How to choose HDsystem?

[fransmo]

Hi! I have been working on a small home studio using Digidesign 003 rack as a soundcard on mac. Now I am about on account of my work to buy a Protools system for a professional medium/small sized studio in a university environment, that should be able to occasionaly handle semilarge projects.

I found the 003 useful but like (and have to) step up to HD system, but I am totally confused by the many interfaces that seems to available, even on the AVID line.

There are financial limits, but I am not sure where the line will be drawn, so a cost effective quality system is appreciated.

Can anyone provide a link to a useful overview and guide I´d glad, or if you have thought to share on this.

/fransmo
This is a studio in the south of Sweden aimed at research and education.

It might be good to have the possibility to connect macbookpros for the mobile users, but then again what about firewire? on the way out from mac I understand?

[albee1952]

First question is; WHY do you have to move to an HD system? Second question: what is your budget. Now let me toss some info up that you may or may not know; PT10 HD software will run with nearly any interface(running it with the 003 here and happy as a clam). You could also use any of the interfaces from RME and Focusrite(which most seem to think are sonically better than the 003). You can also use the 003 with some digital outboard converters(via the SPDIF and ADAT inputs) which can also yield a sonic improvement(bypassing the cheap Digi converters). Beyond firewire and USB options, there is the Apollo, which offers a Thunderbolt option for Mac(not sure about support on PC's just yet). Next up the ladder is HD/Native with HD IO options, but no onboard processing horsepower, followed by HDX, which is the top of the line. You can also consider a used HD system(core and axcel cards and TDM plugin horsepower), but that will likely NOT work with PT11 when that gets released(which doesn't mean you can't stay at 10 and milk an older HD rig for years) Lots to think about and those 2 questions at the beginning need to be thought thru and answered