MacPro soundcard?

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:50 am

So, I'm considering a Mac Pro for my new computer to use for audio & video mixing. I just learned that my RME Hammerfall HDSP 9632 soundcard will not work because it is PCI & the Mac requires PCI Express. So, this has me wondering what other people are using with their Mac Pro for a sound card & how good is the internal sound card that ships with the Mac Pro, how would it compare with the Hammerfall HDSP 9632 soundcard? and, is there such a thing as an adapter from PCI to PCI Express...probably not, but I had to ask...
Just tryin to get all my ducks lined up before making a huge commitment to a new system & I need to make sure that the sound card quacks nicely!

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:35 am

I should add that I use my computer for mixing ITB only...never to record. All my audio recording is done using an Alesis HD24.

mixedupsteve · Post by **mixedupsteve** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:46 pm

http://www.beaglesoft.com/pcie2pci.htm

I have no idea if it works well or not!!

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:10 pm

mixedupsteve wrote:http://www.beaglesoft.com/pcie2pci.htm

I have no idea if it works well or not!!

Does the adapter work with Macintosh?
No, currently there is no support for the adapter for the Mac O/S.

Thanks anyway.

trumpetgunk · Post by **trumpetgunk** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:07 pm

Would this work?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AES16e/

hiddendriveways · Post by **hiddendriveways** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:45 pm

Oh man, that's terrible. RME isn't compatible with Mac Pros? Damn.

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:44 pm

hiddendriveways wrote:Oh man, that's terrible. RME isn't compatible with Mac Pros? Damn.

Who said that? Yes they are.

They have a ton of PCI-E interfaces.

Infact they were one of the first companies to offer a plethora of PCI-E solutions that didn't suck.

I wouldn't spend a couple of hundred on that when you can get one of those $79 D/A converter eval boards and plug it into the optical out, and get top notch converters.

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:15 am

Now THATS what I'm talkin bout!

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:31 am

if you already have an HD24, why not just use the optical out on the mac pro? then you don't have to pay for a soundcard, just use the converters in the HD24.

hiddendriveways · Post by **hiddendriveways** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:17 am

rwc wrote:
hiddendriveways wrote:Oh man, that's terrible. RME isn't compatible with Mac Pros? Damn.
Who said that? Yes they are.

They have a ton of PCI-E interfaces.

Infact they were one of the first companies to offer a plethora of PCI-E solutions that didn't suck.

I wouldn't spend a couple of hundred on that when you can get one of those $79 D/A converter eval boards and plug it into the optical out, and get top notch converters.

For me, the value of RME is that I can buy the DigiFace, then hook up a bunch of ADAT expansion boxes and get some real I/O happening. I already have an M-Audio Octane, so that's 8 inputs, then I can beef the rest of it out with more gear like the Octane (likely that Behringer one because I'm not so rich). 24 inputs and outputs is what I'm shooting for. I want to use this rig for my studio, and also use it in the field with a laptop. If MOTU made Expressport Cards there would be other options besides RME for this, but alas.

You guys are really heavy handed with your responses. Coming to this forum I have to steel myself a little to deal with all the misery.

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:44 am

rwc wrote:if you already have an HD24, why not just use the optical out on the mac pro? then you don't have to pay for a soundcard, just use the converters in the HD24.

I am only interested in running my powered monitors for mixing ITB. I only record with the HD24.

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:17 pm

hiddendriveways wrote:
rwc wrote:
hiddendriveways wrote:Oh man, that's terrible. RME isn't compatible with Mac Pros? Damn.
Who said that? Yes they are.

They have a ton of PCI-E interfaces.

Infact they were one of the first companies to offer a plethora of PCI-E solutions that didn't suck.

I wouldn't spend a couple of hundred on that when you can get one of those $79 D/A converter eval boards and plug it into the optical out, and get top notch converters.
For me, the value of RME is that I can buy the DigiFace, then hook up a bunch of ADAT expansion boxes and get some real I/O happening. I already have an M-Audio Octane, so that's 8 inputs, then I can beef the rest of it out with more gear like the Octane (likely that Behringer one because I'm not so rich). 24 inputs and outputs is what I'm shooting for. I want to use this rig for my studio, and also use it in the field with a laptop. If MOTU made Expressport Cards there would be other options besides RME for this, but alas.

You guys are really heavy handed with your responses. Coming to this forum I have to steel myself a little to deal with all the misery.

All I did is correct something that is misleading. RME cards do work with mac pros! I see it everyday. There is no "misery" in it, IMO.

bluesman wrote:
rwc wrote:if you already have an HD24, why not just use the optical out on the mac pro? then you don't have to pay for a soundcard, just use the converters in the HD24.
I am only interested in running my powered monitors for mixing ITB. I only record with the HD24.

You can mix ITB but use the CONVERTERS in the HD24 WITHOUT the need to buy another interface!

The HD24 has 24 channels of D/A

All you need is 2 to mix ITB!

If you can get the lightpipe out on the mac pro to work with the HD24, you saved yourself the money of buying an interface solely for its converters(which stand a good chance of being WORSE than what is in the HD24)! The mac pros I see all have ADAT optical outputs for audio on the back.

I'm not trying to be a dick.. just proposing an idea that may save you money that you can spend elsewhere(beer, mics, rent etc).

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:52 pm

Thanks for the suggestion, but my HD24 is used for location recording exclusively, therefore it travels quite often & is mounted in a road case & occasionally spends several days away from my mixing location. I therefore am interested in a more permanent & less portable solution for getting sound to my monitors from the Mac.

bluesman · Post by **bluesman** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:01 pm

My Hammerfall DSP 9632 soundcard is PCI, the Mac Pro requires PCIexpress...a different animal, unfortunately!

I checked the RME home website for the DSP 9632 & saw the message "A PCI Express version (HDSPe AIO) is upcoming."

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:03 pm

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/50-7774

If you want to go nuts, buy a real PSU and wire it up for this, it shouldn't be more than $60, and replace the POS 4558 with a National LME49722MA.

I did it.

it's amazing

and it costs less than $200.

Jim Williams of audio upgrades rules.

will beat the CRAP out of anything in its price range, especially an internal D/A converter

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