need help with a mac set up

[kaminari13]

Trying to get my stuff up and running but i must be the most ignorant computer user alive (can write e-mails,not much more)
well i have a bunch of nice mics and know how to use em,a rack of good pre-amps/compressors etc and i know that i want to use my analogue eq comps etc when mixing tracks ,i am recording live loud rock bands at a rehersal space and finishing the job at home, at the moment eveything is getting done on a md8(i know some of you will pee yer pants laughing) i´ve had some pretty good results ,records have been released etc.(yeah real vinyl)
i am going to get a mac g5 and protools so i can juggle with more tracks at home (maybe later a laptop for locations)
i´m a little scared of forking the money out for something i dont understand what do i need to get something like this running ,i dont even know how to get 8 tracks of sound down a wire and into the magic computer boxamijig

 

[Mindset]

so whats' the question?

 

[kaminari13]

the question is how can i do this ?what do i need?what kind of box/s do i need to make 8 analogue outputs simultaniously end up as tracks on a protools program infront of my very eyes ,i understand nothing of soundcards and alike ,

 

[Mindset]

If you want 8 inputs....

8 inputs separate tracks? or 8 inputs down to 2 tracks?

To achieve this, you'll either need to get something like the Firestudio, 002, 1010 etc. That'll give you 8 separate. if you get something like the Audiophile 24/96 or lower I/O Counts., and use the analog connections, than you'll have 2 channels only, left/right and with a mixer, you would have say 8 inputs down to two inputs when it hits your DAW. Since your recording a band, I would suggest getting a mixer, and a 002 (or 003) and routing them through a patch bay so you can use the rest of your gear.

 

[dgatwood]

To achieve this, you'll either need to get something like the Firestudio, 002, 1010 etc. That'll give you 8 separate. if you get something like the Audiophile 24/96 or lower I/O Counts., and use the analog connections, than you'll have 2 channels only, left/right and with a mixer, you would have say 8 inputs down to two inputs when it hits your DAW. Since your recording a band, I would suggest getting a mixer, and a 002 (or 003) and routing them through a patch bay so you can use the rest of your gear.

Do not even consider the 1010 or any other PCI hardware. It won't work in the last generation of PowerMac G5, nor any Mac built since. Current members of the Mac platform are exclusively PCI Express, which is not compatible with standard PCI cards.

IMHO, the best interfaces on the Mac platform, bar none, are those built by MOTU. I've tried M-Audio and Presonus, and neither works as well as my MOTU gear.

The M-Audio is the worst, with constant driver bugs. A lot of their driver versions disable system sleep. Others play the same audio over and over in an endless loop getting louder and Louder and LOUDER. And so on. Almost every software update required some driver change. I nearly tore my hair out.

Presonus is okay when the hardware works, but at least with the FIREPOD, the CPU load has spiking problems, as do all BridgeCo BeBoB-based devices, as far as I'm aware. While it's not a big deal for light duty use, when you start building up lots of tracks and plug-ins, those spikes will translate into audible glitches.

IMHO, the best choices by far are the 8Pre, 896HD, or 828MKII (FireWire version). The reason for that recommendation is that I believe all three of those support 8-channel 96kHz ADAT lightpipe ganging.

If you need something beefier, there's also the HD192, which is now available in both PCI and PCIe versions. (The PCIe card costs $295 for existing HD192 owners.) That's massively scary expensive hardware, but pretty cool.

Of course, you can't use Pro Tools with any of those interfaces. If you really want to use Pro Tools, you'll have to either put up with M-Audio's craptacular drivers (and the seriously track-limited Pro Tools "M-Powered") or pay the Digi tax (with the Digi 002 FireWire interface---DO NOT go with a 001 or other PCI interface unless you never plan to upgrade your Mac).

My advice? Unless you have a really good reason to use Pro Tools, I'd go with MOTU hardware and either Logic or MOTU Digital Performer. You'll be a lot happier, IMHO.