Merging Technologies

Hi all,

I have a friend that is using Pyramix Native and wants to buy a laptop to install it. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding brands/models or specs like cpu, processor, ram etc? He wants to use it with a Firewire external converter.
All recomendations and user experiences, welcome. Thanks a lot,

Paulo

Hi Paulo

I am using a MacBook Pro running XP under Boot Camp and it works well with an RME FF400.

However, I have heard that some of the newer MacBooks can have firewire problems

Best regards

Larry

Hi Paulo,

You have to be careful with the newer MBPs (I got one to use with a Lynx Aurora , though I seem to have mine working now after killing all the network processes and especially the Apple keyboard manager. It is the quietest notebook I've seen, and is well built.

I can report more at the end of the week as I have the first sessions with it (using Sequoia, but with Logic on OS X as a backup in case there are problems). In OS X you can use the FW400 for the interface and FW800 for the hard disc, but not in Windows. You should also check out the WD Studio II drives - 2x500GB or 2x1000GB drives that are running as RAID 1 (mirrored) and quiet - beats dragging around 2 separate drives and they have eSATA.

Cheers,
Tom

Hi Paulo,

Just an update. Bootcamp still hasn't been reliable here with random clicks, but that said, the MBP has been totally quiet and the fans and drive are never audible.

It looks like at the moment a hardware/software combination is still a bit hit and miss under Bootcamp, but perhaps Pyramix is better behaved.

Cheers,
Tom

Hi Tom,

I am just getting my Pyramix Native rig setup with a MBP and have endured the same pops/clicks others have been complaining of. I tried a variety of hotfixes from Microsoft and tried the Unibrain FireWire drivers. You are the first person I have seen to actually say that it is not possible to run a FW400 interface and FW800 hard drive simultaneously in Windows. I've had mixed results with that setup and I was curious as to your reasons. Do you use eSATA now for storage and reserve FW for interfaces? By the way, the interface I am using is the RME FireFace 800, typically plugging it in 400 and leaving the 800 port for drives. Suggestions?

From what I understand, both the FW400 and FW800 connectors on a MBP are connected to the same chip. The only way to get two independent FW busses is to use an express card. I do this all the time under OSX as I have decided to use Boom Recorder as my on location app.

Regards

Larry

Here we are using two identical Asus M70 VM B-1 notebooks with Pyramix Native and RME MadiFace express cards. 17" screens (big enough to see a 24-track mixer without stacking), dual internal drives, very quiet, very reliable.

Tim Martyn