Setting up a Color Grading Workstation - Harware issues

Hello experts!

I want to build up a color grading station for the use of base grades, look and mood development and pregrades.
Currently I´m working on tutorials to find into the topic and I´m thrilled of what I can do with resolve 9 so far.

I´m trying to get some jobs in this field. For final grading I will go to a studio with a propper setup for finetuning - but for creating the basegrades and the look, I want to use my system:

I have a HPZ820 Workstation with 64Gig Ram and a Quadro 4000 with 2 Gigs of VRam and a 2010 MacBook Pro 17 inch.

I´m new to this topic of setting up all the hardware with sdi, studiomonitors and that stuff - and I´ve discovered some issues:

I use the Color Edge CG245W Eizo Screen for grading so far. I can calibrate the monitor with the built in colormeter to Rec709. I want to use this monitor for previwing in full screen.

For the UI of Resolve I want to use my second Eizoscreen.

So here is the configuration I have thought that might work well for me:
A second Quadro 4000 - for resolve to speed up the preview. I will not plug in any screen in this card.

In the first Quadro I will only plug in the UI Eizo Screen.
To get HD Full Res (1920 x 1080) in real time on the CG 245W screen I will have to get an SDI Signal - so that Resolve will deliver Full Screen on a second monitor? I can´t do this with the quadro cards, so I will have to take at least the DeckLink SDI Card - but with the SDI Signal I can´t plugin the CG 245W Eizo Screen - So I will have to plug in the DeckLink SDI at least the Mini Converter SDI to HDMI or the HDLink Pro with HDMI...?

Sorry for this basic questions, but if you are new to this topics - things are a bit confusing.

At least, as I begin with grading, and I can´t realy trust my Grading monitor so far - I want to use the scopes as a guide. But with just one screen for the UI of Resolve - thats not very convenient - even with the gorgerous scopes of resolve over the Resole Interface.

So I thought, I could hook up my MBPro 2010 17 inch with a USB 3.0 express card - to run black magic ultra scope on this machine - and to feed the Pocket UltraScope - I will use the DeckLink SDI Card.

Is this setup possible? Does it make sense? Has anybody a similar setup and can maybe give a good advice?

As grading is not my main business - I want to start with a setup that does not ruin my budget so far - Of core I know that I would need a propper Sony Professional OLED Picture Monitor (25”) - maybe a Marhall Orchid grading monitor - but that just doubles the price for the setup - and when it comes to professional calibration of those monitors - the costs are kind of exploding....

I need the setup for conforming, basegrading and look development and I will final grade the stuff in a real studiosetup. Hope I can do all the timeconsuming stuff on my station and just for finetuning I will rent some hours at the professioinal studio.

Any tipps and advice will help me at the beginning - so hope to hear from you

Thanks a lot for your time.

Is maybe the Ultra Studio SDI the perfect solution for me?

I have a HPZ820 Workstation with 64Gig Ram and a Quadro 4000 with 2 Gigs of VRam and a 2010 MacBook Pro 17 inch.

I use the Color Edge CG245W Eizo Screen for grading so far. I can calibrate the monitor with the built in colormeter to Rec709. I want to use this monitor for previwing in full screen.

For the UI of Resolve I want to use my second Eizoscreen.

An Eizo is overkill for UI, but if you already have it, and have no other use for it, then why not?

So here is the configuration I have thought that might work well for me:
A second Quadro 4000 - for resolve to speed up the preview. I will not plug in any screen in this card.

You really don't need a Quadro. A GTX will work fine, for far less money. Check the BMD build for Resolve for details.

In the first Quadro I will only plug in the UI Eizo Screen.

The other thing you could do is use the Quadro to speed up Resolve and use a 10-bit ATI card for the screen via DisplayPort.

To get HD Full Res (1920 x 1080) in real time on the CG 245W screen I will have to get an SDI Signal - so that Resolve will deliver Full Screen on a second monitor?

I can´t do this with the quadro cards, so I will have to take at least the DeckLink SDI Card - but with the SDI Signal I can´t plugin the CG 245W Eizo Screen - So I will have to plug in the DeckLink SDI at least the Mini Converter SDI to HDMI or the HDLink Pro with HDMI...?

Why SDI if your monitor supports DisplayPort? Does the 245W have SDI? You can get the best quality with DisplayPort. Avoid DVI if possible. This order of preference: DisplayPort --> HDMI --> DVI.

Use SDI only if you already have SDI devices.

At least, as I begin with grading, and I can´t realy trust my Grading monitor so far - I want to use the scopes as a guide. But with just one screen for the UI of Resolve - thats not very convenient - even with the gorgerous scopes of resolve over the Resole Interface.

Even if the monitors have in-built calibration, you'll still need an external calibration system to make sure it works, like this one.

So I thought, I could hook up my MBPro 2010 17 inch with a USB 3.0 express card - to run black magic ultra scope on this machine - and to feed the Pocket UltraScope - I will use the DeckLink SDI Card.

With this setup, and the second Eizo for verification, you probably don't need the Ultrascope.

However, if you want to use an SDI Scope, then you'll need an SDI card, but with only one device plugged in, it would be pointless to aim for a high end card. You could use a BMD SDI to HDMI Converter instead.

Is this setup possible? Does it make sense? Has anybody a similar setup and can maybe give a good advice?

For simple grading I think your setup is overkill. Basically all you need is a good monitor (10-bit), a good calibration device and a good video card.

As grading is not my main business - I want to start with a setup that does not ruin my budget so far - Of core I know that I would need a propper Sony Professional OLED Picture Monitor (25”) - maybe a Marhall Orchid grading monitor - but that just doubles the price for the setup - and when it comes to professional calibration of those monitors - the costs are kind of exploding....

Forget it. The Eizo is good enough.

I need the setup for conforming, basegrading and look development and I will final grade the stuff in a real studiosetup. Hope I can do all the timeconsuming stuff on my station and just for finetuning I will rent some hours at the professioinal studio.

Keep it simple. Avoid SDI if possible. Don't waste money on unnecessary Quadro cards and adapters for simple grading work. You don't have to grade in full rez, you know. You'll still get enough color information.

Hope this helps.

Hy Sareesh,

Thanks for your detailed answer. You just saved me some budget from my upcoming jobs

br,

gorri