Magma PCI Expansion Alternative?

[rojocinco]

The mystery is why someones yes and someones no...

[scottgreiner]

Originally Posted by rojocinco

But this is much more expensive and only for PCIe cards , we talk about PCIx to PCIe around 400€

FWIW, I bought my 4 slot Magma used on ebay for around $300, then bought the express cardslot doohickey for my MBP from Magma (can't remember the price). I too want to make my old PCI Accel investment go as far as possible and needed to be portable, as I travel A LOT.

Things I've learned:

- The bus driver chip in the chassis is very important. Pericom chip is the one that works in the Magma (not DEC). Don't know what's in these other chassis, but it's crucial for spanning DSP chips on the cards.

- There's a software widget that gets installed by the Protools installer called DigiDal.kext that gets corrupt from time to time - No idea why. Simply throwing it away and re-installing the Protools application fixes this (no need to re-install everything, just Protools).

- Drive formatting seems to be very important. I've had SFX drives formatted way back in Tiger that would bring Protools down upon launch if they were mounted. Plugging them in after launching protools was OK. Reformatting these and putting the contents back on seems to have alleviated this problem.

I've basically worn out the clicky thing that holds the express card in the MBP (it was weak since the beginning and I miss the old screw-in kind) and now have to hold it in with a velcro strap. I'm anxiously awaiting the new badass MBP's and Thunderbolt interfaces, as my MBP is showing it's age. I would love to see Lynx make a Thunderbolt card for my Aurora 16. Ahhh, the future...

Anyway, my $0.02. Good luck you brave MacGyvers!

[Sixstringer7]

Originally Posted by relaxo

PCIx means PPC...which is officially "dead-end" as of yesterday.

PCIe will be alive for years to come...PCIx is dead.

Your PCIx cards will be worth $200 each years sooner than PCIe cards. If there's a new PT card format around the corner, your gamble could pay off, otherwise you're throwing more money at equipment that will soon be nearly worthless.

On the other hand, it's a fact that lots of studios are living well off of their Mix systems still. Just be careful and think it all through.

Your PCIx cards are only worth anything at all if you are trying to sell them. Even a PCIe card is worth absolutely $0 unless you try to sell it to someone.

My point? If an absolutely worthless PCIx system is still doing what you need it to do, it is worth just as much as a PCIe systems is to you.

[studiom]

Originally Posted by AREED

Is the Magma 4 slot supported? Anyone using it?
I have a HD2accell (PCI) Want to go Mac Pro and dont think I will ever need 6 slots.
How much does Avid charge to update cards for HD2?
Not sure what to do.

Hi, I'm using a magma 4 slot with and Mac Pro - 1 core and 3 accell cards. System is rock solid. I'm using an 8 core Harpertown Mac.

[hart07]

hello pro tools HD core card and accel card in pci - pci/x are in 32 bits or 64 bits ?
cause i search a magma chassis pe6r4 or other to use my ptools hd cards with the last mac pro ( nehelem or westmere) but according to avid only the nehelem mac pro is working with a magma pe6r4 but in the future a westmere mac pro will work also.

I see a sbs PCIE-PCIX-7S chassis in the test :http://www.uaudio.com/webzine/2006/d.../content5.html

is it better than the magma pe6r4 ?
regards

[hart07]

Originally Posted by studiom

Hi, I'm using a magma 4 slot with and Mac Pro - 1 core and 3 accell cards. System is rock solid. I'm using an 8 core Harpertown Mac.

what's the name of your magma chassis ( i mean the specifications tech)
Your pro tools hd cards such a core card and any accel cards in pci or pci-x are working with this chassis and a mac pro last generation ? ( westmere or nehelem ?)
regards

[Detlef Brockmann]

Originally Posted by rojocinco

I don´t surrender Detlef Brockman, I think if anyones run I must to get it runs, is very important to get it, and I have talked with more people that works with that ok.

Hi rojocino,
did you get any further?
Cheers, Detlef.

[rojocinco]

Originally Posted by Detlef Brockmann

Hi rojocino,
did you get any further?
Cheers, Detlef.

YES,YES,YES!!!!!
I got it tonight after a large 800km travel to visit a man who has a Virtua via running with protools, We tryed changing components to discover that the touble is the power supply, Virtua Via is sending inapropiate power supply to work with Digidesign cards. now with a new power supply is working at the first attemp in my MacBookPro 17" of 2006.
Let´s sohow you a photos:

[img=http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/7125/lafoto1v.th.jpg]
[img=http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/333/lafoto2p.th.jpg]
[img=http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/7408/lafotof.th.jpg]

[jeremyroberts]

Originally Posted by rojocinco

YES,YES,YES!!!!!
I got it tonight after a large 800km travel to visit a man who has a Virtua via running with protools, We tryed changing components to discover that the touble is the power supply, Virtua Via is sending inapropiate power supply to work with Digidesign cards. now with a new power supply is working at the first attemp in my MacBookPro 17" of 2006.

Ah... very nice! Good job!

A few questions for you:

1. Can you switch the playback engine to span chips/cards (i.e. change to a gazillion voices/6 DSPs - and back) ?

2. Have you tried this with your macpro? Same question re: changing engine chips.

3. Can you please tell us the exact VirtuaVia ATX model you purchased? Did you get the ATX case + power supply version? http://www.virtuavia.eu/shop/full-pa...-atx-case.html -- what power supply works? Which one doesn't?

4. If someone were to buy the VirtuaVia "build your own" without the case or power supply, is there something about the power supply that worked that's special? Anything you can share? Pinouts used?

http://www.virtuavia.eu/shop/pcie-4-...n-atx-kit.html

Thanks so much for reporting back. We hear an occasional "it works" but few have shared the hows or whys of how they got it working. If this continues to work for you, you may have helped countless people who don't want to pay $1900 for a Magma PE6R4.

Best,

J

[tigeba]

You can see my description of my working system here: http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=292055

My advice is to purchase the kit and provide your own case and power supply. Most people's problems stem from purchasing the all in one chassis.