Building the BEST setup for my equipment

[Protools5LEGuy]

I want to build my best possible setup. This includes choosing 4 things:
My best preamp
My best A/D  converter
My best clock
My best D/A converter.

I can play with :
Focusrite Saphire Liquid 56
Digidesing Digi 001
Digidesign Audiomedia III
M-Audio Audiophile 24/96
Behringer UCA200

I suspect my best solution is the simplest: To use the Focusrite as Pre/Standalone AD/MasterClock/DA solution with the 001. But maybe the Audiomedia has better clock (?)
Audiomedia III has 18 bits AD/DA but sounds cool too.
I think AP24/96 has better converters than the 001, but is surpassed by the Liquid 56.

My best friend/procuder in Madrid has a HD2 on a hack i7 with 96 I/O and it sounds better with the wordclock from a MOTU 828 mk2 and a Presonus Central Station as DA.

I want to find my best combination with my hardware.

Any thought is welcome 
I feel the clock from the AM III being the best

[Protools5LEGuy]

I have also for preamps:
Focusrite Trackmaster http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov01/articles/trackmaster.asp
HK Original Tubeman http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-many-guitars-so-little-time/840201-h-k-tubeman-mk-1-a.html
Yamaha DG-60 112 http://en.audiofanzine.com/modeling-combo-amplifier/yamaha/DG60-112/medias/pictures/a.play,m.158855.html
And a StudioMaster 16-4-2 console upgraded to 24 channels. http://www.gearslutz.com/board/low-end-theory/380329-studiomaster-16-4-2-opinions.html

I think the more flexible is the Liquid 56. Based On Syntefex DSPs (?). With 2 Liquid channels "LE" edition(second). Liquid Channel is manufactured exclusively by Focusrite Engineering Ltd under licence from Sintefex Audio Lda, Portugal. Liquid Channel is a trademark of Focusrite. Dynamic Convolution is a trademark of Sintefex Audio Lda. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may09/articles/liquidsaffire56.htm

The emulations are interesting, but to change the Focusrite PREs setup I have to go tiger/leo...And plug it to setup the standalone mode. Worth dual booting, I guess.

I have been using the Audiomedia III with the focusrite trackmaster with PT5-6 for years and it has only 18 bit converters but it sounds to me someway better than the AP2496 with logic and same pre...

The Studiomaster Console is too big to use as PREs, even in 16-4-2 setup.


 

[Protools5LEGuy]

As it is common knowledge that many inexpensive audio interfaces have cheaper clock chipsets, it may be less known that a "word Clock In" can be a very powerful tool.  There is a reason why RME stuff is more expensive than MOTU and that Apogee stuff is 4X the price of RME (the price of the A/D Converters and respective internal clocks directly correlate to the accuracy of the digital file created). 

For producers on a budget that have a lot of digital audio devices all interacting with each other or just want the best quality absolutely possible, then using 1 external master clock can help tremendously. I remember a being in a studio that was comparing tracks that were transferred from 24-track Studer reel to reel into a G4 using 3 different methods; Method 1 was to have (2) 1224s use their Motu Clock, Method 2 was the 1224s "word clock in" slave from a Apogee "Big Ben" master word clock and Method 3 was to have the 1224s "word clock in" slave from a Lucid genx192 master word clock.

So the results ? The tracks created letting the MOTU clock off the Big Ben or Lucid sounded far superior in Bass response and clarity to the tracks created with the same interface using it's own clock… so bottom line is that not all clocks are equal… Even though the different clocks are responsible to coordinate taking the same number samples per second, some clocks are more accurate of "when" during each slice of that second to take a sample.  The studio owner in charge of the test told me "it's like having 44 thousand soldiers, the cheaper clock represents them marching when they are drunk, and that is why the low end of the audio tracks sound smeared, while the more expensive clock represents them in peak performance in perfect step and the sonic clarity of the audio track is the end result"

So IMO at the level of most project studio interfaces the "Word Clock in" is by far more important then having a "Word Clock out" for those who need the next level, but cannot afford an Apogee or RME 24 track setup.  The Luicid genx192 was less than half the price of the Big ben (about $800) and to my ears it produced tracks that sounded the same (the four other engineers who were there shared the same opinion)

Now, if you are using a $99 PCI AudioPhile 2496… then ignore all of this.  When tracking one or 2 tracks at a time the quality will still be amazing.  Remember, in a low complexity studio setup with 24-Bit audio files and MIDI controlled VSTIs the results will still exceed what was available back in the day

In my setup the only Wordclock capable soundcard is the Focusrite Saphire Liquid 56. Any of my cards can have the clock internal or external (thru SPDIF or ADAT).

I can't afford RME or Apogee. My posible "Big Ben" (best clock) is my AM III, the DIGI 001, an AP 2496 and the Focusrite 56.

I think my best preamp is the Focusrite SL56 followed by the Focusrite Trackmaster. 3rd is the StudioMaster. 4th the HK Tubeman and 5th the DIGI 001

I think my best A/D the Focusrite SL56, AP2496/AM III, Digi 001.

I  feel my best clock AM III, 2nd the SL56, 3rd AP2496 and last 001.

My best D/A should be the SL56.

What would  all you suggest?

[DieHard]

Thanks for the PM… but I Figured I would reply here in case someone else needs this info.

OK… let's do some basics on the stuff you mentioned…

Focusrite Saphire Liquid 56
Digidesing Digi 001
Digidesign Audiomedia III
M-Audio Audiophile 24/96
Behringer UCA200
Trackmaster

1) The Audiomedia III has 18-bit converters on the analog A to D hardware side… but 24 Bit via S/PDIF RCA in/Out…
so if you are only recording 2 analog tracks at a time… just use the 2496 (Media III is a step backward)… so for nows let's ignore the Audio Media III all together
also for now let's ignore the Behringer UCA202 USB "toy" Audio Interface

2) The number of tracks you need to record simultaneously is a big factor…. you never mentioned it.. If you have and old DAT… like a Panasonic, the A to D converters are very good and you can go up to 4 tracks with the 2496… 2 analog and 2 digital S/PDIF simultaneously… the S/DPIF signal from the dat will provide audio word clock and digital audio info to the 2496 from the signal itself…so far looking good… but need a mixer also 4 inputs is probably not enough… so scratch the 2496

3) The Digi001 001 uses CS4223 (Cirrus Logic A to D) 105 dB Dynamic range and 110 dB signal to Noise Ratio (very respectable and 24 Bit Data Path)
Full specs Here CS4223: http://www.cirrus.com/en/pubs/proDatasheet/cs4223-f1.pdf

Note: Jitter Tolerance is 500 psRMS… so basically the internal clock of the CS may not be as accurate as the AK in the 2496… which according to spec is almost jitter free…. however, if you are really crazy about the details and your are recording outside in freezing weather or inside a volcano, then research the temp range of both chips

4) Audiophile 2496 uses AsahiKASEI AK4528, slightly better Dynamic range 108… but better, and signal to noise of 94 DB (this number is basically negligible as long as you have basic audio levels coming in… if your audio level is extremely low…like not even on the meter… then the Cirrus would have ness noise when recording (in Theory)

AK4528 Datasheet: http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets/320/137041_DS.pdf

Big plus of the Digi001 is Ins ( and Outs while the 2496 shines superb quality of the digital-out (due to the separate transceiver chip CS8427)

Digi001... One MAJOR negative (my biggest turn-off) is TL074 op-amps used in the mic preamp and line inputs.  Basically known to have a analog stage noise issue added to your signal during the input stage which can never be removed, so the signal to noise ratio of the entire device is much lower than the stated in the A to D chip data sheet

5) Focusrite Saphire Liquid 56 - Input Winner over Digi001  Mic Pres on this baby beat the balls off of the Digi001 and the other specs are very good, super bang for the buck, converters are CS 4272 (cirrus logic) (same as Echo Layla 3G) with 114 dB dynamic range, -100 dB THD+N http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheet2/4/08q97yp6h0s7yrzq74qzk60396yy.pdf

But no jitter specs anywhere ?!
From Cirus Logic...

Jitter is a measure of how consistent a clock is and how close the edges are to their ideal positions. A perfect 10MHz clock for example will have an edge (rising or falling) every 50 nSec. Noise on the power supply, quality of the PLL (when syncing to an external clock), circuit design, etc. all produce a clock that is less than perfect. The actual edges will often occur slightly before or after when they theoretically should. This is jitter and it is measured in units of time (either pSec or nSec) and is generally expressed as an average deviation from the ideal. We don't specify the jitter on our products but it is generally around 200 - 300 pSec with internal clocks being the best.

hmmm, 300… better than the Digi001

More Focusrite Saphire Liquid 56
Microphone Inputs: Dynamic Range (A-Weighted): 109dB, SNR (A-weighted): -109dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1 dB

Line Inputs: Dynamic Range (A-Weighted): 109dB, SNR (A-weighted): -109dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz +/- 0.1dB

Instrument Inputs: Frequency Response 20Hz-20KHz +/- 0.1dB
Maximum Input Level min gain no pad +8dBu
Maximum Input Level max gain no pad -42dBu
SNR 109dB "A"
DNR 109dB "A"

Were are we at now ?
Focusrite Saphire Liquid 56 is the overall winner so far, 8 ins (XLR or 1/4) and 8 outs… so basically, use the Saphire as the Main Interface (plus no mixer needed), headphones out, especially since you said you do not want to use your large board for Mic pre(s)…

You can use the additional inputs of the Digi001 for Line level stuff, avoid the Mic pre(s) since they will amplify the noisy input stage discussed earlier… and yes use the Saphire as the master clock, but setup my be a little tricky..also the DIGI Optical output for 8 channels of ADAT (on the card itself) will now be fed into the Focusrite Saphire… however telling the DAW how to deal with this setup may get a little tricky also

From the Web...

I recently bought a Lucid GenX6 Wordclock generator, have this sending WC via BNC into DBX 386 into 001 via spdif. The 001 WILL clock to incoming WC signal, you must go into session setups and choose spdif as the clock master.
BTW, i think the most cost effective way to have your DAW sounding better is to get a dedicated wordclock generator. The difference, when comparing a session that was clocked w/ the 001, verses a session clocked to the Lucid was nite/day...really.

The difference, when comparing a session that was clocked w/ the 001, verses a session clocked to the Lucid was nite/day...really.… Yeah, we kinda guessed that… the problem is you need to make sure that all the setting hold for both audio interfaces in the DAW itself… my advice is to forget the Digi001 all together… get an Octpre MKII (used on ebay $350)

Guitar Amp… the Yamaha DG60-112 is nice guitar amp, I am a big fan of of the tones, If you have 2 inputs avail for guitar I would definitely use the line out of the DG60, but also record the signal totally dry for re-amping later in the DAW via a direct box.

Final Setup…. Yeah !!!

1) Keep Liquid Saffire 56 and BUY OctPre(s) as needed http://global.focusrite.com/answerbase/connecting-a-liquid-saffire-56-to-2-external-preamps-via-adat
via ADAT lightpipe… clock as shown or shot the moon and buy a LUCID Clock ($300 on ebay) as the master clock…. not really needed though unless you have $300 extra dollars… also BUY a direct box for guitar
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LUCID-GENx6-WORD-SUPER-CLOCK-GENERATOR-96K-FREE-CABLES-PRIORITY-SHIPPING-/291174524028?pt=US_Computer_Recording_Interfaces&hash=item43cb5aa47c

2) Sell 2496 (or save for Mac #2) the mixing mac

3) Sell Digi001 and keep the 56 as the main interface

4) Sell Audiomedia III (was awesome in the day at 16Bit/44K… but now we need to record in 24Bit/88K or at least 24Bit/44K)

5) Use the "track master" as Main Vocal PreAmp line out to the 56 (Great reviews on Compressor and EQ) which should be done at input stage

[supernova777]

how does the sapphire 56 work in mac os 9?
i check compatibility http://uk.focusrite.com/downloads/os?product=Liquid+Saffire+56
do u use some funky driver?
this says 10.4 tiger +

i dont even think the original saffire worked in mac os 9?
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep05/articles/saffire.htm

[Protools5LEGuy]

DieHard, First of all thanks for taking your precious time to make such a long answer for some question on my particular setup.

I have 3 in use DAWs, my main is a
-Hackintosh with a Intel Q6600 Core2 quad overclocked to 3.07GHz, TI chipset firewire card and Gforce 7300LE. It has 10.6.8 and protools 9.0.4HD. It can use the Saphire56 and the AP2496 with audioevolution drivers...http://www.audio-evolution.com/drivers/, but I use only the Saphire to let the M-Audio for my...
-866DualMDD w 2 gig of DDR400 with AP2496 and a AM-III
-GHz dual DA (original466) w 1Gig Ram and Digi 001.

I have 4 places to design the DAWs setup:
 
Sometimes I multitrack drums on my band's practice-room, needing more than 8 (12 in fact) inputs at least. If recording a band, maybe all my 20 ins should be filled! Taking 3 DAWs and sync'em all, but 80% of time is just tracking drums

My main Project Studio, with the 3 DAWs  on a machine room (my hall). In this place I can have ANY PRE, ANY A/D, ANY CLOCK and NY D/A.

I am in my Hall with my DG-60 and I can choose any DAW to record my Guitar, Bass, etc. I have a Boss D.I.. 80% of the time I would use a G4.

I am in my Sitting room with my guitar and my tubeman or my trackmaster and a G4.

OK… let's do some basics on the stuff you mentioned…

1) The Audiomedia III has 18-bit converters on the analog A to D hardware side… but 24 Bit via S/PDIF RCA in/Out…
so if you are only recording 2 analog tracks at a time… just use the 2496 (Media III is a step backward)… so for nows let's ignore the Audio Media III all together
also for now let's ignore the Behringer UCA202 USB "toy" Audio Interface

I feel there could be a misconception. 20bit conversion should be better that 16 bit, but a Apogee 16 bits conversion can be far more superior than most "cheap" 20-24 bits conversors.

Ditching the AM3 for been 18 Bits A/D and D/A is not fair. It still have a "nice" clock and 24 bits digital path.
I feel that to run Logic you need an XSkey and ProtoolsLE need an LE card(orM-Box) dongle. Using an AM3 with an RME ADI2 or an 001 with an RME ADI8 are still considered High-End Setups.

In my workflow I prefer to use PT from the start. I am tired to jump from Logic to Protools... It is hard enought to take PT 9 sessions (7.x format) to PT 5 sessions.

Let´s focus on the MDD. I can choose to use AP2496 and AM3 A/D, clock and D/A just using a pair of RCA to make a loop of SPDIF, and have the 4 ins. After your post I think you suggest to use the AP2494 as a Apogee... . But I could have the A/D and the D/A from the AP2496 but the masterclock being the AM3.

My trackmaster have an option to have SPDIF out and wordclock in, but is 200 euros...280$. I am not going to buy till 2016.

On the practice room the master clock would be the FS56, ADAT to 001 to have ADAT sync and the SPDIF out (RCA) to the MDD for clocking . Only carrying the 2 G4s, with a boot on Tiger/Leopard to adjust FS56 standalone mode. But it could be the AP2496 the "Apogee"lite... . I think the first one is preferred.

how does the sapphire 56 work in mac os 9?
i check compatibility http://uk.focusrite.com/downloads/os?product=Liquid+Saffire+56
do u use some funky driver?
this says 10.4 tiger +

i dont even think the original saffire worked in mac os 9?
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep05/articles/saffire.htm

There is NO OS9 driver, but I can use it as ADAT Master/ SPDIF Master on standalone mode with ANY of my DAWs just booting 10.4 or newer and connecting a firewire cable. "Save to Hardware" and you have a OS9 compatible PREs.     You call the "ADAT Slaves", but for me are my "Masters" (best clock)

2) The number of tracks you need to record simultaneously is a big factor…. you never mentioned it.. If you have and old DAT… like a Panasonic, the A to D converters are very good and you can go up to 4 tracks with the 2496… 2 analog and 2 digital S/PDIF simultaneously… the S/DPIF signal from the dat will provide audio word clock and digital audio info to the 2496 from the signal itself…so far looking good… but need a mixer also 4 inputs is probably not enough… so scratch the 2496




Guitar Amp… the Yamaha DG60-112 is nice guitar amp, I am a big fan of of the tones, If you have 2 inputs avail for guitar I would definitely use the line out of the DG60, but also record the signal totally dry for re-amping later in the DAW via a direct box.

Final Setup…. Yeah !!!

1) Keep Liquid Saffire 56 and BUY OctPre(s) as needed http://global.focusrite.com/answerbase/connecting-a-liquid-saffire-56-to-2-external-preamps-via-adat
via ADAT lightpipe… clock as shown or shot the moon and buy a LUCID Clock ($300 on ebay) as the master clock…. not really needed though unless you have $300 extra dollars… also BUY a direct box for guitar
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LUCID-GENx6-WORD-SUPER-CLOCK-GENERATOR-96K-FREE-CABLES-PRIORITY-SHIPPING-/291174524028?pt=US_Computer_Recording_Interfaces&hash=item43cb5aa47c

2) Sell 2496 (or save for Mac #2) the mixing mac

3) Sell Digi001 and keep the 56 as the main interface

4) Sell Audiomedia III (was awesome in the day at 16Bit/44K… but now we need to record in 24Bit/88K or at least 24Bit/44K)

5) Use the "track master" as Main Vocal PreAmp line out to the 56 (Great reviews on Compressor and EQ) which should be done at input stage

I love DG60 sound. Its 20 bits AD and DA sound to me better than original line6's POD. Also love Amplitube1, 2,
UAD's Nigel and Softtube's Guitar amp room.

I love sandwichs, but for 10 bucks, I'll keep the 001... .

I think Audiomedia III (and all AM series) are still amazing. Why we differ? Tell me your AM3 experience, because mine was different. The trackmaster with the AM3 is a good recording combo, IMO.

[DieHard]

I think Audiomedia III (and all AM series) are still amazing. Why we differ? Tell me your AM3 experience, because mine was different. The trackmaster with the AM3 is a good recording combo, IMO.

I agree... I just never found AM3 to produce the clarity as say an RME 9652, also I have been spoiled these days with using hardware that does at least 24 Bit on the analog side, however using the Trackmaster with the AMIII 24-bit stereo digital input and output (S/PDIF RCA) will yield excellent results

[supernova777]

i could use a sandwhich 

whats a trackmaster?

[Protools5LEGuy]

I just never found AM3 to produce the clarity as say an RME 9652, also I have been spoiled these days with using hardware that does at least 24 Bit on the analog side, however using the Trackmaster with the AMIII 24-bit stereo digital input and output (S/PDIF RCA) will yield excellent results

http://archive.digidesign.com/support/specs/toolbox_specs.html

AM3 produce RME clarity conecting a RME... ADI-2 http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_adi_2.php, an Apogee, or some Sony/Pioneer/Panasonic DATs as clocks (old school good clock desing I would call it). Any MOTU would increase the quality over the Analogs I/O. Even a MindPrint Trio

I used for years the focusrite trackmaster analog output to the 18 bits A/D RCA ins of the Audiomedia III. I never thought it to be a "Low End" hardware. To my ears sounds better than the 001's 24 bits.
http://archive.digidesign.com/support/propix/AM3.html
It has enought OWN gain to connect active basses and stereo keyboards


These guys make a good work for its age... 1996

whats a trackmaster?

It is a channel strip/Preamplifier with optical compresion and EQ with tube emulation. It cost me 500 Euros back in 2002
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov01/articles/trackmaster.asp
http://www.pixelproaudio.com/focusrite-trakmaster-platinum-channel-strip.html
http://d3se566zfvnmhf.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/downloads/7089/trakmasteruserguide1.pdf

[supernova777]

FOCUSRITE PLATINUM TRAK MASTER
Focusrite Platinum Trak Master: Recording Channel Processor


hmm ok;)
price on ebay: around 99-120$

[DieHard]

Even a MindPrint Trio

I can't Believe you mentioned the Mindprint TRIO !

My favorite Home studio Box of all time !!!

I own 3 Mac Pros and have a Trio connected to each one, One Home, One at Work, and 1 at my Station behind my counter in my store.  I connect then via S/PDIF into Mac pro Tower stock optical (Mindprint trio S/PDIF Version).  The tracks are unreal for such a small interface (considering it is my Mixer, my interface with Talkback and 2 headphones outs) I also test 3 different Speaker sets by hitting the  buttons on the mindprint (3 Speaker outs)... each mindprint also has a Mac G4 MDD connected with the analog IN/outs simultaneously to a 2496 in each G4. I absolutely love the quality of the Mic Pre and Guitar in and built in compressor

Midprint Trio... Ultimate small DAW Miracle: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may05/articles/mindprinttrio.htm

No drivers at all needed !

[Protools5LEGuy]

Even a MindPrint Trio

I can't Believe you mentioned the Mindprint TRIO !

My favorite Home studio Box of all time !!!

Midprint Trio... Ultimate small DAW Miracle: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may05/articles/mindprinttrio.htm

No drivers at all needed !

So AM3+Mindprint TRIO SPDIF= DieHard-Aproved system? 
MIndprint is cheaper than Apogee, RME or MOTU...
It should have the same A/D D/A than AP2496...but the mic pre, the guitar D.I. and the 3 switchable outs are a bonus.

[supernova777]

hah diehard loves this thing u guys are homeys for life now
 

[Protools5LEGuy]

hah diehard loves this thing u guys are homeys for life now
 

http://es.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=homie

I've to learn slang...

[supernova777]

LOL!  'brothers from another mother'

[Protools5LEGuy]

Black Lion Audio http://blacklionaudio.com/ sell high end mods. For them even RME can be modded for better... 

For them all my equipment is shit 
Digi 001 critic/mods https://web.archive.org/web/20070306052115/http://www.blacklionaudio.com/digi001_mod.html
M-audio delta series 1010 model
https://web.archive.org/web/20070306052946/http://www.blacklionaudio.com/maudio_delta_1010.html
Focusrite LS56
http://blacklionaudio.com/product/focusrite-liquid-saffire-56/

All is shit. Even..
Motu...http://blacklionaudio.com/product/motu-audio-interface-mods/Apolohttp://blacklionaudio.com/product/apollo/Apogeehttp://blacklionaudio.com/product/apogee-ensemble-mod/

At least their wordclock generator is "cheap".

[DieHard]

OK… I sent a MOTU box to black lion back in the day (circa 2002) and it never worked right after their awesome "mod", they changed the clock chip and op amps… came back with 2 channels not working; I shipped it back to them... and after recieveing it for the 2nd time, clock did not stay synced, in the end…. I wasted $1700 between the interface and the Mod…I was way too busy to deal with it back then and ship it to them a 3rd time, I lost faith

Maybe others had better luck ? 

[supernova777]

M-audio delta series 1010 model
https://web.archive.org/web/20070306052946/http://www.blacklionaudio.com/maudio_delta_1010.html

[img  width=300]http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1215.0;attach=511;image[/img]
http://tinyurl.com/n33d66k

heres a BLA modded delta 1010 for sale on ebay - i really would love to be able to compare 2 to hear the actual difference

notice the pcb board says 002 clock...... does the 1010 use the same AD/DA/clock as the digi002?

Maudio Delta 1010

     

The Maudio Delta 1010 is one of a handful of sleeper converters on the market these days. The 1010 uses the well-known AK5383 converter for A/D, and the AK4393 for D/A. These are the same converters used in the 002. While they're not 'mastering grade' per se, they are quite a bit better than the converters used in most inexpensive devices.

The problems lie in two major areas. The analog stages are based on the MJN5532. While these are marginally better than the oft-used NJM4580, they're still nothing to write home about. Their sound quality can easily be described as hazy and congested. The clock that these units use is essentially the same clock used in the 001 and 002. The fact that it's located on the PCI card is, in our estimation, a huge cause of jitter. The 1010's clock is forced to share the same power supply and ground that all of the clocks and PLL's inside the computer use. All that cross-talk and noise are defintely harmful to the conversion quality.

To start, we'll clean up the 1010's analog section. This will give a wider, cleaner response with none of the haze normally associated with the 1010's sound. Add a low-jitter clock to the mix, and you'll have nothing but a spacious, defined soundstage with clean detail. Transients will become more focused. Drums will sound like drums should sound, with plump kicks and shimmering cymbals.

[Protools5LEGuy]

I were waiting for the "summer payout" and I throwed the house thru the windows (spanish refrán for spending out all the sallary. 

I bought another MDD 867 dual for 50 bucks on october. (My 3rd G4 dual)

Years ago I bought (by mistake) an Seritek 2SE4 (for Tiger and up  ). I just ordered the eSATA to SATA cables to test it.

Also ordered last week 2 ATA to SATA converters. I've run out enough > 40Gig 7200rpm  drives for my G4 farm and my hackintosh is refusing < 1 Tb drives, so some 500 gig drives would go to my PowerPC hardware.

The 4th thing is an Original M-Box (My 4th PowerPC Protools LE system after 2 001 and a AM III) that I got last week on eBay for 15 pounds. It will be shared between my "new" MDD and my GMA950 HackBook with 10.5.8 and 10.6.8.

I plan to use the new MDD with the Sonorus STUDI/O in a Mac OS 9 boot, but really curious about how a M-Box&Leopard with the Seritek 2SE4, Protools 8.0.1 and Logic 9.0.2 performs just because I never had PowerPC DAWs past Panther or PowerPC Protools LE > 6.4

Going to re-do all my studio again. I hope it to be in that way for at least 3-4 years.

Main DAW: Hackintosh w PT 10 on 10.6.8 Maybe will try also Yosemite just because PT10 works fine there.

3 dual G4s for samplers. Logic 4-9 and Kontakt mainly.

[Protools5LEGuy]

Just bought a 1.8 dual Sawtooth/GE with 1.75 Gigs of Ram mainly for its CPU.  My 4th G4 Dual.

These are pictures of the auction on eBay I won. I wonder what video-edition card is the one with the RCA jacks.

Will the CPU be this?

G-Celerator G4/1.8 Dual AGP 7A (7AD-1418U) Specs



The Giga Designs G-Celerator G4/1.8 Dual AGP 7A features dual 1.8 GHz PowerPC 7447a (G4) processors (1.42 GHz overclocked to 1.8 GHz) each with an AltiVec "Velocity Engine" vector processing unit, and a 512k on-chip level 2 cache operating at the same speed as the processors. The card plugs into the processor socket provided by AGP-based (Sawtooth), Gigabit Ethernet, Digital Audio, Quicksilver, and Quicksilver 2002 Power Macintosh G4 models, replacing the original processor card. Please note that not all AGP-based (Sawtooth) systems are dual-processor compatible (they must have a uni-N of 7 or greater to be able use this card). All upgrade cards in this series are designed so that both the bus and backside cache ratios can be adjusted. Requires MacOS X 10.3.5 for installation, compatible with MacOS 9.2.2 but Giga Designs does not provide a warranty "third party software operations under OS 9". Another version, the 7AD-1416C, for the Power Macintosh G4 Cube is also available. It runs at 1.6 GHz and includes a Cube VRM upgrade and a low speed fan kit.