Advice needed to upgrade older setup.

[needtopractice]

The more I look into this the more confused I get about which direction to go. I have been recording with the Digi001 interface for a long time now. I'm running PT 5.3.1 on windows. Recently I've been looking into getting better sound quality with my current setup. Apparently there is a way to run a preamp into 001 that has better preamps and will in turn make the sounds I'm getting better. Great in theory but I know nothing about how to do any of this.
I had also looked into getting a black lion audion modded 002 but then I saw that you can use a preamp with the 001 which is cheaper and you can get more imputs. So that is a step up from even a modded 002.
After even more research I'm even possibly open to getting a 003 and updating my version of PT. That's something that makes me uneasy since I don't know what that would entail and i'm just so darn comfortable with my current setup, but to get a better sounding setup I'd do it.
I have about 1k to possibly spend on updating.
My question to you smart peoples is what route should I go for the best sound to money ratio??? I'm sure there are other routes I can go to upgrade that I don't even see yet.
Any and all info and advice that you can give me would be very welcome.
Heck would it be cheaper to find another great interface and go to PT 9.0?
Thanks,
Jim.

[zedhed]

I started out with a 001 all those years ago. What a great little unit they were, at least for what they were intended for.

Personally, I would advise not getting another unit to 'Plug Into' the 001. As great as the 001 was, it is very much past it's used by date IMHO. Pre-amps are only part of the equation, DA/AD conversion quality is extremely important.

There are some good deals on used 003/003 Racks around at present. I have had a 003 Rack for about 6 years now and it has been great for my purposes. In a sense it is very much a souped up 001. but of course with some added features.

As far as updating Pro Tools you have two options really. Either PT8 or PT9.

Perhaps the best thing about PT9 is that you would not be tied down to having to stick with a Digidesign/Avid hardware interface which opens up a world of possibilities and of course there are many added features as well. The downside is that you would almost definitely need to build a new computer to run Windows 7. Whilst that may sound like a huge task & financial commitment, the fact is one can build it oneself for a reasonable price as long as plenty of research is done beforehand. The DUC is full of people who have done this and most if not all are ready and able to guide you through the process should you decide to go down this path. All you need to do is ask.

PT8 would be a cheaper solution as you may be able to use the same computer as you are already using. I say may because I don't know what your computer specs are. The downside to this is that you would have to use a Digidesign/Avid hardware interface. Having said that I have only ever used their interfaces and have found them more than suitable for my needs.

Personally though, I think if you end up needing to upgrade your computer at all, you may as well go straight to Win7 & PT9.

Perhaps if you posted a Sandra Report, you will get good feedback on whether or not you need to upgrade or rebuild your computer for PT8.

Windows users need to provide a Sandra report

- Please - Use SiSoftware's Sandra Lite application to generate a full system profile:

www.sisoftware.co.uk

Under SiSoftware Sandra, click on "Download & Buy" to download the free Sandra Lite version or purchase other versions. After installing Sandra, click on the 'Hardware' tab and run the 'Computer Overview', then copy and paste into your post here on the DUC.

The most important thing is to carry on taking your time and look at what everyone has to say and by then I'm sure you won't feel nearly as unsure of what path to take.

[needtopractice]

Great information, thank you. How is the quality of the a/d-d/a converters on the 003 rack compared to other units say if I was gonna go the PT9 route with other hardware? Running the 003 rack system interests me.

[SKI]

Originally Posted by needtopractice

One other issue I have is that I have a good amount of plugins for my system now, bought legit but I run the cracks, that I can't do without if I upgrade and can't find cracked plugins for the new version of PT. Are they easy to find?

D@mn!

[needtopractice]

Is that a no no? I actually got that tip from a pro producer. Just less muck.

[albee1952]

If you can't live without a piece of software, buy it. As for upgrading, I would leave the old system just as it is(don't change anything on it). I would buy a used 003rack and build a new computer based on one of the newer intel i7 cpu's and follow some of the successful builds shown in the i7 thread.

[needtopractice]

That's a good idea. I would be able to edit at home and still have my name rig at the studio.

[needtopractice]

Anyone else have any advice? I'm leaning towards getting a 003 rack and upgrading pt. What are the differences in the digi003 versions? As far as sound quality is the 003 close to pro sounding? Or should I go to pt v9 and get another preamp to record with? Are there other preamps out there that are THAT much better than the 003but are still reasonably priced?

[zedhed]

Originally Posted by needtopractice

Is that a no no? I actually got that tip from a pro producer. Just less muck.

Of course using ripped off software is a no no...it's theft! It's also not uncommon to contain viruses. Not quite sure what you mean when you say "Just less muck".

The converters in the 003 are good but of course there are better ones around but be prepared to pay accordingly. It all boils down to what you are intending to produce as to what quality is acceptable for the intended purpose.

[BradLyons]

A lot has changed since you bought your Digi001, I mean---we've landed on the moon! But seriously, there have been significant changes including the ability to run Pro Tools with darn near any interface YOU wish to use. Along those lines I've found an incredible combination that works just fine and absolutely in your budget----that's to get the FOCUSRITE SAFFIRE PRO 40 and PRO TOOLS 9 software. There is a crossgrade available from Pro Tools LE, however your version is too old to qualify. Even then---a full license purchase of the PT9 software and the interface will still be in your budget range. OF COURSE---I'm assuming you need up to 8-inputs and outputs, IS that the case? Please, tell us more about your requirements and needs----I'm sure a few of us could assist you!