[BC] Automation and AoIP

[Tom Taggart]

$2800 rack mount computer plus new Wheatstone digital?

I have an Auditronics 2500 that's 12+ years old (and still
going strong) plus the already wired infrastructure (some
put in when I built the place in '83.  Since I'm the labor,
I'll keep buying desktop computers. $800 vs. $2800 sounds
attractive when I get to keep the cash. Even with a super
fancy rackmount I would still be afraid that powers-that-be
in Silicon Valley will find some way to obsolete the bigger
machine. 

We've already put ASI5111's in Windows 7 machines with no
trouble, so don't anticipate that being a problem. Simian
uses the ASI mixing software as part of their program (to do
segues, for one thing) so in our format there is nothing to
be gained by using a cheaper sound card. The Digigram card
that died was assigned to Wavecart, which we use for
ballgames. 

Have used the Echo Mia series cards with good results, but
those were in special use/light duty machines. When our ops
mgr. died several years ago his understudy was in college 3
hours away--sent a Mackie mixer & a desktop with an Echo
card to him so he could cut weather forecasts & school
closings from his apartment.