Hey, doesn't anybody have any experience with this or know someone that does?

I looked at these and researched them as best I could when I changed from an older Mac to my newer one. I had a pci/pci-x UA1 card in the older machine and the new one only has express and 16 lane slots. I found that the adapters might work....but the count will go down and the errors MIGHT pile up....so, I know this isnt any help but thats all I could find out. Some of the problem is the voltage differences between the two protocols.

Thanks for the input Dave! I've found something over at the slutz forums. A number of people were talking about using a Magma Pe6r4 PCIe/PCI expansion chassis with good result. However, at more than $2,000 for one of them I couldn't see buying it. I mean all of my interfaces didn't even cost me that in total.

I don't have any personal experience at all with the adapters. The ones that seem to work with my IT colleagues are really pricey. The Magma being one of the prime examples.

I have a feeling that I'm going to just take the plunge at some point in the near future and pick up some of them to try. I've looked around and can't really find any horror stories to shy me away from purchasing and trying them. I feel that there would be something on the net by now about them. If anyone does find something though, can they post it to this thread?

When I do try them out I'll let everyone know about my own experience.

I have a bit of experience in a room with a Magma chassis. It seems to be seemless and integrated to the point that you dont know its there. I had a chance to buy a used on at a studio close out for under $400. I shoulda pulled that trigger.

I trust that by 'upgrading to 7', you mean that you're going to the 64-bit version? XP also has a 64-bit version. That's really the key for increased memory capacity is that you need to switch to 64-bit. Just throwing that out there.

Yup, that's the whole point! When I do this I'm also going to have to spring for an upgrade in my software. I'm still using Cubase SX2 which does not run on 64bits. Between the motherboard, processor and software costs I really won't have enough money leftover to purchase new interfaces, as much as I'd like to.

As an update, I think that I've found a way to "weasle" out of my problem. I've found that Asus offers a few motherboards that have 3 PCI legacy slots. I'm going with an Intel i7 processor and can get one with an LGA 1155 socket from Tiger Direct, and two from Newegg; one LGA 1155 and one LGA 1156. By buying one of these I've basically resolved my problem, although it would have been interesting to find out if one of those adapters did work as intended.

GB also used to have some mobos with multiple PCI slots but honestly I haven't kept up on the whole thing.

You know, I don't have much experience using GB boards. I'm sure that they're probably a good product. John, do you have any opinion on the benefits of a 1156 socket as opposed to the 1155 socket?

I don't have a preference. It seems the X58 chipsets have been pretty popular with the DAW builders this past winter but I haven't done a ton of research on it myself.

first post! upgraded to this six months ago :I7-950 asusP6T-SE kinngston 1333 DDR3 6 gb ATI HD5450 win7 pro. because I too have a pci echo card. it never worked from the get go. no matter what I tried..... newest divers and all.. ,,,be warned that just because it has a pci slot it will work. traz