• mpike
  • New member
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  • Registered: 2019-11-12
  • Posts: 4

Topic: Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Chassis for Raydat

My main studio PC has just died, as a result I need to switch to using my laptop (Macbook Air M1 - OSX 11.6.2 Big Sur). I had been planning on purchasing a Digiface USB to migrate my studio over from PCIe (Raydat) to USB, but now there is no stock anywhere and none is expected until Q2 2023 according to retailers.

I need recommendations for thunderbolt PCIe chassis that are known to work with Raydat on OSX Big Sur. I'm open to buying new or second-hand as this will be a temporary setup to keep me earning until Digiface USB stock returns.

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,028

Re: Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Chassis for Raydat

I would check cases from Sonnet.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2016-04-16
  • Posts: 54

Re: Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Chassis for Raydat

I can recommend Sonnet as well and also Akitio - both worked well for me.

  • Registered: 2019-10-09
  • Posts: 2

Re: Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Chassis for Raydat

Yesterday I purchased and installed an OWC Mercury Helios 3S PCIe with RME HDSPE AIO PCI-E first generation. I am using with MAC mini M1 2020. So far I am testing and it seems to be fine. We will see with longer use.

  • Registered: 2020-05-12
  • Posts: 1

Re: Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Chassis for Raydat

I have been running with Sonnet Echo Express SE I without any issues. Only thing I did when installing was to disconnect the chassis small fan as it was quite noisy. The RME RayDAT doesn't heat up that much. Don't remember anymore if I added passive heat sink on top of the main chip just in case.

6 Reply by weezul (edited by weezul 2023-01-19 00:17:20)

  • Registered: 2013-10-09
  • Posts: 18

Re: Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Chassis for Raydat

I used a Lenovo Legion BoostStation for a few months with my RayDAT before moving to Digiface USB just like you for my M1 MacBook Pro. It's cheap (under 100 GBP) but it's built for GFX card, so the card has to sit free in the case and there's no room for the expansion card, and it's a tight fit with the serial port screw not quite fitting. Unfortunately the PSU fan is quite loud which really is what pushed me towards getting Digiface USB. I looked since August and finally nabbed one on Thomann.de in November but this got me by until then.

Here's a video of it in the enclosure. Basically any PCIe TB enclosure will work, but the cheap ones are the ones sold as eGPUs:

https://imgur.com/LW4ZOv2