BLA Vs. Lightbridge

one4peace4all · 1st March 2010

Okay. I'd like to have the definitive thread about the definitive interface option for native Pro Tools users. IMO the best options are either a BLA mod + Rosetta 800 (or fill in your own AD/DA preference) + pres etc., or the profire lightbridge + 16 channels of Apogee AD/DA (or more) (or your own AD/DA) + pres etc.

The goal here is to discuss and argue for/against: power supplies, digital/analog stages, clocking, and I'd like to also here anyone who could review the BLA pres.

Obviously the 002 would retain the ability to have 8 analog ins where the lightbridge has 0, but you could easily argue that it's a hindrance if you feel the BLA pres are crap.

Please don't start arguing about Lynx VS. Apogee (not naming names . . .), I'm mainly interested in weighing differences in power supplies, clocking, etc.

Thanks! Let the games begin!

Barish · 1st March 2010

Whatever you do, stay away from that M-Audio Lightbridge thing if you don't want to have constant headaches from the kickstart.

B.

ray_subsonic · 18th March 2010

Barish

How so? Can you discuss or elaborate a bit more about your issues with the ProFire Lightbridge. We're you using it with a Mac or PC? Do the standard Firewire drivers work well?

I just picked one up cheap to interface between a Fostex 2424LV and a Macbook Pro running Logic/ProTools for a mobile recording rig. It's still early days though .. Interested to hear your experiences.

Regards RA

mattg082 · 18th March 2010

i've been thinking the same thing... i have a digi002 with 2 good pres in my lunchbox and a rosetta 200. i was thinking of upgrading to a used rosetta 800 when i get an extra 900 or so and sell the rosetta 200. problem is the limitations of the digi002 to record at 96khz because i've mixed in that for a long time since i use a lot of midi, lots of tracks and have live sequences to deal with. I just find the higher sample rate to work better for the eq spectrum also while mixing. it sucks the digi 002 is grounded to either 2x spdif at 96khz or adat at 41khz :P i can't d the bla as i have the mixing console version of the digi 002

was thinking to either get the light bridge or to keep the digi 002 just in case as a back up for protools and getting the firewire option for the rosetta as i mostly use logic for my own music because of instruments and the fact pro tools le is the only daw without delay compensation at this point which blows pretty hard. I hate the fact protools puts native and le users in a crappy situation with a ad/da solution and no delay compensation...use to not be the biggest deal in the world but it's starting to become a big issue with new plugins and the power of computers these days and the massive amount of tracks i've gotten use to. I feel i'm outgrowing what le has to offer an logic is the only solution I've found to keep it reliable and simple.

Even using core audio drivers with a rosetta on a digi device i find it far less reliable than a $325 firewire option on the rosetta. I couldn't imagine the m audio light pipe being much worse. the firewire card makes more sense and would be more reliable and is cheaper han the lightbridge but then again you would have to say bye to protools... pretty crappy deal but sometimes you have to go with what makes since at this time and protools hd doesn't seem logical for the home studio these days. hd is more at home in a big studio with the higher track counts and the recovered costs from recording a lot... wish there was some middle ground for us that want just 8-16 tracks of decent outboad pres with good ad/da to use with protools. the only thing i've found is the light pipe bridge by m audio to still use some version of protools. honestly i don't even like to use protools le anymore and only have it for namesake for clients, but usally explain to them and they are fine with logic. The whole thing is just ridiculous not to be able to do something so simple and taken for granted these days with other daws.

libertine · 18th March 2010

Been running Logic/PTMP off a lightbridge in conjunction with SSL Alphalink Converters and Apogee Mini DAC.

No problems here for over a year.

mattg082 · 18th March 2010

cool so the lightpipe bridge works good for you? what's the highest latency and sample rate you cap off at? i noticed when i first got my rosetta a big difference in latency and sample rate. the internal on the digi002 couldn't even handle what i do now. To me it looks like a firewire or pcie straight from the converter option would yield the best results and it would be a compromise to what the converter and clock can actually do, just to run protools in some way.

Don Richmond · 18th March 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barish

Whatever you do, stay away from that M-Audio Lightbridge thing if you don't want to have constant headaches from the kickstart.

B.

I have to second that opinion/experience - I had one that would never actually launch it's drivers and connect, got a second one that would, but then started doing intermittent drop-outs, then lost connection with the mixer in the middle of a full band session repeatedly. All this was on a new Mac Pro Quad core running Snow Leopard and Logic - maybe their SL drivers are no good - don't know. Got a Presonus Firestudio Lightpipe for the same purpose - interfacing with a Yamaha O1V96 mixer - and the Presonus has been solid.

kafka · 18th March 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by libertine

Been running Logic/PTMP off a lightbridge in conjunction with SSL Alphalink Converters and Apogee Mini DAC.

No problems here for over a year.

+1 on the Lightbridge. I've been running the Lightbridge on XP SP3 and later Win7-64 with a pair of Tango 24's and a Mackie 800R for about 2 years now. It's been very stable, and is by far one of the better pieces of computer gear/software I've used.

18th March 2010

Been using LB with MP-PT8 for over a year. Works fine and very cost effective.

Barish · 18th March 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by ray_subsonic

Barish

How so? Can you discuss or elaborate a bit more about your issues with the ProFire Lightbridge. We're you using it with a Mac or PC? Do the standard Firewire drivers work well?

I just picked one up cheap to interface between a Fostex 2424LV and a Macbook Pro running Logic/ProTools for a mobile recording rig. It's still early days though .. Interested to hear your experiences.

Regards RA

Read this:

Help needed with Profire Lightbridge/iMac/Leopard!!!

and this:

Are the Profire Lightbridge problems resolved?

B.

FreshSkweez · 19th March 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by kafka

+1 on the Lightbridge. I've been running the Lightbridge on XP SP3 and later Win7-64 with a pair of Tango 24's and a Mackie 800R for about 2 years now. It's been very stable, and is by far one of the better pieces of computer gear/software I've used.

On a slightly unrelated topic - how are the Tangos working out for you? How do you clock your setup? I was just toying with the idea of having a small PC-based PT editing setup at home but I can't spend that much 'cause I'm constantly buying expensive gear for the studio. Lightbridge+Tango could be it.

kafka · 19th March 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreshSkweez

On a slightly unrelated topic - how are the Tangos working out for you? How do you clock your setup? I was just toying with the idea of having a small PC-based PT editing setup at home but I can't spend that much 'cause I'm constantly buying expensive gear for the studio. Lightbridge+Tango could be it.

The Tangos sound great and are very cost-effective. It's too bad they don't make them anymore. I don't think I paid more than $150 for either of mine. I'm really not considering swapping them out for anything pricier in the forseeable future. The only downside to the Tango24 is trying to find one.

The LightBridge is my clock source. The Tangos are synced via ADAT, and the 800R off coax. I did have to make sure I had decent (but not expensive) fiber and coax to get it to sync. Once I got that worked out, clocking has been rock-solid.

I'm using the AD and DA on one of the Tangos, and the 800R's AD only for it's internal preamps. I'm just using the second Tango for DA so I can send feeds over to my headphone mixer.

libertine · 9th April 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattg082

cool so the lightpipe bridge works good for you? what's the highest latency and sample rate you cap off at?

We're making indie rock and pop music over here. 24-bit, 48KHz locked at all times. So, with that said, I have yet to hit any kind of "wall" regarding latency. Lowest buffer settings in PT M-Powered and Logic 8, upwards of 65 tracks of audio in Logic before I have to start freezing things.

Sorry to hear it's been such a nightmare for the rest of you! Works great for me!

1st March 2010	#1
one4peace4all Gear Head Joined: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 36 Thread Starter	BLA Vs. Lightbridge Okay. I'd like to have the definitive thread about the definitive interface option for native Pro Tools users. IMO the best options are either a BLA mod + Rosetta 800 (or fill in your own AD/DA preference) + pres etc., or the profire lightbridge + 16 channels of Apogee AD/DA (or more) (or your own AD/DA) + pres etc. The goal here is to discuss and argue for/against: power supplies, digital/analog stages, clocking, and I'd like to also here anyone who could review the BLA pres. Obviously the 002 would retain the ability to have 8 analog ins where the lightbridge has 0, but you could easily argue that it's a hindrance if you feel the BLA pres are crap. Please don't start arguing about Lynx VS. Apogee (not naming names . . .), I'm mainly interested in weighing differences in power supplies, clocking, etc. Thanks! Let the games begin!

18th March 2010	#9
tekis Guest Posts: n/a	Lightbridge and Mini here! Been using LB with MP-PT8 for over a year. Works fine and very cost effective.

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1st March 2010	#2
Barish Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2004 Location: Istanbul, Turkey Posts: 1,803	Whatever you do, stay away from that M-Audio Lightbridge thing if you don't want to have constant headaches from the kickstart. B.

18th March 2010	#3
ray_subsonic Lives for gear Joined: May 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 1,630	Barish How so? Can you discuss or elaborate a bit more about your issues with the ProFire Lightbridge. We're you using it with a Mac or PC? Do the standard Firewire drivers work well? I just picked one up cheap to interface between a Fostex 2424LV and a Macbook Pro running Logic/ProTools for a mobile recording rig. It's still early days though .. Interested to hear your experiences. Regards RA

18th March 2010	#4
mattg082 Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 2,718 1 Review written	i've been thinking the same thing... i have a digi002 with 2 good pres in my lunchbox and a rosetta 200. i was thinking of upgrading to a used rosetta 800 when i get an extra 900 or so and sell the rosetta 200. problem is the limitations of the digi002 to record at 96khz because i've mixed in that for a long time since i use a lot of midi, lots of tracks and have live sequences to deal with. I just find the higher sample rate to work better for the eq spectrum also while mixing. it sucks the digi 002 is grounded to either 2x spdif at 96khz or adat at 41khz :P i can't d the bla as i have the mixing console version of the digi 002 was thinking to either get the light bridge or to keep the digi 002 just in case as a back up for protools and getting the firewire option for the rosetta as i mostly use logic for my own music because of instruments and the fact pro tools le is the only daw without delay compensation at this point which blows pretty hard. I hate the fact protools puts native and le users in a crappy situation with a ad/da solution and no delay compensation...use to not be the biggest deal in the world but it's starting to become a big issue with new plugins and the power of computers these days and the massive amount of tracks i've gotten use to. I feel i'm outgrowing what le has to offer an logic is the only solution I've found to keep it reliable and simple. Even using core audio drivers with a rosetta on a digi device i find it far less reliable than a $325 firewire option on the rosetta. I couldn't imagine the m audio light pipe being much worse. the firewire card makes more sense and would be more reliable and is cheaper han the lightbridge but then again you would have to say bye to protools... pretty crappy deal but sometimes you have to go with what makes since at this time and protools hd doesn't seem logical for the home studio these days. hd is more at home in a big studio with the higher track counts and the recovered costs from recording a lot... wish there was some middle ground for us that want just 8-16 tracks of decent outboad pres with good ad/da to use with protools. the only thing i've found is the light pipe bridge by m audio to still use some version of protools. honestly i don't even like to use protools le anymore and only have it for namesake for clients, but usally explain to them and they are fine with logic. The whole thing is just ridiculous not to be able to do something so simple and taken for granted these days with other daws.

18th March 2010	#5
libertine Gear maniac Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 165	Been running Logic/PTMP off a lightbridge in conjunction with SSL Alphalink Converters and Apogee Mini DAC. No problems here for over a year.