Upgrading from PCIe/TDM to Thunderbolt/Native

[Eric Lambert]

Here's the skinny: I have an '09 MacPro with an HD1 PCIe card connected to an Avid 8x8x8 IO. I'd like to at least consider buying a new MacPro and using the Thunderbolt HD Native box to connect to my interface. Basically, getting TDM and PCIe entirely out of the system.

How is this accomplished? And will I be prevented from using ProTools 10 and opening my old TDM sessions? I realize that TDM will be gone, but will it allow me to "open" them, perhaps switching to the RTAS/AAX counterpart instead. In a nutshell, can I buy the HD Native thunderbolt box withOUT an interface, and would ProTools 10 work in this scenario with the new MacPro and Native?

[drumster]

Yes, you can buy the HD Native Thunderbolt Box on it's own, but not officially through an Avid dealer. In the case of an Avid dealer, you have to buy an Avid HD Native bundle, which includes an Avid interface, Pro Tools 11 HD software and either the HD Native PCIE card or the HD Native Thunderbolt Box. Since you already own an HD IO interface and HD software, this isn't likely a path you'll want to go down. Fortunately, or unfortunately in the case of Avid, their bundle sales strategy has created a second hand market on Ebay and other places for all the components of an HD Native system to be purchased separately. Since you only need the HD Native Thunderbolt Box, you can usually find one of those for anywhere between $1100 - $1300 on Ebay. Most of these units are new and unregistered as well. Between this and the new Mac Pro, you will have a very powerful system.

[propower]

AFAIK PT10 can not be installed on OSX 10.9.x and OSX 10.8.X can not be installed on a nMP. So - you can certainly open your old PT10 sessions in PT11 but you can not run PT10 on a nMP.

I made the switch you are thinking about in two stages by moving to 11 Native very early on and PT11HD HD Native and added a nMP 6 months ago. Best PT system IMO since my 10.7 TDM MacPro Tower.

I agree there are many good sellers on ebay for buying piece by piece. Alto Music is an easy choice.

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by propower

AFAIK PT10 can not be installed on OSX 10.9.x and OSX 10.8.X can not be installed on a nMP. So - you can certainly open your old PT10 sessions in PT11 but you can not run PT10 on a nMP.

I've been using PT10.3.8 on OS 10.9 for quite a long time and it works, and I've even been testing it with OS 10.10 on a different machine with similar results. So even if it's not approved (and Avid would never approve this) it might still be functional. Essentially, I just need access to those older RTAS sessions.

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by drumster

Fortunately, or unfortunately in the case of Avid, their bundle sales strategy has created a second hand market on Ebay and other places for all the components of an HD Native system to be purchased separately.

I hadn't even considered checking eBay. Good tip!

[Eric Lambert]

It just dawned on me that I'd installed PT10 before upgrading to OS 10.10, so the older ProTools already existed when I upgraded the OS. Isn't there a limitation in the PT10 installer which won't allow it to be installed on more recent OSs?

If so, can that be bypassed?

If not, and if you're unable to put an older OS on a new MacPro (even if only temporarily), then perhaps PT10 truly can't be installed on the garbage can. I've not paid any attention to this. I'm sure people have tried.

[nst7]

Avid has an official (though tedious) guide for uninstalling Protools 10 on Mavericks:

http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...ools-Mavericks

So perhaps that will help.


Also, you have a few choices regarding getting the Thunderbolt unit. One is to buy just the hardware, as was suggested, and keep using PT10.

The other, as was also suggested, is to get the Thunderbolt unit with the software activation card, which will give you HD11 and HD10.

The third option is to buy a new bundled system, and sell the interface that they force you to buy with it.

The fourth option, is a little known new development that I found out about from a dealer. That it, you can use the special offer that they have for 002/003/Mbox Pro owners to get $1000 off a new system, only instead of trading those in, you would trade in your HD core card and get the same $1000 off. Apparently Avid is honoring those as well. In the past, this may not have made sense, because you could get more by selling your TDM system, but now that prices have fallen so far, this might be a good option. You could then sell any additional Accel cards on your own.

Keep in mind this method still forces you to buy a bundle and then have to sell the interface, but at least its cheaper.

[nst7]

Also, I just saw this in the Buy and Sell section right here on the forums. Someone selling the Thunderbolt hardware on its own:

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=359202

[Barry Johns]

If you are tracking bands, forget it and stay TDM. Accel cards are cheap! If mixing, dump TDM, HDN card can be had every day on eBay for less than $900, thunderbolt, $1000-1100. Yes HD10 works! If staying HD10, stay TDM, you can go from that HD1 to an HD3 for less than $750.