Anyone else interested in Expansion Options for PT LE hardware???

[Rick Irvine]

Anthrock instead of the digimax,how about a Panasonic DA7 with ADAT for $2000.00.This gets you a great,32 input mixer for future expantion,and a control suface+it's AD/DA.I bought one and I don't care if they are being discontinued or not.I don't care if doesn't do 96k.It's a true 24 bit system with good converters(they sound much better than the 001s).Get while they're still available at Full Compass. [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[gen-xtargetmarket]

Unfortunately, the Digimax does not allow one any additional I/O. It must be connected to existing I/O on your LE system. Not exactly what I was speaking of in my original post.

I perceive Digidesign's strategy to be one of selling hardware, hence the proprietary nature of everything that they release. Plug-in formats, control surfaces, etc. After the release of the Control24, there haven't been any new third party controllers or hardware that have been supported by Digi. They are closing (have closed) the door on this. Radikal Technologies (sp?) had to figure out the HUI implementation on their own and, under ProTools, their controller can not use their own Master Fader and there are other issues related to the displays. Same goes for the DA7's HUI emulation mode. The HUI has no Master Fader the 'Scribble Strips' are limited to four characters, so that is what every emulation is gonna have too.
As long as the only available option for third parties is to 'reverse engineer' (sorta) various emulations, their products will always be somewhat less tightly integrated with the ProTools world. You gotta do what you gotta do. It's marketing, mindshare, and staying in business. More power to 'em.
Sorry for the semi-off-topicness. Just trying to explain the situation in greater detail for those that have misunderstood.
So, every dollar spent on another company's solution is a dollar that is not going to Digidesign. Nothing exists to add greater functionality to the LE based systems. There are a lot of things that will 'enhance' them. You can buy more Mic Pres, more MIDI I/O, etc., but these are just optional enhancements to the existing system. There is nothing that will get you more audio I/O since Digi wants your I/O money (recent release of MIDI box supports this) and they want to differentiate the products enough from each other so that a cheaper one doesn't cut into the more expensive one. The recent cancellation of the 001 Factory Bundle is an example of this strategy to protect the more expensive 002.
This isn't an attack on Digidesign at all. It is just that they could easily earn more money if they released a proprietary FireWire Box with more audio I/O on it. Digital I/O for me, please!
FireWire has the potential to work with all of the other LE systems and would make everyone is happy. FireWire would also expand the base of potential target customers (laptop users) in a way that PCI could not. Personally, I'm not too hot on the PCI card idea since it would just eat up another valuable slot.

[anthrock]

I'm not exactly sure what your asking for, but the Digimax offers 8 additional digital I/O's which is what I thought you are looking for. Connected to the 001 gives you a total of 16 total channels of analog/digital inputs, not including the 001's own S/PDIF.

[gen-xtargetmarket]

The problem would be that the Digimax sends its digital audio into the ProTools world via a Digidesign manufactured I/O box. In order to get the converted analog signals onto (and off of) your hard disk, it must be connected to the existing ADAT Lightpipe connector that is on the Digi 001's PCI card; thereby consuming the 001's Lightpipe connector. Still leaves us with 8 channels of Lightpipe I/O although the conversion is now happening via the Digimax instead of the 001.
The Digimax has no option for allowing ProTools to recognize it and use it directly.

This is not what others and myself are looking for. I have a digital mixer with 32 channels of digital I/O. I would like to keep everything in the digital domain for as long as possible. No additional conversions to/from analog.
There is not an existing piece of hardware that will allow PT LE to have access to any additional outputs beyond what the 001, 002, or Toolbox offer.

That's it.

[where02190]

dream on. the 001 is what it is, digidesign made their money off it. the only upgrade we'll see is new software(PT6) that we'll be paying for.

Other than that, the "upgrade path" for the 001 has been defined: 002.

[Rudger]

For what it's worth, I'll put my name on a list requesting more Dig I/O's also. Eight would do me fine, 16 would be better. A simple PCI expansion card that LE can see to add more I/O's. This is not a complaint, just a request. Jason

[Steve Moore]

I also have a 32 track DMixer. 8 channels of litepipe is a BIG drawback (ultimately a killer). But then giving us the ability to have 32 track all digital studios for 3 grand probably isn't what DIGI has in mind. I don't expect to see it anytime soon for LE. (And don't say 002, I want 32 automated faders).

I did not understand this limitation when I bought 001. I know I should have but I didn't (in spite of a month at the DUC BEFORE purchase) and I fear there are many more like me. It's not that obvious unless you hang here and ask alot of questions for awhile.

I went with Pro Tools for compatibility and 'industry standard'. However, IMO the distinctions are rapidly blurring. I recently called a few studios here and in two major metros and guess what? they all had the ability to read/open/transfer files from all major DAWs. I don't use alot of soft plugs so the compatibility issue, for me is probably moot anyway.

As these other programs mature (not quite there yet - but almost) DIGI's proprietary business plan may bite them in the ass. If I don't get more litepipe and better MIDI soon I'm quite likely to go the way of Okion and others.

I don't care about video post production. This seems like an entirely different market to me. I don't care about SMPTE or alot of other TDM features.

I just want to make music. I believe there are millions of others out there just like me. Save your high end stuff for your TDM BIG Boys, DIGI, but continue to ignore the working musician and you will ultimately lose a very large market to your competitors.

DIGI: The real market in the future IS the semi-pro market. You will never have millions of high end studios (in fact the number of high end production houses is on the decline) but you will have millions of musicans all over the planet doing more and more of their own tracking and in many cases mixing. This market is expanding and will be growing for years to come as the cost comes into the range of more working buds.

I don't mind paying for multiple 001's, even at a premium. I would stay PT that way. Even if I had to use another MIDI sequencer.

But refusing to let me stack 001's is crap. Why doesn't DIGI want to sell more 001's? Make it so the ONLY box you can add is the 001. No problem. You would sell 2-3 times the number of 001's. Max it out at 32. No video. Limited MIDI. Limit other high end features.

Bottom line: DIGI would sell alot more 001 units, wouldn't hurt TDM at all and they wouldn't piss all their 001 clients into defecting.