HDX2 and 2-3 UAD-2 PCIe best practices? Multi EB3T? Cubix?

[mriegler]

Hey all,

Happy New Year!

Just checking if anyone can help me with some quick experience reports on how to best combine an HDX2 set and 2-3 UAD-2 Octo PCIe cards with a Trashcan Mac Pro.

Go with 2 EBT3?
Mix Magma and Sonnet to have distinctly different PCIe channels?
Grab either a Sonnet/Magma and extend the single bus with a Cubix Xpander? (Not much re Pro Tools compatibility out there on that one in particular...)

Any experience and advice would be very welcome.

Thanks a bunch!

[priorytools]

Do you already own UAD2 cards #2&3 ?

[mriegler]

After the recent HDX price drop I've sacrificed one of my 2 Octos for the second HDX card, so currently on HDX2 with one Octo in a 5,1 Mac Pro. That's not really fun. So, trying to hold on as long as I can, hoping there will be some perspective on a better 7,1. But for lack of that, I have to plan with a 6,1 (and hope that whatever I do, will potentially still later).

Dump the second Octo and go TB Satellite when the time comes?

[fm_xtk]

Originally Posted by mriegler

After the recent HDX price drop I've sacrificed one of my 2 Octos for the second HDX card, so currently on HDX2 with one Octo in a 5,1 Mac Pro. That's not really fun. So, trying to hold on as long as I can, hoping there will be some perspective on a better 7,1. But for lack of that, I have to plan with a 6,1 (and hope that whatever I do, will potentially still later). Dump the second Octo and go TB Satellite when the time comes?

Have you considered getting an expansion chassis (PCIe?). You could put the three Octos in there and keep the HDX cards in your Mac. With that sort of setup you could hang on to your MP5,1 for a considerable time. You can pick up a chassis for $800-900 which is a lot cheaper than buying a 6,1. You could expand with another Octo and/or HDX card in the future.

Having said that if you really need (want?) a 6,1 or newer then it might not make sense to invest into non TB PCIe expansion.