Looking to upgrade PC system - want to keep PCI cards

[krizrox]

I've read through a lot of the posts regarding MOBO upgrades. Still a little confused. Could use some suggestions.

Basically I want to get away from WinXP and step up to V7 or V8 - 64 bit if possible although I could prob survive with a 32 bit system

I have a Scope Pro and an XTC card (used only for the extra DSP) and would like to continue using them. I don't need the latest and greatest cutting edge whatever. Just want to get something that is a known good solution for my Scope cards and I can run Win7 or 8.

Currently using Samplitude but may be cross-grading out of it into something else - Studio One or perhaps Pro Tools (haven't decided yet).

Waddya suggest in terms of MOBO and processor?

[garyb]

socket 1150 z87 boards seem to work well.

why do you need 64bit? the only app that might benefit is Kontact. if you use a lot of Kontact samples as your primary tools, you probably want 64bit. for all other audio apps, 32bit is better. the sequencers and plugins aren't really 64bit ready. there are still compatibility issues. this is likely to change, but your older stuff will need to all be upgraded when that happens. no audio app runs faster in 64bit windows. that is a myth. for cad/cam or video, it's a different story. the extra ram is the only advantage, but the app must actually be able to use the extra ram.

Scope cards are perfectly fine in 64bit windows, though. just remember that the Arpegs and STS samplers will not work. almost everything else works as it should.

[siriusbliss]

FWIW Kris, Samplitude/Sequoia 12 64-bit running on Win8 is running splendidly here.
64-bit gives plenty of running room and overhead for big VST's.

I doubt 32-bit systems will be supported (how old is WinXP now?) for much longer.

Gary built me a great system

Supermicro MBD-X8DA1-O LGA 1366 Intel 5520
Xeon Quad core E5620

Greg

[dante]

You can run a dual boot system - both WinXP x32 and Win8 x64.

http://www.hitfoundry.com/issue_20/w8_mast.htm

Most everything that I had working under WinXP now also runs under Win8 - it took a bit of time to do that but in the meantime I could still work under WinXP if I had an issue with Win8 without the pressure of trying to get everything to work at once on Win8.

Sunmachine can help or advise you regards Studio One.

[garyb]

Greg's Supermicro system might be the way to go if you want to spend a bit more money and intend to keep it a while.

the faster i7s for the socket 1150 system have a bit more power than the Supermicros' dual XEONS and for games, the i7 would probably be a little better. for long term stability and handling of audio and especially video and video rendering, the dual 1366 XEONS in Greg's computer are the way to go. the build quality of the Supermicro board can't be beat either.

[krizrox]

thanks for the tips guys - much appreciated!

I was looking through the Supermicro website and came across this product

http://www.supermicro.com/products/moth ... /C7Z87.cfm

It has a pair of PCI slots but what worries me are the location of the SATA connectors which would end up being right under the Scope cards.

[garyb]

yes, that might not be the best choice.

i mentioned Supermicro for the Dual 1366 XEON board.

i'd go intel, Asus or Gigabyte for the Z87 board.

[Marco]

I guess win8 succs, take win7 32 bit, no 64, its is supported only by 5.x version! not by 4.x! or update, cost money.

If you buy the "exsys ex-1031" you have external 4xpci, be free to use any pc-system independent!

[garyb]

win8 works great. it may work better than win7.

[53E7]

Just some friendly advice……. DO NOT seek out a new mobo for your Scope cards if your PC is functioning. It will be nothing more than a money pit that you will regret later. A much better investment would be a new computer, probably a Mac since that is what the rest of the creative world uses, and just use your EXISTING Scope PC as a sound module controlled by your new computer controlled by MIDI with digital audio out. Or simply save that money towards an Xite.

I upgraded my mobo this year and got the Supermicro X8DAI for my 3 Scope PCI cards. I wish I didn’t do that. The realty is things have changed since 2004 when I bought my system. They’ve changed a lot actually. First of all, in my experience, Windows 7 seems to introduce problems I never had with XP. Maybe Windows 8 solves those but I doubt that. Also, 64 bit just isn’t right for the old cards. They do function with 64 bit, but you’ll find you lose features, sometimes entire devices.

So now, after countless hours of frustration trouble shooting my NEW mobo back to 2004, I do have a fully functional Scope PC with Ableton Live. I admit it is REALLY nice and I plan to keep it running until it, or the PCI cards die, which may be never. It’s a quality build. It is familiar and what I’ve always known, so it is comfortable. If that is what you seek, go for it. I just can’t help knowing that I probably should have investigated current technology further. I am currently saving for an Xite (the full version, not the LE). Hopefully by the time I’m ready, Scope will be Mac compatible. A laptop, controller, and Xite is my future build.

[erminardi]

A much better investment would be a new computer, probably a Mac since that is what the rest of the creative world uses...

has been for several years that the mac has become a sieve, no more and no less than a good pc brand. defective boards, monitor that break, cd players that no longer work, upgrade programs that worsen the usability ... now it's just a way of saying that remains in the collective mouth. nothing more.

PC change always involves having to upgrade also your mind, mainly if you then want to do it yourself.
Personally I switched to an i7 with Win7 and work much, much better than before.

Each personal experience is unique and is composed of technical skill, open-mindedness and even luck. Take it with a product therefore does not make sense.

[53E7]

You get to a point in your life when you realize you aren’t going to be alive forever and there is a finite amount of time left. You need to decide what is really important to you and make realistic plans if you want to accomplish personal goals. I’m pretty tech savvy. I’ve done a lot of DIY projects both hardware and software. It’s actually what I do for a living (sort of anyway). But my life has gotten much more complicated and now I’m old. I love making music and in my spare time, which I have very little of these days, I just want to have my session at night be enjoyable and productive. My ideal setup reflects this attitude. Creative people like Macs because the OS is so well written that when you load up Ableton Live, you can just GO and not think about it.

[garyb]

the hardware is the same.
OSX is a pc(intel) os.
Win8(win7 or xp, even!) is every bit as stable and runs just as well as OSX.
Macs even run faster on windows than on OSX.

all that said, there is no problem with whatever you like. Macs are top quality machines and are probably worth every penny.

really, in the professional world these days, it's about 50/50 Macs vs. PCs.

[erminardi]

totally agree with Garyb

[jhulk]

have both a pc with hackintosh partition both systems are quad core i7 but the pc version with same spec can be built for £1000

where as the same spec mac will cost you £3-4000

to me though the mac was always based on the motorolla cpu now it uses a intel its a pc

[hubird]

a mac is integrated HW and OS, with OSX still years ahead of Windows...a lot of pc folks here still prefer XP, that says it all...

[garyb]

an opinion based upon no actual programming or real practical knowledge is thusly displayed.

both platforms are fine. the most important thing is to able to accomplish the work you need done. i find the Mac desktop to be annoying as hell, but others love it. it hardly matters. both work well and are equally stable. the main thing is Scope cards don't work in it.

people still use XP because it works and there's no need to change it. some are frightened by change. personally, i don't want to continue to upgrade and keep reinstalling new programs when the ones that i have are sufficient. if i was building a new computer, and i have, i would use windows 8 without hesitation. it has it's annoyances, just like every operating system, but it works very well and is very reliable. it doesn't need tons of tweeks to make it usable, and i would never tweek it except to turn off all the fancy styled windows and, if it's for Scope, to turn off the power management(if Scope worked on a Mac, i'd want to do the same). windows 8 is much more accessable and customizable(hackers!) for the average guy than OSX. OSX does do a good job holding it's users hands though. as long as you play the way Apple thinks you should, the os is very benign.

[Marco]

If you use win7 you Need to upgrade Scope to 5.x because 4.x succs with win7

[garyb]

If you use win7 you Need to upgrade Scope to 5.x because 4.x succs with win7

well, yeah, no kidding. Creamware went out of business just as Vista was released, v4.x was never intended to work in Vista, let alone win7 or win8.

[petal]

If you use win7 you Need to upgrade Scope to 5.x because 4.x succs with win7

Scope v4.5 works fine for me on windows 7.

And it's even running on the same machine as I have my XITE running Scope V5.1 in parallel.