Topic: Old Multiface with new HDSPe card on MacPro Core.

Hi folks,
I have an obsolete system (Dual G5) with my old HDSP Multiface sitting in it and after using my Fireface 800 with my (8 Core 2.8Ghz) MacPro few a couple of years now (happily I might add), I was wondering what sort of performance I might get out of my old Multiface in the MacPro (of course I'd have to purchase a HDSPe card).
With the FF800, i run at 32 samples for most things and it's very stable, but you always have the CoreAudio safety buffer and some additional latency into the system. It's not been a big deal, as when recording vocals I have set up direct monitoring using the Fireface Mixer to avoid the latency through my DAW (LogicPro).
If I were to go down the Multiface path, would the 32 sample latency be comparable to an Apogee Symphony / or ProToys HD (where you can monitor through it) for example, where there is no perceivable extra latency induced by Core Audio buffers or similar?

Has anyone got this type of setup? How is it performing?

Advice?

Reagrds,
Matt

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Matt McKenzie-Smith (UFXII, UFX, Babyface) MacStudioUltra OS13.2.1
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Re: Old Multiface with new HDSPe card on MacPro Core.

Anyone know if this 'might' work?

I've heard a couple of success stories with UAD cards in PCs, but wondering if it might work with a RME HDSP/multiface in a MacPro 2.8 8Core (jan'08)?
Any reason it definitely would not?

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Matt McKenzie-Smith (UFXII, UFX, Babyface) MacStudioUltra OS13.2.1
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Re: Old Multiface with new HDSPe card on MacPro Core.

Does anyone use a multiface on a MacPro?

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Matt McKenzie-Smith (UFXII, UFX, Babyface) MacStudioUltra OS13.2.1
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Re: Old Multiface with new HDSPe card on MacPro Core.

bump!

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Matt McKenzie-Smith (UFXII, UFX, Babyface) MacStudioUltra OS13.2.1
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Re: Old Multiface with new HDSPe card on MacPro Core.

Does anyone have this setup?

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Matt McKenzie-Smith (UFXII, UFX, Babyface) MacStudioUltra OS13.2.1
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Re: Old Multiface with new HDSPe card on MacPro Core.

Hi Matt, hope this helps.

Using the Multiface II and HDSPe PCI combination, with ADM enabled in Cubase 4.1 on Win XP, I measured 1.76 ms of latency for roundtrip analog-digital-analog at 44.1 kHz. Considering sound travels at about 1 ft/ms, that's equivalent to placing your ear less than 2 ft from the sound source; for many instruments, you'd hear the close-mic'ed sound in your headphones before you'd hear the natural soundwaves. Using software monitoring (through the host application) instead of ADM, I measured 5.4 ms roundtrip latency at 44.1 kHz with a 64-word buffer size, the smallest I could go without dropouts (for a 24-track project) in Cubase. Cubase reported latency for an inserted external effect as 0.36 ms. In Cubase 4.1 on Mac OS X, roundtrip latency was 6.84 ms at 44.1 kHz with a 64-word buffer, and insert delay was 1.09 ms. At 96 kHz, latency dropped to 3.52 ms. In Logic 8 with the I/O Safety Buffer disabled, a 32-word buffer at 44.1 kHz yielded 3.9 ms; contrast this to 3.36 ms for Apogee Symphony at the same settings.

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5628

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Re: Old Multiface with new HDSPe card on MacPro Core.

Thanks for that great info Geoff.  I am hoping my local dealer might have an HDSPe card to try at some point soon, as I would like to compare it's speed to the FF800 that I currently use at 32 samples (at 48kHz).
Monitoring (with my current ff800) through Logic 9.1 is pretty good, but not as quick obviously as going direct via Fireface Mixer.
I n Logic 9.1 there is no i/o safety buffer anymore, but I believe the OSX Core Audio still has it's own offset buffer to keep things happy. Logic 9.1 at 48kHz 32 sample buffer is reporting 5.6ms round trip latency, but I'm not sure whether the OS buffer is included, but looks like it must be.
It's pretty quick but I was just wondering if the HDSPe would be quicker.

Thanks again for you information.
REgards,
Matt

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Matt McKenzie-Smith (UFXII, UFX, Babyface) MacStudioUltra OS13.2.1
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