Connecting an old Lynx Aurora to a modern PC

[losthighway]

Hi gang.

I'm a stalwart PC user due for my once-a-decade computer upgrade.

Somehow PCI slots in PC towers have disappeared from the market.

How would you connect an older Lynx Aurora to a modern computer without using a PCI card?

[losthighway]

Update: looks like I need to add Lynx's L Slot to the converter and run it through USB. I'm sure new fangled USB can handle 16 ins and outs with low latency but if a current user wants to reassure my stoneage ass I'd like it

[The Scum]

So a couple data points (not directly Lynx related):

I recently ran a Hammerfall PCI card in a modern PC using a StarTech PCI to PCIe adapter.

No serious hangups running 32 in and out over USB with a Antelope Orion with a stable of older/hand-me-down PCs. Sometimes takes some tinkering to be certain that the USB cables/hubs/etc aren't bottlenecks, and helps if you can get into the diagnostics deep enough to understand which plugs are on which USB bus, and isolate one bus for audio.

[digitaldrummer]

I'm a PC guy too. NOTHING comes for free when you are doing any kind of adapter/conversion. There will be higher latency and even overall stability issues because its not a common thing to do anymore and "tricks" have to be performed behind the scenes (even when Intel was doing this in chipsets). PCI was big in the 90's and early 2000's but by 2010 it was all but gone. There are SO many other advances in CPU speeds, memory speeds, not to mention expansion busses (PCI express) and other peripheral interfaces (like USB). The change from ATA drives to Serial ATA (SATA) and now even NVMe is huge and contributes a ton to the overall speed of the system. I just can't even imagine waiting 5 minutes or more for my system to boot and become stable (but I know those exist). My system is up and ready in 30 sec or less (probably less than a minute into Pro Tools). And of course there is the issue of Windows and updates, which are not available on XP or Windows 7, etc. so be careful if you put it on the internet or you'll probably get hacked in 30 seconds.

I'm sure the Lynx was great 15-20 years ago too but there are pretty great interfaces available today that will likely be better, even though they are probably lower cost now. I get it, a new PC and interface cost money, but you will be amazed at how much faster and probably easier things will be vs fighting to keep the older stuff going. But then again I usually don't torture myself with too many vintage instruments, mics, etc. And I know others do and constant complain about how difficult that is. of course YMMV.

[llmonty]

Late to this - but you could use a PCIe expansion chassis to thunderbolt. When I was thinking of using an M1 based Mac with my Aurora 16 I asked Lynx - this was their reply -- "All of our PCI Express product are now supported on the Apple M1 with the Build 59 driver, including the AES16e, E44 and E22 in a Sonnet expansion chassis. I have the Echo Express SE I and have tested it with the M1 and it works just fine with our products."

[digitaldrummer]

Late to this - but you could use a PCIe expansion chassis to thunderbolt. When I was thinking of using an M1 based Mac with my Aurora 16 I asked Lynx - this was their reply -- "All of our PCI Express product are now supported on the Apple M1 with the Build 59 driver, including the AES16e, E44 and E22 in a Sonnet expansion chassis. I have the Echo Express SE I and have tested it with the M1 and it works just fine with our products."

the OP has a PCI card (not PCIe), which is the conundrum...

[losthighway]

Mystery solved. I'll record my findings here for posterity.

Yes, the old card is definitely PCI. Contemporary PCs all seem to have PCIe slots.

Lynx offers two logical connectivity solutions for weirdo PC people:

The LSlot addition can go into an og Aurora 16 which gives it a USB out (you can also get Dante or ADAT out, among other connections I don't really understand).

The newer AES16e card goes right into the tower the way the old ones did.

The AES16e is a few hundred dollars more expensive than the USB hookup but it just "feels" more reliable to me, probably because it's what I'm used to.

[digitaldrummer]

I had an older Lynx Aurora 16 (the 1 rack unit, 16 channel A/D) and I had the even older firewire L-slot adapter in it. worked just fine at the time and I think they didn't yet have the USB option then. I ended up selling it to buy an Antelope 32 (which did have USB) and then somehow ended up back on firewire and only 16 channels with a UAD Apollo 16. But I've stuck with that for several years now.

[markjazzbassist]

much respect to you losthighway for not getting caught up in the capitalistic "must upgrade" movement propagated by the software/hardware companies. Once a decade is pretty insane upgrade wise. Also it makes one question the needs for upgrades if 10 year old equipment is still doing the job.

[losthighway]

much respect to you losthighway for not getting caught up in the capitalistic "must upgrade" movement propagated by the software/hardware companies. Once a decade is pretty insane upgrade wise. Also it makes one question the needs for upgrades if 10 year old equipment is still doing the job.

Totally. In fact, reverb indicates the used prices for original Auroras and their soundcards are going down. I might have to run 32 channels at some point!

Less future proof is my ridiculously unique devotion to Sony Vegas Pro 9 as my recording/mixing software. I lost the disc and the internet erased it after Sony upgraded a few times, then sold it off to a company called Magix, emphasizing the video side of the platform.

I've begun teaching myself Reaper in hopes that my workflow doesn't become horribly slow when I transition to the new computer.

[trodden]

I fear the day my 2008 mac running protools 9 decides to crap out on me.

I've been thinking about how an upgrade is just around the corner, which means not only computer, but the domino effect of that, software, and interface. I should be saving a few dollars every month going toward that, because, it's gonna happen.. but I living paycheck to paycheck as it is. I think it'll be UAD Apollo. Perhaps I should also start learning REAPER as well...

[losthighway]

Perhaps I should also start learning REAPER as well...

The price is right, and so far it lives up to the hype.

Everything I can think of wanting it to do, it can do. It's just a matter of finding it. So far I've just been layering speaking tracks and panning, effecting, grouping, eq'ing. I hear it plays nice with all of the plugin makers, but we'll see.

[digitaldrummer]

speaking of plugins, one of the most painful parts of when I upgraded past Pro Tools 9 (I think I went to 11 then), was that I pretty much had to get all new plugins (10 and beyond uses AAX). Now there were a few that let me download AAX versions for free, but for most I had to pay. There were some that I could not get un update, period. it did not exist. And some of those I really wanted to use again, but I had to find alternatives. I did make the leap a few years back but I won't lie. it hurt. I waited for a lot of sales (luckily they are on sale every day now... or did they just drop the prices?).