Why isn't an 003 Aggregable?

[Rob0214]

Is this only a PT issue? I thought device aggregation was done via CoreAudio/ASIO on Mac/Windows?

I'm asking because I have an 003 and a Rosetta 800. I'd like to get an X-Firewire for the Rosetta (not cheap and hard to find) to try and use it with other DAWs.

[JFreak]

Digidesign/Avid hardware do not aggregate, that is for 3rd party interfaces

[Craig F]

00x interfaces were developed from the TDM/HD hardware before aggregate was ever introduced

mBox3 and 11 Rack can aggregate

[JFreak]

My bad. I stand corrected :)

[Craig F]

HAL don't like it (*Hardware Access Layer)

for the old stuff to do what it did it connected directly to the Hardware Layer (d24|Mix|HD|HDX|00x|mB1|mB2)

Aggregate is a Software Layer that the old stuff bypasses

[albee1952]

The real question is why do you need aggregate? There may be lots of easy ways to accomplish what you want without aggregate

[Rob0214]

Originally Posted by albee1952

The real question is why do you need aggregate? There may be lots of easy ways to accomplish what you want without aggregate

I currently have the 800 connected to the 003 via ADAT. So, I'm limited to 48k max sample rate with 16 channels. If I could aggregate, both could go at 96k max.

The Rosetta can actually do 192k.

[Darryl Ramm]

And 48k is really a limit? The only solution you have is to buy a different interface (buy one that is large enough not to need aggregation) than the 003. The aggregation issue is in how their drivers are implemented.

[Rob0214]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

And 48k is really a limit? The only solution you have is to buy a different interface (buy one that is large enough not to need aggregation) than the 003. The aggregation issue is in how their drivers are implemented.

No, I've gotten by on 44.1 for years. But then I usually don't have to open other people's sessions.

Quite honestly, I usually use the Rosetta for A/D and only use the 003's converters if I absolutely have to. I don't think I ever use the 003's pre's because I have pretty good analog ones.

I had looked at the Focusrite Saffires. Sadly, the Liquid Saffire 56 (which had S/MUX II ADAT) appears to have been discontinued.

[Darryl Ramm]

If you are just opening other people's sessions you probably don't need all the inputs right? So you could make do with a lot less interface for that?

If not and you have a bunch of nice preamps you need to use on those higher sample rate sessions then one interesting 16x16 interface is the UAD Apollo 16. No internal preamps but 16 line inputs in a 1U rack. http://www.uaudio.com/interfaces/apollo-16.html

And you can chain together UAD Apollo units, using their own device chaining/aggregation (not CoreAudio aggregation). But of course with Pro Tools (non HD) you are limited to 32 IO with non-HD interfaces.

Or look at an Apogee Symphony or a Pro Tools HD rig with a HD IO 16x16.