Edit on an External Hard Drive and Save Money

[@chrissarahnowakowski]

The tips are priceless! 1. Saving backup file to internal 2. Deleting the render files after completion.

[@KevinRossRN]

Thanks! Just trying to save a little time and some money. 😉

[@kobietens]

I just love how you pull out another content that super helpful for Final Cut user like us . Save a tons of data and Choosing the workflow with a SSD External Drive 👍👍👍

[@KevinRossRN]

Awesome! So glad it helped, friend. 👊🤙

[@lizziedeerest]

I'm thankful for this. I have had trouble finding videos of people explaining how this all works, and I realized I needed help with this when I made only like 10 videos (not even good videos, just beginner videos) and they filled up my Macbook. Lol!

[@KevinRossRN]

Well, I’m certainly glad that this video has been helpful for so many. Glad to be of service. Happy editing! ✌️

[@Acestlaviee]

What size is your MacBooks ssd?

[@KevinRossRN]

Mine is 512GB, but you may be asking Lizzie.

[@omaryrajabu8619]

@@KevinRossRN you are the man for doing this, I thought about it and humbled my ass to get good advice and this is 👌🏾

[@KevinRossRN]

Many thanks friend. Really glad that you made it over here. Glad to help.

[@SimonShabo]

OMG you just helped me to clear 110GB from my external HDD! What an amazing trick!Thank you so much, double thumbs up!!

[@KevinRossRN]

It gets a little messy in there, right? Happy to help.

[@ElliotStephens]

What a great video!! Thank you for explaining how to edit from the SSD!! Got mine coming tomorrow along with my new camera so time to get creative!!😃🏄‍♂️

[@KevinRossRN]

Say what?! That's awesome! Really glad this helped and I'm stoked for you on getting your start...or continuation. What camera did you end up landing on?

[@ElliotStephens]

Kevin Ross ended up going with the Sony A7iii upon lots of research! I’ve been filming videos for a long time using my Canon 70D but I just felt it’s time to invest and upgrade! This is going to be my first time editing 4K footage on my iMac so was browsing the best and easiest ways to edit 4K😊

[@KevinRossRN]

Sweet! I believe that A7iii should serve you well. Here's to you chewing through that 4K timeline... Although I suppose that'll also depend on your GPU 😁 But, I do love having the work happen on the T5 to keep the local drive free.

[@ElliotStephens]

Kevin Ross that’s very true, we’ll see🙏🏼😬

[@christdawn6416]

Man, you're truly a lifesaver! Thank you so much for the tips!

[@KevinRossRN]

It’s entirely my pleasure.

[@QUICKGIST]

WOW. You truly saved the BEST for last. I’ve gone through 4 external hard drives!!!! 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@KevinRossRN]

Ha! Well I do hope that helps friend. I’ve done other videos where I talk about keeping all the media on an external and the App itself on the internal. That way you’re not duplicating media…and space 😉

[@Gyutheartist]

This is precious man, you're an awesome human!

[@KevinRossRN]

Happy to help. You keep being awesome as well 👊

[@oopalonga]

this dudes been doing his pullups

[@KevinRossRN]

Yep. Lifting heavy data 😉

[@laybackeasy]

Thank you! This is so helpful and that render tip is amazing!

[@KevinRossRN]

Happy to help. Glad you found me.

[@KevinRossRN]

Be sure to check out the bonus tip toward the end if you've been making the same mistake I made when trying to make space on your drives after you've rendered and exported your final project.

[@riwajtv]

When you want to access in back again after deleting the render folder, do you still have all your edits and colour correction on it? Or do you have to do it all over again?

[@KevinRossRN]

All that is still intact. It just renders those tasks again.

[@riwajtv]

@@KevinRossRN got it thanks ❤️❤️❤️

[@KevinRossRN]

You bet 🤙

[@emadsam5012]

@@KevinRossRN the best advice ever so far 👍 U just got new sub

[@sarvpriyaadarsh5018]

Nice tip at the last. I use similar trick in program crash prevention.

[@KevinRossRN]

Hey, glad to help. Appreciate you jumping down here to let me know. Many thanks!

[@johnbutler9196]

Very helpful!!! I do a lot of church videos and this work flow is very helpful. What kind of affordable external drive do you recommend for storage

[@KevinRossRN]

I did do a video on storage, but are you looking for a HDD desk setup, or something where you need a RAID with multiple drives?

[@MarqNash]

Just ordered those command strips via your link. Thanks

[@KevinRossRN]

Hey, thanks! I have these things all over my studio. They’re great.

[@tomeatshouston]

Kevin, I watched this several times and I got good info, but I'm still wondering how to all this with VSDC.

[@KevinRossRN]

How long have you used VSDC and what type of footage are you editing?

[@tomeatshouston]

@@KevinRossRN Hi Kevin. I'm using the current free VSDC (but will soon buy the pro version; it's awesome). I'm doing brief video, HD, nothing special. My question, though, was about setting up the directories on an external drive, which I believe I have accomplished. ~ Thanks :-)

[@hey6961]

Thank you for this. Bless you

[@KevinRossRN]

Glad that you found it helpful. 🤙

[@teknobuddie2612]

Hey Kevin! I know that this video was uploaded 2 years ago and you aren't probably reading this but this video was very helpful to me. My video files and other files which the software was generating took a lot of space and I had to clean up my computer every week because I needed space for other files and due to that I had to delete some files which I needed but I had no other option. I figured that an external drive would help through some KZbin videos. All of them said "You could edit on an external drive to save you space." but no one actually showed how to do so. I finally came accross this video and you explained literally everything those videos didn't include. Thank you so much.

[@KevinRossRN]

Well I’m definitely glad you found this video my friend. It’s my pleasure to be of service. Appreciate your time that you spent here.

[@teknobuddie2612]

@@KevinRossRN You earned a sub.

[@KevinRossRN]

And I’m thankful to have you here with us. Looking forward to seeing you around the channel.

[@jenriquefilms1634]

Wow, that bonus tip at the end wow! Game changer right there. BIG thank you!

[@KevinRossRN]

And a big thank you as well. Happy to help and provide value where I can. Appreciate you.

[@SarahhhBeth]

Thank you for this video! I’ve been trying to edit on my external hard drive and I can create a library on it and everything but when I go to import to footage straight off of my camera it doesn’t import correctly and none of the files show up! What could I be doing wrong? I had to upload the files onto my computer and then create a folder on my hard drive for them and drag them directly into the editing bar for it to work. Is there an easier way?

[@KevinRossRN]

Yeah, I wouldn’t pull files from the camera if you can help it. It’s very slow and not the best. Do you have a SD card in the camera?

[@SarahhhBeth]

@@KevinRossRN yes! I purchased an SD card reader from Amazon today in hopes that would make things a bit quicker because my MacBook only has 2 usb-c ports! Hopefully that was the right move? Thank you for responding and helping by the way! I really appreciate it!

[@KevinRossRN]

Yeah, so that SD card reader will definitely help. I have a video on here where I discuss and show my workflow, but I put the SD card into the reader, I label the files, and then transfer them over to the external SSD.

[@SarahhhBeth]

@@KevinRossRN thank you so much! I will go try to find that video!

[@KevinRossRN]

I’m on mobile KZbin Studio, so for some reason can’t grab the link, but the exact title is this: File Management for Video Editing | My Workflow

[@RobertSpiller]

Kevin, so here's my question...here's another youtuber...he says that this machine from walmart is good for gaming...I thought that if it's good for gaming, and it has an 8gb ram but also has a ge force 1050 whatever...could I get this and then buy an external hard drive or just call it a day. Thanks for your patience in helping this complete newbie.

[@KevinRossRN]

Well do realize that gaming is different than Blender. That takes more resource. Now, you would have the option to render Blender files in the cloud. There are Blender rendering farms that will take a lot of that load off. With gaming you can customize it so that the game plays at say 1080P with decent frame rates, and even make specific adjustments to the game to take the load off the GPU. However with 3D modeling, you’d likely be able to work with the files in Blender, but as long as you understand there still might be some sacrifices you’ll be making. Certainly not trying to have you spend more than you have. It’s just that I’ve had numerous conversations here where others have regretted not adding “this” or “that.” But, the other question is what is upgradeable on the machine you’re looking to buy? Internally that is.

[@akammer1000]

Great video! I needed this. Does that bundle thing happen with Adobe Premier Pro as well?

[@KevinRossRN]

Thanks! So, FCPX is a bit different that way it manages these files and the bundle. This resource may help you consolidate a bit: helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/copy-consolidate-transcode-archive-project.html

[@akammer1000]

@@KevinRossRN thank you!

[@KevinRossRN]

Best of luck 🤞

[@RobertWedderburn]

Great video! Thank you for sharing your experience Kevin!!

[@KevinRossRN]

Happy to help. Thank you 🙏

[@AliBrownie]

Hi Kevin! I’m about to purchase a new Mac and this is exactly what I’ve been thinking about: keeping my internal hard drive ‘clean.’ Do you think 512gb is enough space to run Final Cut Pro, Photoshop and Lightroom? Those are the three main programs I use. For sure getting 16gb RAM. Could I go even lower? Not trying to be stingy but just curious your thoughts. Also going to get the SanDisc 2TB SSD. Thanks so much for this video!

[@KevinRossRN]

Congrats on the upcoming investment. 512GBs will be fine to work with these apps and of course keeping the libraries (media) in the external drive. I’d opt for 16GBs at a minimum if you’re working with those programs. Which Mac are you thinking about?

[@AliBrownie]

@@KevinRossRN For sure getting the upgraded ram. I was thinking the newest 24 inch with M1 chip. Was tempted to get the gold color but kinda want to stick with the classic and neutral silver. Thank you so much for answering my question!!! :)

[@KevinRossRN]

Happy to help, and I do like the classic silver. Have fun!

[@davidschoenoff4262]

thank you

[@KevinRossRN]

Many thanks to you.

[@jesminemitchell7735]

I'm looking to find information on what settings I'd need on DaVinci Resolve to edit on an External SSD

[@KevinRossRN]

Plug in your external drive and create a folder, and you can call it Video Project (as an example) Your media can live on this folder. Open up Resolve Create new database (make sure to choose disk), and I’d typically call it the name of the project. Click “Browse” to pick the source where you’re saving this, which in this case will be the external drive. Create

[@chrissarahnowakowski]

Thanks

[@KevinRossRN]

Thank you.

[@AntoniosPapantoniou]

that was very informative, but I have a couple of questions : a) what if your project is big and exceeds the 10 tb capacity ? do you get 5 or 10 different external ssd drives to edit your material from ? I don't think in current standards someone can do that very easily b) where do you store your main library FCPX bundle when more than 2 ssd drives are used for editing ? I guess in one of them would be the answer ?

[@KevinRossRN]

Thanks! Let me clarify something, so you meant to say a 10TB project file? Raw footage of 10TB? Yes, you'd store the library in one of the SSD's, so even though you're pulling footage from the other SSD it'll be fine because the Library/Bundle will just exist on the one and FCPX will just direct it there.

[@AntoniosPapantoniou]

@@KevinRossRN Yes I meant all the project's raw footage and shooting files. What happens when someone has to deal with this kind of material (10 TB and more) ?

[@KevinRossRN]

Well once you're editing at this level, which really is what a documentary style/pro level kind of workflow would be, you could still keep the library on the SSD, but then you're talking about using a NAS or some other back up Hard drive (RAID) tower to keep that Raw footage and pull from. I personally have a Synology that I use that has about 60TBs of footage on it that I pull clips from, but I can still have FCPX keep those files on that server while also editing on the T5.

[@AntoniosPapantoniou]

@@KevinRossRN That sounds interesting. So your main, lets say 60TB footage is inside this Synology tower of drives, while your main library bundle is inside the external ssd. My question upon this new info is : what kind of hard drives are inside the synology and if they are not presumably ssd drives (due to the massive raw shooting files), does this synology system works as fast as the ssd ? We're talking about USB 3.0 connection with the main mac computer? I suppose that's a topic of another whole video. Thanks a lot anyway.

[@KevinRossRN]

You can get a Synology that’ll house SSDs, but yeah, that gets expensive. I really need to do a video b/c you’re certainly not the first to ask. I have WD Red drives in the Synology and you can either connect via USB 3.0 or via gigabit Ethernet. Or, you could also just connect wirelessly over your network, but gigabit and 10gigabit is definitely going to get you quite a speed bump. The beauty of working in FCP is how it handles these files on the Synology. As long as I’m connected (hardwired or wirelessly) I can work with any file on that box and have the file live on the Synology while keeping my library on the T5. Haven’t had a single issue.

[@Ptpop]

Great video. I just purchased the SanDisk Extreme Pro 2TB. I am working on an exiting video project in Premiere Pro on my iMac. Can I just copy my Premiere Pro work project folder that I have saved onto my desktop onto the Extreme Pro and start working from the external drive or do I have to create a new library file on the Extreme Pro? Thanks.

[@KevinRossRN]

You should be able to move that over, but in the project timeline (within the interface/preferences) you just need to point the program to your external drive.

[@teecee9660]

I like the show, brother.. I'm in!

[@KevinRossRN]

Great to have you here 👊🤙

[@Jagpagaco]

1:09 me who has one of those you : "I'm sorry" damn ... i feel that XD

[@KevinRossRN]

Ha! Well, certainly not meant to cut like a knife, but hey, I’ve been there with that bottleneck. It can definitely be frustrating. 😉🤘

[@Jagpagaco]

@@KevinRossRN Nah it's all good , I meant it more like an empathy thing rather then a backstab thing . :) currently looking for one , cause ive been editing for years at this point with HDD but ya know .... money and stuff ...

[@KevinRossRN]

Money and stuff is right my friend. These SSDs fluctuate in price and there’s often a deal around the corner, but it’s still an investment. Just keep in mind that you’re not buying gear, you’re buying time. If it saves you time, then what’s that worth to you? 😉 And then, you can just convert your HDD into an archiving solution. When you’re able to make that investment of course.

[@kiyakiya4075]

I have the Samsung T5 1tb and I was using it for my editing like u but I am running very low on space which was strange so thank you for your help im going to try that out ASAP. I ended up getting a 5tb external drive as a back up so I’m going to see how that goes as well

[@KevinRossRN]

Glad to help, and yes, a back up archiving solution is definitely a must with video footage.

[@TheDogVlog]

Thanks for these tips! What is your workflow for KZbin videos with drives? i.e. Do you work on your KZbin videos until you fill up the drive then label the dates and start a new one? I can fill up one TB so quickly with my YT videos and have been using 4 TB spinning drives with a dock. I've ordered the new Mac Mini and need a new hard drive system, 1 TB just seems so small. I also use a lot of previously shot B roll stored on my external drives and I find it hard to remember where the footage is after awhile! Any tips or systems for keeping track of drives would be greatly appreciated!

[@KevinRossRN]

So the external SSD is used for my active projects, but all of my archives live on a Synology NAS. SSDs are great for speed and workflow, but the spinning drives are better for archiving. Although slow, they typically are designed for this type of workflow...usually that is. I can work with files on my Synology if I need to as FCPX easily creates a proxy of those files, but anything for immediate need is on the SSD. So that SSD (mine) gets dumped onto the NAS after several projects have filled it up. I do have several of these SSDs though, so I don't have to do it often.

[@TheDogVlog]

@@KevinRossRN Which Synology NAS do you use? I'd love to see a video on setting that up! I still don't really understand NAS. But that's probably what I need.

[@KevinRossRN]

So the model I have isn't currently offered. I've had it for years, so if that tells you something...this thing is on 24/7. For video editing, this is the one my business has: amzn.to/34kyHs3 But as you'l see these things can add up because it's just the shell and you have to fill them with drives. I'm probably sitting at about 30TBs of video right now. It adds up. It would definitely be more if I was out doing more commercial work, but doing more KZbin these days since we're all mostly inside. I honestly can't recommend Synology enough. I know it is investment, and something you'll likely want to save up for if it's not in the budget right now. I should add that to the list of videos. Been meaning to discuss my workflow. Guess I need to get on it. 😀

[@TheDogVlog]

@@KevinRossRN yes I'd definitely watch it. I also am considering paid cloud storage because honestly I find NAS complicated to understand and I want simplicity. Do you or would you ever consider paying monthly or yearly cloud storage fees to archive video projects or save b-roll?

[@KevinRossRN]

I use cloud storage for certain things, and have an Amazon S3 account. Video files do start to add up though.

[@amarasesay7522]

Great video. LOL "Any Roll, as long as it is gluten free".

[@KevinRossRN]

Thanks 🙏 Terrible dad jokes 😁

[@spicecrop]

Check out 3M Dual Lock for your adhesive needs. Far superior to velcro or similar products.

[@KevinRossRN]

Thanks for the suggestion. 🤙

[@BrianneIrene]

I love your whole vibe and energy just so positive, Thank you for teaching us. Clever command strip idea. they also sell a computer harddrive slip for back of computer that you slip in and out too.

[@KevinRossRN]

Ha! Thanks. Command strips: the lowest high tech item in my kit. Happy to help and glad to have you hanging out here. Much appreciated 🙏🤙

[@BrianneIrene]

@@KevinRossRN Welcome, very inovative

[@piotrgrinholc7045]

Thanks :)

[@KevinRossRN]

Thank you.

[@brie7239]

Thank you for the video and tips! I'm a video editing beginner. Right now I'm mostly creating anniversary and memorial service videos for family/friends. I work with a few video clips but mostly pictures. I tend to download a lot of generators to make my videos more appealing. My storage space fills up quickly on my MacBook which causes me to delete my media and project files after the project is complete. Which external hard drive would you recommend for someone starting out like myself?

[@KevinRossRN]

Sure. Glad it helped. I do have some SSD options linked in the description below. I’d advise on at least 1TB to give you the ability to have more working projects and to keep your media on.

[@ag00781]

Great content 👍 do you recommend installing programs such as final edit, logic pro onto internal, or to an external SSD? FYI I have an m1 Mac mini 256 gb 16gb ram

[@KevinRossRN]

So I have done a video on this already about running apps off the external. So the app itself should remain on the internal while all of the media and libraries can live on the external. I’d link up that video, but I’m on my mobile device and for whatever reason YT doesn’t allow me to grab those videos as links to share 🤷‍♂️

[@ag00781]

No worries, I'll look for it on your channel! Thanks for the fast response 👍

[@KevinRossRN]

You bet. Many thanks.

[@marbenlawas3143]

We have the same workflow. Just because I only have a 2019 Base model 15 inch Macbook and bought a sandisk ssd and used NVMe SSD and put it in a SSD housing just to save up some buck.

[@KevinRossRN]

Nice! Yeah, since I got the M1 with the 1TB internal, I keep forgetting about that space and find myself plugging in my SSDs for editing since I used that workflow for years. Of course I’m working on multiple projects right now, so I am actually using the SSDs. So you have an NVMe with an enclosure as well?

[@marbenlawas3143]

@@KevinRossRN Nice! Yes, I used a Kingston 1TB A2000 M.2 2280 Nvme Internal SSD, a bit older with decent speed, and enclosed it with an "ORICO M2PV-C3 10Gbps M.2 NVME SSD Enclosure Type-C". Try looking this out, I get 900 plus Mbps speeds with this double than my native external Sandisk SSD. :)

[@marbenlawas3143]

And also a cheaper build than a dedicated external SSD as well.

[@KevinRossRN]

Yeah, it’s definitely cheaper in the long run. I know it’s not for everyone as most just want a plug and play solution, but this definitely helps with upgrading in the future.

[@KevinRossRN]

I’ll look up that enclosure. I appreciate you dropping that here. Always helps with testing.

[@spirosfilmmaking]

Is it a good option to use the ext ssd for de editing, and when you finish the project, put everything on a ext HDD? And if you need it again you can bring it back to the ssd right?

[@KevinRossRN]

Yep! That’s what I’ve done. I move everything over to a server and, I could technically edit from the server, but I often times move files back over to the SSD.

[@ramonalejandro3344]

Nice video bro. Just getting into film editing and I have an old 2012 MacBook Pro. Changed out my HDD for SSD but still want to work off an external drive to keep my old machine fast!

[@KevinRossRN]

Heck yeah. I have the M1 Mac with 1TB of storage and still use external SSDs. I’m actually doing testing on some other setups right now and using these externals. They’re awesome.

[@garrettcphillips]

No options for new library ......

[@KevinRossRN]

Can you provide more details?

[@Me9s]

Thanks for this video, this is very helpful! I don't use final cut as a video editor but as a creative professional, it has been a huge problem for me to keep my internal storage to not exceed its storage limit, especially with Adobe CC software datas. I wonder if keeping those data/files in my internal storage, counts to making my laptop shuts off randomly?

[@KevinRossRN]

I use PS and LR and will say that those backups that occur on the internal storage really start to add up. I started keeping a specific external SSD just for my Adobe workflow so I could keep those backups elsewhere and not on the internal. It helped quite a bit.

[@cpb2255]

Love your contents, sir! Thank you so much for those tips - especially that last one to save space! Keep it up!!!

[@KevinRossRN]

Much appreciate you jumping down here in the comments to let me know. Thank you friend... And happy to help provide some value along the creative journey. 👍📸🔥

[@StaceyStaser]

Do you think I could edit entirely off an external HDD instead of an SSD? I use FCP. I think I need to prioritise storage (ideally 800GB-1TB) and only have about £50 to spend on it. SSD's are so expensive!

[@KevinRossRN]

You have to ask how much your time is worth. You can edit off of an external HDD, but there will be moments where it will bottleneck. Not impossible though. I have tested it.

[@Big_Miks]

Great video!! Does this work if Final cut is on the internal hard drive? Or do you have to have the program saved on the external? I just got a MacBook and want to keep the internal as clean as possible

[@KevinRossRN]

So Final Cut remains on the internal drive. The only thing you’re putting on the external is the library (bundle) and all the other media you’re working with.

[@Big_Miks]

Thank you!

[@stinklerton]

Dude thank you! I literally looked up this exact thing and youtube was showing me a bunch of unrelevant bs till I saw this

[@KevinRossRN]

Glad to help friend. Now go crush that workflow 🤙👊

[@joshuanesbit]

What do you mean leave in place? The library is on the external drive surely you’d want to copy it ther3v

[@KevinRossRN]

Yeah, you want the library/project bundle on the external.

[@joshuanesbit]

@@KevinRossRN yes nut surely you would want to store the media IN the library folder?

[@KevinRossRN]

Well, the media is attach library/bundle friend.

[@A1Bokeh]

Saving everything seems kinda crazy lol I mean if it was big budget clients then ya but as someone who is a bit new idk don't see a point in saving every project as a beginner

[@KevinRossRN]

You certainly don’t have to, but even for KZbin I do find myself using old clips from time to time, but it’s a budget that you grow into when investing in a NAS.

[@mikeb2644]

Hi Kevin. Thank you for the great video. There are a lot of these out there, but yours is exceptionally 'user friendly,' especially for dummies like me. You carefully explain stuff. You don't scrimp on things that might seem obvious-- you teach them carefully too. And you actually make a movie-- you show things. So great. Thank you. I'm hoping you'll be willing to give me a reality check. I have been so confused, for so long, about importing-- what does it mean? And then, having just a vague understanding of what I'm doing when I'm importing compromises my understanding of everything else involving file management, so I'm perpetually confused. I'd be very grateful if you'd look at my try at an explaning importing, and tell me whether I'm on the right track. I pray to God that I am. But, if not, at least I'll be able to add my explanation of importing video to the massive pile of erroneous, incorrect information that has been living in my head for years and years. In another FCP video, somebody mentioned being able to work on an editing project on different devices (yeah, I know, really basic), and it occurred to me that maybe "importing" is a deceptive term. You're not really importing content from your external hard drive to FCP in your computer. Instead, you're using one of those cables you kept holding up to connect the FCP in your computer to the video content in your external hard drive-- SO YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY COMBINING YOUR COMPUTER, FCP AND YOUR HARD DRIVE INTO ONE SYSTEM, as if it were a single computer. But you're never actually 'importing' the content into your computer or 'into FCP.' Instead, 'importing' is really CONNECTING-- the first step in building a complex set of instructions to, step by step, organize your content into a movie. One thing that does happen, though, is kind of the opposite-- your FCP somehow tags the content in your external hard drive, so when you give your external hard drive to your friend to work on his computer-- his FCP in his computer gets those tagged instructions so it too can organize, and render, your content in exactly how you've been working on it on the FCP in your own computer. My impulse is to beg to tell me that I'm right, whether or not I am right. But, if you could explain the truth, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks, Mike

[@KevinRossRN]

I appreciate you taking the time. So as far as the “import” I suppose we also use that term regarding pulling the footage from the SD card (from the camera) to the SSD (external drive). And then when opening up a new project and creating the “bundle” as it’s referred to as, your summation is correct in that the cottage remains on the external SSD and creates this communication between FCPX on your computer and the files on the external. And as long as the other person has the same FCPX iteration and any specialized LUTs or effects that you also have, then it should also load that same project onto their timeline.

[@onelifekush]

I am confused between buying the 550mbps SanDisk vs the 1000mbps SanDisk Extreme. Which one do you suggest for video editing? I use M1 Macbook pro 2020 model. Looking forward to your reply.

[@KevinRossRN]

If you’re on the M1, I’ve done several videos on this, so I’d recommend the 1050MB/s read and write if you can. The thunderbolt controller in the M1 is slower, so that 550 will be somewhere around 300-350MB/s.

[@onelifekush]

@@KevinRossRN Got your point. That makes sense. Thank you dude. All the very best for your channel. 💪

[@KevinRossRN]

And sending my best to you as well friend.

[@onelifekush]

@@KevinRossRN Thank you mate. ♥️♥️

[@Shayler78]

What about editing a 1 hour 30 minute to 2 hour feature film, shot in 4K. What SSD external hard drive would you recommend for that?

[@KevinRossRN]

Well, how much storage would you need? And do you have thunderbolt 3?

[@Shayler78]

@@KevinRossRN Using an old Macbook Pro 2015. So Thunderbolt 2 & USB 3. Need to find out the average file size of a feature film shot in 4K. Was hoping you knew.

[@KevinRossRN]

Ha! Well, it depends on all the footage. So it’s not just the timeline. So let’s say your timeline might be 300GBs, but all the footage that’s been shot could be anywhere from 1TBs to 5 or more.

[@lioninzion]

Hey Kevin! Can I run my files from an external hard drive and also use and SSD to run the editing software? will it still be fast or the files need to be inside the SSD? Cheers

[@KevinRossRN]

So, just want to clarify the question, so help me is I misunderstood. The editing program runs on the internal HD, while the video footage is on the external SSD. Is that what you mean?

[@lioninzion]

Kevin Ross So I have a 2t project in 4k that I need to edit and it’s store in a hard drive. My question is if use and external ssd card to run my laptop, will it still do the job to run the 4k footage smoothly? Even if the footage is in another storage device?

[@KevinRossRN]

So you're running your Operating system on an external drive and then you'll have your video footage on another? Sorry my man, just wanted to make extra sure that's what you're asking. The short answer would be that if you're running your operating system or your editing software on an external drive and then trying to edit on another external drive you're going to have a serious slow down with editing.

[@lioninzion]

@@KevinRossRN Thanks Kevin, that was really helpful, I'll give it a try just with ssd. Cheers!

[@KevinRossRN]

Well, not sure how helpful, but hopefully you find this as a solution. You can certainly edit 2TB of footage on an external drive.

[@DamianBrown]

Considering getting a 500gb or 1tb ssd external for editing on my macbook (2011) IF it will really speed up my 4k editing (I use proxy files to make it possible as it stands with regular external drives) and Raw photo editing in C1 / PS. Anybody have any more experiences that might help me decide if I should go for it?

[@KevinRossRN]

Well, speeding up your workflow is relative in this case. First, I always recommend more space if you can afford it, and most of the time, you'll always wish you'd gotten more. With the 2011 you'll be using the USB 3.0 speeds, not the thunderbolt/USB-C speeds which will be slower in transfer and editing, however if this extra space (externally) allows you to free up space on your internal drive to help with memory swap, you may get some small gains here. I was initially editing on a 2010 MBP and still used an external drive because I was editing much larger files and my internal drive was 256GB that would quickly fill up. In this scenario it was more about keeping RAW files and editing on an external device so that I could keep the internal SSD as free as possible.

[@DamianBrown]

@@KevinRossRN I'm not editing off the internal drive. As I said external hard drive, so space isn't what I'm wondering about. Thanks for the reply

[@KevinRossRN]

Sure thing. The SSD is definitely going to offer a speed bump compared to the spinning drive. Even on my 2010, it was noticeable for sure.

[@DamianBrown]

@@KevinRossRN thanks!

[@ideastoragedb]

I picked up 18tb hhd for a little under 400. Hard drive space seems cheaper than ever...A lot of bang for your buck.

[@KevinRossRN]

Yes. And those HDD are often always on a deal, which is nice. Awesome pick up you got there.

[@ideastoragedb]

@@KevinRossRN You hit the nail on the head about your computer slowing down if the Hard Drive space is full. I had my SSD and my HDD (3tb) completely full. I never want to see it in red EVER AGAIN lol. It's also nice because I can use my old HDD as an external. I'm becoming a fan of the idea to mix on an external instead because I can then swap between desktop and laptop. Great tips!

[@KevinRossRN]

Most definitely. I always edit on an external even though I have plenty of space on my internal, and it’s just helpful to have all of those random files elsewhere. Appreciate your time on this one. Always awesome to hear about everyone’s workflow.

[@mitchellquartero]

Very interesting I’m considering getting Final Cut Pro next year so very good tips in terms of storage thanks

[@KevinRossRN]

You bet! My pleasure. I’ve definitely appreciated FCPX to create here.

[@dinoatcharterdotnet]

I'm using a WD 5TB Elements Portable HDD to edit videos with Final Cut Pro. What format should the HDD be in for best performance? ExFAT?

[@KevinRossRN]

APFS is going to be the fastest, technically speaking. ExFAT is great if you ever using Windows as well since it’ll be compatible for both. How’s it going so far with the HDD as far as editing on it?

[@dwaynerivera]

Thank you for the video. I am running into an issue currently, after I make my library stemming from my drive I go to import the media on the drive but nothing shows up. I go back to the actual drive and the videos are there, but nothing in Final Cut when I want to import something. Why is that? Thank you!

[@KevinRossRN]

So do you mean you’ve imported the footage from the SD card (or other source) onto the external drive? And when importing into final cut you’re choosing the external drive to import from, but it’s not populating in the import window?

[@dwaynerivera]

@@KevinRossRN Yes, I had to give Final Cut Pro permission or something like that. System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Full Disk Access > and select Final Cut Pro. Thanks again!

[@KevinRossRN]

Ah, gotcha. 😉 Always good when the solution is found. Best of luck moving forward.

[@kencampbell5855]

? about storage. I am a new FCP user. Editing on new M1 MacAirI have video files on external drive and setup my library to another external drive. Do I need to have 2 ext drives or 1 sufficient? Do I need 2 ssd drives or 1 large one? Confused on how setup should be? Appreciate your input.

[@KevinRossRN]

I typically recommend keeping it as simple as possible, so really one SSD that you’re working on and have your media. 1TB at a minimum if you can, and then once that project is done, then moving that over to a backup system like an external HDD or NAS. If that makes sense.

[@vanessakwok6770]

Awesome tips! Love your energy! I just started editing my videos and I'm so glad I came across this vid. Thanks a lot 🙏

[@KevinRossRN]

That’s fantastic! Thanks so much for the feedback. Welcome to the filmmaking world. Glad this was helpful.

[@maddymuhat8079]

Can you edit on external hdd?

[@KevinRossRN]

You can, but depending on your editing software and the footage, it could be slow.

[@michaelkelleher714]

Have used Sandisk SSD for couple of years now with Lightroom for photography. Started as the best way to create my catalogs between home and university. Workflow is great once it's kept organised, the headache is BACKUP. To backup the backup and backup the backup and make sure to have a backup of everything. It's head melting at times to just keep everything backed up😂😭

[@KevinRossRN]

Ah! The back up conundrum. I know it well. I'm working on a video sharing my exact workflow for everything when it comes to backups. These SSDs are just a life saver though and I love that over the years they've been getting cheaper along with more storage....hopefully that trend will continue. Appreciate you jumping down here to let me know about your workflow, and your appreciation for the Sandisk SSD. A boring piece of tech that is so necessary and I use it every day.

[@michaelkelleher714]

@@KevinRossRN Cheers Kevin. Boring? No way. Essential and I agree with you "life saving" and time saving and peace of mind. I wouldn't be without them. The Sandisk is great for the price and still is superior at the price. Have a good one and I must check out your back up process video👍

[@KevinRossRN]

Ha! Glad we agree. And, I hope to have that video out soon(ish). Forward momentum my friend, and thanks again 👊

[@FREEZER4000]

thank you for your video , It sounds like you are well above what I am doing ,which is just trying to find an external hard drive that saves music projects I will be making on native instruments maschine mk3 , its a beat maker that offers sampling clips , software instruments , you name it . They suggest leaving the software in the computer and recommend using and external drive for music projects, They even have an area in the initial set up to dedicate this type of drive to,, which I'm really happy about ( being more creative than tech. ) I have a few external drives where I just dumped in a-lot of photos They were cheap and they worked well for that . Now I need one that when opened helps me find what I've put in it . Can u recommend any ? thx

[@KevinRossRN]

Do you want an SSD drive like I’ve features here? Which in turn would be quicker to work on as far as speed/latency is concerned.

[@FREEZER4000]

@@KevinRossRN - yes , I never bothered to look into what hard drives offer , if they have any helpful preferences built into them for categorizing music files .Before that i was just dumping all my photos of my art into cheap ext. drives . Thousands of photos of my art work taken to use with online arts web sites . Now I need a fast hard drive and wondering which will be the most helpful and easy to use . Thanks for your reply -

[@KevinRossRN]

Well, typically if you're not doing this manually, there are certainly built-in features of your operating system, or third-party software that can help. I'd hate for you to purchase something that costs way more than it should and just get a reasonable back up solution and use the software available that can help you organize some of this.

[@CrstnzM]

Hi kevin. Im trying to upgrade my 2019 macbook 256gb because i have a huge problem with storage space that i dont use much. I want to learn using final cut pro is the SSD help getting all my footage from the camera?

[@KevinRossRN]

Yes. Even with higher internal storage on my machines, I still use external SSDs for editing and having a place for the media.

[@RobertSpiller]

And is this true...meaning can I get this Asus vivo with this type of specs,,,,,12GB system memory for intense multitasking and gaming Reams of high-bandwidth DDR4 RAM to smoothly run your graphics-heavy PC games and video-editing applications, as well as numerous programs and browser tabs all at once.

[@MmartinaJ]

Thank you for doing this video. Can I save my editing software on the external drive? The hard drive on my computer is almost 100% full eventhough I am trying everything I can to create more storage space.

[@KevinRossRN]

Feel free to check out my video on file management. The short answer is, I wouldn’t recommend it, but I talk about it in that video.

[@FictusFilmsPROTrailers]

Can one use a flash drive? I prefer the small physical size of a 256 gb flashdrive vs an external hard drive. Currently looking at a Samsung 256gb flash drive

[@KevinRossRN]

Sure, it’s just that you might want to consider a USB-C version 3.1 gen2 for faster read and write.

[@pauljordan6295]

Very interesting Kevin! So i tell my situation and i like have your opinion: I have to buy a ne Macbook air m1 for my home music studio. So imagine i will use logic pro for recording myself and for produce music with internal logic plugins and even with third parts plugins.. and i will use final cut for my music video. In your opinion which version you suggest buy? I mean , the 16gb ram with 256SSD or 8gb ram with 512SSD? I ll buy in everyway an external SSD like sandisk extreme..Thanks!

[@KevinRossRN]

Well, not sure if you saw my other video talking about this... You might have. But, I’d say more RAM first, but I always recommend buying what you can afford. You’ve probably seen some of the videos on Logic and all the tracks it handles. I got a sample that has 188 tracks and it plays back without issue. Also, you may have done research on the this, but if you’re using third party plugins, then make sure to right click on the Logic app and have it open with Rosetta.

[@teyiowuawi7758]

Would I be able to use an SSD as a new scratch disk on photoshop ?

[@KevinRossRN]

Of course! I use one for mine.

[@teyiowuawi7758]

@@KevinRossRN thank you!

[@KevinRossRN]

You bet. All the best in your setup. 👍🍀

[@omardurxn]

Hey!, first of all I wanna say that all of your content is pretty cool, you don't know how helpful your channel has beed for me as a beginner/student editor, and also I wanted to ask you what do you men by "bundle" in this parte of the video 7:50 , English is not my first language and that was the only word I didn't catch the meaning or was relatable for me, I don't even know If I'm writing it right LOL. Thank you so much!

[@KevinRossRN]

Hey glad to help. So the bundle in Final Cut is just the file name for the library and all the media inside of it. So if you look at the file name it’ll be something like (videoproject.fcpbundle) and you’ll see an image of four stars inside four squares. Within that bundle is all the media you’re using, the render files, analysis files…basically everything you’re working with.

[@rorywalters1614]

I thought I was the only one using Command straps instead of Velcro for attaching SSDs on the lid of a MacBook. Velcro is great for making morale patches, but they do wear out easily, not great for veryfrequent attaching and detaching. Command instead is a lot more durable. I change out the Velcro on my morale patches and tactical gears every year or so since they do fail fast. I've also been using Command straps for several years and haven't got any failed.

[@KevinRossRN]

That’s awesome! Yes, I do love those Command Strips. I use them for so many things. But definitely on the MacBook lid it’s been a real workflow enhancer.

[@OkinawaRV]

That Render file delete pro tip though....

[@KevinRossRN]

Right? Good stuff.

[@Juan-be5zi]

Probably a dumb question 😅 but do you put the actual editing software on your external drive or keep it on the internal drive

[@KevinRossRN]

Not a dumb question. The software itself is on the internal. All the media you’re working with (all the large files) are what’s on the external.

[@Juan-be5zi]

@@KevinRossRN ok awesome! Thanks for the great video and help!!

[@KevinRossRN]

My pleasure.

[@simplydiy3858]

The information you shared was really concise and to the point. Really good that you pointed out the functionality more rather than eye candy . I just bought a Mac Mini M1 16GB with just the base 256GB HDD to save some money on upgrades. And for just around $120 I bought a Samsung T7 1TB. I also have 2 x 4TB WD MyBook HDD I’ll be using the computer for mostly, video editing, photos, programming and casual gaming . I am planning to put all my active video project related files on the Samsung T7 and once they are done I want to move them to the HDD for archival purpose. Also, to save space on the Internal SSD I am planning to install few apps and move the download, photos, music and video library to external. But, am a bit confused which one I should move to which external (SSD/HDD). Any suggestions will be appreciated. Also, any recommendations on which type/category of apps I should install on internal/externalSSD/HDD will be highly appreciated. Thanks again for the great video.

[@KevinRossRN]

So as far as what’s on my Mac, I just have all of my creative software ranging from video to photo. It’s my main creative machine, so anything I need to create, is on there. Now you will need to at least keep the apps on the internal drive, but the rest of your photos or footage can be edited on that external drive. As far as for archiving I use a Synology NAS. But, are you thinking something a little simpler that sits up on your desk or has a smaller footprint? What about your budget for an external back up?

[@simplydiy3858]

@@KevinRossRN thanks for the suggestion. I currently have my 2 x 4TB WD MyBook lying around which is not too old, so am not planning to invest on the archival drives at the moment and use the current 2x4TB WD HDD for archiving and buy some time. I am okay with disk sitting in the desk or hidden somewhere under the table. Love your videos and the clarity in explanation on the topics. Looking forward to more interesting and informative contents from you.

[@KevinRossRN]

Why thank you friend! I appreciate you hanging out here. I try to spread the content around as I know that every video isn’t for everyone, but I try to ebb and flow on the topics to help as many as I can. That WD is a good solution. I use the easy store setups and shuck them to get those drives out of the enclosure and use them in my Synology. Saves a few bucks because they’re always on sale.

[@grumpygrandpa3640]

Hi fella need some advice I just bought a dji drone it shots in 4K which is great but I need a cheap ssd card to stir that on then transfer it to my iPad as I don’t have a laptop. What would you recommend please as it’s a bit if mine field

[@KevinRossRN]

Hey there. Congrats on the drone. So I just want to confirm, are you asking about a SD card, or a portable SSD drive? Do you have a particular budget in mind?

[@grumpygrandpa3640]

@@KevinRossRN I have sd cards sorted thanks but running out of space on my iPad so need a ssd many thanks Budget wise under $100 if I can for around 1tb

[@KevinRossRN]

This is a 2TB for around 100(ish), but you can get the 1TB for around 70-80. geni.us/THET7 The cost of these SSDs have come down significantly. I remember paying a few hundred for 1TB.

[@grumpygrandpa3640]

@@KevinRossRN awesome Thankyou for taking the time to help

[@KevinRossRN]

@grumpygrandpa3640 it’s my pleasure. Sending my best on your workflow.

[@TruthReviews]

Great work. Do you thinkin editing 4k footage off a external SSD with speeds of 1000mb would be ok? I had the T5 and that was not fast enough for some edits.

[@KevinRossRN]

Yes, I use the SanDisk that has a 1050MB/s read/write all the time. I actually have several videos on this, but an updated video features this very SSD I’m using: M1 Max Mac Studio | Do You Need the Fastest External SSD? kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4mZaqWYg9aCptU

[@TruthReviews]

@@KevinRossRN ah amazing dude thank you. That’s actually the drive I wanted to get.

[@KevinRossRN]

Awesome. It’s held up quite nicely over the years.

[@henripaja1374]

Hi! Very helpful! But would you suggest buying two 500gb SSDs or just one 1tb SSD? Considering that I plan to use them for editing mainly 1080p footage. Thank you!

[@KevinRossRN]

Well, I typically prefer the larger drives...this way you're not having to dump projects as often. My opinion anyway.

[@joet9451]

Love the way you mount the ssd to the MacBook. Is heat from the ssd not an issue with the MacBook monitor? My sandisk gets real hot. Excellent video!

[@KevinRossRN]

Thanks! And I haven’t had any issues with the heat and the monitor. 👍

[@HardBlues]

What USB-C splitter are you using? all the ones i find are for audio/recharging. I just want one where i can use 2 different devices that use a USB-C connection. Unless those work for that purpose too.

[@KevinRossRN]

I don’t typically use those splitters for data because those cheaper cables can’t keep up with the throughput. If you need more ports I’d highly recommend a dock. I’ve reviewed the USB4 Anker mini dock and still use it daily. It’s a worthwhile investment: amzn.to/3v1N8xl

[@HardBlues]

@@KevinRossRN thank you for responding. i was interested in how to take the content from the scan disk to a backup without using my pc. Seems like a lot of time to move the data from the scan disk to the computer then out to an external. Guess i can use a USB hub

[@KevinRossRN]

Oh yeah, you can use a hub for that. I have a couple of those for reading SD cards.

[@JohnDoukasPhotography]

Hi. Thanks for this video. Do you backup your SSD's to anywhere besides your mac's internal? I'm looking to get the Sandisk SSD like you show, but also perhaps a 10tb external drive just to backup files/projects when I'm not working on them.

[@KevinRossRN]

Yes, always have a backup solution. I use a Synology NAS at the moment, which I’ll be upgrading at some point. However a HDD backup solution is definitely recommended for archiving.

[@DroseMr]

Any updates upto speed w this topic? I have a 6big lacie and hhd g speed shuttle both non ssd. Im runing into compatibility issue w system extentions w future os updates. Got 10000 bucks total in this system in the past year. Def not real fast and i think im getting put in extinction in less than 2 years esspecially w my 6400 dollar intel macbook that is still being sold today along w macpro. Just ventin. GREAT INSTRUCTION. If if i delete a project and original media are there now hidden space of things not deleted somewhere i woudnt know about still taking up space if im making sense?THANKS AGAIN SIR ROSS A

[@KevinRossRN]

I mean, that’s definitely quite an investment. Are you working off of this or are you mostly archiving? Also, you might find some small back up files in your movies folder in the internal drive. They’re not large, but will certainly start to add up.

[@DroseMr]

I am working off them. Both set up as raid 1 . Thinkin now bout using a 4tb ssd to edit. Im going to have to move all from 24tb to the 84 tb and fix my mess. I didnt think i needed archive but with the sounds coming outa the big when editing 4k and up is getting me worried. Also im afraid when i reformat i beleive ill be running into prob of getting reconized. For some reason shuttle machines need drivers and software. Is there a bypass and make it like a fresh formatted plug n play ssd? Not holdin ya to anything . Thank You

[@KevinRossRN]

Honestly, I thought these were more plug and play on MacOS, and the software really only for Windows. I’d have to dive in on this. The thing is though, I’ve done videos after this one where I talk more about the bottleneck being the CPU and GPU. I’ve gotten the editor to maybe read and write at about 400-600MBs when scrubbing through a timeline, but once you start rendering and exporting, it’s more like 100-200 because the program is limited by the hardware. That of course depends on your machine of course. I personally like editing on an external SSD and then archiving, although what I will say is that if I had a setup like this then I’d likely switch to something like the 6big because I’m often not on the move with editing.

[@accentontheoff]

Greetings and thank you. I made the mistake of buying a Mac Mini with a 128 Gb hard disk. Is there any hope for me :) I could back up the footage on another separate unused hard disk and then place the files being edited on an external SSD? Any advice? Am not even sure FCP will fit on my hard disk. P.S. I am very new to this.

[@KevinRossRN]

FCPX will definitely fit on the internal (as long as you haven’t already filled it up). It’s about 3GBs in size. You can keep all of your original media and the FCP bundle (library) on an external drive. I’ve done quite a few videos on editing off of an external and even keeping the majority of your media on an external. There’s hope for you 😉

[@accentontheoff]

@@KevinRossRN Ah, so the FCP Library goes on to the external drive as well. A bit like Logic (where I am not a total newbie) I am guessing. Thank you very much for replying!

[@KevinRossRN]

Yep, I’m literally editing a video right now and all my media and the library is on the external. All good 👍 Best of luck friend.

[@accentontheoff]

And yes hope is all we have :)

[@accentontheoff]

Thanks. Cheers.

[@AintPopular]

Heres a question, I have editor installed on my ssd (where my OS is) when i edit videos it outputs the videos on HDD. But my SSD is still getting used. it accelerates wear and tear if im assuming right. How do i let my HDD do all the heavy lifting?

[@KevinRossRN]

So to clarify, are you saying you have your OS installed on an external SSD, or is it installed on an internal SSD in your machine and you also have a “spinning” HDD? Also, which editor are you using?

[@JimCim]

Thanks, this was helpful, as I was advised when buying my M1 iMac not to spend extra money on increasing the Apple internal storage (because it is the most expensive hard drive storage) and instead to use external SSD's. That has worked well holding all my photos and music off the hard drive, and I do not notice any difference in speed. I also now have my iMovie, Keynote and GarageBand projects off the internal, but the problem was still how do I Airdrop video from the iPhone when it will only download to the internal Downloads folder? I quickly transfer it to the external and delete the files in the Download folder ... But it does not immediately replace the used space on the hard drive, and it sometimes takes days to get to where the hard drive is back to where it was before I started. The only work around I have found for this is to Airdrop the files to my older MacBook Pro ... Transfer them to a thumb USB SSD drive ... Move that drive over to the iMac ... And transfer them to the external SSD to work on them from that SSD drive. That's the only way I have found to have nothing added to the internal while working on large videos projects. Thank you again.

[@KevinRossRN]

Yeah the Airdrop workaround can be a bit of a headache in this particular scenario. Sounds like you’ve at least found something that works for you. I appreciate you taking the time to share your particular experience.

[@Movingstar5]

Suddenly my ssd is not shown on device it comes to camera when I tried to import files. Rply soon

[@KevinRossRN]

Which SSD are you using? And, what computer is it connected to? Also when you mentioned the camera, are you connecting the camera to the computer, or are you removing the SD card and transferring files from the SD card to the SSD?

[@melvingutierrez1188]

thank you, I just bought my first MacBook and with just 128 GB is not enough to edit or do work with media, so after saw your review I'll buy a t5, greeting from Dominican Republic

[@KevinRossRN]

Happy to help. And yeah, that 128GB machine should almost be “illegal” to sell. 🤣 You definitely run out of space quick on the internal. But these external SSDs are a life saver.

[@teachkarnataka]

When I edit in fcp the data written is too much. Can I install fcp in external and keep all files (import and export) to make data written zero?

[@KevinRossRN]

Are you choosing to keep all original media and the library/bundle on the external? If that’s the case all of that should be writing to the external. Any backups that FCPX is writing should be extremely small on the internal.

[@teachkarnataka]

@@KevinRossRN yes I don't need any backup. I just want to save my 256gb m1 ssd. Fcp outputs huge files

[@KevinRossRN]

FCPX makes backups automatically, but they’re super small…like several MBs, not GBs. When you work off the external SSD, everything is on that. The only thing happening on the internal is the program just writing to the external, which happens regardless. And also, what file format are you exporting to because a 10-15 minute timeline should export in 4K at 2.5 - 5 GBs. But that depends on everything you’re adding and correcting in post.

[@teachkarnataka]

@@KevinRossRN thanks sir, I was too worried about ssd writes. You put my mind at ease

[@KevinRossRN]

You’ll be fine. I edit tons of video. The external will take most of the workload here. Best of luck.

[@rcharron515]

Im looking into doing something similar, i just recently switched over to Davinci Resolve and despite loving all the mechanics that it offers, I've found that once i begin layering things up, even something as minimal as having text over video footage, almost immediately I begin experiencing lag. The main cause of this being the lackluster amount of storage on my internal hard drive on my Lenovo laptop, so besides putting my media and exports on that external hard drive i was wondering if it would be feasible to download and install the entire software onto an external hard drive ? I've seen a small handful of vids doing exactly that with final cut pro, so I've assumed that it would work similarly for Davinci Resolve as long as that external hard drive was large enough. I just wanted to get you're perspective on whether this could be possible since you seem especially knowledgeable on this stuff (sorry for how long winded this was 😅)

[@KevinRossRN]

No worries on the detailed question... I sometimes go long on the answer 😁 As far as installing the software on an external drive, sure you could do it, however I'm not certain that would help how you'd need it. I assume you have SSD internally, so that memory swap should be fast. You'll get a bottleneck with the USB connection, which even on a thunderbolt 3 (up to 40GB/s) there still can be some slow down... Not as noticeable if reading/writing files you're editing, but could be more noticeable with actual program load read/write... If that makes sense. A couple of other questions I would really pose would be what's the original hard drive size, is it upgradeable, and what about the graphics card? With any of these programs, and Resolve is awesome, but does need that GPU, I'm wondering if you could be getting some lag with those additional GPU intensive tasks, but no bandwidth to actually perform the tasks if the GPU is maxed out.

[@oldmanpatriot1490]

I was a content creator for 5 years.. I had everything on my lap top.. Well,, Im cheap.. I held onto that computer for probably 8 years total and it recently took a big poop... Fortunately I backed everything up to a external hard drive.. So now I have a new computer and this is like lightening fast... I would really like to keep it that way... So if Im understanding you correctly,,,, The only thing I need on my lap top is the editing software,,,,, and everything else can be stored on the external hard drive.??? Or can I put the editing software on there too?? I think my biggest thing is,,, I dont want to bog down my computer again.. updates do a good enough job of that for me, Im just a youtube creator and not professional... This is my everything computer and dont want it slowing down and thats the only reason I havent started making videos again... Can you help? Thank you in advance..

[@KevinRossRN]

Sure. So I’ve done a couple of videos on this subject related to file management and storage. Yes, you can keep the apps/software on the internal drive, which shouldn’t really take up that much space and then use a combination of drives. So basically, I work off of these external SSDs (I’ve definitely done a few videos on this), and keep several projects on them. Once I’m done I then move those over to a NAS (network attached storage) for archiving and easy retrieval, although you could move them over to a desktop HDD for archiving as well...also did a recent video on that. So even though I have a 1TB internal I try to keep all projects and data on the external.

[@oldmanpatriot1490]

@@KevinRossRN Great,, Thank you...

[@KevinRossRN]

You got it. Sending my best. 👍👊

[@RobertSpiller]

Hey Kevin that wasn't 16 GB on the GPU...it was only 6 GB which is good I know, but I've decided I'm going to wait 2 months and I'll pay for what I really want. The Acer Predator Helios 300, or maybe the Asus Tuf.............................lol..thanks man and you have a new subscriber.

[@KevinRossRN]

Hey if you can wait a little longer and save for what you want, I totally get it my friend. Great to have you around the community here. Hopefully we’ll have a few pieces of content that’ll help you.

[@hermanwoods9738]

Hi ! How are you doing today, My Name is Mr.Herman Woods ! I am just started out in video editing. What one should i get ! The final cut ! Our Devinci 17. I have RC BOAT ! AND WONT TO DO 4K . I MEAN SHOT IN 4K ! BUT MIGHT HAVE TO BREAK IT DOWN TO 1080P . TO SAVE SPACE ! WHAT WONT TO ASK ! IS WHAT DO I PUT MY WINDOWS 10 PRO ON, THE M.2 DRIVE OUR SSD DRIVE . AND FINAL CUT AS WELL .I AM TRYING TO KNOW HOW TO SET UP MY SYSTEM. I HAVE A MSI B550 TOMAHAWK MOTHERBOARD . RYSEN 7-3700X , SABRENT 1 TB M.2 .FOR NOW ! LOOKING AT THE ADATA SU760 1TB .FOR SSD ! AND I WONT TO RUN RGB ! AS WELL WHAT DO YOU THINK ! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME .

[@KevinRossRN]

Well it sounds like you have a PC, so FCPX is Mac only, so I’d go with Davinci and you can get the free version. You’d install the editor in your internal drive and can keep all of the media on an external. As far running Windows on the external, you can do this, but again I’d choose to run it internally.

[@drkaymd]

i want to edit on my i movie, but the storage keeps showing low, can i directly edit on external hard drive?

[@KevinRossRN]

Yep! On your computer find and open the Movies folder, then drag the file named iMovie Library to your external hard drive. When the library file is finished copying to your external drive, double-click the library file on the external drive to open it in iMovie.

[@drkaymd]

@@KevinRossRN thank you , will do so 😀

[@KevinRossRN]

You bet. Sending my best and feel free to keep me posted.

[@drkaymd]

It worked out 😀 Thanks 👍

[@KevinRossRN]

Happy Days! Awesome 👍

[@getwildwithevan]

Thanks for the info Kevin. So I've been using a 2015- 13" Macbook pro with 8 gb for editing and it's always out of storage so I end up deleting files to make room. So if I purchase an external HD I can essentially just upload all my video footage straight to that and then pull from the HD into say I movie? Is that the best process for keeping the computer from bogging down?

[@KevinRossRN]

Yes, as of the current version of iMovie you should be able to move the library and files to an external device. I haven’t used iMovie in many years, although I have it around for testing purposes. But, clearing of that hard drive will help because of the memory swap with the RAM that occurs. That should help things run smoother.

[@getwildwithevan]

@@KevinRossRN Thanks!!

[@KevinRossRN]

You got it 👊

[@getwildwithevan]

​@@KevinRossRN Just order the T5! Should be a good one right!?

[@KevinRossRN]

The T5 is awesome. One of my favorite pieces of tech that I’ve used for a couple of years now.

[@msnspy]

One quick question what format do you recommend to use the sandisk ssd for the fastest speed to edit on the mack. Should we use the exfat format or the extended journal?

[@KevinRossRN]

I personally use APFS. exFAT would be recommended if you’re going between Windows and MacOS.

[@nord7556]

My laptop already has an ssd so should I buy this or I'll have to get a new laptop? I'm a beginner at Davinci.

[@KevinRossRN]

Which laptop do you have?

[@michaelfrymus]

If I already have Premiere, Lightroom, & Photoshop installed on my computer C drive, do I have to move the programs to my new SSD? How about the files with all of my presets, files, etc.? ___ After my shoot, I want to upload my content onto the ext. SSD. From there, I want to edit all of my work from the SSD. Afterwards, I will transfer all of the finished content and files to my Archive HDD. The ext. SSD will no longer contain my files on. If I want to open the files and edit anything again, how do I do this? ___ Is this complicating things? I don't get how to make this workflow happen

[@KevinRossRN]

I definitely need to do a video on this...at least my workflow, which would likely mirror a lot of workflows. So the simple answer is no, you're not moving the programs, plugins or presets over. Those will stay on the computer and even though you're editing footage on the SSD, your NLE is still pulling the presets, etc. from the main hard drive of the computer. If I need to recall the footage from my NAS while on my own network then I'd either grab it and use it in proxy format (in a new timeline), or move it back to the SSD, but again that's not necessary unless you're mobile and won't be on your network to get it from you HDD/NAS. Here's a response that I gave someone else, but now I know I really need to show this breakdown. But, here's my breakdown: So when I transfer my SD card data to the T5 to work on, I do keep all of the files on that SD card until the project is complete. This is mostly for my "personal" data, but for client work, it's a bit different...more on that in a sec. ...Now, after the video is rendered/completed/uploaded, I then take that SSD (the contents) and move it over to my server. Once the files are moved over there I'm then able to free up that space on the SSD and also able to format or free up some space on the SD card. I maintain copies of all raw files and label them carefully because I can't count how many times I've needed a clip that I filmed a week ago or even several years ago that I can access on that server, which I can access over my network...AND I can even work from it if needed, but I usually just bring that file into FCP (from the server) to work on, but maintain the file in its original location. For commercial work I transfer everything as above, however before I start working on the project I also place all raw files on my server to create three locations of these files, however I am really creating four because my server is also attached to a server that is located in another location (offsite)...this might be a bit over the top, but we are certainly not interested in having to re-film something for a client if we don't have to. In summary though, I like the ability to keep the working files and the project bundle on the T5 in case I want to take this somewhere else or really to keep the local drive as free as possible, and I do keep a FCP back up on the local drive in case something does get corrupted, but that file size is relatively small. Working from the T5 vs. working on the local SSD of the computer doesn't really seem to slow me down or actually give me any noticeable gains as I know the drive in the computer is faster when comparing read/write, but for real world it just doesn't seem to slow me down.

[@beckprice1858]

Which is your favorite, the San disk or the Samsung? They are about the same price though the San disk is marked at a faster speed. Going to buy one, would appreciate the recommend. 🙂

[@KevinRossRN]

I use the Samsung more often, but honestly it's not for a specific reason other than that I purchased it first and just started it in my workflow years ago... The T5 is primarily my KZbin and personal work and the SanDisk separates my client work, but I think you might have a hard time realizing the speed in a real world use case. The one thing I will say is that when traveling, especially more adventure travel (backpacking, etc.) I do like the SanDisk for its "rugged" build.

[@beckprice1858]

Kevin Ross Awesome thanks 😊

[@M.S.G-]

I literally am so lost 😔 I make edits on after effects but I don’t have enough space to render it to even post it so that’s why I got a SSD hard drive but everything is so complicated can someone please help me?

[@KevinRossRN]

How big is the SSD?

[@M.S.G-]

@@KevinRossRN omg I can’t believe you actually replied but it’s a virbatim 128 gb

[@KevinRossRN]

I reply to as many as I can. So you’re basically running out of space, I assume? So, are you inquiring about upgrading your SSD? I mean it sounds like on the surface that this may be the case. As an example I’m working on a current project that isn’t that complicated, but the bundle is already over 300GBs

[@M.S.G-]

@@KevinRossRN I’m running low on internal space so I can’t really render nothing works if I delete it so that’s why I’m getting an ssd hard drive but I’m not sure how an ssd would help that’s the part I’m lost about if that makes sense if you don’t understand me that’s alright sorry to bother 😭😭😭.

[@KevinRossRN]

You’re not bothering me. So in after effects the program itself remains on your internal hard drive. However, your project files and editing will occur on the external drive, which is what I believe (based on all my creator friends) is most common to do. You should be able to select your target drive as an external SSD or whatever you’re editing on.

[@jessieschusterphoto]

How does computer RAM interact with the speed of the HD? I'm wondering if upgrading my RAM to 16GB from 8GB is worth it, or will the 'bottleneck' as you describe it be a limiting factor?

[@KevinRossRN]

The extra memory is typically a good investment, but it’s not going to impact the speed of the HD. The memory on these machines is very efficient and the swap is pretty fluid. Even with 16GBs of unified memory on my MAcBook Air I’m still swapping with day to day use and I can’t really tell.

[@teadish1448]

Super helpful!! Thanks for sharing this :)

[@KevinRossRN]

My pleasure. Glad to be of assistance.