RedShark News - Video technology news and analysis

G-Technology expands on Evolution series

Written by RedShark News Staff | Sep 9, 2015 6:00:00 PM
An open and shut case: the new G-SPEED Studio XL

Four new products from G-Technology mean that almost every niche is now filled in its Evolution Series ecosystem of docks, drivers and accessories.

The new products include the G-SPEED Studio XL with two ev Series Bay Adapters, ev Series Reader RED MINI-MAG Edition, G-DOCK ev Solo and the ev Series FireWire Adapter.

The ev Series Reader RED MINI-MAG Edition came about mainly because RED told G-Tech that their customers were looking specifically for a Red Mini Mag to Thunderbolt interface. Developed in close collaboration with the camera manufacturer, the unit features a USB and SATA interface and can be plugged directly into Evolution docks or, indeed, the Studio XL.

The Studio XL with two ev Series Bay Adapters is an impressive eight-bay Thunderbolt 2 storage unit which couples six enterprise-class hard drives with two integrated ev Series Bay Adapters. These accommodate all ev Series drive modules, enabling extensive cross-functionality with the rest of the Evolution Series and offer data transfer rates of up to 1,200MB/sec. Sizing and pricing for 18TB is £1,867, 24TB is £2,000, 36TB is £2,667 and 48TB is £3,333.

The G-DOCK ev Solo is a flexible USB 3.0 docking solution for shared environments and billed as perfect for those who already have several G-DRIVE ev modules to their name, while the ev Series FireWire Adapter is a decent bridge to legacy equipment and easily attaches to an ev Series drive, enabling users to connect to an existing FireWire 800 port on their computer.

It’s interesting stuff. G-Tech is seemingly on a quest to make sure their equipment is as portable and flexible as it is becoming increasingly ubiquitous. And, in the continued absence of the industry coalescing around any agreed standard at any time in the future, attempting to become the universal solvent that holds a myriad of computing devices and a broad diversity of production workflows together seems to be a business plan that fundamentally works.

Full press release after the break.

G-TECHNOLOGY® EXPANDS ITS AWARD-WINNING EVOLUTION SERIES
 
G-Technology’s Adds Four New Products to the Industry’s Most Flexible Storage Solution Family for Speeding up
2K/4K Video, Photography and other Digital Content Workflows
 
2015 IBC, Amsterdam (Hall 7, Stand 7.J31) – G-Technology, a leader in delivering premium storage solutions, today announced four new products in its Evolution Series, a flexible ecosystem of docking stations and interchangeable and expandable external hard drives and accessories that makes transferring, editing and distributing content more efficient, scalable and reliable. The new products include the G-SPEED® Studio XL with two ev Series Bay Adapters, ev Series Reader RED® MINI-MAG® Edition, G-DOCK ev® Solo and the ev Series FireWire™ Adapter. Designed with creative professionals in mind, the new Evolution Series products provide the ultimate flexibility and customization for all workflows.

G-SPEED STUDIO XL with two ev Series Bay Adapters
The G-SPEED Studio XL with two ev Series Bay Adapters is a flexible, eight-bay Thunderbolt™ 2 storage solution, which comes with six enterprise-class hard drives and two integrated ev Series Bay Adapters*. It offers professional content creators colossal capacity and huge performance. The integrated ev Series Bay Adapters accommodate all ev Series drive modules, enabling cross-functionality with the Evolution Series for enhanced workflow and productivity.  Configurable in RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, & 10, it supports multi-stream compressed 4K workflows with extremely large volumes of data at transfer rates of up to 1,200MB/sec and has the ability to daisy-chain via dual Thunderbolt 2 ports. Complete with a three-year limited warranty and sleek black enclosure, this modular, enterprise-class solution provides optimal storage for demanding workflows. The G-SPEED STUDIO XL with two ev Series Bay Adapters will be available in October. Manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing for 18TB is £1,867, 24TB is £2,000, 36TB is £2,667 and 48TB is £3,333.

ev Series Reader RED MINI-MAG Edition
Designed to optimize and simplify a RED camera workflow, the ev Series Reader RED MINI-MAG Edition leverages high-performance connectivity for fast RED footage transfers and backup. Users can transfer content quickly from a RED MINI-MAG media1 card onto any G-DOCK ev docking station or G-SPEED Studio XL with ev Series Bay Adapters. When shooting on-the-go, simply slip it into the watertight protective ev Series All-Terrain Case3 for added protection. The ev Series Reader RED MINI-MAG Edition will be available in October. Manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing is £133.

G-DOCK ev Solo
For those who already have several G-DRIVE® ev modules, the G-DOCK ev Solo is a convenient and flexible USB 3.0 docking solution for shared environments, including studios, labs and classrooms. Simply insert an existing Evolution Series hard drive module into the G-DOCK ev Solo to transfer, edit and backup with ease. When paired with the         G-DRIVE ev, G-DRIVE ev RaW, G-DRIVE ev 220 or the G-DRIVE ev SSD, the G-DOCK ev Solo can easily store up to 2TBs of data and transfer content at rates up to 400MB/s, making it is ideal for a variety of workflows. The G-DOCK ev Solo will be available in October. Manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing is £67 with ev Drive modules sold separately.

ev Series FireWire Adapter
The ev Series FireWire Adapter easily attaches to your ev Series drive, enabling you to connect to an existing FireWire 800 port on your computer. Connect your G-DRIVE ev RaW, G-DRIVE ev, G-DRIVE ev 220 or G-DRIVE ev SSD to your computer via one of two FireWire 800 ports or daisy-chain them with ease so you can access personal and/or professional files, photos, videos, music and more. The ev Series FireWire Adapter is available today. Manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing is £33.

“Our goal at G-Technology is to create reliable and cross-functional products that meet the needs of all creatives, and we’ve done just that with our Evolution Series,” said Mike Williams, vice president and general manager, G-Technology. “Whether on set or in the field, as capacity or performance needs grow, our customers can simply expand and scale by using more external hard drive modules with G-DOCK ev docking station solutions or the G-SPEED Studio XL to easily separate and organize projects, shuttle dailies or proxies, or deliver final work to clients.”

“I’m constantly working in different environments around the world, and I need products that will adapt to my dynamic workflow,” said Aaron Lieber, surf cinematographer and filmmaker. “The Evolution and Studio Series were crucial in helping me win the 2015 REDirect® Surf competition and these new additions will make my workflow even easier, allowing me to focus on making more great films.”