PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

Hi there!

I have an old desktop PC with 3 Scope cards (15 DSP + 2 6DSP) and Scope V5 that's been sitting idle for the last ten years. Now I'm thinking about upgrading it to a video editing machine to run DaVinci Resolve 16 software on it. Currently I'm sitting on the fence trying to decide if I should try sell my Scope cards to finance the puchace of new mobo, cpu, SSDs and stuff or if I should keep the cards and update Scope to V7.

If I decide to sell can someone give me a ballpark figure of how much I could expect to get for the cards? If I recall correctly there should be another 6DSP card without the I/O I have stashed away somewhere. The few modern motherboards that still have PCI slots seems to have at max 2 slots so I might end up selling two 6DSP cards even if I decide to update to Scope V7.

Keep the old system as is, and build a new machine. If you're really in need of financing the new rig, then by all means do so if the Resolve system can generate revenue and Scope is unused. However if you think you're going to use Scope at some point, and you're going to put Resolve to use, I would suggest keeping the machines in separate roles so everything is manageable. Billable hours on my hardware = stability above all.

The thing is that I've never made any money with Scope. At the time back in 2006 or so when I got into Scope world I was thinking about building a home studio while the local professional studios were shifting out old Macs with PCI slots and selling away their Scope cards that I then picked up for about hundred euros a piece to fill the free PCI slots of this machine. Then life happened and I ditched the studio plans and the computer was stored away for the next 10 years.

Yea I wasn't referring to making money with Scope (though some of us do), rather with Resolve.

a new setup with x64 for example win10 will downgrade your scope system. for example,
SampleRam applications are currently not supported due to a lack of developers.
"don't touch going system!"
BUT if you have been able to do without it for 10 years, put the system for sale (6dsp ~ 200e; 15dsp ~ 450e)
if there is great demand, the euros can surprisingly shoot up
i love my 3 scope systems, and i work a lot with it in the composing creative pool area ... because everything is visualized so fantastically understandable

my video and master systems run with rme audio periphery, because "less" audio options and toys are required for me...

good luck with brooding for new shores, i know that, but I don't have to have it because there is always an "unknown"

Wow, I knew these cards were worth something but I didn't realize that I had about €1K of Scope cards in that old box. Maybe I should keep couple of the 6DSP cards and sell the 15DSP card and the 6DSP card without the i/o module.

I've had a Luna, Pulsar and Pro in various boxes since 2003. I stick with Windows 7 Pro now in an old HP XW-4600. This is a daily driver. My only sound unit outside of a Windows 8.1 Pro Intel I7 clocked 3500 Ghz laptop for Cakewalk and VSTs. The laptop is pretty new and handles the DAW and VSTs CPU fine with Process Lasso and Throttle Stop engaged. (All extraneous programs and services blocked or removed). The Scope box also runs Process Lasso to set a Scope profile and all extraneous services are removed.

Besides a Korg DSM (still excitedly waiting on Dante for his upgrade), the Scope cards are the oldest hardware I still have. Everything else starting from the early 80's has been sold. Just don't need anything else but the DAW, VSTs, Scope and it's plugins. I use a MOTU ADAT Firewire unit to talk to the Scope PC from the laptop at 4ms latency. No pops, no crackles. Record Masters out of the VBan recorder through Scope.

I couldn't replicate this system for at least 50 grand and it can do everything and anything.

ronnie wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:49 am I've had a Luna, Pulsar and Pro in various boxes since 2003. I stick with Windows 7 Pro now in an old HP XW-4600.

I also have a XW-4600 and I am curious if you have yours upgraded to 16 GB ram and if so (or less) do you use the ECC or the NON ECC? I bought mine used and it has 8GB ram and I believe it does pretty well. I have had it freeze up when loading the STS sampler but that might be something else. I am running Win 10. I would be very interested to here the specs if you are comfortable sharing them. Also trying to decide what DAW I can use with it as Cakewalk by Bandlab is not loading for some reason. thanks.

betman wrote: ↑Wed Feb 05, 2020 7:19 am I have had it freeze up when loading the STS sampler but that might be something else. I am running Win 10.

Win10 32 bit or 64 ? If 64 bit that might explain your STS freezes, as its not supported on x64.

I am still using my Scope system, have been working with a Pulsar 1 since it came out (and that's a long time ago), and was able to pick up a 15 dsp card for 300 euros (the guy did not know what he was selling..). So I'm currently re-descovering all the goodies that I could never run properly. What a wealth of synths! Got it running on a Win10 system, no problems actually.

Thanks Dante! I had no idea and never used the STS samplers a lot but have a lot of samples on CD's. If I were to reinstal in the 32 bit mode what will I be missing out on? I am guessing that there is a downside to either way I go or maybe a different synth for playing the samples? I remember your name "Dante" from long ago.. at least it sounds familiar. Thx for the STS comment. I really did not realize that it was a no go on that.

After 10 months I've finally managed to make up my mind and give Scope another chance. I ordered this dirt cheap PCIE-TO-PCI adapter from Amazon and I hope I can get couple of my cards to work with it in my AMD Ryzen base desktop computer. Is it possible to install Scope 7 in a demo mode to test the system before forking out close to 200 euros for the licence?

yes, write to support.

i doubt if that adapter provides enough power for one card, let alone two, but it's worth a try.

GaryB is correct, although we need to not just be concerned about how much power (amperage) but also whether they supply the right voltage. Our PCI cards are 12V & 5V, and PCIe supplies 3A at +3.3 V rather than 5V (PCI spec gave 5A @ 5V). This is in addition to 12V which is supplied across the board (PCIe & both types of PCI power).

The way PCI power is keyed, it's hard to tell from that pic as it's difficult to tell what the proper orientation of the cards are in the expansion slot. Can you provide a direct link to the adapter on amazon? A quick search from my location shows nothing matching that on the first 3 pages, but I'm west coast USA (Amazon gives completely different stock depending on region and location).

If you look closer there's a socket for a SATA power cable for additional power. I'm perfectly happy if I get 15 DSP card to work and anything beyond that is extra. I may even end up selling 2 or even all 3 of the 6DSP cards.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08B34LBCR

"No power required for power below 16W, and SATA is also used for power-up on the board for greater flexibility."

I saw the SATA power, but most of the sites listing PCI expanders like that only say 'for additional power' which doesn't indicate 5V compatibility. The keying of the card slot (direction the card goes in) is what matters here, and your link gave me something I could use so thanks for that. In my amazon listing I see most versions of this give an image as follows:
Which does seem to indicate that the slots are keyed correct (if the short keyed portion does indeed go towards the SATA power socket). So there's a chance it might work. Scope cards are notoriously finicky though, so performance may vary *IF* the card gets enough power. Please report back your results.

I most certainly will report the results if the expander arrives some time between Dec 5th and 19th as promised.

Now I got a crazy idea! How about getting two of these extenders and make an external case for them using a fanless PC power supply that I should have stored away somewhere and then put two of these PCIe cards in my computer and connect with two cables? That would give me 4 PCI slots to play with.

I found the same extender with ExpressCard on Ebay. The external expansion box idea just got a whole lot more interesting if I could use it with my laptop too. Or I could have two pairs of cards, 15 + 6 DSPs in my desktop PC and 2x6 DSPs in an external box + ExpressCard for laptop but then I'd need two Scope 7 licenses. Decisions, decisions...


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293021656797

Magma chassis are not cheap, if they were easily replicated by such components that would not be the case. But I hope it works!

adapters always suck compared to a motherboard with the proper slots, but it still might be worth trying.