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R/E/P => R/E/P Archives => Recording Software Products => Topic started by: Dan Gruner on August 03, 2008, 02:03:43 PM

Title: Need advice regarding this hardware/software consideration
Post by: Dan Gruner on August 03, 2008, 02:03:43 PM
Apologies if this is a rather hasty post, but I have just landed some work that I am looking to get some new hardware for the job in a hurry!

I am looking at the Apogee Ensemble, I only require 8 channels of analogue audio and quality converters are of paramount importance.  I plan to use this with Logic 7 running on a 2GHz Intel Dual-Core MacBook.  Question I have are:

1/. Will the 2GHz MacBook (with 2GB of memory), be able to handle    the Ensemble OK, without being "stressed" to much?  

2/. I will need to get a large external HDD for the mac.  What would be the best method of connecting this up - Firewire (I only have a single firewire port), NAS via the ethernet port, or USB?  Will it be fast enough?

3/. What are the other options I should consider, at around the same budget. (I could stretch to
Title: Re: Need advice regarding this hardware/software consideration
Post by: Tomas Danko on August 04, 2008, 06:15:29 AM
The 2 GHz MacBook should be just fine.
Firewire or USB, hooking up an external HDD should not cause any trouble. One idea could be to hook one up on the Firewire 800 port.

There are few alternative options if you require eight channels of conversion and want something better than the Apogee Ensemble. Prism Orpheus is fantastic. You could check out the RME Hammerfall PC-Bus Card I/O + Digiface + any external converter such as Lavry Blue and the likes. Another alternative may be looking into the Apogee AD16X.

Consider the fact that the Ensemble integrates better with Logic than anything else on the market.
Title: Re: Need advice regarding this hardware/software consideration
Post by: cerberus on August 16, 2008, 10:34:26 PM
the ensemble is a fw400 device. so once you plug it in, the fw bus is going to be
limited to fw400 speed. big bummer, but that is how it works. usb2 is  
faster than fw400; an ethernet drive could be the fastest.

btw, my apogee duet works great with cubase.

jeff dinces