Going No-native, dsp question Options

[karambos]

I presently run all my audio and effects natively on my G3 processor. It's only a small one (233MHz) and gets overloaded quickly with about 6 or 8 audio tracks with effects. I need some advice on what non-native solutions are available out there. As far as I'm aware there are DSP's (Digital Signal Processors) that take care of the effects (like the Powercore) and others that do both audio and effects (like DigiDesign's MixPlus). Is that right? Potential candidates so far are: TC Powercore, Digi Design 001, Yamaha DSP 2416, something by Terratec, MOTU Audio 2408, DigiDesign MixPlus, Creamware Pulsar, Creamware Scope.

Ideally I'm willing to spend more money on something that fully removes the load from my processor so that no matter what computer I buy (Macintosh) it will not overload. Basically I need at least 30 Audio tracks.

thankyou

karambos

----------
www.thefair.de

[Teiwaz]

Realistically, a G3 233mhz processor (even without any plug-ins active) is not going to get you up to 30 tracks. You need a G4 processor (it has AltiVec processing, the G3 processor does not, and 233mhz is feeble and will not get you anywhere near the performance you're expecting of it...)



if this machine is the older beige (or even a blue&white) G3 and you're using it's built in drive for audio then even with a G4 500mhz processor upgrade in the same machine, your internal drive will not give you the performance for 30 audio tracks.

If you have firewire, then you should get a firewire 7200 rpm drive (either an IBM deskstar or a Seagate Barracuda, both 7200rpm) for audio (make it a large one - at least 60 gigabytes, they're cheap enough these days) and a processor upgrade...but to avoid any time consuming compatibility problems, I would definitely upgrade to a faster mac...maybe a 2nd hand G4 dual 500...that will get you in the clear for 30 audio tracks along with the 7200 rpm firewire drive.

As for DSP options, there is one card I would highly recommend that you didn't mention in your list: the magnificent Universal Audio UAD-1 card.

It has a better design than the TC powercore (not partitioned - just one single supercomputing 1GHZ chip especially to run it's own plug-ins) and the plugs that come FREE with it are absolutely stunning and they 'rubbish' all the equivalent Dodgydesign TDM plugs, at a fraction of the price.

Here is an example:

One single UAD-1 card can run TEN Realverb Pro plug-ins all at once.

The cost of the hardware:

$700 (for the UAD-1 without the ADAT I/O)...all the plugs are free...

around $3,000 minimum for a new digidesign mix system...this card will only run THREE Realverb Pro plug-ins...no difference in quality...you don't get the plugs free either, and they're prohibitively EXPENSIVE...and things like the LA2A and the UREI 1176 plugs are nowhere near as good on TDM (Bomb Factory) as they are on the UAD-1 card...don't go ahead without doing your 'homework' on this card...honestly...



Check Universal Audio out:

http://www.uaudio.com/PPI/home.html

This is the best card out there right now...nothing to beat it. Truly.



stay NATIVE...I would give mix+ a body swerve...you'll end up only being able to run digi's own RTAS/TDM plugs with a TDM system...that's if you can afford to get them, and like I illustrated, you will need to get another TWO mix farms to even begin to equal the DSP crunching power that the UAD-1 is capable of...and of course, you will not be able to run native stuff on this system without the hassles of buying and installing a VST wrapper - it uses it's own fenced off audio driver - DAE (bleugh).

For the same money as a TDM system, you could get yourself a brand new stonkingly powerful mac with 3 UAD-1 cards and a ton of native instruments and plug-ins!!!

One only needs a nanosecond to work out the best deal...



By the way, what I/O interface do you currently use...?