Questions about Digi 002 Console

[mikesaidthis]

Ok. So this is my first post at this forum, and I hope to gain some knowledge that I can't seem to find anywhere. First, hello! Second, I have recently acquired a mint Digi 002 Console unit. I have used these in various studios before as the sole interface, and also just as an i/o hub so to speak. I have done tons of recordings and gotten what I consider to be good results. I wouldn't say that I am a professional by any means as I still work another job to pay the bills, but you get the idea. So my question is, is the 002 worth having? Objectively now, I know this is an Avid forum, but in all honesty? I have heard things in either direction, and know that people have their opinions. I am not looking to have a ridiculous HD rig because, as I mentioned, this isn't my sole source of income. It's a fun hobby, that brings in some extra cash when I have the time and the bands to book. I am aware that going with an HDX system, or getting real heavy with things like Mytec converters and blah blah blah will yield phenomenal results, but my question here is am I missing out by going with the 002? I was thinking of mod'ing it, but BLA no longer does work on the consoles. Should I sell it and move onto another interface such as the Focusrite Liquid 56, or Apogee Ensemble (or similar) or are the converters adequate enough to produce quality results? I don't want to keep replacing my interface every so often. I have also heard tales that PT11, when it does rear its head, will not support 002/003 platforms? Any truth to this?

Also, does anyone know what converters are in the 002? I can't seem to find any actual info on that.

Any help would be great! Let me know what you think, or if I need to give any more info to help shed light on this situation!

Glad to be here, hope to help in any way I can while continuing the seemingly endless pursuit of knowledge.

Best,
-Mike

[albee1952]

One opinion only here, but if it works for you, there are more reasons to keep it than there are to change. Consider these points:

As a controller, you could do a lot worse. The 003 is much more versatile, but since I started on the 002, I built habits that serve my needs just fine.

As for audio quality, you can easily upgrade by getting a good preamp and converter. Adding 8 channels on the lightpipe input is easy and can be done for anywhere between $200(Behringer ADA8000 for 8 more of similar quality) on up to $3K for the Focusrite ISA-828. Or add 2 channels on the SPDIF input, which could be as cheap as the ART Digital MPA, all the way up to the $1800 API A2D. Plenty of options there that can keep the 002 as your controller.

The 002 will work with any version of LE(after ver. 6 anyway), and Pro Tools 9 and 10, including the HD software versions(which gets you some added features), but its likely to NOT be supported on Pro Tools 11(which we probably won't see till next year). BTW, latest word is that the 003 will be supported(trust me, I'm a doctor)

Then there is the "power harness" issue that hits all 002's built before a certain serial number, but a new harness from Avid is under $50(and often a simple re-seat will solve the issue for several months). It really boils down to 2 important questions: how bad do you need the controller functions, and how many live inputs do you need at any one time(IOW, are you recording yourself, or 4 piece bands)?

For sure, the converters are nothing special, but I suspect you will get a bigger improvement with better mics, preamps and techniques, than you will with better converters(remembering you can bypass with external hardware).

BTW, most of the external options will still be viable if the day comes that you do decide to dump the 002 and get something newer.

[Dism]

Originally Posted by albee1952

One opinion only here, but if it works for you, there are more reasons to keep it than there are to change. Consider these points:



As a controller, you could do a lot worse. The 003 is much more versatile, but since I started on the 002, I built habits that serve my needs just fine.



As for audio quality, you can easily upgrade by getting a good preamp and converter. Adding 8 channels on the lightpipe input is easy and can be done for anywhere between $200(Behringer ADA8000 for 8 more of similar quality) on up to $3K for the Focusrite ISA-828. Or add 2 channels on the SPDIF input, which could be as cheap as the ART Digital MPA, all the way up to the $1800 API A2D. Plenty of options there that can keep the 002 as your controller.



The 002 will work with any version of LE(after ver. 6 anyway), and Pro Tools 9 and 10, including the HD software versions(which gets you some added features), but its likely to NOT be supported on Pro Tools 11(which we probably won't see till next year). BTW, latest word is that the 003 will be supported(trust me, I'm a doctor)



Then there is the "power harness" issue that hits all 002's built before a certain serial number, but a new harness from Avid is under $50(and often a simple re-seat will solve the issue for several months). It really boils down to 2 important questions: how bad do you need the controller functions, and how many live inputs do you need at any one time(IOW, are you recording yourself, or 4 piece bands)?



For sure, the converters are nothing special, but I suspect you will get a bigger improvement with better mics, preamps and techniques, than you will with better converters(remembering you can bypass with external hardware).



BTW, most of the external options will still be viable if the day comes that you do decide to dump the 002 and get something newer.

Listen to this guy, as someone with a lot of experience using and helping others with the 002.

As old as it is, it's still a solid controller/interface. Just be aware of its antiquity and that it has most likely seen its last driver update. If you got a good deal on it, I'd say use it for as long as you like it, and as long as you don't mind that it will probably not work with any version of Pro Tools past 10.x.