An extra note of caution I'd add here, in my experience the ASIO drivers for the Avid interfaces I tried were hideous. This was version 7.0 of the standalone drivers running on XP SP3, using an Mbox, the I/O of a 002, and an Mbox2Pro. The two DAWs I tried were Sonar Producer 7, 8.0, and 8.5, as well as various versions of Reaper 3x. Found the drivers/interfaces to be pretty tempramental in these environments on what had always proved to be a solid system up until then. Notably, there was no support for multiple processor cores in the version of the drivers I tried, and in a beast like Sonar that sucked.
For versatility, I'd say you'd want to be sending your money to M-Audio. You can't be the only person who's wanted this flexibility though, so keep researching and tread a path well trodden wherever you can to avoid unexpected conflicts or quirks. Hth Scott On 8/30/10, Slau Halatyn <[email protected]> wrote: > Actually, all Avid interfaces will work with third party apps purely as > interfaces. The issue is with the control surfaces not being useable. In > other words, an MBox will work fine with any dAW but a Digi 003 will only > work as an interface but not as a control surface. Using the M-Audio stuff, > of course, allows one to utilize the control surface with other DAWs because > they're a little more generic in that sense. Yeah, I see that the PCI stuff > with M-Audio has driver issues, apparently. > > Slau > > On Aug 30, 2010, at 12:59 PM, RvR wrote: > >> 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 >>> >>> >>> >> >> > >
