Hi all. Great forums.
I have searched around here first before asking.
i am looking to buy a Pulsar 2 and convert it to Scope platform and run it on my old PC. I wonder if you all could help me with this system spec and maybe highlight any problem areas that I may need to be aware of:
THE SETUP:
*existing PC no.1, the brains of the studio:
Core 2 duo system, RME Fireface, Cubase SX3 rewired to Reason 3. I figure this is irrelevent to the Pulsar/scope environment if I am also using.....
...*PC no. 2, my old PC put to good use for synthesis:
Pentium 4 C 3.2ghz , Gigabyte MOBO, 1g ram etc and PULSAR 2 card.
Now i'm hoping to use the old computer basically as a Hardware synth, and chuck the pulsar in there to do so and upgrade more pulsar DSP as I find it cheap. The New computer would stay AS IS with all my projects and would link via MIDI to the old PC pulsar system. so I'd be running two machines in tandem.
is this silly? would I be far better off putting the Pulsar in my new core 2 duo system and running in xtc mode or something? I like the sound of xtc mode, as I don't have to stray from the Cubase SX environment. I've heard of issues with Pulsar and dual core, but am not sure about core 2 duo?
Ultimately, the second option would be quieter, more compact and cheaper, not to mention more portable. But Option one may be more stable..allow more resources to be dedicated to the Pulsar by the P4...not to mention I don't even know if the pulsar will work with a core 2 duo system.
I will be happy either way...I LOVE the sound produced by the Creamware company and various thrid party DSP programmers. Stellar audio.
Thanks for any help offered. i appreciate it.
Anthony Howells, Melbourne Australia
Pulsar via MIDI, xtc mode, cubase SX3 particular systemspec
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SootynSweep
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I have a very similar system.
My main daw is a dual core e6600 system running Cubase SX. with an RME 9652 card
My second DAW is basically a creamware host. I have three creamware cards in that box. All cards were purchased used at great discount.
The second DAW (creamware host) I I have set-up Cubase SE as well and do run that it XTC mode as needed. If you read more of my posts regarding XTC you will see some of the advantages and disadvanctages of XTC mode. In a nutshell, hosting the plug-ins in xtc mode gives you access to systemlink in Cubase and great automation control both with the mouse (no zippering) and the generic and HUI remote capabilities of Cubase. With XTC , not all plug-ins will work properly and you lose that fantastic routing flexibilty so perfect for sound design, BUT, you can go back and forth, regular scope or XTC just not at the same time.
Whe you are running the Scope software as a standalone system the card really shines with flexible routing and sound design . I mostly use it in this capacity. When I need the full capabilities of the second box , I load up Cubase SE, the XTCproject file loads in the background and I get instant system link, supported creamware pluggins working as regular vsts and a host for my regular natives vsts.
I'd suggest setting up your second box in this fasion and keep you main box as is. I think you get maximum flexibility that way. Just my thoughts.
A great tip: If you don't have the synth and sampler pack because you are buying used cards, you can get an older version from www.sonic8.com in the UK from their b-stock section. I got the bundle as below for about $180.00 Canadian. They even sent me the serials by mail so I could register the package with ralf at creamware in-case the package got lost in transit. I had the bundle registered and working before it even arrived in the mail. This exact bundle is still available in some US outlets and goes for $600 .00 U.S.
B-Stock Synth and Sampler from www.sonic8.com
Minimax - Perfect emulation of one of the most-loved synths of all time
Modular III - Modular system - Hans Zimmer's "secret weapon"
Vectron - Vector synthesizer inspired by the legendary ProphetTM VS
SB 404 - Analog synth with integrated step-sequencer
EDS 16i - Analog drum synthesizer with 20 drum kits
STS-5000 - Realtime Audio Transforming Sampler
I hope you find these opinions helpful. - Scott
My main daw is a dual core e6600 system running Cubase SX. with an RME 9652 card
My second DAW is basically a creamware host. I have three creamware cards in that box. All cards were purchased used at great discount.
The second DAW (creamware host) I I have set-up Cubase SE as well and do run that it XTC mode as needed. If you read more of my posts regarding XTC you will see some of the advantages and disadvanctages of XTC mode. In a nutshell, hosting the plug-ins in xtc mode gives you access to systemlink in Cubase and great automation control both with the mouse (no zippering) and the generic and HUI remote capabilities of Cubase. With XTC , not all plug-ins will work properly and you lose that fantastic routing flexibilty so perfect for sound design, BUT, you can go back and forth, regular scope or XTC just not at the same time.
Whe you are running the Scope software as a standalone system the card really shines with flexible routing and sound design . I mostly use it in this capacity. When I need the full capabilities of the second box , I load up Cubase SE, the XTCproject file loads in the background and I get instant system link, supported creamware pluggins working as regular vsts and a host for my regular natives vsts.
I'd suggest setting up your second box in this fasion and keep you main box as is. I think you get maximum flexibility that way. Just my thoughts.
A great tip: If you don't have the synth and sampler pack because you are buying used cards, you can get an older version from www.sonic8.com in the UK from their b-stock section. I got the bundle as below for about $180.00 Canadian. They even sent me the serials by mail so I could register the package with ralf at creamware in-case the package got lost in transit. I had the bundle registered and working before it even arrived in the mail. This exact bundle is still available in some US outlets and goes for $600 .00 U.S.
B-Stock Synth and Sampler from www.sonic8.com
Minimax - Perfect emulation of one of the most-loved synths of all time
Modular III - Modular system - Hans Zimmer's "secret weapon"
Vectron - Vector synthesizer inspired by the legendary ProphetTM VS
SB 404 - Analog synth with integrated step-sequencer
EDS 16i - Analog drum synthesizer with 20 drum kits
STS-5000 - Realtime Audio Transforming Sampler
I hope you find these opinions helpful. - Scott
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SootynSweep
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:31 pm
- Contact:
Hi Scott.
Thats fantastic & answers pretty much all my initial questions.
Thanks so much for the older pack link. i want to budget the system and that helps a lot.
hopefully you wont mind if i ask you a few questions later as I go along.
Been a great help, thanks. i'm looking into system link right now, i hadn't considered it!
Anthony aka sooty 'n' sweep.
Thats fantastic & answers pretty much all my initial questions.
Thanks so much for the older pack link. i want to budget the system and that helps a lot.
hopefully you wont mind if i ask you a few questions later as I go along.
Been a great help, thanks. i'm looking into system link right now, i hadn't considered it!
Anthony aka sooty 'n' sweep.
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SootynSweep
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- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:31 pm
- Contact:
Yes the system is stable, systemlink works very well between the rme and pulsar cards. To be clear the rme is in the main daw and the creamware cards are in a separate box.
I am using a mixture of cards. I originally had two pulsars but since have added a third luna card to it. Both configurations were fine but adding the luna card gave me lower latency which helped.
I am using a mixture of cards. I originally had two pulsars but since have added a third luna card to it. Both configurations were fine but adding the luna card gave me lower latency which helped.
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SootynSweep
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- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:31 pm
- Contact:
When you add a newer card say a pulsar II or luna II to the older creamware system, you connect them with a cable (stdm). There is a setting to make in the software whereby you tell it that the version II card is the master. All cards are then available with the reduced latency of the luna. With version 1 cards the lowerest you can go with asio is 13ms, with the Luna II or pulsar II in the mix all cards can be accessed at 3ms when used in asio mode.
NOTE: When you are using the cards as standalone (not asio) there is near 0 latency regardless if you are using pulsar Is or IIs or both.
There is a minor catch when mixing older and newer cards. The older cards don't handle the pci bus as well as the newer cards. You tend to more pci errors croping up when mixing the older and newer cards. Most often the software prompts you to try again and the problem goes away. This is more relevant to those who are running third party reverbs and such which are heavy on the pci bus. In my application, this hasn't been a sigificant issue for me and I happily run a mixed system at a greatly reduced cost.
NOTE: When you are using the cards as standalone (not asio) there is near 0 latency regardless if you are using pulsar Is or IIs or both.
There is a minor catch when mixing older and newer cards. The older cards don't handle the pci bus as well as the newer cards. You tend to more pci errors croping up when mixing the older and newer cards. Most often the software prompts you to try again and the problem goes away. This is more relevant to those who are running third party reverbs and such which are heavy on the pci bus. In my application, this hasn't been a sigificant issue for me and I happily run a mixed system at a greatly reduced cost.
SootynSweep wrote:Scott
How does the luna card lower the latency? Does it lower it for all card? do you master and slave the cards or something?
thanks again.
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SootynSweep
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- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:31 pm
- Contact:
Cheers
I reckon I should be fine. Am looking at a Pulsar 2 card of a friend who doesn't use it anymore and I would simply wait until another came along to add it to the system. I'm in no hurry for DSP power.
I used to have a pulsar one card...and it was adequate in that it ran a few synths which was all I needed it for. Unfortunately there were some incompatibilities that forced me to sell it as i needed complete stability. Creamware said either turn off hyperthreading or get a pulsar 2 card. This time round I will do both those things I reckon.
This is very helpful. Thanks for aiding my quest Scotty!
I reckon I should be fine. Am looking at a Pulsar 2 card of a friend who doesn't use it anymore and I would simply wait until another came along to add it to the system. I'm in no hurry for DSP power.
I used to have a pulsar one card...and it was adequate in that it ran a few synths which was all I needed it for. Unfortunately there were some incompatibilities that forced me to sell it as i needed complete stability. Creamware said either turn off hyperthreading or get a pulsar 2 card. This time round I will do both those things I reckon.
This is very helpful. Thanks for aiding my quest Scotty!
No problem, let us know how you are getting on.
SootynSweep wrote:Cheers
I reckon I should be fine. Am looking at a Pulsar 2 card of a friend who doesn't use it anymore and I would simply wait until another came along to add it to the system. I'm in no hurry for DSP power.
I used to have a pulsar one card...and it was adequate in that it ran a few synths which was all I needed it for. Unfortunately there were some incompatibilities that forced me to sell it as i needed complete stability. Creamware said either turn off hyperthreading or get a pulsar 2 card. This time round I will do both those things I reckon.
This is very helpful. Thanks for aiding my quest Scotty!