I have been a PTHD user for many years, and, I am also old school, so I do not spend a lot of time posting on user forums. My first post…….and its a long one. Now that the HDX/AAX era is firmly upon us, I felt it time to contribute something to help others……since I myself have used many helpful tips from this forum. There are other similar threads around this topic, but, many contain incorrect information, and are missing other key details.
I would not call myself a "green" type, but, I also like to avoid putting things in landfills un-necessarily. With that said, the basic intent here is to provide/clarify information around building "Hackintosh" OSX computers for the purpose of economically salvaging/reusing pci based (not pcie) TDM hardware.
Since I migrated my main control room to HDX/PT11 late last year, and my Mac Pro is getting long in the tooth, I have been looking for some options. I am also non-plussed by the design of the new Mac Pro, and I still have TDM plugs to contend with + my project room, and home studio. Over this past winter, I have built three TDM "Hackintosh" systems that are solid performers and rock solid stable. No over-clocking, no crazy tweaking, etc…..the goal was to built production grade systems for real work.
My main HDX system is a beast with a 10-core Xeon E5 CPU and 64gb of ram booting from an 8gb/sec san array running Mountain Lion without so much as a burp for 6 months. But the intent here is for building useful TDM systems for secondary rooms, or up and coming users with a budget. So……..
The current typical street/ebay price for TDM pci core cards is $150-250 with Accel cards going for $300-$400. 192 I/O's are less than $500, so one can build a a cost effective HD3 Accel and larger TDM system these days….except for one problem…Mac-Pro's and later have no standard pci slots….only pcie. But pcie TDM cards are still fairly pricy, and at this point in the Avid product cycle, probably does not make sense to spend that much money into an End-Of-Life system when HDX can be had for not much more.
I have read a lot of conflicting information about what can and can't be done with pci based TDM cards….especially the limits of using Apple hardware. OSX EULA issues aside, building(or having built) your own "Hackintosh" machine opens up a LOT of flexibility that Apple hardware does not provide. The below information is based on my own actual hands-on testing…..not third hand information I read somewhere else.
IMHO http://ift.tt/xJkQ6i is the easiest place to find what you need to get a OSX machine up and running easily on commodity hardware. My builds don't use custom kext editing, DSDT's, or other modifications beyond using I-Boot, UniBeast, and MultiBeast. As such, I use hardware that boots default installs without complicated efforts to make functional.
Graphics cards: I use 2 that have native OSX support, Nvidia 8600GT fan-less (Asus or Gigabyte models with dual DVI) for normal DAW use, Sapphire ATI 6870 (Using the Chameleon boot parameters: AtiPorts=4 AtiConfig=duckweed) for something that needs graphics performance. Native QE support on both, and no hassles. Both can be found used on ebay for dirt cheap. These are DAW's we are talking about, not gaming/rendering machines and 90% of the issues building OSX on commodity hardware is gamer types trying to use the latest $750 graphics card.....stick to older cards and save a lot of money and problems.
Motherboards: I've tested 2 for pci TDM applications, JetWay NAF93-Q77 and SuperMicro X8SAX. Both work out of the box and are rock solid with no need for custom DSDT's.
NAF93-Q77 - Industrial class board with proper pci slot voltage supply (unlike Asus and other desktop type boards). Supports Sandy/Ivy Bridge cpu's and 4 native 32-bit pci slots (not bridged) via the Q77 chipset. 64-bit TDM cards overhang the 32-bit slots on all 4 slots without interference. Disable all of the on-board serial ports. Solid motherboard for OSX and runs Snow Leopard and later on Sandy Bridge flawlessly.
X8SAX - Nice X58 board with 64-bit pci-X slots. On-board intel gig-e, TI firewire. Solid motherboard for OSX up to Mavericks running I7-990X 6-core cpu. 2 PCI-X slots support tdm cards directly and also support Magma 01-04610-00 pci-64 or 01-04626-01 pci-32 host cards.
Set disk controller modes to AHCI, disable unused motherboard hardware and i/o, and avoid using motherboard audio. TI/LSI/Agere firewire is the best along with NEC/Renesas USB3 cards. The TC Electronic Desktop Konnekt-6 is a great little $150 firewire audio interface with OSX support for non TDM use.
Expansion Chassis: Here is a good topic. Magma. I have read on many sites the older Magma 64-bit chassis do not work with Intel Mac Pro's. The issue is Magma host interface card is pci 32/64 and Mac Pro's have only pcie slots…..NOT because of driver compatibility or interop issues with OSX. I have read all of the available information on Pericom chipset working with OSX vs the older Intel chipset not working……wrong. The Intel chip is the 21154BE 64-bit pci bridge….which is the exact same chip used on every Digidesign TDM PCI card ever made. The Intel 21154BE is natively supported by all versions of OSX including Mavericks.
The issue for using older Magma P7R series chassis was not OSX compatibility, it is a Magma design problem with pcie/pci bridging requiring an updated chassis or board swap to the tune of $1500.....not worth it IMHO.
In any case, I flogged the SuperMicro X8SAX motherboard mercilessly with huge 192 Khz HD7 Accel test sessions and it works flawlessly with the Magma 01-04610-00 pci-64 host card, P7R464 chassis, and ebay VHDCI scsi cables running any version of OSX up to PT10HD.
The JetWay NAF93-Q77 was rock solid as well with all 4 pci-32 slots filled to a HD4 Accel config. PCI utilization was a bit scary on large 48Khz test sessions with the 32-bit bus, but, it was solid with no errors. 96 Khz tests starting causing DAE errors and connecting the P7R464 chassis via the 01-04626-01 pci-32 card also caused DAE errors on HD7 Accel test sessions at high sample rate. Again, there is a LARGE difference in running these cards in 64-bit vs 32-bit pci slots if you do large track counts or high sample rates.
If you buy a Magma pci chassis, make sure you get the above pci host cards included. The 64-bit cards are hard to find alone, the 32-bit cards are plentiful on bay for $50 or so. The Magma "Hi-Fi" cables are nothing more than vhdci scsi cables, so save yourself some money and find 1-meter vhdci on bay for less than $20.00. The key here is cable length….no more than 1-meter max.
PCI TDM cards: I have read a lot of posts, including a recent one here: http://ift.tt/1rT2ITd stating that there is no difference running pci-tdm cards in 32-bit slots vs 64-bit slots……that the 64-bit portion of the tdm card is either unused or not connected…..wrong. TDM cards are absolutely a pci-64 bit card running at 33 Mhz, which provides 266 mb/sec……double that of 32-bit pci. The 64-bit tdm cards are backwards compatible with 32-bit slots, but, track count, voices, and plug configs are significantly lower with HD3+ Accel in 32-bit slots vs running the cards in a 64-bit slot above 96Khz sampling rate. Smaller card configs may not be as much of an issue.
I just bought a pci Accel card for $225 and a Magma P7R464 chassis with 64-bit host card for $75.00……the tdm gear is cheap and still very useful. If your computer is running Windows 7 and later, some of these issues don't apply, but, if you want to run OSX and build a TDM system on the cheap, I hope this thread provides some options to up and coming recordists, studios with tight budgets, and anyone else looking to keep this equipment from being scrapped.
I also posted this on GearSlutz.
Peace.
I would not call myself a "green" type, but, I also like to avoid putting things in landfills un-necessarily. With that said, the basic intent here is to provide/clarify information around building "Hackintosh" OSX computers for the purpose of economically salvaging/reusing pci based (not pcie) TDM hardware.
Since I migrated my main control room to HDX/PT11 late last year, and my Mac Pro is getting long in the tooth, I have been looking for some options. I am also non-plussed by the design of the new Mac Pro, and I still have TDM plugs to contend with + my project room, and home studio. Over this past winter, I have built three TDM "Hackintosh" systems that are solid performers and rock solid stable. No over-clocking, no crazy tweaking, etc…..the goal was to built production grade systems for real work.
My main HDX system is a beast with a 10-core Xeon E5 CPU and 64gb of ram booting from an 8gb/sec san array running Mountain Lion without so much as a burp for 6 months. But the intent here is for building useful TDM systems for secondary rooms, or up and coming users with a budget. So……..
The current typical street/ebay price for TDM pci core cards is $150-250 with Accel cards going for $300-$400. 192 I/O's are less than $500, so one can build a a cost effective HD3 Accel and larger TDM system these days….except for one problem…Mac-Pro's and later have no standard pci slots….only pcie. But pcie TDM cards are still fairly pricy, and at this point in the Avid product cycle, probably does not make sense to spend that much money into an End-Of-Life system when HDX can be had for not much more.
I have read a lot of conflicting information about what can and can't be done with pci based TDM cards….especially the limits of using Apple hardware. OSX EULA issues aside, building(or having built) your own "Hackintosh" machine opens up a LOT of flexibility that Apple hardware does not provide. The below information is based on my own actual hands-on testing…..not third hand information I read somewhere else.
IMHO http://ift.tt/xJkQ6i is the easiest place to find what you need to get a OSX machine up and running easily on commodity hardware. My builds don't use custom kext editing, DSDT's, or other modifications beyond using I-Boot, UniBeast, and MultiBeast. As such, I use hardware that boots default installs without complicated efforts to make functional.
Graphics cards: I use 2 that have native OSX support, Nvidia 8600GT fan-less (Asus or Gigabyte models with dual DVI) for normal DAW use, Sapphire ATI 6870 (Using the Chameleon boot parameters: AtiPorts=4 AtiConfig=duckweed) for something that needs graphics performance. Native QE support on both, and no hassles. Both can be found used on ebay for dirt cheap. These are DAW's we are talking about, not gaming/rendering machines and 90% of the issues building OSX on commodity hardware is gamer types trying to use the latest $750 graphics card.....stick to older cards and save a lot of money and problems.
Motherboards: I've tested 2 for pci TDM applications, JetWay NAF93-Q77 and SuperMicro X8SAX. Both work out of the box and are rock solid with no need for custom DSDT's.
NAF93-Q77 - Industrial class board with proper pci slot voltage supply (unlike Asus and other desktop type boards). Supports Sandy/Ivy Bridge cpu's and 4 native 32-bit pci slots (not bridged) via the Q77 chipset. 64-bit TDM cards overhang the 32-bit slots on all 4 slots without interference. Disable all of the on-board serial ports. Solid motherboard for OSX and runs Snow Leopard and later on Sandy Bridge flawlessly.
X8SAX - Nice X58 board with 64-bit pci-X slots. On-board intel gig-e, TI firewire. Solid motherboard for OSX up to Mavericks running I7-990X 6-core cpu. 2 PCI-X slots support tdm cards directly and also support Magma 01-04610-00 pci-64 or 01-04626-01 pci-32 host cards.
Set disk controller modes to AHCI, disable unused motherboard hardware and i/o, and avoid using motherboard audio. TI/LSI/Agere firewire is the best along with NEC/Renesas USB3 cards. The TC Electronic Desktop Konnekt-6 is a great little $150 firewire audio interface with OSX support for non TDM use.
Expansion Chassis: Here is a good topic. Magma. I have read on many sites the older Magma 64-bit chassis do not work with Intel Mac Pro's. The issue is Magma host interface card is pci 32/64 and Mac Pro's have only pcie slots…..NOT because of driver compatibility or interop issues with OSX. I have read all of the available information on Pericom chipset working with OSX vs the older Intel chipset not working……wrong. The Intel chip is the 21154BE 64-bit pci bridge….which is the exact same chip used on every Digidesign TDM PCI card ever made. The Intel 21154BE is natively supported by all versions of OSX including Mavericks.
The issue for using older Magma P7R series chassis was not OSX compatibility, it is a Magma design problem with pcie/pci bridging requiring an updated chassis or board swap to the tune of $1500.....not worth it IMHO.
In any case, I flogged the SuperMicro X8SAX motherboard mercilessly with huge 192 Khz HD7 Accel test sessions and it works flawlessly with the Magma 01-04610-00 pci-64 host card, P7R464 chassis, and ebay VHDCI scsi cables running any version of OSX up to PT10HD.
The JetWay NAF93-Q77 was rock solid as well with all 4 pci-32 slots filled to a HD4 Accel config. PCI utilization was a bit scary on large 48Khz test sessions with the 32-bit bus, but, it was solid with no errors. 96 Khz tests starting causing DAE errors and connecting the P7R464 chassis via the 01-04626-01 pci-32 card also caused DAE errors on HD7 Accel test sessions at high sample rate. Again, there is a LARGE difference in running these cards in 64-bit vs 32-bit pci slots if you do large track counts or high sample rates.
If you buy a Magma pci chassis, make sure you get the above pci host cards included. The 64-bit cards are hard to find alone, the 32-bit cards are plentiful on bay for $50 or so. The Magma "Hi-Fi" cables are nothing more than vhdci scsi cables, so save yourself some money and find 1-meter vhdci on bay for less than $20.00. The key here is cable length….no more than 1-meter max.
PCI TDM cards: I have read a lot of posts, including a recent one here: http://ift.tt/1rT2ITd stating that there is no difference running pci-tdm cards in 32-bit slots vs 64-bit slots……that the 64-bit portion of the tdm card is either unused or not connected…..wrong. TDM cards are absolutely a pci-64 bit card running at 33 Mhz, which provides 266 mb/sec……double that of 32-bit pci. The 64-bit tdm cards are backwards compatible with 32-bit slots, but, track count, voices, and plug configs are significantly lower with HD3+ Accel in 32-bit slots vs running the cards in a 64-bit slot above 96Khz sampling rate. Smaller card configs may not be as much of an issue.
I just bought a pci Accel card for $225 and a Magma P7R464 chassis with 64-bit host card for $75.00……the tdm gear is cheap and still very useful. If your computer is running Windows 7 and later, some of these issues don't apply, but, if you want to run OSX and build a TDM system on the cheap, I hope this thread provides some options to up and coming recordists, studios with tight budgets, and anyone else looking to keep this equipment from being scrapped.
I also posted this on GearSlutz.
Peace.
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