Members ido1957 Posted February 29, 2012 Members Share Posted February 29, 2012 Does anyone know if this will allow me to use the UAD2 Laptop Express Card ? My HP G6 has only USB2.0.....(no express card or firewire) http://www.synchrotech.com/product-usb/usb20_to_usb20_expresscards_host_adapter.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike.sartori Posted February 29, 2012 Members Share Posted February 29, 2012 No, the uad-2 laptop card is still PCIe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ido1957 Posted February 29, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 29, 2012 Dell (chat) tells me they don't include Express Card Slots anymore. HP site need my serial # which is at home .Anyone know what brand/model has those slots? Is it only Mac/Apple? I could build/buy a desktop but laptops are way more convenient. I see that UAD also introducing the Apollo which is firewire. I though firewire was going the way of the dinosaurs. Wonder why they don't have a USB model? Isn't USB faster than firewire? How about USB 3.0? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CME Posted March 1, 2012 Members Share Posted March 1, 2012 FireWire is better than USB at streaming data. USB is better at burst rates. Fw400 is roughly equal to usb2. Fw800 is twice as fast. Thunderbolt is probably the next big thing. It can be multi-protocol. It's essentially external PCIe. The appolo will support that, and UAD does make an external box, but it runs over FireWire also. So your best bet is a laptop with FireWire. There are pc's out there with FireWire, but a MacBook pro is the most obvious option and the new ones include thunderbolt also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ido1957 Posted March 1, 2012 Author Members Share Posted March 1, 2012 MacBook top of the line is like 5 grand... ouch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CME Posted March 1, 2012 Members Share Posted March 1, 2012 Yeah but all the new MacBooks including the airs have thunderbolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members veracohr Posted March 2, 2012 Members Share Posted March 2, 2012 FWIW, the standard 17" MacBook Pro is only half that, and I'm sure would be plenty for most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ido1957 Posted March 2, 2012 Author Members Share Posted March 2, 2012 That's still $2500 and my pretty decent HP Laptop cost me $600. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CME Posted March 2, 2012 Members Share Posted March 2, 2012 I am admittedly a Mac fan. I'm not a "they're the best thing since sliced bread" type, but do appreciate their OS and elegance. So that said. A 13" MacBook Pro starts at $1200 dollars new, and you can find good used deals too, has FW800 and thunderbolt. I would also bet it is better spec'd than a $600 HP. To get the same specs in a HP I'm betting you at least have to spend $1000, and still won't have FW or Thunderbolt. And just in case you don't jive with OSX, you can install windows. You'll just need a Windows license. Really when you boil it down Macs aren't as overpriced as some people make them out to be. You do pay a bit of premium but not twice the price people seem to think. And to save a bit more money, only consider upgrading the processor when you purchase. Keep RAM, HDs, ect as basic as you can and purchase those upgrades from places like OWC and Crucial. It will save you money and be as good or better quality product. Stock Apple SSD's are known to be more on the reliable side than speedy side. Not that that's a bad thing, but overall SSD's are pretty reliable these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike.sartori Posted March 2, 2012 Members Share Posted March 2, 2012 Sounds like you should probably figure out what exactly your recording goals are, and then figure out a budget from there. Computer/operating system are pretty big decisions, which will affect what DAW setup you would use, as well as all your hardware choices. There's lots of plugins that you can use other than the UA ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members veracohr Posted March 2, 2012 Members Share Posted March 2, 2012 A 13" MacBook Pro starts at $1200 dollars new, and you can find good used deals too, has FW800 and thunderbolt. I would also bet it is better spec'd than a $600 HP. To get the same specs in a HP I'm betting you at least have to spend $1000, and still won't have FW or Thunderbolt. The point is the OP's desire for ExpressCard34, which Apple decided to put only on the 17" now. I have a 4+ year old 15" MBP with an ExpressCard slot, and a UAD-2 card, and I'm rather irritated that when it comes time to get a new computer (ie. soon), I have to spend the money for the 17" just to use the UAD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TimOBrien Posted March 2, 2012 Members Share Posted March 2, 2012 MacBook top of the line is like 5 grand... ouch ...and you can get top of the line Windows laptops for 7-8 grand. What's your point?? Useable Mac laptop are in the $1500 range, same as Windows laptops.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike.sartori Posted March 2, 2012 Members Share Posted March 2, 2012 Another solution would be to buy an iMac, they are MUCH better value than the mac laptops, and can handle lots of tough recording tasks. Additionally, get a USB interface that works with your PC so you can record things portably if necessary. You have to be careful with purchases that aren't long-term or permanent, because you might not be able to recoup your value when you find a more "ideal" solution further down the line. Figure out if something will still have value to you in a few years, or if you will have to replace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CME Posted March 3, 2012 Members Share Posted March 3, 2012 The point is the OP's desire for ExpressCard34, which Apple decided to put only on the 17" now. I have a 4+ year old 15" MBP with an ExpressCard slot, and a UAD-2 card, and I'm rather irritated that when it comes time to get a new computer (ie. soon), I have to spend the money for the 17" just to use the UAD. That's not entirely true. Sonnet makes a thunderbolt to expresscard adapter. Haven't researched the price (just looked it's about $150 give or take), but that makes the MacBook Air a contender also. Another thing to consider is your interface, both now and if you want to upgrade. Most will run on either OSX or Windows, but there are some exceptions to that. So definitely look at at all options before deciding. Oh and one last thing, rumor is the MacBook line is about to move to Ivy Bridge procs. Intel has already said there may be delays in the dual-core models. Only the MB Air and 13" MBP use a dual-core procs as of now, so they may even get bumped to a quad-core. If that happens and pricing stays similar I get a lot more interested in a hurry. Especially if my NAS works out. Quad-core MacBook Air running sessions off a NAS would be perfect for me. YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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