What interface card/rack for LE ?

[Nils Groth]

Hello,

A friend of mine upgraded from Win to MacPro and realised later that it was a PCIe machine. So he had to get ride of his M audio card (only PCI). I just have a simple question really: what interface do one need to use for PT to work ? I can understand that HD require the mix engine on the core cards etc... but how come one need an M audio card to play with Protool M ? How about LE ? Would any sound card do the trick ? I have a MOTU 828 mkII hanging around could he use that one and LE or M ?

Thank you,
Nils

[M.Brane]

LE requires Digi hardware. M-Powered requires M-Audio. Your MOTU stuff will not work with ProTools.

[Phil Jeffers]

Even with the hardware you cannot output any channels via the CPU's audio I/O (or any other PCI card etc.). Seems strange doesn't it? Thuggish even?

[M.Brane]

It could also be that Digi doesn't want the headache of trying to support hardware that isn't under their control.

Is the other low-end hardware out there really that much better than Digi's or M-Audio's? It's all based on the same cheap components isn't it?

[Nils Groth]

Thanks guys.

I think Digi is smart not to support all these other cards. I don't want to pay the price of maintenance R&D to be honest. However, I also think that it is very uncool to verify what hardware is installed and decide not to work because the soundcard manufacturer isn't home brand. I don't mind using unsupported hardware and live with my issues. But there is a lucky/cheap combination, then why not let it be usable...

Bottom line... Digi: you win (again) !

Regards,
Nils

[lwilliam]

If you were using M-Audio hardware, then you must have the M-powered version of Protools, right?

If so, than just about any M-Audio firewire interface should work.

[flommer]

I think you're right on Digi supporting their own hardware only. I'd draw a comparison to how Apple controls the hardware and software (contributing to Apple's "legendary" usability), where windoze is a free-for-all on the hardware side causing all kinds of driver issues. This has probably contributed to the long roll-out time for Vista as well..