I got an amazing deal at a second hand store today. An A16 Ultra, Creamware Scope and Cubase SE all bundled in a package. It looks like it was bought in 2004/2005. I was instantly attracted to the A16 because it said Creamware on it and it looked like a cool 16 in and outs whic I could desperately use in my setup.
I got home and started looking through the Scope book and it looked like I am not able to use the A16 without a hardware card for my computer. But I was wondering because I looked around and it says you can use it in any setup but the instructions in Scope don't make it very clear how.
Currently I have an Mbox 2 Pro going into my Intel-based Mac (late 2006 edition) and am using Pro Tools LE. Is there anyway I can use the A16 in this setup?
If not, I am not permanently attached to Pro Tools. I could live without it, it kind of annoys me. Using Scope and Cubase might be more exciting and more suited to what I make. But the only thing that did not come with the package was a hardware card for the computer. If I want to use Scope and Cubase will I have to go buy a hardware card or can the A16 and the computer just communicate between to the two firewire ports. If so which card? Do they make hardware cards for the flat Macs? Can I use Scope and Cubase SE on my OSX Mac or is the software useless? And will the A16 Ultra have to go to Ebay for a Creamware user to buy?
I would be happy If I could just get the 16 in and outs going with what I have as I need the ports. I would be elated if I could use the Cubase/Scope/A16 combo and ditch Mbox2 Pro/Pro Tools.
As a test, I plugged a keyboard (Roland JX-10) directly into the A16 and when I played it registered but only at -60 every time I played a key. Does it need to be powered or something?
Any help would be appreciated.
Using A16 with Mac OSx. Complete Noob
Re: Using A16 with Mac OSx. Complete Noob
the problem is that you are waiting for Scope v5 to use it with osx, and the Scope card is a pci card and intel macs only have pci-e slots. a magma box or other pci to pci-e adaptor should work once v5 is released...
you have a really great bit of hardware, which is way more useful than any particular computer, so i recommend patience. the Scope card has dsp processors on it, so Scope plugins are REAL hardware. the Scope environment allows that A16 to function as a realtime patchbay between all programs and the real world, with virtually ZERO latency, in and out of the computer as you please. Cubase or PT becomes a multi track tape deck with all i/o patchable with anything in real time. all connections that can be made in the real world can be made in Scope. the movie "Gladiator" was mixed in Scope and it won an Academy Award for sound. others mixing in Scope have been Grammy nominated(best instrumental twice). Scope is real gear, not just a computer toy that is useless because it's old. audio gear of this quality is always useful. congrats on your purchase!
you have a really great bit of hardware, which is way more useful than any particular computer, so i recommend patience. the Scope card has dsp processors on it, so Scope plugins are REAL hardware. the Scope environment allows that A16 to function as a realtime patchbay between all programs and the real world, with virtually ZERO latency, in and out of the computer as you please. Cubase or PT becomes a multi track tape deck with all i/o patchable with anything in real time. all connections that can be made in the real world can be made in Scope. the movie "Gladiator" was mixed in Scope and it won an Academy Award for sound. others mixing in Scope have been Grammy nominated(best instrumental twice). Scope is real gear, not just a computer toy that is useless because it's old. audio gear of this quality is always useful. congrats on your purchase!
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plikestechno
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:08 am
Re: Using A16 with Mac OSx. Complete Noob
Hmmm...thx for the comments.
So if I bought an ADAT then it would the ADAT be able to control the levels coming in and such? Becasue the A16 doesn't seem to have any controls. It's just a patch bay right? Which ADAT I/O on the Mac do you mean? Would I have to record to tape on the ADAT and then put into the mac and then Pro Tools?
Buying the new XITE module and software seem like more of an investment than I'm willing to make at approx. $4000.
I dunno. I could really use this thing but it might be heading for Ebay.
So if I bought an ADAT then it would the ADAT be able to control the levels coming in and such? Becasue the A16 doesn't seem to have any controls. It's just a patch bay right? Which ADAT I/O on the Mac do you mean? Would I have to record to tape on the ADAT and then put into the mac and then Pro Tools?
Buying the new XITE module and software seem like more of an investment than I'm willing to make at approx. $4000.
I dunno. I could really use this thing but it might be heading for Ebay.
Re: Using A16 with Mac OSx. Complete Noob
you don't need an xite to use v5 software.
not an ADAT machine, but ADAT lightpipe, which is an 8 channel optical, digital connection...
to my mind, Scope is much more something to hold onto than almost any computer. the computers themselves are disposible, even expensive one's like that mac you own are meant to be replaced every 6 months...
it all depends on what you value and what your purposes are.....
not an ADAT machine, but ADAT lightpipe, which is an 8 channel optical, digital connection...
to my mind, Scope is much more something to hold onto than almost any computer. the computers themselves are disposible, even expensive one's like that mac you own are meant to be replaced every 6 months...
it all depends on what you value and what your purposes are.....-
plikestechno
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:08 am
Re: Using A16 with Mac OSx. Complete Noob
No, here's the thing. It came with Scope software and manual but NOT the scope card. I bought it at a second hand store like I said.
So, not having a scope card can I do anything with it? Should I troll Ebay for a used older scope card (http://cgi.ebay.com/Creamware-Luna-II-S ... 286.c0.m14) and adaptor and wait it out?
Is there a different cable or adaptor that I can get to send audio in and out of my Mac without a Scope card? And to control record levels and such. Like through firewire or USB or whatever?
It seems like a very high end piece of equipment (compared to what I have) and for the price I paid I would rather use it then sell it. What might an upgrade cost and how will I get it since the old scope won't run on OSX? Will Cubase SE run on OSX?
Please lay out exactly for me what I will need to get/buy. Now and eventually. I want to do this and agree that something that sounds great is worth more than what it's plugged into. It seems like it will be light years better than my Pro Tools LE/Mbox 2 Pro setup. But I'm also a married man and I'm just recording my dance music at home, not running a professional studio. So I can only spend so much.
So, not having a scope card can I do anything with it? Should I troll Ebay for a used older scope card (http://cgi.ebay.com/Creamware-Luna-II-S ... 286.c0.m14) and adaptor and wait it out?
Is there a different cable or adaptor that I can get to send audio in and out of my Mac without a Scope card? And to control record levels and such. Like through firewire or USB or whatever?
It seems like a very high end piece of equipment (compared to what I have) and for the price I paid I would rather use it then sell it. What might an upgrade cost and how will I get it since the old scope won't run on OSX? Will Cubase SE run on OSX?
Please lay out exactly for me what I will need to get/buy. Now and eventually. I want to do this and agree that something that sounds great is worth more than what it's plugged into. It seems like it will be light years better than my Pro Tools LE/Mbox 2 Pro setup. But I'm also a married man and I'm just recording my dance music at home, not running a professional studio. So I can only spend so much.
Re: Using A16 with Mac OSx. Complete Noob
The software is Worthless without a card.It is BOUND to a specific card.You can buy any audio card that has 16 adat channels In and out and use the ad/da converter(a16 ultra) with your mac.Its just a Analog signalto Digital signal converter.
What mac are you using btw?
The a16 gives you basically 16 ins and 16 outs to your Computer via Adat Lightpipe(optical interface) or via a special scope only Z-Link format.
What mac are you using btw?
The a16 gives you basically 16 ins and 16 outs to your Computer via Adat Lightpipe(optical interface) or via a special scope only Z-Link format.
Re: Using A16 with Mac OSx. Complete Noob
The A16 on its own is just an analog to digital converter, and vice-versa. No preamps, no effects, no software mixer. To get the sounds in and out of your computer you will still need a soundcard, with ADAT digital ins and outs.
The MBox 2 Pro doesn't have ADAT connections, so there's no way to use this on your current setup. What you can do is look around for a good ADAT soundcard - they're usually cheaper than the ones with analog connections, and then you get 16 channels of high quality AD/DA. Something like this RME soundcard, for example, would be a good choice, it's got excellent routing capabilities, or maybe you can search on the m-audio side, as you may be able to still use pro-tools with that as well.
This will give you nothing related to scope software - for that you need a Scope card, and currently, Scope cards only come as PCI boards, and don't support OSX, so you can't add one to your setup just like that.
BTW- The firewire-like ports you see on the A16 are only to connect to a Scope card with Z-Link I/O, not to a firewire port on your computer! It won't work like that (and might fry both things).
<EdiT : Oops, sorry, hadn't seen fluxpods post - but there you go!
The MBox 2 Pro doesn't have ADAT connections, so there's no way to use this on your current setup. What you can do is look around for a good ADAT soundcard - they're usually cheaper than the ones with analog connections, and then you get 16 channels of high quality AD/DA. Something like this RME soundcard, for example, would be a good choice, it's got excellent routing capabilities, or maybe you can search on the m-audio side, as you may be able to still use pro-tools with that as well.
This will give you nothing related to scope software - for that you need a Scope card, and currently, Scope cards only come as PCI boards, and don't support OSX, so you can't add one to your setup just like that.
BTW- The firewire-like ports you see on the A16 are only to connect to a Scope card with Z-Link I/O, not to a firewire port on your computer! It won't work like that (and might fry both things).
<EdiT : Oops, sorry, hadn't seen fluxpods post - but there you go!
Re: Using A16 with Mac OSx. Complete Noob
yep.
cubase se isn't really that fabulous either, i'm afraid. it's a little to crippled imho. i really like cubase sx and cubase 4, however, and would pick them over PT LE anyday...m-audio, well...it certainly works and a good engineer can certainly get good results. it is definitely consumer hardware and not special, however. the RME card would be an upgrade, once more imo....
cubase se isn't really that fabulous either, i'm afraid. it's a little to crippled imho. i really like cubase sx and cubase 4, however, and would pick them over PT LE anyday...m-audio, well...it certainly works and a good engineer can certainly get good results. it is definitely consumer hardware and not special, however. the RME card would be an upgrade, once more imo....