Buckle your seat belt Dorothy, cuz Kansas is going byby.

[musictycoon]

I will make every attempt at keeping this brief.

I have gone against the grain and have refused to get the 'newest and best' and foregone upgrades in order to keep the wheels turning. I'm sure many of you have experienced the 'upgrade gone bad' scenario right as a client is due.
Also, if Im not DYING for a specific feature there is no reason to upgrade, of course aside from the fact that support ceases and it's 'just not the right thing to do'. I now only use the rig for personal music tracking/mixing.

Situation: I want to switch to a Mac from PC.

Reason: I use a Mac at work with 9 and want to keep things Mac. My PC running Windows XP Porfessional v 5.1 SP2 on a custom liquid-cooled joby uses VRam/Pram or whatever lame RAM that is really expensive and really hard to find. Not to mention I can't stand PC's for the most part.

I am running a Mix Plus with 3/888-24s and 6.4.1 Upgrading to 9 will not be economical in the slightest as then almost everything must change. What I want to do is just take the cards out of the PC and put them in a Mac. Can I do this? IF so...

Question: I need a box with PCI slots no? This equates to best scenario a Power Mac G4 if I am correct. I Would like to get some feedback on what configuration G4 is best, what kind of difficulties I may run into and/or a conformation that it will be a snap. Just get a G4, install the 6.4.1 (can I go higher in this scenario?) software, plug in the 888's and get back to makin music? Plugs going to be a problem? They came with the box and do not require an iLock.

Now, if anyone has a brilliant idea that does not fall in the above described situation... I'm all ears. I just like the way the TDM with the 888's sounds for music and that is all I am doing with my personal rig. No sync, no post applications.

Let the brilliance begin...

[kevinb511]

Only other option would be a self built Mac. Lot's of folks are going that route to continue using their PCI/X based rigs with Mac OS (myself included). That would give you more processing power for RTAS plugs than a G4, but to be compatible with PT6 you will be stuck at 10.4 I believe.

[myke2242]

Why dont you just scale up as you need to. first by buying PT 9 go HD and hardware when needed? You can run PT 9 HD on pretty much any modern machine PC or Mac!

[musictycoon]

Originally Posted by myke2242

Why dont you just scale up as you need to. first by buying PT 9 go HD and hardware when needed? You can run PT 9 HD on pretty much any modern machine PC or Mac!

Good question. Here is my thought - I already have 24 channels of i/o, they are normaled to my console, and they (3x888/24's) sound perfectly delicious to me. I may be unorthodox but I like using the box kinda like a tape machine going straight to a channel strip of each track if possible. I would be limiting myself 8 channels and hating the fact that it cost me $1500 on a 192, to get there...or seriously hating dumping $4500 (3x192's) to get me right where I currently stand with 24 I/O's. Now, if the actual perceivable sound difference was night and day, I would be thinking about it, but it is not. And actually, I have been told by more than one mastering engineer, at the major artist level, that the old TDM systems with 888/24's sound better than the HD/192 setup. I have not A/B'd them myself, but that's all these guys do. After reaching a certain quality level, spending more to improve the sound has a diminished return. I use to enjoy observing how much better $1500-$2500 could make things sound, ie: complete night and day difference between a $150 mic pre and a $2500 mic pre, whereas a $2000 and a $3000 mic pre is not as blatant of an improvement. At that point it is more preference or taste than it is quality. Now my position is, unless I am really suffering by not having a new and very useful or necessary feature, spending more to have the latest version, IMHO it is a complete waste of money'. Do you have any idea how much beer and women $4500 will get you? Not to mention the cost of a new mac! OK, j/k I have a woman, but hopefully that illustrates my thought.

Also keep in mind how I am using PT (more like a tape machine), what I am using it for (music only, no sync) and that it lives at my home studio (no cross compatibility issues with my co-workers, departments or outside production houses) I'm thinking simply changing the platform to one that will allow familiarity with what I use at work, as well as easy ram increases is wisdom. But believe me, when I think of having 'the latest, greatest' as in a HD rig and a rack of 192's I do feel all funny inside by the shear coolness factor. But when I think $4500 I think API Mic Pres, Martin Acoustic or a U87.

Am I making sense, or am I just a cheap, stubborn SOB that's bucking the system?

[musictycoon]

Originally Posted by kevinb511

Only other option would be a self built Mac. Lot's of folks are going that route to continue using their PCI/X based rigs with Mac OS (myself included). That would give you more processing power for RTAS plugs than a G4, but to be compatible with PT6 you will be stuck at 10.4 I believe.

I'm cool with that. That actually sounds like it addresses some of the limitations of a G4. Also, I'm not adverse to upgrading to a more recent version of PT. I'm really only trying to avoid the domino effect of hardware codependency ie; New Mac>HD Rig>192's>New Plugs yada-yada.

If I can PM you, I will. Not sure if that available, never tried it.

Thanks

[Drew Mazurek]

Originally Posted by musictycoon

I'm cool with that. That actually sounds like it addresses some of the limitations of a G4. Also, I'm not adverse to upgrading to a more recent version of PT. I'm really only trying to avoid the domino effect of hardware codependency ie; New Mac>HD Rig>192's>New Plugs yada-yada.

If I can PM you, I will. Not sure if that available, never tried it.

Thanks

I tried it and it didn't work. Some sort of USB conflict that kept PT9 from authorizing. The guy that I bought the computer from fortunately offered a money back guarantee. Just an FYI, make sure you're butt is covered.

[musictycoon]

Kevin, guess I can't PM you. I would like to get more info on the self built Mac. What is the recommended configuration and options?

Thanks

[Craig F]

I don't know anyone that thinks 888|24s sound better than 192s
I know they don't to my ears

I wouldn't take a G4 if you paid me. There old and prone to failure these days, same for the Mix cards.

I would get a Mac Pro, PT9 and, an interface that will work your you http://www.airusersblog.com/pro-tool...dware-checker/

[musictycoon]

Originally Posted by Craig F

I don't know anyone that thinks 888|24s sound better than 192s
I know they don't to my ears

I wouldn't take a G4 if you paid me. There old and prone to failure these days, same for the Mix cards.

I would get a Mac Pro, PT9 and, an interface that will work your you http://www.airusersblog.com/pro-tool...dware-checker/

My mistake, it was not the 888/24's over the 192's that purportedly sounded better, it was TDM over HD.

[Craig F]

HD is TDM, just the next generation (well 2 gen if you count Accel) of DSP chips