[ciank]

I recently purchased a m-audio profire 2626, protools m-powered, music production toolkit 2, and a bunch of other software and hardware. Having read the blurb on the m-audio website product page for the 2626: "96kHz and 18 x 18 I/O maximum with Pro Tools M-Powered", I believed that my particular combination would give me 16-track recording at 96khz, with the capability to add two more.

Sadly I have discovered like others that in fact the 96khz limit is 12 channels, or 14 if you do some twiddling with inputs. I note that the m-audio website text has been changed recently to say: "Pro Tools M-Powered supports a maximum of 18 x 18 I/O at 44.1 or 48kHz, and a max of 14 x 14 I/O at 88.2 or 96kHz. Pro Tools M-Powered does not support sample rates above 96kHz".

At least new prospective purchasers are now being given the correct information, and the misleading advertising has been removed. However I feel a bit peeved because if I now opt to upgrade to a solution that will give me what I want, I have to ditch my investment in some or all of this stuff.

In browsing this forum and that of m-audio, I note that the official story differs between avid and m-audio, as to whether this is a limitation of adat protocol (Avid position - so how do other DAWs manage it), or a failure by Protools to support mux. Neither of these positions are consistent with the actuality; if so I would expect a limit of 10 inputs (8 analog, and 2 spdif).

I am posting this in both forums with the invitation for the company representatives (it is one company after all) to ask the questions:

What is the real reason for this limitation?
Will the 14 channels continue to be supported?
Will Protools m-powered be capable of dealing with adat/mux any time soon?