Help! I don't want to part with my PT III system & 888's
 

*I accidently wrote NuBus instead of PT III on my previous thread title, which is why I created a new thread*

So I have my old Digidesign rig laying around, and I just can't bring myself to tossing it out.

I was wondering if someone has tips on how to utilize an old PCI system or simply just using the interfaces.

I wish I could put this stuff to use and not have to can them.

I have:

1x project disk i/o PCI (with TDM capability)
2x dsp farms
2x 888 16bit (digidesign blackface)

Anyone still using these?

Re: Help! I don't want to part with my PT III system & 888's
 

This hardware with the PT 5.0.1 software and OS9 is a very stable rig. Probably the most stable I've ever used.

I'm sure you know this, but the problems with using it this way are:

• Latest version of Pro Tools it will work with is 5.0.1(OS9 only)
• max 16 voices per core card(you can add 1 or 2 more disk i/o's for up to 48 voices)
• 16 bit audio only
• Does not support ilok auth plugins, so you must use floppies.
• Must use dedicated SCSI drive and proprietary cable for audio drive, if using multiple core cards, you need a dedicated drive and cable for each core card.

I think Logic 6 still supported it in DAE mode, but I've never tried it. There was also a core audio driver that would work with disk I/O cores and d24 cores, that I'm pretty sure I had working on a G4 with OSX 10.3, but it would probably be limited to using only one 888. I highly doubt that this card will work with anything newer than that.

Otherwise, you can replace the Disk I/O with a d24 or MIX core, and continue using the DSP farms and 888s with Pro Tools 6.4.1 TDM/OSX 10.3.9. This will give you 64 voices, and 24 bit audio, and let you use any drive you want for audio without the need for a weird cable.


I can't remember if 16 bit 888s will work on the legacy port of a 192 or not, but you might be able to use them in that manner with an HD system as well.

While not incredibly valuable, the DSP farm cards will probably still sell on ebay if you'd like. The Disk I/o card is really only worth something if it includes the SCSI cable, and probably still would take a while to find a buyer for, but I know of at least one studio that still has one of these rigs in use, so someone might want it for a spare.

Re: Help! I don't want to part with my PT III system & 888's
 

888|16 will not work off the Legacy port of the 192s nor will they work in free staining mode as AD/DA converters

what you have will not work in any way with the computers you have

most people have moved on, there are a few that have not and they might be interested in what you have as spares

Re: Help! I don't want to part with my PT III system & 888's
 

Thanks for the replies. I believe I see the writing on the wall.

I'll hold on to them for a bit more though. Just a BIT more.

Re: Help! I don't want to part with my PT III system & 888's
 

If they work, and are useful to you, there's no reason not to keep them. I think a lot of people get caught up in the "must have the latest and greatest" mentality, and while I have been known to tell people "obsolescence happens", that doesn't mean that you can't keep using this older gear if you can get around it's limitations. PTIII was the flagship Pro Tools rig of it's time and it's still capable of creating a great recording.

Re: Help! I don't want to part with my PT III system & 888's
 

I appreciate your input John_Toolbox. I am going to look into the d24 or mix core card.

That would be a significant upgrade and also allow me to run the system on a newer computer. Win win.

Re: Help! I don't want to part with my PT III system & 888's
 

A few things to keep in mind when shopping for upgrades:

1. Make sure any DSP farm cards you intend to use with the d24 or MIX core are G4 compatible before upgrading your computer. The AMCC chip needs to be rev QC or later (The chip will say s5933QC or s5933QE). If the chips says s5933Q, it means that the card is only compatible with beige G3 or older.

2. It is possible with MIX to run dual boot of OS9.2.2/PT5.1.3 and OS 10.3.x/PT6.4.1. If you want to be able to boot OS9, you must buy a G4 that does NOT have a FW800 port, the FW800 G4s will not boot OS9. PT 5.1.3 is no longer sold, so you may just want to go with 6.4.1 and forget OS9, unless you have some older plugins that work with floppy auth. (OSX and PT 6.4.1 do not support floppy auth, only ilok).