Computer based 2 track mix down solution

On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:11:43 -0700 (PDT), [email protected] wrote:

>I'm using a masterlink right now. I'd like to use a Mac or PC
>dedicated to be my mix down deck. I'd like the card to be low jitter
>etc... I'd like something that Mastering guys would use but I'm not
>interested in spending 10,000. Any ideas?
>
>I've got a converter that I'm happy with... Just looking for the I/O
>card & software... I'd love to use PT as the software because I know
>it...

Why do you feel the need for a separate mix-down computer? What
software do you use to create/record your music? What's the advantage
in transferrng to similar software on a different computer?

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
>
I'm using a masterlink right now. I'd like to use a Mac
> or PC dedicated to be my mix down deck. I'd like the card
> to be low jitter etc... I'd like something that Mastering
> guys would use but I'm not interested in spending 10,000.
> Any ideas?

(1) If money matters, forget the Mac.

(2) Drop one of the top RME or Lynx cards into a $800 Dell, and you are
already deep into overkill, performance-wise.

> I've got a converter that I'm happy with... Just looking
> for the I/O card & software...

If that is really true, all you need is a card with SPDIF or TOSlink I/O. If
you spend more than $100 on it (e.g. Audiophile 2496) you're fooling
yourself.

> I'd love to use PT as the software because I know it...

The thing about PT is that it only works with a short list of hardware.

> Andy @ Masterdisk told me to check out the Pyramix stuff??

Now let's review your situation. Do you want to do Pyramix, Pro Tools, or
use the converter you already have? I believe those are 3 mutually exclusive
alternatives.

Fact is, they can all work stunningly well. In the final analysis it is not
about your hardware but rather it is about you. Hopefully you are more
decisive when mixing and micing... ;-)

On Jul 14, 1:11 am, [email protected] wrote:
> I'm using a masterlink right now. I'd like to use a Mac or PC
> dedicated to be my mix down deck. I'd like the card to be low jitter
> etc... I'd like something that Mastering guys would use but I'm not
> interested in spending 10,000. Any ideas?
>
> I've got a converter that I'm happy with... Just looking for the I/O
> card & software... I'd love to use PT as the software because I know
> it...
>
> Andy @ Masterdisk told me to check out the Pyramix stuff??
>
> Thanks!
> JW

all new macs come with Optical digital audio input and output port
that can do 96/24
if your existing convertor has the right type of digital out ...
mac mini $599
< http://www.apple.com/macmini/specs.html
DSP Quattro for editing $149
< http://www.i3net.it/Products/dspQuattro/Asp/Index_EN.asp >

<[email protected]> wrote:
>I'm using a masterlink right now. I'd like to use a Mac or PC
>dedicated to be my mix down deck. I'd like the card to be low jitter
>etc... I'd like something that Mastering guys would use but I'm not
>interested in spending 10,000. Any ideas?
>
>I've got a converter that I'm happy with... Just looking for the I/O
>card & software... I'd love to use PT as the software because I know
>it...

If you just want an AES/EBU input, and you have good converters, it
doesn't really matter what you buy. The interfaces on the computer side
are all the same and you can get by with generic drivers. The interfaces
on the AES/EBU side are all the same too, since everybody basically uses
the same interface connectors today.

>Andy @ Masterdisk told me to check out the Pyramix stuff??

It's good stuff, but you're paying a lot of money for converters you will
never use, possibly an outboard DSP unit you will never use, and the ability
to handle DSD (which you will probably never use).

On the other hand, if you like the software that supports the Mykarinos
card, having the DSP hardware is essential to run it, and you will need
that card.

So, the question you need to answer before anything else is to ask what
software you want.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

So here's some more info... & let's try to keep this as friendly as
possible... I hate the tone of these boards sometimes. :)

I have an analog 2 mix... here's what I'm running

PT HD3 Accel W/ Apogee 16X output direct to the Dangerous 2 Bus... My
analog 2 mix processing chain is a combination of one or more of the
following... SSL Bus Compressor... Manley MU, Neve 32264a's and Manley
Pultec EQ. I then hit a Lucid 24/96 AD and store on my Masterlink.

I'd ideally like to go in to whatever I get AES/EBU... The factor on
the storage side is Jitter. Sooo... Hopefully this helps out you all
on prospective

"Now let's review your situation. Do you want to do Pyramix, Pro
Tools, or
use the converter you already have? I believe those are 3 mutually
exclusive
alternatives.
Fact is, they can all work stunningly well. In the final analysis it
is not
about your hardware but rather it is about you. Hopefully you are
more
decisive when mixing and micing... ;-) "

It's a game of inches... They are not mutually exclusive... I could
use the Pyramix card and go into it digitally using my converters and
taking advantage of a Low Jitter I/O card... Also I'm not sure about
Pyramix but many I/O cards support different host software... I could
use my converters... to an I/O card... and then use a different
software package as the interface...

JW

<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>It's a game of inches... They are not mutually exclusive... I could
>use the Pyramix card and go into it digitally using my converters and
>taking advantage of a Low Jitter I/O card... Also I'm not sure about
>Pyramix but many I/O cards support different host software... I could
>use my converters... to an I/O card... and then use a different
>software package as the interface...

The I/O card jitter no longer is a big deal.... everything made today
pretty much reclocks internally so as long as you have a good master clock
somewhere in the system, it doesn't matter unless the jitter coming off
the interface is so bad that nothing can lock up properly.

This does mean you NEED a good master clock somewhere in the system, but
that's not a big deal.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[email protected] wrote:

> PT HD3 Accel W/ Apogee 16X output direct to the Dangerous 2 Bus... My
> analog 2 mix processing chain is a combination of one or more of the
> following... SSL Bus Compressor... Manley MU, Neve 32264a's and Manley
> Pultec EQ. I then hit a Lucid 24/96 AD and store on my Masterlink.

OK, so you want to record an analog mix. That's reasonable enough. How
about mixing down to the ProTools computer? What sort of digital input
does your ProTools hardware have?

> I'd ideally like to go in to whatever I get AES/EBU... The factor on
> the storage side is Jitter.

The jitter problem, if it's significant at all, will be in the A/D
converter. If you were to get a separate computer with a digital I/O
card, the I/O card would not introduce a worrysome amount of jitter.

I know it's a game of inches, but how many inches can you afford?
Pyramix is pretty expensive stuff, and like ProTools, the software is
geared to specific hardware. Granted, it's good, but unless you plan to
take advantage of its DSP (you're not mixing with it and you already
have plenty of analog processing), or DSD (now that's INCHES), it's
really not going to buy you anything, but will cost you a lot. The
mastering folks often have several digital sources going into their
computers, so a high grade AES-only card like the Lynx AES-16 is a
pretty good deal. That's eight stereo inputs and outputs with very
flexible routing. If you don't think it's wasteful to get more I/O
channels than you anticipate using, then give it a look.


--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me here:
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
([email protected])