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  #1  
Old 03-19-2007, 07:34 AM
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brianjanthony brianjanthony is offline
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Default How does Quadzilla compare with latest SW Creation Station?

Well
I think I have to join the dark side I think. I cannot handle my G5s instability anymore. Not only PT. But the OS and all its corrupt crap. Long story short, I'm thinking of buying/building a PC rack box, ala Sweetwater Creation Station. Being completely new to the PC world (been on Macs for 15 years now), I've started to investigate. A new Mac, for all us Mac defenders and lovers, will cost me $7000+ till all is said and done. So its not an option right now...

I'm not a tweaker. I need it to work and keep my biz running. Immediately. I mean, I can take a day to build the thing. But I cannot build it and hope for the best. I've read alot of these posts and hope that the guidelines you all mention are still accurate. I will be using it as a tape machine. I would use the G5 for all other apps (internet, ical, T-racks, biz software etc). So i could care less about how stable the thing is with MS word or the internet.

Here's my dillema. A PC from Sweetwater will run me $3200 (shipped ish) and I'd have a year to pay for it. If I build it, it's $2400-ish (and I'm arriving at this via the parts many have listed and doing Quick Google searches for the prices)... and that I will have to cough up immediately. Not a HUGE difference... at least price wise.

What I need to know is if a home built Quadzilla (or whatever you reccommend) is much more powerful than the latest greatest Sweetwater incarnation. For the record, I run HD3 Accell, track live bands with 24 inputs all the time, use from 32-100 tracks per session, usually use Kontakt 2, B4, 2 Amplitube 2s, 5-6 Xpands, Addictive drums, Strike and and 3-4 Melodyne plugins on big sessions. So I beat my machine mercylessly.

Sweetwater's machine: http://www.sweetwater.com/creation_s...rackdual34.php
Motherboard: Asus w/975X Chipset
CPU: Dual Core 3.4GHz/800MHz FSB
Hard Drive(s): Glyph Seagate 80GB & 2x 200GB SATA
RAM: 2GB
Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW
Video Card: Radeon x300se
Ports: 2 x FireWire, 6 x USB, 2 x PS2
PCI Slots: 2 PCI, 2 PCI-X, 2 PCI-e 16x (one available)
Card Reader: 15-in-1 Multimedia card reader


If anyone has ANY insight I'd really appreciate it.
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Brian
www.brianjanthony.com
MacPro 6 core 3.46 Cheese Grater
HDX and HD NATIVE
48 gig Ram
PT 2019. Something
Sierra
192 IO and 96 IO

TDM user way back. PT user since 98.
I'm either working, sick, or both.
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  #2  
Old 03-19-2007, 01:37 PM
lifer lifer is offline
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Default Re: How does Quadzilla compare with latest SW Creation Station?

Beware of motherboards without consecutive PCI slots. The TDM cables are extremely short and will only reach a card that is one slot away.
Lifer
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  #3  
Old 03-28-2007, 06:28 AM
markus44uk markus44uk is offline
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Default Re: How does Quadzilla compare with latest SW Creation Station?

You can now build a dual core Opteron Quadzilla using the Quad spec on the LE forum for under $1,500 and it will be ROCK SOLID as soon as you install the software. No bugs, no crashes, no problems. ROCK SOLID!

http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.p...=5&o=7&fpart=1

Get the Tyan Tiger that is specced on the first page of the Quadzilla sticky on the LE and FOLLOW THE SPEC TO THE LETTER! Also follow all of the instructions on page one of the Quadzilla sticky. If you build the quad using the Tyan board, you will have three PCI slots side by side which will allow you to go up to HD3. I have been running HD2 (1 Core and 1 Accel card) without EVER having a stability problem.

Be warned that the only annoyance is that you will need to make sure that you have updated EVERY plugin you have to the latest version. The Digi plugins are already updated but any third party plugs (waves, McDSP, etc) will need to be the PT 7 versions or you WILL have problems.

Other than that, assuming you follow the Quad spec to the letter, you should be fully functional within 24 hours of receiving your parts.

good luck and welcome to the bright side of the force.
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  #4  
Old 03-28-2007, 06:49 AM
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brianjanthony brianjanthony is offline
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Default Re: How does Quadzilla compare with latest SW Creation Stati

Thanks!

Now I am a Windows dummy here. All I need to do is buy the stuff in the Quadzilla post. Assemble all of it and I am ok? Would that include fw ports, usb ports or anything? I'm so ignorant it's amazing. I just don't want to mess this up.

Also, are there Tyan Tigers that would give me more than 3 PCI slots (I'd love to get an eSata port on this thing.

$1500 is less than a used mac!

brian

Quote:
You can now build a dual core Opteron Quadzilla using the Quad spec on the LE forum for under $1,500 and it will be ROCK SOLID as soon as you install the software. No bugs, no crashes, no problems. ROCK SOLID!

http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.p...=5&o=7&fpart=1

Get the Tyan Tiger that is specced on the first page of the Quadzilla sticky on the LE and FOLLOW THE SPEC TO THE LETTER! Also follow all of the instructions on page one of the Quadzilla sticky. If you build the quad using the Tyan board, you will have three PCI slots side by side which will allow you to go up to HD3. I have been running HD2 (1 Core and 1 Accel card) without EVER having a stability problem.

Be warned that the only annoyance is that you will need to make sure that you have updated EVERY plugin you have to the latest version. The Digi plugins are already updated but any third party plugs (waves, McDSP, etc) will need to be the PT 7 versions or you WILL have problems.

Other than that, assuming you follow the Quad spec to the letter, you should be fully functional within 24 hours of receiving your parts.

good luck and welcome to the bright side of the force.
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Brian
www.brianjanthony.com
MacPro 6 core 3.46 Cheese Grater
HDX and HD NATIVE
48 gig Ram
PT 2019. Something
Sierra
192 IO and 96 IO

TDM user way back. PT user since 98.
I'm either working, sick, or both.
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  #5  
Old 03-28-2007, 09:22 AM
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brianjanthony brianjanthony is offline
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Default which rack case fits Quadzilla

If I follow the spec, which rack case will fit the parts for Quadzilla.

I'd LOVE to rack this thing

brian
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Brian
www.brianjanthony.com
MacPro 6 core 3.46 Cheese Grater
HDX and HD NATIVE
48 gig Ram
PT 2019. Something
Sierra
192 IO and 96 IO

TDM user way back. PT user since 98.
I'm either working, sick, or both.
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  #6  
Old 03-28-2007, 10:53 AM
Bobogura Bobogura is offline
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Default Re: which rack case fits Quadzilla

Quote:
If I follow the spec, which rack case will fit the parts for Quadzilla.

I'd LOVE to rack this thing

brian
Hey!! I'm going to build a rack mounted PC as well!!
Would love to know which rack case that suits the quadzilla..

Anybody? Thanks!
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  #7  
Old 03-29-2007, 11:21 AM
markus44uk markus44uk is offline
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Default Re: which rack case fits Quadzilla

Hi all: The rack case I bought for $139 was made by iStar but has been discontinued and I can't find it anywhere. However, there is an alternate case (nearly the same in every way) that you can buy now on NewEgg. It will handle HD3 (core plus two adjacent process or Accel cards).

Here's the link to the rack case I bought and am using. Note my case did not have a power supply, hence the lower price. You would want to find the case without the powersupply.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856999302

Here's the link to the rack case that should do the job
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811138076

Be sure to get the rack sliders which allows you to slide the case in and out of your rack when you need to open it up.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811138015
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  #8  
Old 03-30-2007, 11:11 PM
auxsend1 auxsend1 is offline
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Default Re: How does Quadzilla compare with latest SW Creation Stati

Brian, I haven't used it personally yet, but this:
eSATA

should get you an eSATA port without using up an internal PCI slot for a separate controller card.
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  #9  
Old 03-30-2007, 11:34 PM
auxsend1 auxsend1 is offline
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Default Re: How does Quadzilla compare with latest SW Creation Stati

As far as your computer building, it's a difficult decision. If I knew it would work, I would build an Intel machine off this motherboard:
Asus P5B-E
It has the 3 PCI slots all together, and will take the latest Core 2 chips. You have plenty of power w/ the HD3, so I wouldn't sweat not having 2 physical chips. At this point, I wouldn't want to buy into the old technology (the original Quadzilla spec). If you did the Intel route, you could start w/ a 2.13 or 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, and later on swap that for the last chip this motherboard will take, some quad core version not even out yet. Only thing is, I don't know if anyone's running an HD rig w/ that board. If you also needed an LE computer, you could build it, and if it didn't work w/ your HD cards, use it for that or sell it.

Another option would be to build the new Quadzilla spec and sell one of your Accel cards since you'll have plenty of processing power, but only 2 adjacent PCI slots.
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  #10  
Old 03-31-2007, 04:22 PM
MDog MDog is offline
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Default Re: How does Quadzilla compare with latest SW Creation Stati

Quote:
You have plenty of power w/ the HD3, so I wouldn't sweat not having 2 physical chips.
Unfortunately, RTAS instruments and plugins (mostly Amplitube2 and SVX for me) won't run on a card. The more powerful they write these plugs, the more native power you need to run them.
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