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sonic::bionic

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Ok, so I'm going to get a computer for recording, editing, mastering, some audio sequencing, and effects. What I'm considering is a nice new Mac with as much memory as I can stuff in it, and either a MOTU 2408 MKII or a digidesign Digi-001, with a TCWorks Powercore DSP Turbo PCI card. Does anybody have any experience this stuff? It's not like I can run down to the store and play around with these things. I'd like to get as many opinions as possible, because as you know this stuff ain't cheap, and I don't want to plop down a few grand for crap.
 
I hear the Powercore doesn't work with everything. Maybe it works for all the things you like to use. I'd make sure it did before I went out and spend 1200 on it. Sonicstate.com just did a review of it.
 
Definitely get the MOTU. They are very nice, and youre not tied to a specific program (you can only use Digi with protools.)
As for the powercore, I was thinking of buying one until I saw the UAD-1 now that sounds good. Just read a review. These guys made all those compressors like the LA-2A, and this card emulates them, its also got a reverb ported from TDM format (protools!)
The TC effects that work on your host aren't so good. The reverb that comes with the bundle is average at best, I've heard better freeware ones. The compressor uses more power than it should and I prefer the ones built into logic, which hardly use any power at all.
Hope that helped
 
Marek Bereza said:
Definitely get the MOTU. They are very nice, and youre not tied to a specific program (you can only use Digi with protools.)

i use a motu 2408mkII at one studio i work wit, it has great quality. motu's customer servis is **** though. the digi001 doesn't only work with pro tools... my boy in germany uses one with his recordings and he uses logic.
 
Marek Bereza said:
i was only told that. Maybe the guy wanted to try and sell me something else. Anyway 2408's look nicer

its not about looks though. but the 2408mkII has more expandability. so i think he should get one of them.
 
The TC card only works with VST compatible software, which the MOTU is not. Either Digidesign or MOTU will do pretty mcuh everythign you'll need. I hear good things about the latest version of Digital Performer. I own the 001 and have been very happy. The midi implementation has been greatly improved and is more than enough to handle most sequencer needs. I also run my 001 through a Korg Oasys card as an outboard processor and the 001/Oasys combo is quite powerful. A lot of folks using 001 have incorporated the Oasys as a way of overcoming the limits of host-based processing.
 
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hi,

I've got some experience with both platforms. Let's start with the MOTU 828: it's not cheap but you get a firewire interface (which means it's very fast) plus you don't have problems with monitor latency (when overdubbing on 'normal' soundcard systems it takes a short while for the computer to calculate whatever it is you are doing, that results in a short delay when you play back the audio and can sometimes be a pain in the...) The audio software which comes with Motu 828 interface (audiodesk) isn't bad either and allows some serious editing. And yet I prefer the DIGI001. O.K. you might have to work around the latency problem, but ProTools LE (the 'light' version included in the package) works extremely well. You get 24 tracks, full MIDI implementation and a piece of software which is reliable (It didn't crash once on my G4) and VERY powerfull. Also nice: you can import (or export) your files to other ProTools systems. I just finished preproduction
on an expensive ProTools24 TDM system and I'm having fun preparing mixes at home with my tiny LE set.

Hope this makes some sence, have fun!
 
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