Looking for recommendations for new system

If you could get the ideal system for Final Cut Pro, what would it be? What components would you include?

We are upgrading our system and I am looking for suggestions on how the best way to go about this would be. We want the latest and greatest. We are advancing from the standard definition world to the HD world. Looking for suggestions on towers, decks, monitors, software, processors, etc. Whatever you think is the best, let me know.

Thanks.

Are you talking stand-alone workstation or a multi edit-bay setup where editors (how many?) need to share files? Do you need graphics? Do you need a lot of archival storage? Are you working mostly for broadcast, theatrical, corporate, or commercials? How much of your existing equipment can or should be included in the new set-up?

Post more specifics to get some good input on this, it's a very wide-ranging question. Otherwise you'll just get a long list of everyone's favorite dreamgear, which may or may not make sense for you.

Clay

For now it is a stand alone work station but eventually the hope is that it will be connected to a server so that other stations will be able to share files. At that point there will be three other stations. Yes, we need graphics. We are good for archival storage so that is not an issue. Most of our editing is broadcast/corporate. We are looking at a complete replacement (other than the storage) of our entire system, so the existing equipment is a non-issue.

Thanx, that fills in some of the blanks. First thing, depending where you are, would be to locate a good Apple Video Solutions Expert (google it). Especially, as it sounds, if you're new to FCP. They can help you a lot in configuring and installing a startup system that you can expand upon.

(is PfA reading this?)

Otherwise, if it were me, and "latest and greatest" were the only criteria, it would go something like this:

Software:
FCP Studio (latest Version)
After Effects 7.0
Photoshop CS
Maybe Shake, although maybe wait for the next Motion release.
Plugins

Hardware:
Quad G5 w/16 GB Ram and Max# of internal drives (assuming FCP 64 Bit addressing is not far away)
Best graphics card currently available. Go to the Apple Store and look at the G5's.
Two 30" Apple Cinema Displays
BlackMagic Design Multibridge Extreme
Huge Media Vault 4440
Sony 32" CRT HD Multiformat Monitor
Mackie FW Audio Control Surface
Mackie Studio Monitors
An optical audio surround system, not sure which
Wacom Intuos3 Graphics Pad
A RED camera with accesories.
Decks: depends totally on what format you shoot on and need to deliver on.
A good-sized cash reserve to keep it all maintained and up to date.

And an Aston Martin (don't know how to take care of a Pony).

Cheers,
Clay

Good hardware config:

Mac Pro:
-2.66 or 3GHz processor
-2-4GB of RAM
-500GB Main HD
-2nd (or 3rd, or 4th) 500GB hard drive for internal RAIDs. Unless you've got a RAID already set up in your network.
-Atleast ATI Radeon X1900 Dual Link (if you want to use multiple displays). Maybe even get the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500
-Atleast a single Apple cinema 23-inch display (or another brand such as Dell)