Colour
Anodised
SSD UPGRADE - KIT
Our custom SSDs provide a brand-new, warrantied upgrade for RED DSMC2®, DSMC1®, and RED ONE® cameras.
Our Mission
Our aim with these products is to ensure legacy RED® camera systems remain operational and reliable for years to come.
With REDMAGs dating back to 2010 and MINI-MAGs to 2013, much of the second-hand media is reaching the end of its life. Our upgrade kits offer an easy solution for restoring them to better-than-new specifications.
Fully assembled CINEMAGs, compatible with MINI-MAG® and REDMAG® 1.8 specifications, will be available for pre-order from February 2025.
Built from the ground up, they feature improved handling, superior build quality, and CNC-machined aluminium enclosures for enhanced thermal dissipation.
*If you order an SSD upgrade kit now, you’ll have the option to convert your SSD order into a fully assembled CINEMAG before your SSD is shipped and still keep your discount.
Development
Development of our SSDs began in early 2024, with the first major challenge being to overcome the camera's proprietary media restrictions. The initial reverse engineering process, led by Christopher Tusk, took around 10 hours to bypass these restrictions and enable a DSMC2® camera to recognize the drive with partial recording functionality.
This was a significant breakthrough, but it quickly became clear there was much more work to do. While the camera could identify the SSD, achieving proper recording functionality presented significant challenges. Resolving these issues required 10 months of extensive reverse engineering and refinement.
These final SSDs are the product of multiple variations and specifications we had manufactured, honed down iteration by iteration to create a replacement SSD that far exceeds the performance and reliability of any RED MINI-MAG.
Everything RED®
can do, and more.
Our initial plan was to match RED® specifications. But after months of research, we realised just how much we could improve these drives.
570
MB/s
Accelerated
570 MB/s Read*¹
450 MB/s Write*¹
450 MB/s Write*¹
MLC NAND
Premium Grade
Toshiba MLC NAND
Toshiba MLC NAND
TBW
Dependable
5x the reliability of a 1TB Samsung 860 EVO SSD*³
*1) All figures are rounded to the nearest megabyte.
*1) Sequential read & write performance is the average measured using Crystal Disk Mark via a SATA 6Gbps interface.
*2) Comparison is made to a 1TB Samsung V-NAND SSD 860 EVO mSATA SSD.
300
MB/s
Accelerated
300 MB/s Read*¹
300 MB/s Write*¹
300 MB/s Write*¹
MLC NAND
Premium Grade
Toshiba MLC NAND
Toshiba MLC NAND
TBW
Dependable
5x the reliability of a 1TB Samsung 860 EVO SSD*³
*1) DSMC1 and RED ONE SSDs' read and write speeds are limited to SATA 2 specifications (300 MB/s maximum for both).
*2) Comparison is made to a 1TB Samsung V-NAND SSD 860 EVO mSATA SSD.
TBW values are educated approximations for the 960GB CINE-MAG SSD.
RED® vs CINEMAG
Pick the REDMAG or MINI-MAG you currently have and see the key differences.
MINI-MAG® 960GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & DSMC 2®
Maximum Data Rate & Highest R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 300MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 8K 60FPS - 12:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard Toshiba - MLC NAND
Not Publicly Available
MINI-MAG® 1TB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & DSMC 2®
Maximum Data Rate & Highest R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 300MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 8K 60FPS - 12:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Consumer - TLC
Not Publicly Available
MINI-MAG® 512GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & DSMC 2®
Maximum Datarate & Compression Options
- R3D max data rate - 300MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 8K 60FPS - 12:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard - MLC
Not Publicly Available
MINI-MAG® 480GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & DSMC 2®
Maximum Data Rate & Highest R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 300MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 8K 60FPS - 12:1
1 Year Warranty & Technical Support
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard Toshiba - MLC NAND
Not Publicly Available
MINI-MAG® 120GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & DSMC 2®
Limited Data Rate & R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 225MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 8K 60FPS - 16:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard - MLC
Not Publicly Available
MINI-MAG® 240GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & DSMC 2®
Limited Data Rate & R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 225MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 8K 60FPS - 16:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard - MLC
Not Publicly Available
MINI-MAG® 120GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & DSMC 2®
Limited Data Rate & R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 225MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 8K 60FPS - 16:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard - MLC
Not Publicly Available
REDMAG® 512GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & REDONE®
Slightly Reduced Data Rate & R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 185MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 6K 60FPS - 11:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard MLC
Not Publicly Available
REDMAG® 256GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & REDONE®
Reduced Data Rate & R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 155MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 6K 60FPS - 13:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard MLC
Not Publicly Available
REDMAG® 240GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & REDONE®
Reduced Data Rate & R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 155MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 6K 60FPS - 13:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard MLC
Not Publicly Available
REDMAG® 128GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & REDONE®
Limited Datarate & Compression
- R3D max data rate - 155MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 6K 60FPS - 13:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard MLC
Not Publicly Available
REDMAG® 64GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & REDONE®
Limited Datarate & Compression
- R3D max data rate - 155MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 6K 60FPS - 13:1
No Longer Available
Embedded DRAM Cache
Standard MLC
Not Publicly Available
REDMAG® 48GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC 1® & REDONE®
Very Reduced Data Rate & R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 75MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 6K 60FPS - 28:1
No Longer Available
DRAM-less
Standard MLC
Not Publicly Available
REDMAG® 48GB SSD
Full Compatibility with DSMC1® & REDONE®
Very Reduced Data Rate & R3D Quality
- R3D max data rate - 75MB/s*¹
- R3D compression - 6K 60FPS - 28:1
No Longer Availiable
DRAM-less
4 x Standard MLC NAND
Not Publicly Available
Compatible with either DSMC1® or REDONE®
Improved Thermals
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The graph shows the maximum temperature recorded while the camera is recording at the highest data rate possible on DSMC2, from 0% to 100% full. (Measurements taken from a thermal probe)
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Over the 15 years that RED produced their REDMAG® and MINI-MAG® media, they made substantial improvements to the thermal properties of their SSDs.
The final 480GB and 960GB MINI-MAGS® RED created were custom-built SSDs, manufactured at a significantly higher cost than previous generations, and were specifically built and designed around a new generation of Toshiba Memory, engineered for very cool operation.
During the development of our CINEMAG® SSDs, we tested multiple high-quality memory options from brands other than Toshiba. A big problem we encountered with all of them was that these alternatives all generated excessive heat, often leading to thermal throttling.
We believe RED's focus on reducing operating temperatures and utilising Toshiba Memory was not only intended to prevent SSD failure, but may have also been to help protect the camera's internal components from damage.
Included in the Upgrade Kits
DSMC2® & DSMC1®
DSMC1®
REDONE®
Our FAQs
This section is for FAQs specifically to do with this pre-order.
For our full FAQs, please click on the help dropdown in the menu
What is special about your SSDs and why can’t you use standard SSDs?
There are several reasons why standard SSDs cannot be used. To simplify, it comes down to both software and hardware incompatibilities. It's impossible to find an off-the-shelf product that works reliably for this setup process, as the hardware is fundamentally incorrect for the task.
Even if you manage to bypass the initial setup issues, the recordings will not be trustworthy as there are over 15-20 specific parameters that must align perfectly between the software and hardware for proper functionality.
How does KipperTie use a consumer-grade M.2 Samsung drive?
KipperTie uses a SATA-based M.2 Samsung drive that can communicate using technology compatible with RED cameras. While these drives are cost-effective to purchase, getting them to work reliably with RED systems is extremely challenging without direct cooperation from Samsung, as there are over 15-20 specific parameters that have to be setup correctly
Consumer-grade drives, while cost-effective, are unsuitable for several reasons:
Heat Generation: These drives produce excessive heat, risking thermal throttling, camera cooling strain, and potential long-term damage to sensitive components during extended recording sessions.
NAND Quality: Consumer drives typically use TLC NAND, designed for casual use, lacking the endurance needed for continuous RAW data recording and frequent read/write cycles.
Lifespan: For example, KipperTie's Samsung-based 2TB MINI-MAG® uses TLC NAND rated for 1,200 TBW (600 full drive cycles), while our 960GB SSD with Toshiba MLC NAND is rated for 3,000 TBW (3,000 full drive cycles), offering 5 x the reliability and longevity.
What are the delivery timeframes?
For the Initial "SSD Upgrade Kit" orders, we are aiming to have them delivered by March 1st 2025.
The only delay is due to the manufacturing time required for a large quantity of SSDs, as well as the thorough QC and verification process for each drive.
How do I know if CINEMAG is compatible with my RED camera model?
Any RED®️ DSMC1®️, DSMC2®️ and RED ONE®️ camera is compatible with our CINEMAG SSDs. You can select a SSD kit that will work with your camera.
Are there any firmware updates required to use CINEMAG?
Yes, for DSMC1®️ and DSMC2®️, you must be running firmware version 6.3.75 or later. For RED ONE®️, you must have the latest firmware installed, version 32.0.3.
Can CINEMAG be used interchangeably with RED MINI-MAGs on the same project?
Yes, they act and handle like the original media.