Using Object Mount with Avid Media Composer

This guide walks through how to use Object Mount with Avid Media Composer, including key setup considerations and workflow tips to ensure smooth media management when working with cloud-mounted storage.

Recommended Setup

Avid Media Composer expects all media to reside on high-performance, locally mounted storage paths. Object Mount allows you to treat object storage as a native volume, but there are a few important things to keep in mind:

1. Mount to a simple, short file path

   • Avid prefers media directories without long paths or special characters
   • Example: D:\Avid_Mount or /Volumes/AvidMedia

2. Ensure visibility using the alldrive Console command

   • From within Avid Media Composer, open the Console from the Tools menu or use the keyboard shortcut of Cntl.(cmd.)+6
   • Type AllDrives and press Enter. This makes all mounted volumes visible to Avid

3. Save Avid project and bin files locally

   • Save your .avb, .avp, and .avf files to a local disk
   • Use Object Mount for read access to media assets (e.g., linked clips, raw footage)

Media and Performance Tips

To ensure a smooth editing experience:

• Enable Object Mount caching in the Preferences tab

• Store data and metadata cache on a fast internal SSD

• If you’re working with large high-resolution files (4K, RAW), enable the following:

  • Set CUNO_OPTIONS = -filePrefetch as a custom environment variable
  • Increase S3 connection pool size in Advanced Settings (e.g., 150–200)
  • Use Avid’s Background Bin Saving to reduce interruptions

• Avoid background virus scanning or indexing on the mounted path (especially on Windows)

Proxy & Optimized Workflows

Avid’s DNxHR LB and DNxHD LB proxy workflows are recommended when working with high resolution media on cloud storage. You may want to consider:

• Using the Create Proxies command to generate proxy media and toggle between proxy and high-resolution clips via the Play button drop menu
• Or, transcode media to proxy formats such as DNxHD LB or DNxHR LB and later use Relink to conform back to high resolution for finishing

In either case, generating proxies to local storage is recommended for optimal playback performance, especially when working over slower or high-latency connections.

Monitoring Performance

Transfers via Object Mount may not show progress in Avid’s interface, so we suggest:

• On macOS: Open Activity Monitor > Network
• On Windows: Use Task Manager > Performance > Network
• For detailed diagnostics, set the Object Mount log level to debug or trace in Preferences

Known Considerations

• Avid doesn’t natively understand cloud latency so playback may stutter if accessing untranscoded high-resolution files over slower connections
• Ensure the mount path is stable and doesn’t unmount or disconnect mid-session
• POSIX mode can help with permission-sensitive environments, but is not required for typical read workflows

Summary

Avid Media Composer can work effectively with Object Mount when media is properly organized and cache settings are optimized. Local project files, proxy workflows, and sensible mount paths all contribute to a faster, more reliable experience.

For help tuning your Avid workflow with Object Mount, contact our support team — we’re happy to assist.