Super mobile editing workspace: Need your ideas!

[photographer-at-large]

What I would do:

• wait a couple weeks....IF Apple announces new laptops at their WWDC, hopefully recharging will be via USB-C

          (then there should be many more battery options than currently with MagSafe)

• get a 12.9" iPad Pro and connect via TwoMonUSB

          (four speakers are built into iPad Pro 12.9" or 9.7", but only 9.7" has DCI-P3 gamut)

[mercer]

I have heard of people using the iMac mini as a portable computer. With a small monitor or the iPad Pro as photographer-at-large suggested, you could have a smaller set up than a laptop. 

[Luke Mason]

Audio: stick to reference quality headphones. Speakers will sound different in different environments.

External monitor: FSI BM090, small, colour accurate and can be fully calibrated.

Power: https://comingsoon-tech.com/omnicharge-intelligent-portable-power-bank/

[The Chris]

Reference headphones will be far superior to any small speaker setup. I've been cutting audio spots for local radio for years, you don't have to go overboard, something like Sony 7506's are a great budget option and they're built like a tank. A hot rodded MacBook Pro with max ram and the video upgrade should do the trick for a mobile workstation, the 1tb PCIe drives are faster than the smaller ones. FCPx is much faster than any other NLE IMO. 

[Parker]

Not sure which NLE you use, but for a mobile-friendly setup, Premiere's next update is supposed to greatly improve the way the software handles proxy editing, especially on less-powerful, more portable setups, which could definitely be useful for you: 

http://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/whats-coming-next-in-adobe-premiere-pro-cc-and-media-encoder-cc/

[mkabi]

You should look into rack systems... And suitcases that will hold rack systems.

Here is an example of rack systems:

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/smartview

You might want to check out some rack systems at sweetwater.com

 

 

[The Chris]

For some reason I can't edit my post, but what I meant to say about FCPx is that it's faster on a Mac laptop than any other NLE, again IMO. My mobile setup was a MacBook Air, i7, 8gb with a 1tb PCI-e SSD, and while slower than my 6-core trashcan Mac Pro, I could edit 4k files from the GH4 without issues. 

If Apple goes all in with USB-c I'm grabbing one of the current models with a USB port that doesn't require an adapter for every existing USB device I own, plus you get a display port and SD reader without an adapter that's not as convenient as MagSafe - which I love. Until the rest of the world is on board and the machines have more than one input, I'm passing on USB-c. 

[Jonesy Jones]

5 hours ago, photographer-at-large said:

What I would do:

• wait a couple weeks....IF Apple announces new laptops at their WWDC, hopefully recharging will be via USB-C

          (then there should be many more battery options than currently with MagSafe)

• get a 12.9" iPad Pro and connect via TwoMonUSB

          (four speakers are built into iPad Pro 12.9" or 9.7", but only 9.7" has DCI-P3 gamut)

Definitely going to wait a couple/few weeks, and thanks for the iPad tip. I think right now that's my first choice for an external monitor.

3 hours ago, Luke Mason said:

Audio: stick to reference quality headphones. Speakers will sound different in different environments.

 

2 hours ago, The Chris said:

Reference headphones will be far superior to any small speaker setup. I've been cutting audio spots for local radio for years, you don't have to go overboard, something like Sony 7506's are a great budget option and they're built like a tank. A hot rodded MacBook Pro with max ram and the video upgrade should do the trick for a mobile workstation, the 1tb PCIe drives are faster than the smaller ones. FCPx is much faster than any other NLE IMO. 

I actually already have the 7506's, if I end with this as my audio monitoring setup it'll save me some money and space for sure.

53 minutes ago, mkabi said:

You should look into rack systems... And suitcases that will hold rack systems.

Those look really cool. A bit power hungry I'm sure but an interesting solution. hmmm...

[Michael Coffee]

Re mixing audio on 'phones, I have been getting very good results using the plug ins from http://sonarworks.com/ - and also TB Isone http://www.toneboosters.com/tb-isone/ - I like using monitors too, have been looking at a cheap small 3" set - these seem to get good feedback and are definitely cheap - the little Alesis 320's http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-M1-Active-Monitor-Speakers/dp/B0011Z87I0

[xenogears]

The "new mac pro" is very portable, I'm using this, when i need go to work outside home

http://www.casecruzer.com/apple-mac-pro/mac-pro-monitor-case.html

Or you can check out this guy did:

 

A friend of mine do something similar but with the wacom Cintiq.

[Xavier Plagaro Mussard]

I think the Pelican case is great, specially if you can open it and work. About little speakers I don't know, but maybe a little bluetooth speaker, so you don't have to wear headphones all the time in a long editing session.  

[Vladimir]

also thinkin about getting mobile as much as possible, but my calculations included all the gears for shooting and edtiting. So i'm thinkin about a smartphone that can be used as additional video recorded device and also small monitor. There is software that allowed to use it wireless. But is there any phone with good enough screen for cg reference?)

[Vladimir]

also thinkin about getting mobile as much as possible, but my calculations included all the gears for shooting and edtiting. So i'm thinkin about a smartphone that can be used as additional video recorded device and also small monitor. There is software that allowed to use it wireless. But is there any phone with good enough screen for cg reference?)

[Jonesy Jones]

That's pretty ambitious but if it works for you please share. Phone seems too small. Even iPad mini is too small for me.