Whats need need for S.A.C. setup

[marlon66]

Hey guys, Ive been hearing about this sac setup that i really think i'd wanna go into. I'm not too sure what are the components that i'd need and if it would be right for my needs.
I was planning on my a Yamaha digital board but i saw this and got interested. I check www.sawstudiouser.com but i was not too sure of my around their forum i'd like to see some more information on the setup,I hope i can get some help here. Thanks
I already have a
Dell demension 9200 with 3.2GHz dual core Prossesor @533MHz
160Gb Hard Drive
3.5Gb memory
19" monitor
What would i have to change out

[paul_ulrix]

you need a fast pci soundcard with adat ins and outs, like this thing for instance : http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_hdspe_raydat.php

and then a bunch of micpreamps with adat out, like behringer 8000's, enough of those around.

[marlon66]

are there any cheaper ones available in the under $200 range thats are good

[gdougherty]

Marlon, hit up the community forums linked at softwareaudioconsole.com. An appropriate interface will depend on your channel needs. You can find some used RME PCI interfaces that will run a 24x24 mixer for $200-300. Sweet thing is you can then add a second later to make a 48 channel mixer if you ever need more. A third would get you even more channels.

[bgavin]

Go into this with eyes open, and research done in advance.

Current releases of Firewire can be VERY problematic.
Dud chipsets and shit drivers.

From my library:

Texas Instrument fireware chips are the gold standard.

Interface Chipsets:
BeBoB is good
Phonic Helix series is BeBoB-based
Presonus Firepod, FP10 (can be very delicate hardware)
Focusrite Saffire LE
Focusrite Saffire Pro 10 $400

MOTU is good
All MOTU
DO NOT use the newest motu drivers though, they suck badly, use the 3.6.7.x ones

DICE-II is very bad
JetPLL is part of the DICE-II chipset
Mackie Onyx
Presonus FireStudio
TC Electronic,
new M-Audio,
new Focusrite Saffire Pro 10, Pro 26
Alesis IO14, IO26



Firestudio fixed problems with Firepod

1 year warranties, 3 year available

512mb or more


From the Yamaha site:

1394 Chip Set Compatible with Yamaha n12/n8
- TI TSB12LV23 + PHY
- TI TSB12LV26 + TSB41AB03
- TI TSB43AB22/A
- TI TSB43AB23
Use Belkin, Lacie, SiiG known brand cards

- AGERE FW323-05
- AGERE FW323-06
- VIA VT6306

1394 Chip Set NOT Compatible with Yamaha n12/n8
- NEC D72873GC
- NEC D72874GC
- NEC uPD72874

[AntonZ]

I'm tempted by the SAC Christmas special offer. I cannot justify cost of all new hardware and don't need such a powerful mixing solution at this time, but it sure is intriguing. If I give it a go, for now it would be minimal cost: a used RME PCI card with one ADA8000, running on a GX270 desktop and a 15" TFT that I already have. Would still need to add a DIY case, lot of work to put it all together in one box. Total costs for me would be around €700 for 8 channels, €900 for 16. That's cheap for what I'd get, but still a lot for essentially a toy that I don't need at this time.

[gdougherty]

I'm tempted by the SAC Christmas special offer. I cannot justify cost of all new hardware and don't need such a powerful mixing solution at this time, but it sure is intriguing. If I give it a go, for now it would be minimal cost: a used RME PCI card with one ADA8000, running on a GX270 desktop and a 15" TFT that I already have. Would still need to add a DIY case, lot of work to put it all together in one box. Total costs for me would be around €700 for 8 channels, €900 for 16. That's cheap for what I'd get, but still a lot for essentially a toy that I don't need at this time.

Well, don't get one then, because once you dig into all the features of that "toy" you'll likely not want to use anything else for mixing.

[mattaudio]

SO I got a RME 9636/52 on fleabay, and I'm about to get an ADA8000 from Northern Sound. Just going to see how I like this, and if not, I'm sure the RME card would be great for my studio with a better preamp down the line.

I wanted to use a MOTU 424/2408 combo, because then I could make my system more modular:
- PC rack with 424
- (x2) I/O rack with 3 ADA8000 and 2408 breakout box

That way only firewire/sync would have to get connected at gigs, and the lightpipe could stay connected inside the racks. Also it seems like you can get MOTU 2408s for dirt cheap.

The main problem I've found is that, with MOTU, you supposedly can't use a third party software to multitrack your gigs. They say you need to buy a $1200 SAW software to do it. The RME cards, on the other hand, can talk to both SAC and another (cheaper/existing) program for tracking. I'm not going to buy $1200 software just so I can multitrack my shows.

Any way around this?

I'm excited to get rolling with this!

[BrentEvans]

SO I got a RME 9636/52 on fleabay, and I'm about to get an ADA8000 from Northern Sound. Just going to see how I like this, and if not, I'm sure the RME card would be great for my studio with a better preamp down the line.

Order your ADA from Cal Mazzara at Full Compass. 800-356-5844 ext 1119. He can beat NSL pricing (he did for me) and excellent to work with, great service after the sale. When I ordered, he was about $20 less per unit than NSL at the end of the order. Tell him I referred you and what you're doing, he's aware of SAC. Ask him about heavy-duty optical cables, he didn't have any when I ordered, and I'd much rather have them in a multi-rack setup like you're describing. The HOSA cables I have (from him) work perfectly, but they're pretty flimsy for gigging.

With the RME cards, you can use their own DigiCheck software to multitrack record, then edit in another application, or try out Reaper, which I'm using. It records quite well and is an excellent multitrack mixing interface, almost as good as SAW. It also comes with a lot of very respectable "house" plugin, everything from amp modeling to pitch correction. SAW is set up more like a tape deck and analog mixer setup, Reaper is geared more to people who learned on DAWs, but they both work well. I can have the music from a 30 minute church music service mixed and mastered in reaper in 20 minutes, it takes me over an hour in SAW. Of course I don't listen to it all the way through, and I know our groups well enough to mix visually, but that's the time difference, all other things being equal. Reaper also doesn't have remote functions, nor does DigiCheck, while SAW does, but VNC gets around that obstacle if you mix FOH on a SAC remote.

[marlon66]

Does any body know anything about e-mu sound cards to start out this just a 8-16 ch starter. And another thingf i need to know apart from tha ada8k what else do i need for a basic setup and please do not send me over to that site again i want to post a thread and i cannopt find any way to do it. So plaese help me HERE, i am serious about this thing but need direct info and not just reading a whole ton of threads. I have questions and need answers. Thats all. thanks

[DrDoug018]

Does any body know anything about e-mu sound cards to start out this just a 8-16 ch starter. And another thingf i need to know apart from tha ada8k what else do i need for a basic setup and please do not send me over to that site again i want to post a thread and i cannopt find any way to do it. So plaese help me HERE, i am serious about this thing but need direct info and not just reading a whole ton of threads. I have questions and need answers. Thats all. thanks

Hi Marlon,

This thread on this forum might help.

http://www.billfitzmaurice.info/forum/v ... f=4&t=9339

Basically you need a computer with an acceptable sound card, an I/O like the ADA8000, and the software. I don not know anything about e-mu sound cards. I bought an RME HDSP 9652 and it works just fine.

Doug

[BrentEvans]

E-Mu makes decent enough hardware, but the drivers may or may not be able to achieve low latency, there have been no reports yet to determine. Stick with RME or MOTU PCI / PCIe solutions for this hardware, they are proven working time and tie again. You can pick up used RME or MOTU cards (the ones mentioned in the FAQ) for $150-400 on Ebay, and you simply won't have to worry about whether they'll work or not.

If you're having problems joining up on the SAC forum, PM me the issues you're having and we'll figure out the issue and get you online there too. It's really where the discussion needs to take place. Someone else may have more experience with the gear you're wanting to use, as well.

The above linked thread does have some good info in it, we were going through all of this on the SAC forum as much as we go through PL, Baltic Birch, and Eminence on this forum. Thus, the FAQ was written.

[AntonZ]

I just found two ADA8000's on Ebay (UK, B-stock, very reasonably priced). Now an RME 9632 or 9652 and the fun can begin.

[mloretitsch]

Does any body know anything about e-mu sound cards to start out this just a 8-16 ch starter. And another thingf i need to know apart from tha ada8k what else do i need for a basic setup and please do not send me over to that site again i want to post a thread and i cannopt find any way to do it. So plaese help me HERE, i am serious about this thing but need direct info and not just reading a whole ton of threads. I have questions and need answers. Thats all. thanks

I know you aren't into the forum for SAC, but I do encourage you to read through it as time permits. It's the best way to learn about the system. Please at least read the first post of this thread:
http://www.sawstudiouser.com/forums/sho ... 325&page=2

That is the FAQ and it roughly outlines the hardware needed.

I use regularly:
Rackmount PC (Intel E5200 chip)
RME Raydat PCIe card
4xADA8000 ADAT

For a cheaper setup I would search ebay for a MOTU 2408 with PCI interface card. Add on 1 or 2 ADA8k and you should be well on your way.

-Matt

[gdougherty]

A thought for all the SAC users here. This is a forum discussing the design and building of Bill's excellent speakers. While I won't suggest banning mention of SAC over here, I'd like to suggest we not be enablers of laziness and non-participation in the SAC community. IMO, there is no reason to do much beyond pointing people to the SAC forums where many of these questions are already answered. Those of us who've dug through the forums know what a benefit in education and confidence in SAC's stability that provides. By answering in any detail over here we move the discussion away from the proper place.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a SAC evangelist myself. Anyone with any interest in sound gets introduced to SAC and BFM speakers whenever they're around me and they get a healthy dose of how amazing both are. I'd just like to respect the proper locations for certain topics. Whether or not SAC would be a fit for someone's needs I'd say is a fine topic for the BFM Mixers and Processors thread. How to build a system and recommended parts seems like a better fit for the SAC forums where other interested users can benefit as well.