2 x 2.66 Ghz
> Dual Core Intel Xeon
> Memory 66GB, 667 Mhz DDR2 FB-DIMM
> 4 cores
>
> Thanks! Ken
> <http://www.kenpaulrosenthal.com>www.kenpaulrosenthal.com
> www.whisperrapture.com
> www.maddancementalhealthfilmtrilogy.com
>
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