• Registered: 2007-08-22
  • Posts: 3

Topic: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

Hi,

I have Multiface II tied to my laptop via PCMCIA HDSP card and it seems I will be getting a new laptop soon, which won't have PCMCIA slot... Are there any options to usa PCMCIA card with some USB adapter (maybe someone have tested it?) or the only way is gettin Express card?

thanks for input...

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,807

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

We never tested adapters (if they even exist). Expresscard is definitely the best option.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2010-05-04
  • Posts: 3

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

There are adaptors (I think you have to have an expresscard 5/4 type slot) available. I was looking at possibly the same thing (had a cardbus card, laptop might have had expresscard). I got one of the adaptors but never used it so I cant tell you if it'll work or not.

Take a look here...

http://www.google.com/search?q=cardbus+ … =firefox-a

  • NBL
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2010-05-24
  • Posts: 1

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

There must be several unfortune owners of the old PCMCIA cardbus in the same situation. It would be nice to get clarified if the adapter solution works. This adapter looks promising:
http://www.espow.com/wholesale-pcmcia-c … apter.html
Please share if anyone has tried this or another type of solution.
Thanks

  • From: Bainbridge Island, WA US
  • Registered: 2007-10-05
  • Posts: 156

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the ExpressCard bus is a superior technology to the PCMCIA system.  Faster, with wider bandwidth.

If you're getting a new laptop with the new technology, doesn't it make sense to take advantage of the new technology?

  • Registered: 2010-07-12
  • Posts: 7

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

I am in the same situation.  Purchased a PCMCIA card but now it is obsolete as most laptops do not have PCMCIA slots but the new 34 Express Card slot.  The new card can not be found for under $499.00 dollars.  I think this is an extreme cost for most working musicians.  I will have to breakdown and pay for it or the rest of my investment in RME is also down the tubes.  Yes the performance should be better but I never had a problem with performance with the older card/technology and now the price to get the new card I think is outrageous.

  • Registered: 2010-07-13
  • Posts: 1

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

hi

I have a Mac book pro and a Digico 8 audio console , so i want to record live do you have something available for this
the DIGICO representative recommend me the RME HDSPe MADIface - 128-Channel Interface for Laptops, will this work with my mac???

  • Knut
  • Knut
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 1,618

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

the DIGICO representative recommend me the RME HDSPe MADIface - 128-Channel Interface for Laptops, will this work with my mac???

Yes - it should work with Mac OS X. We got some reports about problems with the ExpressCard slot of some Macbooks with Bootcamp/Windows. Usual Windows notebooks work very well with the MADIface.

For the PCMCIA/ExpressCard adapter problem: This was tried by several users, but we do not have reports about a working solution.

best regards
Knut

  • Registered: 2010-07-12
  • Posts: 7

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

I actually did get the ExpressCard to Cardbus adapter to work with my old Toshiba Laptop PC with Cubase 3SX and the RME HDSP Cardbus card.  I had a weird IRQ BIOS error message on start up but once I bypassed the message and continued into Vista the RME driver was recognized and I recorded audio with no issues.  However, this toshiba was not very powerful machine so I was just using it to record my guitar with just Guitar Rig 3 and nothing else going.  It worked fine.  But this was not a high powered setup or robust system to say the least.  I wasn't pushing tons of tracks with tons of VSTi plugins, etc. 

The ExpressCard adapter was from a company called Addonics.

Flash forward to today and I wanted to get a more powerful laptop system so that I could really use the Multiface to full advantage.  So I bought a new MBP 17" with the ExpressCard slot.  On a lark, I tried the same adapter and HDSP card and wouldn't you know, Snow Leopard did recognize both the adapter and the RME card but it stated that no driver for the RME card was installed so of course I can not use it.  After checking the RME downloads it looks like to use the snow leopard driver the firmware version has to be version 18.  But this version is only for the HDSPe card (ExpressCard Version) and not the HDSP version.  I'm sure this is because Apple does not have any machines with PCMCIA slots for a long time now.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,807

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

Admin Knut wrote:

Yes - it should work with Mac OS X. We got some reports about problems with the ExpressCard slot of some Macbooks with Bootcamp/Windows.

That's Windows 7 only, if I'm not seriously mistaken, and the very latest MBPs no longer seem to be affected.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2010-07-23
  • Posts: 1

Re: PCMCIA card options with new latpop

So I can buy a Expresscard to Cardbus Adapter and get my RPM working on a MacBook Pro? I heard about dropouts and more latency. Is this right?


regards,

Special_B