DM4800 and Apollo x16

[True Tone B]

I’m currently looking to upgrade my AD interface and get a Apollo x16
Or a Apollo x8p .
I currently use my DM 4800 via the (3) TDIF connections to a MOTU MK3 2408 getting 24 ins and outs . I need at least 16 channels at the most in order to record (12) channels of drums and (4) for other instruments for live recording .
My question is what is the best way to connect my DM4800 to the Apollo interface ? To accomplish the 16 channels in and out ?
I’m running a Mac Pro into PT HD 11

 

[Olietyven]

Hi. With an Apollo 16, i would recommend to get two IF-AN/DM cards, and with the Apollo 8 you can use one IF-AN/DM and the DM4800 build in adat connections to get 16 tracks.

 

[J L Bowie]

Just idle curiosity here, but why would you go to such an expensive alternative as the Apollo series interfaces between your DAW and the DM4800? I've had this console for almost ten years now using the IF-FW/DM MKII interface on my main DAW (Nuendo) and an HDSP 9652 via two IF-AN/DM aux cards and the on-board ADAT on my secondary system-linked DAW (Cubase Pro), and have found nothing wanting with respect to quality input. My previous Fireface 800 system has been collecting dust ever since as a result.
Granted, the MKII FireWire interfaces are out of production and not easy to find, but the RME PCIe cards are still around if 44.1 and 48 Khz ADAT is all you require. For higher rates, I would try hard to find an MKII FireWire card, which will give you 32 tracks of 96Khz should the need arise.
Also, as an aside, although I'm not lacking for outboard gear here, for the last few months I have been tracking solely with the DM4800's pre-amps and have been pretty amazed at the quality. I've actually been kicking myself for not using them more effectively and liberally sooner. I don't love much, but I love this board, and hope it lasts another ten years.

Jack

 

[Olietyven]

My question is, why put your money on a firewire card, when Tascam obviously don't support this anymore ? You are then stocked with Mojave, and the benefits of future upgrades. If your Mac brakes down and you need to buy a new one, i am not so sure it is a good idea to downgrade the OS. So starting looking into other Interface solutions for your DM might not be a bad thing to keep it going. There are as you mentioned other alternatives like RME, Motu etc. Some of them requires pcie slots, witch again requires pcie enclosures if you run with imac, mac mini, macbook. I recently bought an Apollo 8 and an Apollo 16 at a reasonable price secondhand. Together these Interface gives me the same amount of tracks that i had with my firewirecard, plus i now have thunderbolt connection to my DAW. I am sure Universal Audio are more serious supporting their products than Tascam. I swapped my dm3200 to a brand new dm4800 with firewirecard two yers ago, and now Tascam is littering at me. BTW, i have a IF-FW/MK 2 for sale ;-)

 

[True Tone B]

Thanks for the feedback . Yes I'm trying to get another 10yrs out of my DM4800 if I can .
My challenge is future software upgrades options and my Motu 2408 mk3 works great but eventually to upgrade my Protools HD to ultimate and future plugins my OS is going to have to get upgraded as you mentioned that UAD will keep up with the product support and growth . It looks like you can directly hook up the x16 to the MD4800 via the DB25 ports and as long as you have a 2013 and newer Mac version for thunderbolt 3 . To be honest I'm completely happy with my setup as it sits now but I'm already missing out on plugins I can use because my OS is on yosemite