VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

captain54 · Lucky 700 Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago

Here's a fairly comprehensive list of firewire audio interfaces available used or new for less than $500...any that can add to the list, or has personal negative or positive experiences on individual units, please feel free to chime in.

Apogee Duet
Apogee One
Presonus Firestudio Mobile
Focusrite Sapphire Pro 24
Digi 002
Tc Electronic Konnekt 6
M audio Firewire Solo
M audio Profire 610
Echo Audiofire
Motu Audio Express
Motu Ultralite MK3
Digi MBox 2 firewire
Avid MBox 3 firewire

Mike Sommer · Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 1:24 pm Post subject:

My favorite is the Echo Audiofire 2. For the simple reason that it is simply an interface, no preamps no bells, no whistles. This allows the user to build his own audio chain.

Next the Saffire Pro 24. I like this unit because of all it's bells and whistles.
And what nice bells and whistles they are too.
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Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

Bish · Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 4:10 pm Post subject:

After my recent hissy-fit with USB, I went firewire (on a MacPro) with the Apogee Duet. It was a B-stock item from BSW, and with an additional discount coupon, I picked it up for less than $350.

I can honestly say that I am really happy with the unit. I use it bi-directionally, routing all my audio through it (both in and out). It's academic really, but I like the Mac-ish ergonomics and the way it plays nicely with OS X a Hobo Tounge

s. I am front-ending it with a Mackie mixer, using the line level +4dB setting on the Duet's XLR inputs (i.e. not using it as my pre-amp, just as an interface.) I did experiment with direct connection of my MXL V69me, and found it a tad clinical compared with using the mixer's pre-amps.

The only thing I didn't really love when I got it was the IO cabling arrangement. The fan-out of the six in-line connections from the single 25-way struck me as a flimsy arrangement... I was tempted to get an overpriced after-market connector box, but I didn't. In retrospect, I'm happy to have saved my money because the IO system works just fine.
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captain54 · Lucky 700 Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago

I've had a chance to pull the trigger on a Duet, but the only thing that would bother me is I would miss the monitor mute function, that I've had on my last couple of interfaces...How is this accomplished on a Duet..? Do you keep fiddling with the output level to mute your monitors everytime you are recording?

Bish · Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:10 pm Post subject:

That's an interesting point that I've never really addressed as I route everything through the mixer. When recording, I monitor my own voice via the mixer headphones, and have the monitor (playthrough) switched off in the recording software's options so there's nothing coming over the output. On the occasions where I've had to monitor something as I record (synced voice or listening to Skype), I've just changed the OS X config options and poked it out through the Mac's headphone jack and only listened to that and not my monitor feed. Pretty clunky when I think about it, but it works for me.
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

Moe Egan · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:01 am Post subject:

Thanks for this thread. As someone who is two steps above stupid when it comes to tech stuff, I appreciate the straight forward recommendations. Smile

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Moe Egan
i want to be the voice in your head.
~~~~~

Bish · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:07 am Post subject:

One more for the list... Apogee just has announced the Duet 2. At first glance It looks like it may have more configurable output options. I don't know how old the announcement is, but it's new to me. It keeps the Mac aesthetic going.

http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/duet2.php

Edit: Ooops... my bad... it's USB2 (It still looks nice though)

Cheers
peter
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

bransom · DC Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 650 Location: St. Louis, MO

Based on Mike's advice, I picked up an Echo Audiofire 2 a couple months ago when I finally tired of driver issues with my Tascam, and I've been very happy with it. I can't say exactly why but I definitely like the sound I'm getting out of it better than with the old interface. And it's pretty inexpensive and a tiny little thing, not much bigger than a couple decks of cards.
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"I really need a pithy quote here."

captain54 · Lucky 700 Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago

Mike Sommer · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 9:53 pm Post subject:

JBarrett · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 7:29 am Post subject:

I'm SO glad this thread came up now. My current firewire interface (PreSonus Inspire), which has served me very well for a number of years, looks like it might be starting to flake out. There's a low rumble/hiss that showed up in the signal in the past day or two, when I thankfully haven't needed to record. It's somehow tied to the phantom power system that drives both XLR inputs, and messing with the gain doesn't change. With phantom power active on either input, it's there. When I kill the phantom power, the sound disappears. I unplugged the unit for a half-hour or so, but the sound was still there when I powered it back up.

Looks like I'm goin' shoppin'...
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Mike Sommer · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 11:57 am Post subject:

Dose the hiss occur whether the mic is connected or not?

Are you powering via the Firewire or through the wallwort power supply? (If powered through the FW, it could be computer power supply issues. If you have the external power supply try powering from that and see what happens)
_________________
The Blog:
http://voiceoveraudio.blogspot.com/

Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

JBarrett · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:20 pm Post subject:

As part of my earlier testing, I disconnected the mic cord from the unit, but the noise continued without a hiccup. Apologies for omitting that info.

The interface is powered via an external supply. To clarify my earlier reference to unplugging the unit, I disconnected it from the power supply for 30 minutes. However, it remained connected via Firewire to my Mac. After reconnecting the power, the noise was still there. Should I run another test where I completely disconnect it from everything, or is it pretty much shot? I've had it for at three to four years, and it's been plugged in almost 100% of that time.
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Justin S. Barrett
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JBarrett · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 4:19 pm Post subject:

Picked up a PreSonus FireStudio Mobile last night after work. Setup w/ my Mac was easy-breezy, though strangely enough I can't send all system audio out through it like I could with the Inspire. That niggling nitpick aside, I'm very happy with it so far. This weekend will be the acid test, though. Lots of recording to do, including additional chapters for an audiobook project. Curious to hear how the new tracks sound against the ones recorded on the old unit.
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Justin S. Barrett
http://www.justinsbarrett.com/