Which audio interface should I pick?

So I recently purchased a brand new MBP, and am pleased to discover that my Tascam US-122 that I have been working with for the past 8 years (and four computers) has finally stopped being compatible with my computer. That, then, gives me the task of purchasing a new interface.
The last major recording project I did, I tracked drums on a Presonus Firestudio Tube, and I loved it. I'm willing to make the investment in a heftier interface, with more audio inputs and (obviously) a higher price tag, but I am caught in the question of whether to get a FireWire or USB interface. I have heard different upsides and downsides about the two of them. Personally, at this point, I am more inclined to go with a FireWire interface, as it leaves me with both of my USB ports (which I use for a mouse and midi controller while recording), and I have never had latency issues with FireWire (even on a 4-year old MacBook).
So now, I am asking for input. I am not brand-specific or anything like that. I just want one that works, sounds good, and won't give me trouble.

There is no way to answer your question. You need to look at what you will be running and then select the computer that will be the best for those applications.
Barry

Similar Messages

Which audio interface to buy?

I have a macbook and have just bought logic express 8. I was going to get a Tascam US122L usb interface and a couple of pre-amps, but I have read horrible reviews about it especially saying it doesn't work with Leopard. I've read good things about Presonus Firepod but it's expensive at $429. Please can people reply and tell me which audio interfaces they are using succesfully with Leopard and Logic Express 8? Thanks!

The FirePod does present with problems and is for a lot of stuff going on. Is that what you really want? I have seen the sister of the FirePod, the FireBox, for as little as $249 or, with a free headphone or mic, for $299. I am using it with great success now and I had so many problems with it those problems were not MY fault! Now, I am more confident. The FireBox is great and, should you want to keep in touch with me as a helping hand (we could help each other as well!), we could do that.
Anyse

Which audio interface(s) for 16 to 20 analog outputs?

Hi. I wonder if anyone can help me...
I'm running Logic 7.2 on a black MacBook. For my inputs I am using the MOTU 8pre, as this is convenient especially when recording drums with my band... no scrambling together of pre-amps... no faff...
The thing is... I've been given a shed load of gear (literally), including a 24 channel analog mixing desk and tons of outboard rackmounted effects units/compressors/gates...
I would REALLY love to integrate the two systems, especially at the mixing stage, by routing my Logic tracks to the desk. Unfortunately, the MOTU 8pre only has a couple of analog outputs (+ headphone out).
To make this a venture worth undergoing, I'm going to need a minimum of 16 analog outputs. 20 would be great if possible.
I suppose my initial questions are:
1. Can I daisy-chain 2 firewire audio interfaces (each with 8 analog outputs) to give me a total of 16 analog outputs?
2. Bearing in mind I have a low budget, could anyone advise me on which units to get. I don't think I could afford any more MOTU gear, unless I find an amazingly low priced second hand item. What about Edirol or M-Audio?
Thanks in advance.
MS

This is worth checking: http://www.ioneconnects.com/product.shtml
Based on new DICE II firewire chip with JetPLL technology (should have much lower jitter than regular firewire Audio devices that are not built on DICE II).
I believe that you can choose the configuration you need.
The only question for me is whether they are affected by apple's firewire streaming bug. But as I've heard that in the info of 10.4.9 SDK is a statement, that core audio bugs were repaired, I hope the offset streaming problem will be finally the past...
Man I am really considering this firewire snake, as it definitelly has many ins and outs - including 4 AES/SPDIF in and out!!!
I am going to upgrade my studio and two of those will probably give me enough ins and outs for all my needs (musicians + outboard hardware and a summing mixer). I was also thinking about Symphony (PCI solution seems to be still more stable than firewire) and some I/O "modules" from apogee, but that is much more expensive. And I 've read only positive info about the DICE II, so maybe I will give a firewire another chance...

Which Audio Interface Please?

Hi,
Looking to buy a audio interface real soon but confused as to which one to purchase from the following list:
a) Edirol FA-66
b) Presonus Firebox
c) Focusrite Saffire LE
Would really appreciate people's opinions on the above - pros/cons, ease of use, sound quality, working with MBP with Logic Studio.
Thanks.

Am I correct in that the DX 7 is a full professional synth- I think it will have audio outputs. In that case you would be able to run it into your duet (I think) and of course it could output as MIDI as well.
Does the DX 7 output into an amplifier if you wanted it to- for stage use? If so, then the output of that will go into the audio inputs of the Duet I imagine quite nicely. If it plays through a little speaker on the instrument itself then you should get that sound into your DAW through the Duet.
The M-Audio is only a MIDI interface: it won't do anything other than that. So you would be able to use your DX 7 as a controller for sending out MIDI data, through the M-Audio, which will then be the data that makes your software synthesizers, either built into Logic or third party, sound. You would be using the DX 7 only as a MIDI controller at this point, which is less than it was designed to do overall but MIDI is MIDI- with one peculiarity I discovered: apparently the DX 7 only allowed for a velocity of 90 out of 127 as it's peak. Velocity is roughly how hard something is hit in MIDI relating to how loudly it sounds. (This is an over simplification, but should make the concept clear.)
This will likely not be a big deal, and may not actually be true with your specific machine, I'm just telling you.
As far as guitar, you could just plug it in to the Duet and use the amp modeling software in Logic (only so-so) or a third party thing like Amplitube. You may need some pre-amplification for it- I use a Presonus Tube Pre. (I should mention that I don't have a Duet- I'm going by the tons of good reviews I've read on it here.) You can also use the Duet with microphones obviously, and mic the cabinet or the acoustic guitar as well.
My overall point is that while you may have to deal with a weak point in your chain, the quality of your A/D converters will be something you can never overcome- I mean, everything happens there. That is why I'm telling you go get something good if you can at the moment and be done with it. MIDI doesn't matter because it isn't sound, it's just data that tells things how to make sound somewhere else, so it doesn't degrade. Audio degrades everywhere, but having a good A/D converter will give you a good chance to have something good sounding.

Which audio interfaces are compatible with a Lightning to USB Camera adapter???

Would like to use my iPad Mini with Lightning Adapter in conjunction with an audio interface. What are the requirements for a device that would accept the adapter (what type of USB input/output). Thanks!

It should work.
Reset the iPad. Press and hold both the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button continuously until the Apple logo appears. Then release the button and let the device restart. You will not lose data doing this. It's like a computer reboot.
And, just is case, did you remember to turn the camera on after it was connected to the iPad?

Which Audio Interface for Me?

Okay, I have decided to make the switch from my iMic and a mixer to an audio interface that has two inputs so I can record two channels at once. I may be using external pre's at times so it must have line-in's. Also, right now I am using a Rev. A Mac Mini, but soon I will be upgrading to a Mac Intel Book to be named later. I will mainly use this to record acoustic guitar, vocals, bass, and ocassionally drums (using a mixer to sub mix and then into the audio interface). I will do everything for my own home enjoyment so my standards are real high. Here are the possibilities I have come up with from the Sweetwater catalog in my price range ($150 - $300):
1.)Lexicon Alpha (this is a new model) or Lambda - both are USB
2.)Tapco Link.USB
3.)Makie Spike (USB)
4.)Alesis io I 14 (what is this thing USB or Firewire?)
5.)M-Audio Firewire 410
6.)Presonus Firebox
It doesn't matter to me if it is USB or Firewire, I guess my biggest requirement is the ability to use the line-in for external pre's. Thanks for any help!

I guess you guys mean that I could pan channel one
left and two right and then into the iMic?
That's correct
There are two jacks on the iMic I see,
No, one of those is the input, one of those is the output (you could plug headphoines into that one)
but I guess I don't
understand how I can have those on two seperate
channels in garageband.
That's the easy part. Create a New Basic Track and click the "I"nfo button, then set the input popUp menu to "Channel 1 (Mono)". Create a second New Basic Track and set it's Input popUp menu to "Channel 2 (mono)". Make sure the little red Record Enable buttons are on for both track and hit record. You'll be recording 2 tracks.
Also, I think one thing for
me as that my mixer didn't have in/outs on each
channel so I can use external pre's.
Okay, like I said, I would never dissuade someone from getting a better interface, and the iMic is nowhere near the Top Of The Line...
I use PreSonus' FirePod and for the year+ that I've had it I've been thrilled with it. I have no person al experience with the FireBox, but PreSonus has an excellent reputation so if it has the features you want, I'd expect it to be a great product.
Finally, I guess I should say that I'm using
Garageband now, but had thought about Logic Express
in the future. Thanks for the help
Any of the interfaces you listed should work fine with whatever software you want to use (the compatibility question is not really with the software, but rather the hardware. If the interface works on your Mac then it will work with GB and Logic).
Hope that helps --HangTime [Will Compute for Food] B-|>

What audio interface should I get w/ my Macbook Pro?

Hi,
Have a gig where I am covering tons of tunes on keyboard.
In the past, have just used a keyboard and onboard sounds.
I have Mainstage - have never used it... sounds great.
What audio interface is great out there?
Got an older Macbook Pro:
2 Ghz Intel core Duo, Memory: 2 GM 667 Mhz, etc...
Is this fast enough?
Anyhow... what interface should I consider?
Thanks in

I use one of these:
ESI - UGM96
Tiny and made of metal.

Which audio format should I use on my memory stick?

Hi. My car has a Clarion HDD Navigation System MAX575 which is compatible with audio CDs and has a memory stick slot. I can't play MP3 CDs. Which file format should i use if I want to load music onto the HDD using a memory stick? I don't want to remove the unit.

Windows on Intel Macs
There are presently several alternatives for running Windows on Intel Macs.
1. Install the Apple Boot Camp software. Purchase Windows XP w/Service Pak 2 or Vista. Follow instructions in the Boot Camp documentation on installation of Boot Camp, creating Driver CD, and installing Windows. Boot Camp enables you to boot the computer into OS X or Windows.
2. Parallels Desktop for Mac and Windows XP, Vista Business, or Vista Ultimate. Parallels is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
3. VM Fusionand Windows XP, Vista Business, or Vista Ultimate. VM Fusion is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
4. CrossOver which enables running many Windows applications without having to install Windows. The Windows applications can run concurrently with OS X.
5. VirtualBox is a new Open Source freeware virtual machine such as VM Fusion and Parallels that was developed by Solaris. It is not yet fully developed for the Mac - some features are not yet implemented - but it does work otherwise.
6. Last is Q. Q is a freeware emulator that is compatible with Intel Macs. It is much slower than the virtualization software, Parallels and VM Fusion.
Note that Parallels and VM Fusion can also run other operating systems such as Linux, Unix, OS/2, Solaris, etc. There are performance differences between dual-boot systems and virtualization. The latter tend to be a little slower (not much) and do not provide the video performance of the dual-boot system.
See MacTech.com's Virtualization Benchmarking for comparisons of Boot Camp, Parallels, and VM Fusion.
Boot Camp is only available with Leopard. The Boot Camp Beta that was used with Tiger has expired and is no longer available for use. So contrary to the other poster's comment, Boot Camp isn't truly "free." You must purchase Leopard to get it.

Help! which Audio Interface to buy?

Hi,
I have just got garageband and have fiddled with it for a few months now so Im comfortable with it. I now wnat to connect my Condenser Mic (RODE NT1-A) which will need phantom power and my electric guitar . Everything else will be recorded with the inbuilt soft synths on GB. I know nothing of audio interfaces and am only familar with M Audio Fast track as a brand.
I want to spend no more than £100 ( or less on ebay second hand) but Im confused by the vast choice. I was tempted by the cheaper M audio fast track with 1 xlr input and 1 for guitar. Does any one use one and if so will it be powerful enough for my condenser mic with phantom power ?
Cheers
Paul

I use a Presonus FireStudio Mobile with my Rode Mic's. http://www.presonus.com/products/FireStudio-Mobile I use an NT5 and NT2000. Both work great with the unit.. Its FireWire though which you may not have on your machine. I have used an early M-Audio Fast Track and would not recomend it to others. Cheers

Which audio interfaces work well with CoreAudio?

A number of older USB and Firewire audio interfaces do not appear to work properly with Tiger's CoreAudio, which promises major advantages in very low latency recording. Without a proper CoreAudio driver, audio can be reduced to mostly noise with just a trace of audio remaining.
This information is difficult to find until you actually try to use a device and find that it doesn't work. Several devices I tried out last summer right after Tiger was released did not work, though they promised fixes, but I don't want to have to pay more restocking fees for devices that don't work
Could someone post a list (or a link to a list) of devices that DO work? Thanks!

Hi there,
don't buy M-Audio interfaces! I had USB and FireWire audio interfaces from them, their hardware is ok, but the software (drivers) suck! I had extremely bad latency problems. I even started a thread about it a while ago. Now I use an EDIROL FA-66 FireWire audio interface. It's a little more expensive than the M-Audio, but it works and it does NOT need any drivers because it's fully Core Audio compatible! Works good for me. I've heard similar good opinions on the Presonus FW interfaces. Hope that helps!
Björn

What Audio Interface should I get?

Hello Guys (sorry for the multiple threads).
But....
I currently use an M-Audio Firewire 410 and want to upgrade to either a Motu 828 mk2 or possibly an RME Fireface. I am planing on using the Audio Interfaces with a patch bay, but maybe a Mackie Onyx with Firewire (anyone out there used one of these? how does it compare to say the 828?) instead. I don't record lots of stuff at once but have a bit of outboard and some dusty old vintage keyboards (my Casiotone collection... yeah boooooyyyy). I record a lot of Bass guitar so I guess something reasonable preamps would be good. What would you recommend?
Thanks
Joe

Hi Joe Henson here goes a list below.
RME, Apogee, Lavry, D.A.D. Prism, are all top Sound-Card,
going with any of them will be a good choice,
Motu on the other hand not bad,
but with its Clock works it's not all that,
therefore with Motu its always good to have a Master-Clock, Like the Big-Ben and a few others.
Have fun in making the right choice.
Fr.BlayZay.

Which audio interface?

What is the best low to mid range audio interface with spdif & phantom power? I only need a couple of inputs. It will be used with Garage Band for now.
Also, I used to use an Apple G4 with Digital Peformer 3 (yep, 3), Motu, and a Yamaha O1V. I've been out of music and just want to play with my onboard GB that came with my new iMac. How does this new set up compare these days? Thanks!

I have no idea about the "best", but I have one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Firewire-US35030-Audio-Interface/dp/B0006A9M3K
It has two inputs, a 1/4" and an XLR. It has phantom power and S/PDIF in/out. It's about $200.
It has worked great for me both in GarageBand and now in Logic Pro 9.
Any Mac you get today will be at least 4 times, if not 10 times, faster than the last G4 you used. iMac works fine for GarageBand projects.
Message was edited by: Rob Ross - added info about G4 speed comparison to current products

Yet another Which Audio Interface???

I apologise for what has probably already been answered, but I want to recycle my Digi002r as a stern anchor for my boat...but I'm afraid I'll still be waiting on some as yet unwritten driver from Digi before it works.
My shortlist is
Ensemble,
Fireface 800,
Metric Halo 2882.
I'm hearing glowing words about the sound quality of the Apogee Ensemble.
recomendations please?
Keith Moore

I use MH, I think their interfaces are great - the only thing I do worry about is the Hardware design is a few years old now. In technology, this is getting to be an old design. Beyond that, the only problem I have had with a MH was a manufacturing defect which was acknowledged in a specific run, which they handled very well. They covered everything and I had it back within a few days of contacting them. Before it was fixed, it ran like an 002 - but sounded better. Now it just stays on all the time and does what it should without problems.

Which WLC interface should be resolved from cisco-lwapp-controller.domain

Hi,
we use several 4402 wlc and want the aps connect to connect to them via dns discovery.
It would be fine if somebody could tell me to which ip address (in our dns database) I have to add an alias for cisco-lwapp-controller.<domain>.
Is it the management interface, the ap manager interface or one/all dynamic interface(s)?
Is there any hint concerning this in the documentation?
Best Regards,
Thorsten

You use the management interface of the WLC.
Here is a good link also if you have issues:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6366/products_tech_note09186a00808f8599.shtml#backinfo

Protools 8 compatiblity with Windows Vista and which proper audio interface?

O K i have a compaq presario pc notebook with a cpu of 2.16 ghz and 160 gb(?) hard drive with 32 bit w/ Window Vista service pack 1. I've done a little research and it seems my computer may be compatible but i'm not sure Is ne one using pt 8 with windows vista with no problems? also i'm not so sure about which audio interface i should be using psi, firewire,or usb even though i have 2 usb ports im hearing its not the best choice dealing with latency and all. Is ne one using pt 8 with window vista using a usb audio interface or even firewire with any problems? thanx hope to hear from you soon!!!!

Hi again chamille2010,
Well my take would be that your rig would run Pro Tools 8 but you might struggle with the latency a bit. I ran Pro Tools LE on a PC (with significantly lower specs than yours since it was 3 years old at the time) with a Digi 002 as my firewire interface and I did have issues with latency, which is my biggest pet peeve. That was also on the XP Operating System so you might be better off with Vista SP1. I would recommend going with the Digi 003 via firewire and maxing out your RAM for best results. USB would definitely be slower and might be a cause for latency if you run into it.
That's my opinion. Digidesign has a pretty in-depth site for making sure your system will run Pro Tools. I'm sure you've already checked it out but just in case:
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&navid=54&itemid=23954

Which audio interface should I pick?

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