MacMegasite

This April, Small Tree (www.small-tree.com) will introduce its new 2TB GraniteSTOR ST-RAID (www.GraniteSTOR.com) direct attached shared storage system at NAB 2010 (booth SL7425).

Offering real time editing for Final Cut users while supporting 12 streams of ProRes 422HQ with no dropped frames, ST-RAID provides consistent performance over Ethernet networks. The 2TB system is available in 8-, 12- or 16-drive configurations. 

“GraniteSTOR ST-RAID is ideal for creative facilities requiring affordable, high-performance storage technology to maximize workflow,” stated Dale Bradshaw, director of communications for Management & Training Corporation (www.mtctrains.com), which recently installed the storage system to eliminate having to copy production files from one desktop to another. “The performance the system achieves over Gigabit Ethernet has enabled our team to optimize its efficiency.”

Easy to install and manage, GraniteSTOR ST-RAID enables instant availability and background initialization along with automatic insertion/removal detection and rebuild. For greater flexibility, more storage can be added easily for system expansion.

“ST-RAID delivers the performance video editors need to optimize efficiency at an affordable price,” said Corky Seeber, president of Small Tree. “With the introduction of our new 2TB system, we can offer our customers a more robust solution that facilitates their workflow without crippling their budget.”

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), or visit www.small-tree.com or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.

Offering video system integration, music production and digital cinema production work, Japan-based Musetex System was in need of a workflow solution as dynamic as the company.

Featuring four Mac Pro Suites equipped with Matrox MX02, MOTU V4HD and HDX-SDI, Bluefish444 Epoch and Red Rocket, Musetex recently installed a GraniteSTOR (www.GraniteSTOR.com) shared storage system from Small Tree (www.small-tree.com), designer of simple-to-install, inexpensive networking and shared storage products for professional video and audio editors using Mac OS X.   

Working with 4K footage in HD output, Musetex required an upgrade from its existing 1Gb connectivity to 10Gb connectivity to facilitate workflow on feature films, TV commercials and major music video projects. With Small Tree’s GraniteSTOR ST-RAID, a robust direct attached shared storage system designed specifically for Final Cut users, Musetex editors can copy footage, work on annotation, edit with R3D proxies, color grade and render from the same R3D footage simultaneously.

Musetex editors save R3D files on the GraniteSTOR ST-RAID with access to the files via a 1GbE connection to each suite’s MacBook Pro. Additionally, the ST-RAID is connected to two Mac Pros with 10Gb connections so that the company’s editors can work on other projects while RR MobileSuite is converting files using Red Rocket. According to Kaku Ito, Musetex CEO, the 10Gb connection through GraniteSTOR ST-RAID provides over 160MB/sec transferring rate, which is enough speed to playback 10-bit uncompressed 422 at 1080p.

“Since installing Small Tree’s complete GraniteSTOR system at our facility, I feel like everything is finally connected,” said Kaku Ito, CEO. “In addition to handling 10-bit uncompressed 422, the GraniteSTOR solution has improved efficiency throughout our studios, as all of our workstations have access to the same materials. Because of that, our editors can

share footage while working on different stages of the same project. Now deadlines are easier to meet and creativity is fluid.”

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), or visit www.small-tree.com or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.

As the professional audio and video industries continuously seek faster solutions to improve workflow, Small Tree will preview its GraniteSTOR FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) product – the next generation SAN technology – at Macworld Expo 2010 (booth 647).

Taking advantage of 10 Gigabit over Ethernet’s robust throughout capabilities, GraniteSTOR FCoE will provide post-production editors with maximum efficiency while easily handling 10 bit HD uncompressed video or next generation 8k video.

“Leading-edge companies like Red Camera are going to drive the need for FCoE technology,” said Corky Seeber, president of Small Tree.  “Sure, today’s SAN technology works well with current applications such as ProRes HQ and ProRes 444, but with the ongoing shift to HD, tomorrow’s storage systems will need to work seamlessly over 10GbE in order to offer an optimal workflow environment.  FCoE is critical in making that happen.”

Ideal for both Final Cut and Pro Tools users, Small Tree’s FCoE storage technology produces exceptional system performance due to several new networking features; most important of which is OS X stack bypass. It’s also more economical than today’s Fibre Channel solutions.

“A recently installed Fibre Channel 16 TB storage system for four clients would cost $20,000 less with FCoE,” stated Seeber.  “That includes the storage, SSD (solid-state drives), 10Gb cards for all four clients and a 6-port 10Gb card in the server. The power of a 6-port 10Gb card eliminates the need for a 10Gb switch, which leads to substantial cost savings.”
 
According to Seeber, further cost savings from FCoE will result as 10GBase-T becomes common in the marketplace. Previewing its FCoE technology for OS X at Macworld, Small Tree expects its complete FCoE solution to be available by April.

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), or visit http://www.small-tree.com/ or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.

The premier provider of Ethernet-based shared storage technology systems for OS X customers, Small Tree today introduced the newest version of its  GraniteSTOR abcSAN for Pro Tools users seeking a fast and economical alternative to maximize their workflow. Small Tree’s GraniteSTOR abcSAN will be on exhibit at Macworld Expo 2010 (booth 647).

Utilizing iSCSI technology, GraniteSTOR abcSAN offers Pro Tools users working on Mac Pro systems real-time performance over Ethernet cable for as low as $750 a Terabyte.  Robust, easy to set up and even easier to manage, GraniteSTOR abcSAN eliminates headaches and cost inefficiencies associated with existing storage solutions.

“Prior to the introduction of GraniteSTOR abcSAN, professional audio studios facing bottleneck issues would need to purchase a storage system as well as a PCIe expander to improve their system’s performance,” said Corky Seeber, president of Small Tree. “With our iSCSI-based Ethernet storage system, which is faster than Firewire 800 and USB, Mac Pro users can now have a shared storage solution with RAID protection for all their data. That will improve workflow, thereby enabling the completion of projects on time and under budget.”

Providing robust performance for up to 96 audio tracks at 96kHz with consistent performance from your standard Ethernet network while offering optimal cost-efficiency, GraniteSTOR abcSAN is deployable as either a NAS or a SAN solution and is available in 6TB, 12TB or 24TB configurations.  

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), or visit www.small-tree.com or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.

Small Tree, designer of cost-effective networking and shared storage products for professional video and audio editors, will feature its GraniteSTOR ST-RAID shared storage system at Macworld Expo 2010 (booth 647).

Designed specifically for Final Cut users looking for an economical, functional and easy to manage storage solution, GraniteSTOR ST-RAID offers exceptional value and abundant features.

“GraniteSTOR ST-RAID is ideal for creative facilities requiring affordable, high-performance storage technology to maximize workflow,” stated Dale Bradshaw, director of communications for Management & Training Corporation, which recently installed the storage system to eliminate having to copy production files from one desktop to another. “The performance the system achieves over Gigabit Ethernet has enabled our team to optimize its efficiency.”

Providing robust (greater than 500MB/sec), consistent performance over Ethernet networks while offering optimal cost-efficiency, ST-RAID’s easy to manage design ensures there are no dropped frames. Available in 8-, 12- or 16-drive (1TB) configurations, GraniteSTOR ST-RAID enables instant availability and background initialization along with automatic insertion/removal detection and rebuild. For greater flexibility, more storage can be added easily for system expansion.

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), or visit www.small-tree.com or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.

Tired of doubling up media over multiple workstations, Melbourne-based production company Coda.TV, known for its work on “Dancing with the Stars,” recently employed Cactus Resolutions Pty Ltd to install Small Tree’s complete GraniteSTOR shared storage system to streamline its workflow by eliminating unnecessary time delays.

Featuring four HD Final Cut suites packed with state-of-the-art editing systems, Coda.TV frequently requires multiple editors to work simultaneously on a single project. The GraniteSTOR installation features: a 16 bay GraniteSTOR ST-RAID direct attached shared storage system designed specifically for Final Cut users looking for economical, functional and easy to manage storage technology; PEG6, a 6-port Ethernet card; and Edge-corE ES4524D, a 24-port Gigabit Ethernet switch. According to Rob Peile, Coda.TV’s managing director, prior to installing the GraniteSTOR system, the company’s editors had to deal with the complicated and tiresome transfer of media between systems.

“Editing is an art, and the common disruption our editors faced from having to copy files from one workstation to another was hindering the creative process,” Peile stated. “We needed a system that would enable our editors to access projects concurrently without clogging the network. With Small Tree’s GraniteSTOR system, our editing team is much more productive, and that is great for morale and even better for creativity.”

With five freelancers on the system at any given time working with XDCAM EX and ProRes HD footage, Peile has been impressed with the Small Tree system’s reliability in addition to the technology’s affordability. 

“We haven’t had a single issue with the Small Tree system pushing the material we work with,” Peile remarked. “And as if that wasn’t enough, not only was the Small Tree gear available at a substantially better price point than the alternative solutions, but having the technology on-hand has allowed us to bid on more jobs that would have been too expensive to work on under our previous operating procedures. Thus, we saved money installing GraniteSTOR, and now, having the technology is opening additional revenue opportunities for our company.”  

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), or visit http://www.small-tree.com/ or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.

Success for small video production facilities such as On Point Digital Media in Tallahassee is dependent on client volume. Whereas larger facilities can rely on big budget projects, On Point Digital Media relies on a consistent flow of projects to ensure its business continues to grow. To maintain its reputation and attract more clients, the company must deliver projects on time and on budget. To that end, On Point Digital Media recently installed an Ethernet-based shared storage solution featuring Small Tree technology to improve its workflow.

Specializing in high impact, HD video production for long form marketing videos, corporate videos and regional/national broadcast commercials, On Point Digital Media features two Final Cut editing suites equipped with state-of-the-art technology. With its editors often working concurrently on a project, having to copy files from one editing suite to an external drive and then physically transporting the files to the other editing suite had become maddening, according to James Curran, company owner and editor.

“Prior to installing Small Tree’s system, we managed our workflow issues by pulling out our hair, cursing and using FW800 drives,” Curran joked. “When we got the Small Tree system up and running we were floored that it worked so easily. Now, it’s easier to keep track of projects.  Productivity and morale at the facility are way up.”  

Having originally looked at Fibre Channel solutions, Curran quickly determined that the facility didn’t need the throughput, or the added expense, of Fibre Channel for his clients’ HD projects.   To streamline workflow, On Point Digital Media installed Small Tree’s GraniteSTOR shared storage technology with its unique OS X networking capabilities supporting multiple Ethernet ports, tightly integrated with Apple’s built in file sharing system. The GraniteSTOR solution incorporates Small Tree’s PEG6, a 6-port Ethernet card with the Edge-corE ES4528V, a 28-port Gigabit Ethernet switch certified to work with Small Tree’s technology.

“We’re working with HDV, DVCPro HD, XDCAM HD and ProRes 422 formats with no dropped frames or issues,” Curran stated. “We’re able to get the throughput we need and we can add up to 10 users, so there’s room to expand if we need to. Best of all, we were able to do this without breaking our budget or tearing apart our facility for a major overhaul.”

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), or visit www.small-tree.com or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.

As studio manager for Optic Nerve, Chris Besecker’s days used to be like a game of hide and seek, only not nearly as much fun. With five Mac G5 workstations running Final Cut and Adobe After Effects and no centralized storage at the Brooklyn facility, Besecker had to keep track of where each project’s files were and make sure those files were available to the editors on the individual workstations. Before Optic Nerve installed Small Tree’s cost-effective, Ethernet-based shared storage technology, there was a lot of looking around for certain files and then a lot of copying files from one hard drive to another.   

Located on New York Harbor with an amazing front-side view of The Statue of Liberty, Optic Nerve is one part film production company, one part post house and one part sound studio. Known for providing top shelf production services, seasoned editing resources and refined music and sound design artistry, Optic Nerve contacted respected independent video engineer Bob Zelin when it became obvious that it was in desperate need of a solution that would provide better project management and workflow support. 

Having worked with a number of other facilities that have experienced similar issues, Zelin quickly determined that the simplest and most cost-efficient solution for Optic Nerve would be Small Tree’s GraniteSTOR shared storage technology, with its unique OS X networking capabilities supporting multiple Ethernet ports tightly integrated with Apple’s built in file sharing system. The GraniteSTOR solution incorporates Small Tree’s PEG6, a 6-port Ethernet card with the Edge-corE ES4528V, a 28-port Gigabit Ethernet switch certified to work with Small Tree’s technology.

“We shoot a lot in digital, so the amount of media we were working with was growing and growing,” said Besecker. “Before the Small Tree install, I was running from station to station trying to make sure the editors had the files they needed for the projects they were working on. Now, project traffic management is a snap. All of the files are located in one place and all five editors can access the files they need.” 

According to Besecker, ease of installation, affordability and scalability were the crucial factors in making the decision to move forward with Small Tree’s Ethernet-based solution.

“We originally looked at Fibre Channel to improve workflow and project management, but the cost and impact on our infrastructure was prohibitive – we would have needed someone on staff dedicated exclusively to overseeing the technology and that was not an option,” Besecker continued. “Small Tree’s technology was extremely affordable and easy to install. We simply shipped the hard drive we were going to use as the server to Bob and he shipped it back ready to go. He even showed us how to add workstations to the server as we continue to grow.” 

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), or visit http://www.small-tree.com/ or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.

For nearly 30 years, Management & Training Corporation (MTC) has been providing life changing opportunities via its successful job training program through the federal government’s Job Corps. Since 1987, MTC has also offered rehabilitative educational opportunities at privatized correctional facilities across the country. Part of the company’s continued growth can be attributed to its proactive marketing efforts, which includes an in-house video production department generating marketing tools the company distributes to existing and potential clients.

With three workstations running Final Cut simultaneously, and a fourth for graphic design using shared assets, project management had become a major issue for MTC’s video production unit as piles of external drives were daisy-chained across the facility. To eliminate copying files from one workstation to another, MTC installed Small Tree’s complete GraniteSTOR shared storage solution – GraniteSTOR ST-RAID, a robust direct attached shared storage system designed specifically for Final Cut users looking for economical, functional and easy to manage storage technology, PEG6, a 6-port Ethernet card, and Edge-corE ES4528V, a 28-port Gigabit Ethernet switch.  In addition to the Small Tree technology, MTC installed Final Cut Server.

“After installing Small Tree’s GraniteSTOR system we now can manage our projects much more efficiently without having to run external drives back and forth,” said Dale Bradshaw, director of communications for MTC. “Our editors have all of the footage and assets they need right at their fingertips.”

MTC recently switched to Panasonic P2 cameras to maximize the quality of the company’s training and marketing videos, along with the video magazines it produces each year to highlight best practices and latest developments of interest to its two main divisions.  The switch to the P2 cameras facilitated the need to implement a system that could seamlessly handle HD footage without dropping frames.  

“We looked at the Apple Xsan originally, but it was too cost prohibitive,” Bradshaw continued.  “As an Ethernet-based system, GraniteSTOR saved us a tremendous amount of money. Rather than having to overhaul our entire infrastructure, all we needed to do was run some additional cable; for the most part, we just used the CAT6 cable that was already in the wall. It prevented a huge headache and was a big cost saver.” 

Each day, MTC helps tens of thousands of Job Corps students and correctional facility inmates to learn new skills. MTC’s track record has made it the U.S. Department of Labor’s largest contractor and the third largest operator of adult private prisons. MTC’s experience and fiscal strength allow it to consistently exceed the expectations of government customers and the public.

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), or visit www.small-tree.com or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.

Frustrated by having projects continuously freeze up in the middle of editing sessions and having to rummage through multiple external drives to locate footage, Red Productions, a full service, script to screen video production and independent film development and production company, recently commissioned respected independent video engineer Bob Zelin to install a cost-effective Ethernet-based shared storage solution featuring Small Tree technology.

Specializing in national TV commercials, feature films, viral videos for web, industrial videos, and non-profit fundraising pieces, Red Productions has experienced steady growth since its inception. With well-known organizations such as Coca Cola, the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Christian University among its client roster, Red Productions could no longer rely on the external drives chained via eSATA they were using within their three-room facility to complete projects if they were interested in keeping clients happy and continuing their growth. 

To streamline Red Productions’ workflow, Zelin installed Small Tree’s GraniteSTOR shared storage technology with its unique OS X networking capabilities supporting multiple Ethernet ports, tightly integrated with Apple’s built in file sharing system. The GraniteSTOR solution incorporates Small Tree’s PEG6, a 6-port Ethernet card with the Edge-corE ES4528V, a 28-port Gigabit Ethernet switch certified to work with Small Tree’s technology.

“Before the Small Tree install, we had two major issues with our workflow,” states Sam Parnell, editor. “First, working with repeat clients, we had to constantly go through all of our hard drives to locate the files we needed.  Second, Final Cut Pro would freeze up on us in the middle of an editing session with a client. We desperately needed a shared local drive that was robust enough to handle HD projects without freezing the system.”

Critical to improving productivity on existing projects, the Small Tree install was also an investment on upcoming projects according to Red Sanders, a producer at Red Productions.

“We’re preparing to start our next feature film, Searching for Sonny, where we’ll have multiple editors accessing footage simultaneously,” said Sanders. “Based on what we have noticed on our current projects, the Small Tree shared storage technology will eliminate the downtime we were experiencing previously and keep us up and running at all times on this project. Without interruptions in workflow, the creative process will be seamless, which will positively influence the end product and end up saving us both time and costs.” 

Designer of simple-to-install, affordable Mac-based networking and shared storage products, Small Tree is the premier multi-port Ethernet networking technology provider for OS X customers, enabling cost effective Ethernet shared storage technology. For more information about the company and its products, please call 1-866-STC4MAC (1-866-782-4622), visit www.small-tree.com or follow Small Tree on Twitter @smalltreecomm.