D8B to ProTools 9

[Star AV]

After 10 years, has the time come....

I always wanted to track through my D8B directly to my Mac ProTools LE system. But back in the day you had to have a $4k PT HD system with about $4k of external boxes just to get 24 or 32 channels of ADAT optical into the PT system.

Now that PT 9 can use any interface that is Core Audio compatible (Mac), I am thinking about buying a ADAT to FW interface.

Anyone doing this and what interface options are there to consider. Any latencty issues?

Thx!

[NigelC]

I use an RME Raydat http://www.rme-audio.de/products_hdspe_raydat.php for a few reasons:

1. I have other Audio interfaces and the Lightbridge cannot act as an Aggregate Device (Im on a Mac)
2. It still has 32 ADAT channels but also has MIDI I/O and SPDIF
3. Its PCIE so more efficient than Firewire

I have 24 channels of ADAT audio to/from my D8B, plus an extra 8 spare (which if you had an ADAT card in your ALT I/O slot would be useful.

If you do not have a PCIE slot then Firewire is an option and you could use a mAudio Profire Lightbridge however in my opinion the cards are better especially if you are using other firewire driven hardware as you are placing less burden on the firewire bus. Also I think the RME has a better clocking system.

[Star AV]

Great info.

What software and driver are you using?

I essentially want an interface between D8B and PT9 Mac. PT9 will work witih about and Core Audio firewire interface.
I have 4 ADAT IO cards so I will need a 32 channel interface. MIDI and CLOCK are a must also. Not sure if SPDIF is
needed, I would probably just monitor back out of my D8B AES to my DAC.

[NigelC]

Well I am on a Mac Pro using Logic 9, so its Core Audio and its OSX 10.6.5. I know both RayDat and Lightbridge offer 32 channels of ADAT. However RayDat is PCIE so I think it will suffer less glitches, plus it has 1 x MIDI I/O and SPDIF.

Check their website out and see what it says about ProTools as I do not know if there would be any issues but as its RME I doubt it.

It does not have built-in Word Clock although there is an add-on card for this. However it can receive clock from the D8B from any of the 4 ADAT inputs and I also found it worked fine using internal clock as it uses their own technology called "Steadyclock".

The reason I chose it was firstly I am using my firewire for other interfaces and secondly the Lightbridge does not work as an aggregate device. Plus its one less box to stack as its fitted internally.

[Star AV]

What is an "aggregate device"

Does anyone know how a Presonus Firestudio LightPipe 32 i/o ADAT to Firewire Interface would work? I think it is discontinued, but it is EXACTLY what I've always wanted as a D8B/PT interface. Can't believe how few options there seems to be.

[NigelC]

Well on a Mac if you want to use more than one audio interface and see all the Inputs/Outputs from your DAW say ProTools you have to create an "Aggregate Device". In the Audio Midi setup there is a menu to create one and you select the devices you want to combine. However if you only ever intend to use one interface its not relevant.

The Presonus from what I could see is pretty simple. You plug in to Firewire and connect up your Optical cables and then choose the relevant I/O in your DAW. Same as the RayDat.

However one is Firewire 400 the other PCIE.

[Star AV]

Yea, the RME stuff looks pretty good but only has 24 i/o. I would love to have the 32 i/o of the PreSonus.
This item is discontinued and I've read about various issues. Not sure how well it will work but it may be worth
a try.

[NigelC]

No the RME is 32 ADAT, it has 4 ADAT ports. Look at their site again.

[Axeman098]

Is that the only PCIE ADAT option? I like it, I just cant fork down $849.00 for one right now..

And can I please ask a noob question here?? I need to wrap my brain around this. If I were to buy this card, and I have the ADAT cards in my D8B...How would this work? Would my D8B see the PC drive as a storage device, and I'll still use the v3.0 Software? OR If I use it as inputs into my DAW, knowing the Control limitations of a single MIDI I/O, I would be limited to 8 faders? What about Transport controls? I could live with Bank switching 8 faders, IF I could at least do Transport.

I'm just trying to figure out my best options until Marc's efforts solve the control surface issues and I can just swap out to Profire 26/26 interfaces With Pro Tools 9 using my D8B as just the controller. I WOULD however like the ability to use the Mackie Audio I/O into a PC outside the studio. I like the RME device for this purpose, very slick and onboard to my PC, so less clutter to setup...I just don't understand how the Mackie would see the ADAT I/O or the Storage if I wanted to use the Mackie software. Sorry, I'm just confused about this...

[Star AV]

Yea

RME Raydat is 32 ADAT and $899 PCI
The other RME's were 24 ADAT
The Presonus is 32 ADAT and $499 FW

I really need to see what the pros/cons are for the extra money and PCI interface.