Good audio interfaces for Pro Tools 9?

[UstadKhanAli]

Thanks. I got a good price on it, and like that I have a 2-year warranty and lifetime support on it since it is a discontinued item. They're supposed to be rock solid, though, and that's what matters to me most.

[UstadKhanAli]

 

I was able to test and verify in regards to the drivers/soft apps. You have to install the soft app because the drivers are imbedded in the installation. Also, there is a FW connectivity LED on the front of the unit, solid green indicates stable communication, a flashing LED indicates unstable sync signal, and no LED indicates no communication or that the software/driver hasn't been installed. Once the driver is installed, the unit should populate on the OS.

 

 

Hey Mike, looks like my guess was right...the drivers are bundled in with the software! The above is from my favorite new female Mackie tech support person!!!! Don't worry, as Yoda, you're still my favorite.

[MikeRivers]

Maybe the drivers are bundled in with the software? And the tech is female.

 

Are those related? If it was Rebecca, she isn't blond. No reason to get suspicious there.

 

Everything's on one disk that plays on a PC or Mac, and everything gets installed in one swell foop, so it's not clear what's "driver" and what's "control panel" from the installer. The Blackbird product web page says "Driver and Control Panel (Mac) but it's my understanding that it uses the Core Audio driver and only the control panel gets installed. Once you install that, you can be in the driver's seat. Maybe that's what it means.

 

Or maybe this is a device that really needs a driver on a Mac, in which case you have every right to be wary. But I don't think that's the case. And that mumbo-jumbo about standalone mode with external clock sync? If it has an external clock sync then it isn't stand-alone, is it?

 

Actually, I do know what it means, but "standalone mode" is a bad choice of terminology. If I was still writing documentation for Mackie, I'd probably make them call it "Expander mode." If you're using BBird2 to expand the I/O capability of BBird1 by connecting the ADAT OUT of BBird2 to the ADAT IN of BBird1, you can connect BBird1's Word Clock OUT to BBird2's Word Clock IN, set BBird2 to External Word Clock Sync, and that will assure that the ADAT stream going between the two is in sync. But this has nothing to do with drivers. It has everything to do with the control panel software, though, since that's where the clock source switch is.

 

It's called giving your Blackbird the bird.

[UstadKhanAli]

You're Yoda. You should know.

 

I don't think you look like Yoda at all, but if you're Mackie's Yoda, then so be it.

 

Thanks, Mike.

[MikeRivers]

I don't think you look like Yoda at all

 

I wasn't wearing my glasses in this photo, but let me tell ya - these ears can hear a pin drop at 40 light-years.

 

[Lee Knight]

So...

 

Does this mean that 9's output can now be routed through the Mac Core audio driver to the Mac display's internal speakers?!?!? I might have to move to 9 just for this. My iMac internal speakers are a fanstasic test. Pitch, balance, mids... But I always have to bounce to disc. Import to iTunes, etc.

 

So, can you? Anyuone know?

[UstadKhanAli]

 

So... Does this mean that 9's output can now be routed through the Mac Core audio driver to the Mac display's internal speakers?!?!?

 

 

Yes. My Pro Tools 9, before it failed (due to reasons too numerous to name here; I've wiped the HD, installed a fresh new OS, and will install PT9 this weekend) were doing just this, and I was able to monitor via headphones.

[Huh?]

I absolutely love Pro Tools 9! I am sorry you are having trouble with it Ken.

 

Oh, and Lee......what Ken said......Input too.

 

 

Core Audio Support

 

Apple