CalDigit VR Mini RAID Question

Just purchased this 2TB Mini for working on the road. It comes set as a RAID 0 but after my G-Raid disaster I'm thinking of setting it up as a RAID 1. Will the speed drop-off seriously mess with my editing in HD, mostly XDCAM EX. Working in FCP7 on a MBP 2.4 GHz Intel Core2 Duo.

Here's what CalDigit had to say,

VRMini in RAID 0 can hit 170MB/s under the optimal environment.
- in RAID 1, it can only hit 75MB/s (half of the performance).
- In RAID 0, two drives work together as one (it get the job done 50% faster)

The answer is yes - the speed will drop as CalDigit folks say -- if you feel the need for speed - connect the drive with a SATA cord (it will remain bus powered on a laptop with firewire connected simultaneously - you need laptop that allows SATA connection with add on card or to a MAC PRO tower -- but it is screaming fast via SATA -- just back up your material to an other less speedy drive -- you have your back up - you have your speed!

Thanks Andy. Great! I have an eSata card for my MBP. So your suggesting to keep it at RAID 0?

You didn't give us any specs on what kind of files you are editing. Kinda tough to give you any advice without the facts. I use 720 / 1080 ProRes files / timelines and use my Caldigit VR as RAID 1 via FW800 with no problems.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Mostly XDCAM EX 1080i60.

I've found XDCAM anything to be most troublesome and disk/processor intensive - but anything like that I've had better luck and speedier edits in Raid 0 -- Prores doesn't seem to take as big a hit on disk or processor as Joey indicated.

I might just try this project at RAID 1 and see how it goes. I was using my G Raid mini on the road, backing up files as they were given to me but on the eve of mastering, after obtaining additional assets from the client, POOF! dead G Raid. Spent the next 3/4 hours rebuilding and locating the assets I had lost. If I can edit at RAID 1 without a huge drop off in performance next week than I'll stay there. Appreciate the advice you guys have given me, thanks.

My VR mini is set to RAID 1...and I edit ProRes and ProRes HQ via firewire 800 with no problem. This unit does RAID 1 rather well.


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I was editing with some XDCAM EX today and it seemed to be cruising along nicely at RAID 1.

Well it turns out these people were shooting in AVCHD! Seemed to edit fine and fast with the VR Mini set to RAID 1 BUT when I was exporting and than compressing in compressor my MBP was really slow, unbearably slow. I ended up switching my connections over to my eSATA connection, speed picked up a bit but was still slow.

Anyone used this mini vr in "off the road" in third world "documentary" assignments?
I'm concerned about dirt, dust, vibration...even though I'm NOT going to be using it in exposed situations (i.e. on the "hood" of a rickshaw)
tnx,
Sanjay

As long as you keep it off the Rickshaw you should be fine - I've jostled mine around from coast to coast and they've been rock solid -- keep them in bubble wrap in your equipment bag if you're worried about vibration -- and as a general rule - not good to keep any electronic equipment around dust and dirt -- as you only need the drives to ingest footage and edit - I can't image you need to keep it out in the dirt and dust to do that -- even a car or a hotel room would work fine!

I've used my VR Mini on numerous shoots in the Brazilian backcountry at gem mines that are a five-hour drive, on dirt roads, from the closest town with spotty electricity. I always have mine set for RAID 1 and every night I backup all files onto the drive.

I use a Pelican 1150 case to securely hold the entire unit and a spare set of drives in their trays (as well as a large capacity FW800 drive for triple security). I've NEVER had a problem with it and, knock on wood, I've never had a drive go out on me.

For any kind of "off the road" work, I consider the VR Mini a lifesaver!!!!

I used to carry around a full-sized VR but that was too much of a pain. The VR Mini (with extra drives), a MBP and a large HyperJuice external battery is a knockout way to go.