Jeffrey Krieger

Can anyone recommend a sound card that will be

compatible on a Powerbook G4, OSX and latest version

of MAX/MSP? I want to take advantage of the highest

possible sound quality output from the computer but

naturally have concerns about compatibility. Are there

Can anyone recommend a sound card that will be
compatible on a Powerbook G4, OSX and latest version
of MAX/MSP? I want to take advantage of the highest
possible sound quality output from the computer but
naturally have concerns about compatibility. Are there
any other issues?
Thank you.
Jeffrey Krieger


sound-card-for-g4-powerbook

That's right. I'm using it now for 3 years (MultiFace) and it's really fast with low latency. The drivers for 10.4 are very stable now.

But you have to have a powerplug for the interface everywhere with the older cards (like mine).

That's right. I'm using it now for 3 years (MultiFace) and it's really fast with low latency. The drivers for 10.4 are very stable now.
But you have to have a powerplug for the interface everywhere with the older cards (like mine).


I don't see the advantage of buying an extra soundcard if it isn't for multiple extra i/o. later generation pbs have adequate built-in audio.

anyway,on the multichannel front, if you're on a budget, some people I know are very satisfied with the Focusrite Sapphire.

RME of course comes recommended, they have a firewire range.

MOTU are good, but I've heard of troubles with max and a few other apps with the traveler, which you shouln't have in that price range imo. 

there are some nice small cards by echo, but I don't know how they behave in osx.

I don't see the advantage of buying an extra soundcard if it isn't for multiple extra i/o. later generation pbs have adequate built-in audio.
anyway,on the multichannel front, if you're on a budget, some people I know are very satisfied with the Focusrite Sapphire.
RME of course comes recommended, they have a firewire range.
MOTU are good, but I've heard of troubles with max and a few other apps with the traveler, which you shouln't have in that price range imo.  
there are some nice small cards by echo, but I don't know how they behave in osx.


> I don't see the advantage of buying an extra soundcard if it isn't 

> for multiple extra i/o. later generation pbs have adequate built-in 

I don't know what you mean by "later generation", but the headphone 

socket on my Rev. D. TiBook certainly doesn't come close to the 

quality of even a budget digital mixer/interface, and I doubt the 

microphone in minijack is up to much either. (Having said that, we 

have run quite a few high-profile shows with headphone jack audio 

going into some mondo PA systems, and it wasn't bad, but an A/B 

> RME of course comes recommended, they have a firewire range.

The Fireface is (I believe) FW800, which the new MacBook doesn't 

> MOTU are good, but I've heard of troubles with max and a few other 

> apps with the traveler, which you shouln't have in that price range 

I haven't played with a Travel[l]er, but have used an 828 (both Mk. I 

nick rothwell -- composition, systems, performance -- 

> I don't see the advantage of buying an extra soundcard if it isn't  
> for multiple extra i/o. later generation pbs have adequate built-in  
> audio.

I don't know what you mean by "later generation", but the headphone  
socket on my Rev. D. TiBook certainly doesn't come close to the  
quality of even a budget digital mixer/interface, and I doubt the  
microphone in minijack is up to much either. (Having said that, we  
have run quite a few high-profile shows with headphone jack audio  
going into some mondo PA systems, and it wasn't bad, but an A/B  
comparison would show the difference.)

The Fireface is (I believe) FW800, which the new MacBook doesn't  
have, since Intel don't support it.

> MOTU are good, but I've heard of troubles with max and a few other  
> apps with the traveler, which you shouln't have in that price range  
> imo.

I haven't played with a Travel[l]er, but have used an 828 (both Mk. I  
and Mk. II) without problems.

   nick rothwell -- composition, systems, performance -- http:// 
www.cassiel.com


My new MOTU Traveler seems to work perfectly with max.

Though it did arrive with half of the screws missing from the back panel!

> The Fireface is (I believe) FW800, which the new MacBook doesn't have, 

Fireface supports FW800 (it can be chained with a disk, etc.), but only 

> The Fireface is (I believe) FW800, which the new MacBook doesn't  have, 
> since Intel don't support it.

Fireface supports FW800 (it can be chained with a disk, etc.), but only 
requires FW400.


Quote: nick rothwell / cassiel wrote on Tue, 24 January 2006 12:02

----------------------------------------------------

> I don't know what you mean by "later generation", but the headphone 

> socket on my Rev. D. TiBook certainly doesn't come close to the 

> quality of even a budget digital mixer/interface

I have a 1.5 Ghz, 15" pb, which i think was one of the first models with the better built-in audio.

I'm not saying it is as good as an external interface, but costs and footprint in mind the minor increase in quality doesn't seem worth it to me.

Quote: nick rothwell / cassiel wrote on Tue, 24 January 2006 12:02
----------------------------------------------------
>
> I don't know what you mean by "later generation", but the headphone  
> socket on my Rev. D. TiBook certainly doesn't come close to the  
> quality of even a budget digital mixer/interface

I have a 1.5 Ghz, 15" pb, which i think was one of the first models with the better built-in audio.
I'm not saying it is as good as an external interface, but costs and footprint in mind the minor increase in quality doesn't seem worth it to me. 

> I don't see the advantage of buying an extra soundcard if it isn't for multiple extra i/o. later generation pbs have adequate built-in audio.

For example, when i work on my vaio without my RME plugged to the 

PCMCIA, some of my simpliest max patches go to 85% cpu, and it's 

scaring. When i plug the sound card back, it goes to 8-10%...

junior wrote:
> I don't see the advantage of buying an extra soundcard if it isn't for multiple extra i/o. later generation pbs have adequate built-in audio.
>
For example, when i work on my vaio without my RME plugged to the 
PCMCIA, some of my simpliest max patches go to 85% cpu, and it's 
scaring. When i plug the sound card back, it goes to 8-10%...
>


i've never experienced anything like that, but that's a good reason indeed. it would be nice if they'd make some small sound cards with generic dsp chips on so that you could do some processing on them with max.

i've never experienced anything like that, but that's a good reason indeed. it would be nice if they'd make some small sound cards with generic dsp chips on so that you could do some processing on them with max.
something like creamware...


for me - on macs - when i have only the card bus 

(from RME) i can choose either the RME or the 

of course using the cardbus (alone) i have NO 

sound (that i can hear), but i can edit (etc etc) 

as a ruel using the core audio "seems" a little 

lighter on cpu than the RME (just seems maybe) - 

for me - on macs - when i have only the card bus 
(from RME) i can choose either the RME or the 
Core audio

of course using the cardbus (alone) i have NO 
sound (that i can hear), but i can edit (etc etc) 
my patch

as a ruel using the core audio "seems" a little 
lighter on cpu than the RME (just seems maybe) - 
it is certainly NOT 8 times more!!

-- 
  Kasper T. Toeplitz
noise, composition, bass, computer
http://www.sleazeArt.com

how weird, he reported a speed INcrease wth the rme...

with all the fw800 / fw400 problems on windows xp sp2...

> with all the fw800 / fw400 problems on windows xp sp2...

I'd rather switch the OS than the converters ;-)

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f.e wrote:
> with all the fw800 / fw400 problems on windows xp sp2...

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         Klanggestalter
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sound card for G4 Powerbook