Opinion about Mac Pro for photo/video/audio stuff

[Jeremy Garchow]

The dremcolor is an awesome option for 10bit video monitoring. But along with it you need a capture card, an AJA HDP2 and the calibration tool. I have an article here on the cow about it.

The dremcolor setup done right will run you about 3 grand plus the cost of an SDI capture/output device.
The dremcolor

[Bj Ahlen]

The Apogee Duet is totally great in sound, ergonomics (big knob and on screen mixer), and very good micpres with 48V phantom power.

The less expensive Genelecs (<$2K/pair) I find to sound too “pleasant.”

That’s a problem when mixing and mastering, because it can make you think you’ve got great sound even as your clients wonder if you need a hearing aid.

Get a pair of Alesis M1 Active mk2 Biamp Monitors for $299 + a pair of Auralex MoPads ($38) to isolate them from whatever they are standing on + a pair of 1/4″ signal cables to connect to the Duet.

The monitors should ideally be at ear level to avoid a nasty bass bump from the surface they’re on, but even just the little raise from the MoPads will help some. Keep them at least a foot from the back wall also.

Don’t snicker at the low price of these monitors, they are very very good for this purpose, and they’re not tiring to listen to, which is important at the end of a long day.

[Nace Zavrl]

Thanks for the reply,

I once heard the M1 Active MKII and they sounded very neutral and clear, but the problem is my workspace isn’t really fit for monitors of that size, that’s why I’m leaning towards the smaller Genelecs, which I see are getting mixed opinions.

I was also looking at the Genelec 8020b combined with the M-Audio ProFire 610. Are the 8020b worth the extra price and how does the interface compare to the Duet?

Nace,

[Patrice Freymond]

Although I own a pair of Genelecs I agree that they sound too nice and would back up the choice of PMC’s. Also, ditch the sub from your budget as you will get tired from all this overwhelming bass when you edit.

Pat

[Bj Ahlen]

The M-Audio ProFire 610 sounds OK and would save you $100.

But the sound isn’t at the Duet level, and you need a 16″x12″ space to park it within reach (in practice you’d probably have to put it somewhere else and get a separate line level volume knob for $75-$100, which would of couorse negate the savings).

It is also reputed to have buggy drivers, which sounds likely considering the experience I had with my M-Audio FW410, which you just reminded me to pull out of the closet for disposal on eBay.

Firewire interfaces are a royal, nay imperial, pain when the drivers aren’t great (like the Duet drivers are, perhaps because they only support OS X nowadays). Do you really want to use language your mother wouldn’t approve of?

[Nace Zavrl]

Thanks so much for the response,

So I guess I will go for the Duet. But how can I connect the monitor to the Duet, if the monitor only has an XLR input? Go for a different monitor?

Nace,

[Bj Ahlen]

The Alesis monitors have a combo connector that allows you to plug in either an XLR or a 1/4″ TRS plug.

If you get another monitor with XLR-only, you just need a Male 1/4″ TRS to Male XLR cable, less than $6 for a 3 ft. length at monoprice.com (which is a good supplier with quality products).

If you really need the most compact monitors, look at Blue Sky’s midrange monitors.

They cost more than 3x as much as the Alesis M1s, but they are somewhat comparable in sound quality.

Blue Sky’s higher end monitors are even used at Lucasfilm.