CoreAudio: Digidesign finally gets it right!

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:17 am

Hello,
Even though the 2408 put out a 24 bit file the A/D was only 20 bit. The optical in's would handle 24 bit.

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:22 am

aha! thanks, i *thought* it was not full 24...

PrimeMover · Post by **PrimeMover** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 10:36 am

Can I still hate Avid, though?

I have an MBox (the original), and though I like it, I hate it's propriatary format, and their service has always been condescending and terrible. I no longer use Pro Tools at all, and simply use the standalone CoreAudio drivers with DP5. I'm going to replace the MBox fairly soon, hopefully with a 4 input unit or more.

The headphone port in front slipped back the other day, so I had to do some surgery, carve a little hole in the side, and slip the headphone port outside the box. I've rechristened it "The Ghetto Box", or GBox for short.

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 12:10 pm

Hello,
I love all this Digi bashing. I recently put protools into the school curriculum because it was believed it would draw more students to the program. First question out of a prospective student is "do you have protools?" That is why I am pleased to have PTLE 7.4 at home to go along with the TDM 7.3.1 at school. I can support my classes without having to be at school. I am a little miffed that PT will not import my DP session files without an additional $495 purchase for "digitranslator." I don't want to have to re-create all of my lesson tasks, it's bad enough having to rework the curriculum. At least any new tasks I can create at home.

So far everything seems jake with my setup.

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 1:04 pm

DonT,
If you save the DP session as an OMF, and run Classic, you can use OMF Tool to translate and OMF file into a ProTools 4x session that later versions of PT will open.

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 1:24 pm

Hello,
I know, I expected that too but after version 7.x you have to pay extra for the OMF tool, it is part of DigiTranslator. Are you saying I should use one of the free versions?

Did I mention I hate Digidesign too.

chucks · Post by **chucks** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:02 pm

I believe that you can no longer purchase the Digitranslator product by itself and that it is now only available for LE users if you buy the DV Toolkit, something like $1295. The stand alone version they are selling for LE works with version 5, or something like that.

I checked the store and it IS available as a stand-alone item and is currently on sale - $100 off. I tried to buy it right after 7.0 came out and it was only available bundled (or so I was told).

pcm · Post by **pcm** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:08 pm

Digitranslator is still available separately. You can buy it used on eBay for under $300. I have two copies, as I have two systems 100 miles apart. Everyone likes to make a big deal out of how Digi charges for what other companies give away for free. But it's not that simple. The import and export options are extensive, and it works every time. The OMF side of DP I find to be very iffy, as half the time I try to import stuff it simply doesn't come through. Or DP crashes. When it does work, DP reverts to 16-bit, and then I have to manually change it back to 24-bit. It feels like hobby software to me. And this is with files that always import into Final Cut Pro without issues. I'm a full-time professional, and I don't mind paying for tools that allow me to get on with my job. I've got work to get done!

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:11 pm

Points well taken, pcm.

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:33 pm

That's true, however, I am on a tight community college budget down at the little end of the trough. If it weren't for me hand building all of the acoustic treatments, there wouldn't be any. I had to make a choice when the building was designed, decent sized rooms & square footage or small rooms and treatments. It's what we get at an inner city CC. Now the College over in the next county with the burbs in the tax base spent more money on pianos than I did building all our music spaces. It took 9 months to get additional funds appropriated for materials to build diffusers ($1200). $495 for software I won't use that much after the first couple weeks, is a tough sell to people who don't see the need especially when I am using it at home. Just another thing that comes out of my pocket to support the school, like the whole PT setup (used 002R - 7.4LE).

Besides, digitranslator came with version 6.x

Wow, I sound like a winer.

pcm · Post by **pcm** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:19 pm

Don T wrote: Besides, digitranslator came with version 6.x

.

That is not true. I bought my copies way back in the PT6.x days. In OS9 there was a free thing called OMF Tool, which was pretty simple and crude, definitely not the same product.

Mr_Clifford · Post by **Mr_Clifford** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:22 pm

tommymandel wrote: If you save the DP session as an OMF, and run Classic, you can use OMF Tool to translate and OMF file into a ProTools 4x session that later versions of PT will open.

Wow, I didn't know that one. Sure enough, I just installed Classic, downloaded OMF tool and I was able to convert a DP OMF file into a PT 4 session. For some reason the Pro Tools session crashed when I tried to open it, but I was able to get it working by creating a new PT7 session and importing all the tracks.

Thanks TommyMandel. Saves me buying DigiTranslator or DV Toolkit for the meantime.

stiefelmusik · Post by **stiefelmusik** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 10:01 pm

Mr_Clifford wrote: Wow, I didn't know that one. Sure enough, I just installed Classic, downloaded OMF tool and I was able to convert a DP OMF file into a PT 4 session. For some reason the Pro Tools session crashed when I tried to open it, but I was able to get it working by creating a new PT7 session and importing all the tracks.

Does it work with 24-bit sessions? I seem to remember trying this once and I could only translate 16-bit sessions.

Phil Jeffers · Post by **Phil Jeffers** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:16 am

Don T wrote:Hello,
Even though the 2408 put out a 24 bit file the A/D was only 20 bit. The optical in's would handle 24 bit.

It runs and I/O's (digitally) in 24-Bit, I guess that's why it was called the 2408... 24-Bit and 8 analog I/O. Most FX processors AD's were 20-Bit back then; same as the 2408's.

stephentayler · Post by **stephentayler** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 1:00 am

Phil Jeffers wrote:
Don T wrote:Hello,
Even though the 2408 put out a 24 bit file the A/D was only 20 bit. The optical in's would handle 24 bit.
It runs and I/O's (digitally) in 24-Bit, I guess that's why it was called the 2408... 24-Bit and 8 analog I/O. Most FX processors AD's were 20-Bit back then; same as the 2408's.

I think it was called the 2408 because of 24 channel digital I/O and 8 analog I/O

kind regards

Stephen