Looking for new options for my mobile rig. Has anyone had any experience with this?
Cabled PCI Express for Desktops and Laptops
Magma ExpressBox1 is an easy-to-use external expansion device for attaching a PCI Express® card to a laptop or desktop computer.
In a mobile environment, ExpressBox1 allows a user to combine the power of a desktop and the mobility of a laptop into a powerful, flexible, mobile workstation. For example, a user can turn a typical, middle-of-the-road laptop into a powerful gaming computer, a scientific computer, or an audio/video editing workstation simply by adding the right PCI Express card to ExpressBox1 and then connecting it to a laptop through an ExpressCard/34 module and cable.In the desktop computers and servers, ExpressBox1 allows a user to move half-length, heat-generating, or power hungry PCI Express cards outside the computer by providing dedicated power and cooling in an external enclosure. ExpressBox1 is ideal for attaching full-length PCI Express cards to low-profile computers that have limited space. The connection to the host computer is through a PCI Express host card and cable.
Zero latency, 2000Mb/sec, Faster than USB and Firewire
Based on new PCI Express® technology, ExpressBox1 provides a zero latency connectivity solution with a theoretical maximum throughput of 2000Mb/sec (or 250 MB/sec) each direction... That's 2.5 times faster than Firewire 800 and 4.1 times the speed of USB 2.0! Magma ExpressBox1 weighs only 2.8 pounds and supports single width cards up to 6.604 inches long (EB1H) or 12.83 inches (EB1F).
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Chris... Just curious what advantage you're seeking over using y
Chris...
Just curious what advantage you're seeking over using your FF800 (I think you have one of those... right? Or did you sell it? If so, why?).
I use my FF800 for mobile and have yet to uncover any shortcomings. This solution seems a lot more cumbersome, bulkier, and will require (more) external preamps, right?
Jeff
Perhaps, but if you have those Neve, API & other choice preamps,
Perhaps, but if you have those Neve, API & other choice preamps, it does make more sense to go that way. Just because somebody has a $50 transformer less, Class A microphone preamp doesn't make it superior to an old discrete transistor class A/B output preamp such as the API 312/512 & Neve 3114/3115 preamp/EQ. This is kind of a repeat of the marketing hype of early digital being superior to analog. It might be more convenient but it ain't superior, not now, not yet, maybe not never. I basically have that above scenario not using my laptop (but I could be) along with my MOTU 2408 MK I I as a computer interface with my ALESIS HD 24 X R. I know that's a lot of stuff but it's a worthy system to interface with my 36 input Neve. Of course the Neve doesn't come out of the truck but all of the API preamps do. And that whole rig fits in a roll around rack which can be muscled by a single person into the back of my Chevy Van. Especially when my truck is too big to get into tight places and I still demand that quality level. Oh but you want something that will fit in your Toyota Corolla... nevermind.
Have I ever talked about my multitrack 2 wheel remote bike? That's for when you can't even find appropriate parking for Chevy Van and I've been doing that since 1983. And that's also probably because I'm a bona fide nutcase? But that's where the passion comes in, full force. And that also includes 4, collapsible 12 foot tall microphone stands & a couple of hundred feet of cable. It takes me around 10 minutes just to download all of the equipment from the bike to the pavement, LMAO. People even got alarmed when I would show up on the motorcycle. They would look at me and say..." I thought you were coming to make a recording?...". Minutes later they were completely amazed. So a unique reputation follows me wherever I go.
Thinking out of the box means thinking on the bike so you don't get killed.
Mx. Remy Ann David
I'm still LMAO
thatjeffguy, post: 381848 wrote: Chris... Just curious what adva
thatjeffguy, post: 381848 wrote: Chris...
Just curious what advantage you're seeking over using your FF800 (I think you have one of those... right? Or did you sell it? If so, why?).
I use my FF800 for mobile and have yet to uncover any shortcomings. This solution seems a lot more cumbersome, bulkier, and will require (more) external preamps, right?Jeff
yes, I had two FF800, sold them both. I hated to sell the FF800 but I have a feeling the time to sell them was now. I bought the Lavry AD11 Blacks for my mobile rig. Stellar conversion compared plus they double for my mastering rig so it was a logical choice. The AD11's are USB. Plug and go with really nice pre's in them. Excellent for transparent acoustic work. If I want other options, I can bypass them and use others.
Like Remy say's, I have superior preamps that I use so the FF800 was only used for AD and no more than 4 channels. If I need more AD's, I will pull my ADI-8 QS's out. Thats why I'm looking at these external systems for my laptop.
The future of laptops unfortunately does not include Express Car
The future of laptops unfortunately does not include Express Card slots at least as of this juncture. All the laptops I have looked at in the last two months that are i3/i5/i7 did not include an expansion slot. That rules out this chassis (which I looked at myself a couple of years ago or similar chassis anyway) and firewire adapters too. It will force me to go with rackmount computer or a Macbook Pro which also is likely to lose it's firewire in the coming years to Thunderbolt.
PCI Express expansion chassis for laptop PCs And I found this:
PCI Express expansion chassis for laptop PCs
And I found this:
[="http://www.villageinstruments.com/tiki-index.php?page=ViExpress+Box"]Village Instruments : ViExpress Box[/]="http://www.villagei…"]Village Instruments : ViExpress Box[/]
[[url=http://="http://www.villagei…"]Village Instruments : ViDock[/]="http://www.villagei…"]Village Instruments : ViDock[/]