This IS the Avid L2: Re: [Avid-L2] Avid on new Mac Pro

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Re: [Avid-L2] Avid on new Mac Pro - approved

We are using iMacs with Sonnet Thunderbolt expansion chassis with Nitris DX and Atto fiber cards. We have had very few problems working with DNX media for offline. Mostly the Nitris boxes just drive client monitors, but they seem to work for the occasional capture from HDCAM-SR.

The only problem has been a few more audio under runs when the editor has a ton of tracks compared to when the Nitris was used with a 2008 MacPro.

I'll give this a test when our next MacPro arrives, but since the Pro's have Thunderbolt 2, I can't imagine them working worse than an iMac.

I was a bit surprised how well it worked on our test system. It would be worth trying on one system to see if it will work in your environment.

Robert Ferguson

On Mar 2, 2014, at 5:48 PM, Keith Rollinson <keith@sector550.com> wrote:

Dave wrote:

"The Nitris DX has a hardware "pipeline"; for processing video (like up convert/downconvert). Because the pipeline is being used for these processes, we cannot get the bandwidth needed to drive video to the Tbolt converter efficiently and therefore it does not work. A Mojo DX does not process video like a Nitris DX and it does not have this problem. We sell a Tbolt converter on our Website or a reseller for Mojo DX.

Just to be clear, we ARE NOT EOLing Nitris DX. The new Mac Pro does not have the appropriate connections to use a Nitris DX."

My apologies if I was too strong in writing "EOL" for Nitris. However, in our situation, it will amount to the same, even though I fully understand that this is the hand that Apple has dealt you. At my school, department-wise, we are upgrading this summer to new mac pros. These run Avid MC (soon several planned w/ Symphony option), FCP X, Adobe CC, and other apps. It is not an option to not upgrade to the new mac pros, chiefly because of FCP X and legacy FCP 7, and software commitments across the departments. If there is no T-bolt to PCIe solution that will work with Nitris DX on the new mac pros, we – and many others – will require purchase of new, non-Avid HW.

So please understand what is at core in my question. From your response, Dave, I do not hear of a known, or as-yet tested solution to interface Nitris DX with the new mac pros, which is most concerning.

Keith Rollinson