After what I found on the Digidesign / Avid / M-Audio sites I think all M-Audio audio interfaces, be it usb, firewire or pci, are all compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered. The problem lies however with the pci-express slots of the Mac Pro's. See below for detailed info. I have to choose btw for the M-Powered version because I also want to run Sonar on Windows and that isn't possible with the Digidesign hardware if I am not mistaken. >From the M-Audio site: Knowledge Base > Knowledge Base Knowledge Base Apple Intel Mac Pro, DualCore PowerMac G5, and 10.6 Snow Leopard compatibility Q: Will the Delta Series and Revolution Series drivers be updated for Intel based Mac's or Apple's new Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) operating system? Can I use a Delta Series or Revolution Series PCI card in a new Mac Pro or DualCore PowerMac G5? A: No, there will be no drivers that support Intel Based Mac's or 10.6 Snow Leopard. OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard is only supported on Intel based Mac's; it does not support Power PC Macs. The new Intel based Mac Pro desktop computers, as well as the latest generation DualCore PowerMac G5's, have Link PCI-Express slots, and not PCI or PCI-X (Like the Delta/Revo Series cards). Not only are the data rates on PCI-Express different from PCI/PCI-X, but PCI-Express uses serial data transfers versus PCI/PCI-X transferring its data in a parallel fashion. For these reasons, a PCI-Express type motherboard connector (or "slot") is physically different from a PCI or PCI-X type connector. Therefore a PCI-Express adapter will not physically fit in a PCI or PCI-X slot, and vice-versa. This is true regardless of the adapter card's manufacturer. All of our current Bezochte link USB and FireWire interfaces are compatible with the new Intel Based Mac Pro and late model DualCore PowerMac G5 computers, as well as OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
>From the Apple site, the pci specs of the current Mac Pros: PCI Express expansion Three open full-length PCI Express expansion slots 6 One PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot Two PCI Express 2.0 x4 slots All slots provide mechanical support for 16-lane cards 300W combined maximum for all PCI Express slots -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- Van: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Namens Slau Halatyn Verzonden: maandag 30 augustus 2010 17:11 Aan: [email protected] Onderwerp: Re: PCI audio interface M-Powered The PCI cards used in Pro Tools TDM systems have processors that handle the CPU for audio. The LE systems use FireWire and require no PCI cards. I'm not up on the M-Audio side of things but you can check with any Avid distributor or their web site to see which interfaces are supported with M-Powered if you want to go the M-Audio route. Slau On Aug 30, 2010, at 10:39 AM, RvR wrote: > Now you got me confused Bryan... > Are you saying M-Audio pci interfaces such as the Delta 1010, Delta66, > Delta44, Audiophile192 and Audiophile2496 when put in a Mac Pro won't > work with the M-Powered version of Pro Tools? > > Ronald > > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > Namens Bryan Smart > Verzonden: maandag 30 augustus 2010 7:32 > Aan: [email protected] > Onderwerp: RE: PCI audio interface M-Powered and monitor for Mac Pro > > Those PCI and PCIE interfaces are only for Pro Tools HD. They > obviously only run on a Mac Pro, though it is possible to run them on > some specific models of older Macbooks along with some external enclosures. > > The USB and Firewire interfaces work with both Pro Tools MPowered and > LE, but different ones work with each. M-Audio interfaces work with MPowered. > The various Avid/Digi USB/Firewire interfaces work with LE. > > You can run MPowered or LE on a MacBook, IMac, or Mac Pro. However, > when you run them on a MacBook, you give up a lot of performance in > exchange for the portability. When you run them on an iMac, you save a > lot of money over the Mac Pro, but there are lots of restrictions on > what gear you can use together. > > Some of those restrictions are changing, though. The newest 27 inch > iMac comes with two hard drives: a solid state drive and a mechanical > drive. You can install the OS and Pro Tools on the solid state disk > for performance, and use the mechanical drive as your data/audio > drive. That still leaves both the Firewire and USB ports free for an > interface. You could, for example, attach a ProjectMix I/O audio > interface/control surface and run MPowered, or attach a 003 audio interface/control surface and run LE. > > Bryan > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of RvR > Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 7:07 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: PCI audio interface M-Powered and monitor for Mac Pro > > Hi Frank, > You only mention firewire and usb m-audio interfaces for use with > m-powered pro tools, but there are plenty of pci ones from m-audio. Do > those not work with the m-powered version of pro tools? One of the > main reasons to buy a Mac Pro is the use of pci cards. > I only need an audio interface for the moment. > Although the choice for a Mac Pro may be obvious for real power users, > but I ain't that just yet. > Both the iMac and Mac Pro have their pros and cons. > Regards, > Ronald > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > Namens Frank Carmickle > Verzonden: donderdag 26 augustus 2010 22:28 > Aan: [email protected] > Onderwerp: Re: PCI audio interface M-Powered and monitor for Mac Pro > > Hi > > On Aug 26, 2010, at 4:10 PM, RvR wrote: > >> Hello, >> Can't seem to make the choice between an iMac and a Mac Pro for use >> with Pro Tools and such. Having great difficulties with making >> decisions the last couple of months...LOL I cannot ask you guys cause >> you don't know what I am going to do with it. But maybe you can shed >> some light on some things which hopefully can help me make my decision. >> >> First I was wondering if a Mac Pro also needs a monitor connected to >> function properly and if so does it has to be turned on also? >> > I can't answer this directly but my experience with a Mac mini shows > that yes you need a monitor attached but it does not need to be powered on. > >> Secondly, I presume using a pci audio interface with a Mac Pro is the >> obvious way. Or is firewire also an option? > > For protools specifically you have hd, which is a pci/pci-e card, 003 > or the supported m Audio devices which are firewire or usb. > >> In both cases (external for iMac) which audio interfaces would you >> recommend? I don't need tons of ins and outs, just a midrange solution. >> > Brian recommended one of the MAudio boxes before but can't remember > what that was. Do you want something with a built in control surface? > If so the > 003 is probably a good fit. > >> I probably gonna choose between an iMac i7 and a Mac Pro quad core >> xeon 2.8. > > Brian has recommended the iMac to a few people on this list. I lean > towards the Mac pro because you can put pci/pci-e expansion cards in > it. Also you can easily upgrade the memory and hard drives. You can > also put four hd's in the pro. > >> Maybe I will have some more questions later on. > > I don't mind answering questions. This stuff seems to come up a lot > on the list. Maybe we should put up a page about the different hardware choices? > > Hope that helps > --FC > > >
