If you plan on going HD, you can probably find a used PCI HD1 core card with a 96 i/o for the price of CPTK. Cheaper actually. CPTK is $2k and you could probably get an HD 1 for $1500 now. I've seen some [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.ebay.ca/…"]HD 2 installed in a Mac Pro for $3000[/]="http://www.ebay.ca/…"]HD 2 installed in a Mac Pro for $3000[/] or under. PCIe of course. You have to be willing to settle for last years gear though. If the purchase is fully on board, you should be able to use the gear for a hardware trade in in the future.

The3 difference is:

1. PCI/e this is why you get such low latency with HD systems. It's direct to bus, unlike USB or firewire.
2. DSP power. Signal processing done by the cards instead of your CPU.
3. Track count among other things.

Oh yeah, I didn't even think of latency difference between the 2. But I thought the CPTK brought you to the same track count as HD?

Also, is the last years gear still in the "blue legacy" group of gear? Cause i know they'll become obsolete once they go to 64-bit pt

Jonathor, post: 387101 wrote: Oh yeah, I didn't even think of latency difference between the 2. But I thought the CPTK brought you to the same track count as HD?

Also, is the last years gear still in the "blue legacy" group of gear? Cause i know they'll become obsolete once they go to 64-bit pt

Sure, you could get the track count if your computer can handle it but that's where the DSPs come into play. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to influence you toward an HD system. It's just that for the price of CPTK, you can have an HD system. Did you check that link? This one: [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.ebay.ca/…"]HD 2 installed in a Mac Pro for $3000[/]="http://www.ebay.ca/…"]HD 2 installed in a Mac Pro for $3000[/]

Actually, that's way cheaper than CPTK and it's an HD2 with a G5 attached to it. Seems a little better than CPTK to me.

haha i never realized that was a link before. Hmm, perhaps that is a way to go for the future. Cause at least that way upgrades and what not can just build from there. having the license for hd is kind of the first step. Sad thing is, no matter which way i go, I have to buy a brand new license anyway. I only have the student edition of pro tools ... so. that does seem like the more likely direction to go in ... in the future. once I find a need for a set up such as that. However, kind of makes me sad as I bought an Apogee Ensemble a while back, which I do, in fact, love it. lol

No reason why you can't continue to use the Ensemble. It has optical outputs. As well, you should be able to use PT10 HD without the cards. The license resides on the iLok and is not in fact tied to the hardware. Shocking, I know. You can have all of the features of PT10HD without using the hardware. In fact, if you are diligent, you can buy PTHD license for you iLok and bypass CPTK altogether. But, you didn't hear that from me.

Edit: check these out

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Avid-Digidesign-Pro-Tools-HD10-HD-10-plus-HD9-HD-9-Bundle-ilok-NEW-/220981953731?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33738d04c3

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digidesign-Pro-Tools-8-HD1-Core-96-i-o-G5-Bundle-/230766065912?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35babab8f8

No. That is not my eBay store. I'm just window shopping.

Awesome! Yeah I knew it would work without hardware. Didn't think about the light pipe dealio though. But that's nice that the license for HD isn't tied to the cards themselves, that alleviates some of the pressure to have to grab new interface along with it. May perhaps sway my decision lol. However, I don't think I can upgrade the PTHD license on my current one ... the "student edition" of pro tools I'm fairly certain doesn't allow upgrades such as that.

Well, the upgrade is a grand. The price of that iLok link was $809. I would easily pay that rather than the upgrade.

WOW! k, I'm totally missing these links at first. I don't even know why i'm not seeing them right away. Haha, well between ebay links you've sent, they've had 2 different ebay stores. So i'll believe you. For now. But yeah, That definitely seems like a MUCH better route than to be buying it else where. What were you typing into ebay for those search results anyway? I attempted a simple Pro Tools 10HD earlier. Didn't see 'em. Though, apparently my ability to see links and what not at first glance is lacking today, could be why. But thanks a bunch for opinion/info! So far it seems far cheaper to go that method you've shown.

I searched protools(one word). That store is now on my favorites list. He's in LA, I'm in Vancouver. It ain't me but I wish it was. I bet he makes a nice bit of coin.

Sweet, a fellow Canadian. that's fairly convenient and close if you end up grabbing physical stuff off him. lol

Jonathor, post: 387116 wrote: Sweet, a fellow Canadian. that's fairly convenient and close if you end up grabbing physical stuff off him. lol

I think you read that wrong. HE's in Los Angeles. I'm in Vancouver.

I don't know why, but i thought Los Angeles was across the way from Vancouver. "The fellow canadian" part was meant as "oh sweet, you're canadian! cool, as am I!" ... I find I run into canadians on forums a lot less frequently.

Well. LA is a day(16 hrs or so depending on how fast you drive) drive away. Still cheaper to ship, I think but maybe only because there's so many stops along the way. That and the price of Gas is pretty steep right now. Anyway. I didn't mean anything by it. Just wanted to avoid a misunderstanding. Incidentally, how's the heat over there? My bro lives in On. He says it's hitting the mid 20s right now. Celcius of course.

Yeah, we barely had a winter at all. It got cold, but i don't remember much snow. Granted I'm always coup'd up inside. and yeah, we're already having BEAUTIFUL weather. this early. Kind of scares me to see what the summer is going to be like. Luckily I'm done school after this semester and my home town (while still in ontario) is along the lake. So summers there get at least a bit of a cooler breeze. How about out west? B.C. i'd imagine gets some awesome weather usually.

There's a reason we call it the WET coast.