Which RME card?

[INAPIER]

I'm planning on building/buying a computer just for running SAC. I won't have to have anymore than 24 inputs and I will be using ADA8000's for the preamps. Any suggestions on combinations of computers and RME cards would be very helpful. I am new to RME and I'm very impressed with the reviews on their products but I don't really know which of their cards would be right for me. So I guess my question is: which RME card is the best fit for me? 24 mic inputs (probably never more than 16), and maybe four monitor sends. Any suggestions on desktop computer kits that would be great for this setup would be helpful as well.

[905shmick]

The HDSP 9652 does 24 in/out via ADAT and would suit your needs. It requires 1 physical PCI slot but has an expansion card that uses up another slot on the case. If you keep your eyes peeled, you can find these for cheap on craigslist and eBay from time to time.

http://www.rme-audio.com/english/hdsp/hdsp9652.htm

As for a computer, buy something that can run Windows XP and spend the time reading the XP tweaking docs.

[UpTilDawn]

RME Digiface (pci card and breakout box) would also give you 24 I/O via ADAT, but only uses one pci slot. Not as cheap, but very nice. Also available used for pretty good prices.

[DominicPerry]

For the best latency performance you should consider one of the RME PCIe cards (rather than the older PCI cards). The RayDAT is the preferred choice round here - it does 4 x ADAT in and out. It only takes one PCIe slot but it needs two blanking plates removed for the connectors. The HDSPe MADI is the way to go if you wat MADI connectivity only, and it's very expensive - not relevant if you want to use ADA8000s with their ADAT connectivity. And the HDSPe AES is what you need if you want AES - which you don't. The HDSPe AIO has only 1xADAT - so no good for you there.

If you want to save a bit, then the PCI cards are a bit cheaper, but they are available secondhand. The HDSP 9652 has 3 x ADAT and is probably the best choice.
I have an even older Digi 9636/52, which is also 3 x ADAT. Although it is missing midi, and RME no longer develop drivers for it, it runs well and cost me about £85 on ebay.

Dominic

[txshonk]

Here's my two cents - I have used both the 9652 and Digiface (PCI flavors) I stuck with the digiface for my 24 channel system.

My reasons - I ended up with my PC and preamps in to seperate small racks for size and weight/portability reasons. The Digiface works great because it only connects to the PC via a firewire cable - vs 6 ADAT cables in the 9652. If you are mounting everything in a single rack, going with a dififace is just going to eat half a rack space.

Another pro I see with the digiface is it allows you to connect to either a PC or laptop so my FOH remote laptop serves as a back up PC if needed (got a cardbus for $100 on ebay that will run 24 channels at 2/128 buffers on an old P4 laptop).

Pricewise I got the 9652 for $350 on the gearslutz board - I got the Digiface/Cardbus/PCI card on ebay for $450. I have considered the RayDat (allows the Laptop/PC swap) - but price is going up with that step up.

Thats just what went into my considerations for what RME gear to go with.

[IraSeigel]

...
Another pro I see with the digiface is it allows you to connect to either a PC or laptop so my FOH remote laptop serves as a back up PC if needed (got a cardbus for $100 on ebay that will run 24 channels at 2/128 buffers on an old P4 laptop).

+1.
Digiface allows use on laptop (CardBus in my case), or PC. And ExpressCard. Very versatile.

But a portable RayDAT-type unit would be a definite purchase

[Iain Westland]

ive got 2 x 9636 pci cards, run at 2 x 64 all day and cheap.

when i can afford a laptop then i will look at card buss instead

as old mac donald says

i'm luv in it

[Larry Burger]

You have all the answers in front of you.

I know 24 inputs are all you need.
There is a slim chance over years you may want more than 24 inputs once or more.

The HDSP series will work together with 1 HDSPe (pci express), 2 Ray Dat HDSPe (pci express), 3 HDSP (standard pci), 4 HDSP Cardbus (for laptops via a pci to cardbus adapter) 5 HDSPe express card (express for laptops via a pci to express card adapter)

So if you ever would need more than 24 inputs with any of the HDSP family cards you could start with HDSP 24 in pci some day aquire a cardbus type one or two use a laptop portable second system or slap the cardbus in the desktop and combine for 48 with more ADA units.

The only challenge is some of the HDSP will go to 32 buffers some to 64 or more so you will have to configure for the applicaton. NO PROBLEM

I have field tested all of these configurations up to 72 inputs via 4 style cards with no output errors.

So your possible flex system could be one rack with 3 ada's.
One for computer ( or include in your master with 24 ada inputs.
Another rack with ada's and the breakout (digiface or multiface) so on cable connect to second laptop portable with the ability to slap the 3rd rack and cardbus to the master (desktop = 48 in) and fly.

Older Hammerfall would not be as flexible, but they still sound good with max 64 buffer (1.5 ms) latency.

[Iain Westland]

mine are hammerfall rather than HDSP and as I said, superb!!

cant go wrong with RME