need help with upgrade choices

[toolowd]

Hi folks,

I am considering, after long last, upgrading my rig. I am currently running 2 pt mix systems in a g4 (actually a mix +++, as the 2nd mix core is used as a farm)

I also run a 16 fader pro control.

I would like to move everything up to a USED HD system with 16 analog inputs.

I have these questions specifically.

What older HD systems would give me:

1. a STABLE environment
2. Equivalent power
3. pro control support

I need to find a way to not spend too much, but am finding I need to do this.

Any way to find a compatibility grid like there used to be on the old site. i have spent some time looking and can't find it.

thanks

rich

[albee1952]

My 2 cents only(as a serious observer of this idea). A Mac Pro 8 core and HD3(or higher with a chassis) should be a solid setup. As for IO, you have lots of choices from budget(used 96IO) to the moon(new HD IO) or options from Lynx and Apogee). This can get you all the way to Pro Tools 10, which is where the future hits the wall. PT11 is reportedly going to abandon most of the old hardware, so you won't go any further, but you should be in a solid place that will serve your needs for a few years. Word is that PT10 is really solid with HD cards. I see used Mac Pro 8 cores on eBay for under $2K. Lots of used HD cards floating around. IIRC, you can stuff HD3(PCIe) into a Mac Pro, but more than that would require an expansion chassis(which opens you up to PCI and PCIx options)

[toolowd]

Thanks for that info. Where can I find the compatibility grids? Are they still here?

rich

[James Drake]

if you are not looking for much increased power from a g4 mix system, then you can go to a G5 with HD3 PCI and PTHD 8.0.1cs2 for super cheap on ebay (£1000 ish excluding I/O).

i have just finished 2 years in a place stuck on G5 with HD8, and it feels super nice now to move up to a current computer and PT10. but seriously there is nothing stopping you dealing with 90% of pro music studio environments with G5 HD3 systems.

one consideration is that for 7 more days you can trade your 888 boxes for 1000 somethings off a new avid I/O but you cannot run these on a G5, you need to move to mac pro and pcie cards.