Hello Vienna (and the rest of the world of course)!
This is my first post and question here and it is about the beginning - in other words: the new hardware setup i'll need for my lately purchased Symphonic Cube. In fact, I made benifit of the christmas bonus, wich is as far as I know the best deal since VI release (correct me, if I'm wrong). If I had already purchased it befor I would definitely buy a second cube ; ) .... (hope you early birds have some sense of humor).
Anyway, back to my question:
What is the best sollution for a dedicated VI Player?
Nowadays I use a Mac G5 2 GHz double core Processor, 6,5 Gb ram, motu 828, ... for Logic and an older Pentium IV single core with Creamware Pulsar 2 (2xAdat I/O) for Gigastudio.
I will order an additional computer only for Vienna instruments and spend money on a new soundcard sollution for the whole setup.
Here are the options I think about:
1. Buy a Mac Pro as new DAW for Logic 8 and use the G5 (ram expanded to 16 Gb) for VI only. Will the processor power be sufficiant for loading the ram to the limits? I already noticed, that VE is not 64 bit on mac, yet, but is there a chance of estimating this befor the release? Also I heared you can already use more ram with multiple instances of VE. Did anyone load up to 16 Gb on a G5 in a stable way? Would you need a raid controller for the G5? In other words: Please tell me, if that wont work, as I imagine, or if it would need modifications I didn't mention.
2. Just as in "1." , but vice versa, so keeping the G5 as DAW and using the Mac Pro as Vienna Sampler. This wouldn't make sense, though, in case option 1 works flawlessly, would it?
3. Instead of a Mac Pro you could buy a server (Dell Poweredge, or the supermicro configuration suggested by Herb in another post. What makes this sollution interesting is the fact that servers seem to be fitter for the future in terms of upgrade (64 Gb ram, more CPUs). But I have no server experience at all. What are the flaws of this option?
In all of the three cases I'd want to keep the old PC for Gigastudio streaming audio via adat back to daw+ MidioverLan.
This leads me directly to the second part of my (big) question. What about audio?
1. RME FIreface 800 as frontend and mic sollution + 2x RME HDSP(e) 9652 (DAW and VI) OR 2x M-audio Pro Fire
2. Instead of fireface an Apogee Ensemble (I know this is not place to ask what is better - RME or Apogee - but I wonder how they work together in one DAW? And what about latency and jitter? I read that with RMEs steadyclock you wouldn't need a wordclock).
Another point I never really got is this info from RMEs homepage:
"The Fireface 800 is equipped with SteadyClock(TM), RME's unique sync and clock technology. With this, the device becomes a sync reference for the whole studio. SteadyClock refreshes clock signals, removes jitter, and takes permanent care of optimal conversion quality, thus guarantees a sensational sound quality, completely independent from the reference clock's quality."
Same for the Apogees "Clocking used by Big Ben" in ADX 16 or “Intelliclock” in ensemble. Does that mean with one of these you can buy the cheapest Adat sollution possible (Pro Fire) and still get the same sound (due to one clock reference) as if you had an "RME only"-system?
3. Now it starts getting crazy (and very expensive): What about RME Madi. I won't lay out the options in detail, cause I already bored you for such a long time (sorry!). Only that: Has anybody realized a system on madi? Something like: Daw - HDSP Madi - RME ADI 648 - HDSP 9652 - VI Server + some AD/DA unit for analog I/O? That seems to be perfectly upgradable (in theory).
My (defenitly) last question: What about MIR? I know you guys won't tell us befor it's ready for the market. But is there at least some kind of preference how the audio stream will be acomplished? I really want to have a system where mir can be integrated, so any hint would be apreciated.
Thanks for your patience and keep up your great work,
Fritz von Flotow.