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| Returning to PARIS after a break - need some tips on hardware, etc [message #108054] |
Mon, 27 January 2014 04:56  |
db
Messages: 13
Registered: July 2005
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Junior Member |
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Hi,
I'm currently using Reaper on a laptop (with an RME UCX interface). I've had (and still have) a 2 card PARIS rig since 1999 (last running 3.0 on WinMe I think, or was it XP?) and would like to find a way to access old projects PPJ access essential (not just PAF).
I'm a bit out of the loop on where things are with Paris (and hardware generally) these days. I think my old desktop PC hardware which used to run PARIS - is largely past it, and very slow (Athlon 1.4Ghz, from memory, Matrox dual head graphics). I'm guessing my options are:
(1) Find a way of using the Paris hardware with a laptop. This seems to require a Magma-type chasis. It seems you need a laptop which has a PCI express card slot to use this
http://www.virtuavia.eu/shop/pcie-4-x-pci-expansion-atx-kit. html or (preferably, if it works...?) this http://www.virtuavia.eu/shop/expresscard-34-to-pci-expansion -box-p29858.html as it's smaller and ready to go. Both are 230 euros. I have an old laptop with an ExpressCard expansion slot, but that doesn't seem suitable.
A Thunderbolt port, however, seems much more future proof (I'm in the market for a new laptop and happy to buy one with a Thunderbolt port). But the Magma Expressbox 3T is £831.55 (!). https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ExpressBox+3T&safe=off &espvd=210&es_sm=122&source=univ&tbm=shop&am p;tbo=u&sa=X&ei=8UjmUrGrK9OBhAem44C4Aw&ved=0CJkB ELMY&biw=1280&bih=652
Are there other options that I might be missing? USB 3? Thunderbold to something to ...?
(2) Buy a desktop PC (which might be cheaper than the above). If this is required, I'd rather not have to spend any (well, too much) time messing with it, but I'm guessing no off the shelf machines these days will accept the Paris cards. I might be interested in a working PARIS PC system if there are any going at a reasonable cost to the UK.
(3) I assume there's still no way of opening Paris projects without the hardware (e.g. in Reaper or using an ASIO driver)?
(4) Try to resuscitate my old PC hardware. I suspect this means a clean install OS drive install. What's the current thinking on the best Windows OS, bearing in mind this is going to be a pretty creaky machine?
On a slightly related tip:
(5) If there's any way of using my Paris hardware (MEC with 8 ins, 8 outs and an Adat card) to expand the front end of my Reaper/RME system (e.g. extra ins), that'd be great.
(6) Can the Control 16 be repurposed, e.g. to control Reaper. Even if only for the transport and scrub wheels. I think Mike Audet had some success with this?
Any advice greatly appreciated! Many thanks in advance.
Best,
Dan
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| Re: Returning to PARIS after a break - need some tips on hardware, etc [message #108056 is a reply to message #108054] |
Mon, 27 January 2014 08:53  |
excelav
Messages: 2130
Registered: July 2005
Location: Metro Detroit
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Senior Member |
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Well, I think if you want to use a lap top you are on the right track. If you are thinking ThunderBolt on a PC Asus has MOBO with ThunderBolt I believe. If you want a Thunderbolt expansion chassis, there's OWC, Magma, and Sonnet. MacWorld is the end of March, companies will be showing new Thunderbolt expansion chassises. You will need PCIe to PCI adapters. I think your best to go with what is proven.
I am about to build a system with this MOBO, Foxxconn H6IAP, it has 6 PCI slots and will take a third generation i7 quad core, slot 1155. We'll soon see if it works. Outside of the north american market there is a Foxxconn H6IAP-S that also has USB-3.
http://www.sonnettech.com/
http://www.macsales.com/
http://www.taiwantrade.com.tw/EP/serial/products-detail/en_U S/678427/Thunderbolt_to_1_slot_PCIe_Expansion_Adapter/
I hope this helps!
James
[Updated on: Mon, 27 January 2014 09:00] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Returning to PARIS after a break - need some tips on hardware, etc [message #108062 is a reply to message #108056] |
Tue, 28 January 2014 03:10 |
db
Messages: 13
Registered: July 2005
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Junior Member |
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Many thanks James - most helpful.
All the suitable Thunderbolt expansion chassis seem to be at a price point where it may well be cheaper just to build a desktop (unless something inexpensive is released at MacWorld - thanks for the heads up). Plus there are limited Thunderbolt laptops available, and most of the laptops I'm looking at don't have expansion slots for Magma, etc. I assume you can get PCIe to PCI converters that work with PARIS and these Thunderbolt extension chassis?
Portability for the Paris rig isn't really an issue, so I may end up with a desktop. Though finding a desktop that can handle the Paris PCI cards is a bit of a challenge in itself these days, and the time required to source and build it may be an issue! Either that, or I'd need to pick up the Virtua Via; buy a machine off a Paris user; or see if I can breathe some life back into my rather ancient existing hardware. Food for thought ... I'll probably start looking into it in a few months time.
In my ignorance - slightly loathe though I am to go mac - might it be easier to pick up a s/h Mac that can handle the Paris cards?
If there's any word on using the C16 as a midi controller, ASIO drivers, etc, that'd be great. I can't seem to find a working link to the current driver that works with Win7.
All the best,
Dan
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| Re: Returning to PARIS after a break - need some tips on hardware, etc [message #108063 is a reply to message #108062] |
Tue, 28 January 2014 17:20 |
excelav
Messages: 2130
Registered: July 2005
Location: Metro Detroit
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Senior Member |
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You don't want to go the Mac route these days with Paris. There are no current Macs that will run OS 9 etc. Of course, you could get a Mac, run Windows on it and an expansion chassis and use the PCIe to PCI adapters, but I think you'd be better to just go PC at this point. And, Apple has just discontinued all Macs with PCI slots, so you'd have to buy fast to even get a new Mac Pro tower with PCIe slots. The only option will be Thunderbolt in the future for Mac users.
Mike Audit is continuing development for Paris, he has written a multi core 32bit driver for Windows, and he has created and rewritten some of the Paris native plugins for the PC. Mike has even created a 64bit driver, but it is incompatible with Paris 3.0 because of the Pace code. (We all need to write ID about this!) Someday he might write drivers for the Mac side, but right now a PC and Windows is where it is at for Paris. As far as the PCIe to PCI adapters go, I have never tried them, so I don't know which ones will work. Again, your best bet is your lap top with a PCI expansion chassis, or build or buy a new system that has PCI slots. The advantage of building a new system is, you could build a very powerful custom system to meet your needs.
I mentioned MacWorld because for the most part, ThunderBolt is kind of a Mac thing at this time even though Intel created it. So there will be new thunderbolt stuff at Macworld. I think the PC side will catch up soon. Asus and one other MOBO manufacturer are currently putting out MOBOs with Thunderbolt.
Here is a link to Mike Audit's web site where you can buy Mike's plugins and drivers.
http://www.ensoniq.ca/catalog/
Good Luck!
James
[Updated on: Tue, 28 January 2014 18:42] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Returning to PARIS after a break - need some tips on hardware, etc [message #108085 is a reply to message #108076] |
Sun, 02 February 2014 19:16 |
Doug Wellington
Messages: 251
Registered: June 2005
Location: Tucson, AZ, USA
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Senior Member |
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Hiya Ted,
Yeah, my daughter caused no end of troubles for the last five years, so that took me out of pretty much every non-essential thing in my life. She's now living on the other side of the state, and she claims to be sticking with a twelve step program, so we're still holding out hope.
My son got a scholarship this year, so he's away at school now too. I'm trying to get caught up on my own life now, and PARIS is one part of it...
http://www.parisfaqs.com
[Updated on: Sun, 02 February 2014 19:16] Report message to a moderator |
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