Update HD Cards or Update Magma for Mac Pro?

[metalworks]

I really want a new Mac Pro 8 core.

At the moment I have an HD4 with the older PCI Process cards with a 7 slot PCI Magma Expansion Chassis.

My Dilema is whether to spend $1000 to upgrade my PCI Magma Chassis board to be compatible with a PCIe so I can hook it up to a new Mac Pro....

Or....

Spend $3499 to Exchange my HD4 PCI Cards towards HD3 Accel PCIe Cards.

$2500 difference.

I only have a G4 Dual 1Ghz with 2GB Ram and I get errors opening Pro Tools sessions from other studios because my Machine doesnt have enough juice in the CPU/RTAS processing arena.

So my question is, will I see any benefits of having the HD3 Accel over my HD4 Process setup if they are both on a 2.8Ghz 8 Core?

Whats the best way to go?

[cajonezzz]

Originally Posted by metalworks

I really want a new Mac Pro 8 core.

At the moment I have an HD4 with the older PCI Process cards with a 7 slot PCI Magma Expansion Chassis.

My Dilema is whether to spend $1000 to upgrade my PCI Magma Chassis board to be compatible with a PCIe so I can hook it up to a new Mac Pro....

Or....

Spend $3499 to Exchange my HD4 PCI Cards towards HD3 Accel PCIe Cards.

$2500 difference.

I only have a G4 Dual 1Ghz with 2GB Ram and I get errors opening Pro Tools sessions from other studios because my Machine doesnt have enough juice in the CPU/RTAS processing arena.

So my question is, will I see any benefits of having the HD3 Accel over my HD4 Process setup if they are both on a 2.8Ghz 8 Core?

Whats the best way to go?

I've been batting this around for a while now-- general consensus from some power users is to avoid the chassis if possible.

Hd3 accel will of course beat your hd4 process in raw power, and will run some accel only plugs.

At the shop I work out of, it's a fully blown out mac pro and magma chassis, and one of the other engineers has expressed some dissapointment trying to use alot of rtas ( sometimes plugs not bypassing, having to re-instanciate etc.)

I've never pushed RTAS hard, so I wouldn't know.

I've got the same quandry now as you, but only have a g4 dual 1.42 and 3 process cards... i'm limping BADLY on a lot of sessions that i bring in from bigger rigs.

One question for you, is where did you get that number of 3495 to transfer your cards?

My understanding was HD3 process to HD3 accel pcie was now 4295.00 Can you point to that pricing?

also go to Upgrading from HD3 process-- which route to take? - Techbreakfast: A forum by music professionals for music professionals we kicked it aaround there...

Steve knows his stuff pretty darn well, and maybe you can get some answers there?

best of luck, wish i could pull the trig on it, but mama needs her tonsils out... $$$$

cz

[juniorhifikit]

lot's of folks in the same pickle. look here:

http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.p...part=1#1236894

and here:

http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.p...part=1#1245508

and here:

http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.p...v=#Post1191855

[cajonezzz]

What are all those knobs and lights your sitting in front of in your avatar there Scott?

are you still in Paris, or did you make the move?

[GSF]

My advice is: sell the chassis and process cards, and go for HD1 PCIe. Your new box should have plenty of native processing power.

[juniorhifikit]

Originally Posted by cajonezzz

What are all those knobs and lights your sitting in front of in your avatar there Scott?

are you still in Paris, or did you make the move?

Ha ha ha! Why son, that's a recording console, not unlike the virtual one in your iPhone!

We're still in Paris - that's the 9000K at studio Omega (used to be Mega). You should see the silly blue-lit speakers beyond that (they actually sound really good). I've actually only mixed there once. Nice place though.

Studio omega