dannyjmusic
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Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
Just wondering if it's possible to use the new TAC 2R with a desktop pc...I have a Lenovo desktop and assume you need a thunderbolt card if one exists...any suggestions? Thanks!
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THambrecht
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/09 23:06:49
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Just read about this audio-interface. It's ONLY for Apple.
A thunderbold-card for PC is not so easy and very expensive.
The Windows OS is not made for thunderbolt. I guess you lose all advantages of low latency if you are running such an audio-interface over Windows.
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dannyjmusic
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/09 23:20:37
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Joe_A
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/09 23:25:12
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A usb type C gives near same if not same, and is on HP laptops, cand add to desktops.
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Audioicon
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/10 18:58:40
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dannyjmusic
Just wondering if it's possible to use the new TAC 2R with a desktop pc...I have a Lenovo desktop and assume you need a thunderbolt card if one exists...any suggestions? Thanks!
Well, a card will not work without a supporting Motherboard. You need to first get a Motherboard supporting Thunderbolt, some motherboards come ready with this connectivity, such as this: Z170-PREMIUM
It is no longer ONLY a Mac thing, you can get this on Windows but it will not work with older MOBO.
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THambrecht
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/10 19:21:16
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It's not a problem of the thunderbolt-card. The drivers and the control panel is only for MAC.
Even the installation guide of the TAC-2 says:
Supported operating systems:
The supported operating systems are as follows.
Mac OS X 10.8.5 (or later)
You will get no driver and no control panel under Windows.
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Sanderxpander
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/10 19:30:20
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Thunderbolt itself works fine on Windows but as THambrecht pointed out the card will still need Windows drivers. Like Apogee stuff, the TAC-2 seems Mac only at the moment.
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stevenpanter
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 12:23:18
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I'm using a Focusrite Clarett 8-pre on Windows 10 with an Asus motherboard and thunderbolt card and this works fine at a latency of 1.8ms. So it can be done but I think I'm right in saying that you need Windows 10.
Now if Focusrite would just get around to updating their Windows drivers so that they are no longer in beta...
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Pragi
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 12:37:04
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stevenpanter
I'm using a Focusrite Clarett 8-pre on Windows 10 with an Asus motherboard and thunderbolt card and this works fine at a latency of 1.8ms. So it can be done but I think I'm right in saying that you need Windows 10.
Now if Focusrite would just get around to updating their Windows drivers so that they are no longer in beta...
Steven, waiting for windows thunderbolt support here since years , this is good news. Can you tell which Asus mobo and which thunderbold card you are using ? Thanks in advance
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chuckebaby
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 13:29:09
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Pragi
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 14:09:51
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Pragi
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 14:24:16
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If I understand right ,
thunderbolt 3 ports are not official supported,
but 1 and 2 work !?
Your mobo seems to work with a clarett interface.
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Sanderxpander
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 14:32:02
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stevenpanter
I'm using a Focusrite Clarett 8-pre on Windows 10 with an Asus motherboard and thunderbolt card and this works fine at a latency of 1.8ms. So it can be done but I think I'm right in saying that you need Windows 10.
Now if Focusrite would just get around to updating their Windows drivers so that they are no longer in beta...
I have no doubt about Thunderbolt's speed but that seems an unrealistic RTL figure, do you mean 1.8ms ASIO buffer size? How many samples and what is your samplerate?
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Jim Roseberry
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 18:57:10
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chuckebaby
yup, even my older ASrock z97 pro Motherboard has a Thunderbolt AIC Connector
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z97%20Extreme6/?cat=Specifications
Microsoft does not support "PCIe via Thunderbolt" with Thunderbolt-2 controllers (only Thunderbolt-3). Thunderbolt works great under Win10... but you've got to meet all the following conditions: - Motherboard that has a Thunderbolt-3 controller (provides Thunderbolt-3 via USB-C port)
- Up-to-date install of Win10
- Audio interface driver needs to support "PCIe via Thunderbolt" under Windows 10
- Thunderbolt-3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt-2 adapter - all Thunderbolt audio interfaces are currently Thunderbolt-2
Don't assume that because your motherboard has USB-C port/s that it has a Thunderbolt-3 controller.USB-C ports can carry Thunderbolt or USB-3.1. Many motherboards have USB-C ports for USB-3.1... but don't have a Thunderbolt-3 controller.
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Jim Roseberry
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 18:58:47
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Any audio interface connected via Thunderbolt-2 controller (under Windows) is running Firewire protocol via Thunderbolt (not PCIe via Thunderbolt - which is what you need for PCIe level performance).
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Jim Roseberry
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 19:02:00
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Directly from the Focusrite website:
Known issues:
- Glitchy audio/enumeration issues when using Thunderbolt 3 connections via an adapter. Please note that Thunderbolt 3 connectivity is NOT yet supported.
- Cubase 8.5 crashes after the save when closing down a project with MIDI tracks.
- Driver installer optimisations
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Jim Roseberry
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 19:03:09
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At this moment...
MOTU, RME, and UA all have "PCIe via Thunderbolt" drivers actually available for Win10.
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Sanderxpander
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/12 21:48:50
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Considering all these ifs and buts, and the great performance of many USB2 interfaces, one might wonder why you'd actually trouble yourself with a Thunderbolt one unless your I/O needs are very high or the interface you're considering has other desirable features.
I can't shake the feeling that many people feel like a TB card will give them better latency figures just because it's TB, same as with USB3.
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Neil_Hines
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/13 06:18:53
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stevenpanter
I'm using a Focusrite Clarett 8-pre on Windows 10 with an Asus motherboard and thunderbolt card and this works fine at a latency of 1.8ms. So it can be done but I think I'm right in saying that you need Windows 10.
Now if Focusrite would just get around to updating their Windows drivers so that they are no longer in beta...
@ Which Asus Motherboard and Thunderbolt card are you using?
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Jim Roseberry
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/13 14:33:44
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PCIe level performance allows super small ASIO buffer sizes (as low as 16-samples with some hardware).
That's the only real advantage to Thunderbolt (if all conditions are met).
All the talk about bandwidth is meaningless... unless you're running a large commercial facility and working at high sample-rates. 24 channels of I/O isn't near saturating the bandwidth of USB-2.
The UA Apollo Thunderbolt series is nice (average noise-floor is about -116dB).
However, the lowest ASIO buffer size is 32-samples... and yields round-trip latency right about equal to the RME Fireface UFX at a 48-sample ASIO buffer size.
If you decide to go Thunderbolt, you've got to read all the fine print.
Otherwise, you may be disappointed... or (worse) have a non-functional combination.
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Starise
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/18 18:34:57
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The Zoom TAC 2R looks interesting. There seem to be a lot of Mac users commenting good on it.  Thunderbolt for PC still seems like a very clunky kind of thing to me. If I had a Mac, I wouldn't hesitate. Maybe some can comment here. What thunderbolt configurations for PC have worked well and used the full capabilities of that connection? I remember reading of a few who have done it. Maybe copy their setups. Apollo also makes the twin usb 3. Pretty much the same specs. If you buy that one you'll pay more than the Zoom but you get the other UA plug in goodies and a top rated interface.
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Jim Roseberry
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Re: Has anybody installed a Thunderbolt card into a desktop PC?
2017/09/18 19:46:55
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Starise
Maybe some can comment here. What thunderbolt configurations for PC have worked well and used the full capabilities of that connection? I remember reading of a few who have done it. Maybe copy their setups.
Apollo also makes the twin usb 3. Pretty much the same specs. If you buy that one you'll pay more than the Zoom but you get the other UA plug in goodies and a top rated interface.
Thunderbolt on PC is just fine... You just have to be careful with the details.  MOTU, RME, and UA all work great when connected via Thunderbolt.
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