Just pulled the trigger on a new Mac Pro, but... (audio question)

[adversus]

Without resorting to doing it outboard (via my external workstation/mixer) can the built in audio of the Mac pro monitor Digital or Analog audio in via Digital out, WHILE that port is in use by another program?

Example:

1. Logic running using Optical Out for playback
2. Sound source from an external unit is using Digital or Analog (either one, doesn't matter. I can convert from optical to analog outside the tower)
3. Mac OS's internal audio mixer can monitor the input while playing from Logic (or any software, really).

This is a "nice to have" feature, and will reduce my dependency a bit on my Alesis workstation, freeing up desk space.

 

[mjsmke]

The digital out is just 'out' and wont monitor an input. You could just use the Digital out for playback and use the analog in or Digital in to monitor.

 

[khollister]

No, it won't, as far as I know. Something like an Apogee Duet ($500) will do all of that as well as provide infinitely better converters with a pair of very high quality mic preamps too. The internal audio in the Mac's is pretty pedestrian from a quality standpoint. If all you are doing is recording a single HW sound source (or stereo pair of microphones) and doing everything else "in the box" with Logic, a high quality stereo unit like the Duet is pretty reasonable. When you get to needing multitrack recording capability is when things start to get expensive.

Since you referenced Logic (as opposed to using GarageBand) I assume you are somewhat serious about this and quality matters.

 

[kunia]

If you're serious about using Logic, then you need a dedicated external audio interface. Latency and quality of sound cannot be match by an macs internal audio.
I got an apogee ensemble (got it over 2 years ago), running off firewire 400-800 cable. I swear by that thing. Works great, sounds beautiful, and looks good.

But it wasn't always so good - before apogees leopard patch, the ensemble was making more kernel panics than I could count. Their tech support was great, but their "works with macs only - no need for drivers" wasn't really true

Still, if my baby where to break, I'd get another one, exactly the same...

adrian