PT HD1

[Lwilliam]

Can't help you very much with HD1. It supports 96 voices at 44.1 or 48Khz, so if you are running 32 tracks, you'll have 64 voices left. However, if you use RTAS plugins with HD, according to the PT Reference guide, each RTAS plugin takes up 2 available voices. This makes it hard to figure out (without actually using it) how many actual TDM plugins you can use vs RTAS plugins with any given system.

However, any MacPro will run 32 tracks with PTLE and probably at least a few dozen plugins (depending on the plugs).

I run 32 tracks with a fair number of plugins and a couple of VI's with my older dual G5 2.5Ghz.

Just make sure you have a separate drive for your audio - don't try to run your PT sessions on your system drive; and I'd recommend getting no less than 2GB of RAM.

[barryjohns]

Just do a search on my threads and you will find a ton of info on this. You will find you can do a whole lot with an HD1 and a MacPro running mostly RTAS plugs. I mean a whole lot.......The higher the sample rate, the less you can do though.

[Geert van den Berg]

I can't give you exact numbers. But from experience, the advice I can give you though: HD 1 is not going to give you lots of DSP to use for plugins. Most of its DSP is used for the routing and the mixer and if you do a 5.1 project you run out of DSP to use for plugins almost immediately.

In some ways an HD1 system is not more value than a native system with RME hardware, but you do have the advantage of ease of use and not having to worry about latency while tracking. You can still use RTAS plugins while mixing and have as much plugins as your computer can handle.

What you should ask yourself is if you really need an HD system or can you get by with a native system. Do you have clients favouring PT HD over other DAW's?

PT HD excells in that it can run a fullblown mix and still have headroom to do additional overdubs (of many tracks at the same time). It is very good for bandtracking. If you do only 1 overdub at a time and not have any commercial needs then you're probably better of with your Logic system and then your Mbox is fine for being compatible with other PT studios.

[Geert van den Berg]

Originally Posted by barryjohns

Just do a search on my threads and you will find a ton of info on this. You will find you can do a whole lot with an HD1 and a MacPro running mostly RTAS plugs. I mean a whole lot.......The higher the sample rate, the less you can do though.

Yes Barry is right, PT HD has been discussed a lot recently, you don't even have to do a search, since there's a lot of info on the 1st page at this moment, just look for the threads with PT in the title!