KVR Audio

gtrshop · Post by **gtrshop** » Sun May 27, 2012 4:41 pm

As a gigging musician, as I'm sure many of you are, we become reliant on our gear. Well, part of my virtual synth rig has been seriously been letting me down, and has now become useless. That piece of gear would be the problematic (and apparently quite well know for it) M-Audio Fast Track Pro.

It's not that I'm in love with the FTP or anything like taht which annoys me, it's the fact that in a somewhat frugal equipment I have to spend again with nothing new to sow for it.

I haven't even begun looking for a replacement... it's Sunday and not like anything is going to be open anyways.

I just thought I'd would ask KVR people what that have had good luck with, as long s that excluded M-Audio, which as I've learned suck at customer service and problem resolution.

All I'm looking for is a good quality audio device, balanced outs (TRS or XLR) would be nice. Other than that, I'm pretty flexible.

Steve

Grain Bastard · Post by **Grain Bastard** » Mon May 28, 2012 6:05 pm

There are hundreds mate, take your pick

If you don't need any inputs and two stereo outs are enough then the NI Audio 2 might do you. Its tiny, about the size of a pack of smokes, and is cheap. Drivers are very good and mine has been gigged plenty in the last couple of years and has never let me down. Its audio quality is superb and I've had it hooked up to everything from some shitty home-made sound systems, right up to a 90k Funktion One system and its always clear and loud.

If you need a few more in's and outs then Native Instruments have a range of interfaces that basically are larger versions, so share the excellent drivers, convertors etc.

Definitely worth taking a look at imo.

Nicksaf · Post by **Nicksaf** » Mon May 28, 2012 6:22 pm

There's Native Instruments Complete Audio 6,seems very good, but the official NI forums are full of complaints, you might want to consider that.

A lot of people are also suggesting Roland Quad Capture.

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Mon May 28, 2012 6:32 pm

NI Audio Kontrol 1 is good. Had mine 4 years and it's been totally reliable. The newer Komplete Audio 6 looks nice, although I've read it can't run 2 phantom powered mics at once, even though it has 2 mic inputs. I've heard good things about Novations Nio. It has it's own DSP effects and 2 headphone outputs. Mackie Blackbird looks nice too ...

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Mon May 28, 2012 6:40 pm

I recommend the desktop konnekt 6 if you don't mind firewire, no midi though but good quality converters and some nice dsp fx. And +1 for the ak1, lot more stable than the ka6 it seems! Btw the traktor interfaces now come with Traktor 2.5 free fwiw.

Grain Bastard · Post by **Grain Bastard** » Tue May 29, 2012 9:46 am

thecontrolcentre wrote:NI Audio Kontrol 1 is good. Had mine 4 years and it's been totally reliable. The newer Komplete Audio 6 looks nice, although I've read it can't run 2 phantom powered mics at once, even though it has 2 mic inputs. I've heard good things about Novations Nio. It has it's own DSP effects and 2 headphone outputs. Mackie Blackbird looks nice too ...

I have a NIO too and it's nowhere near rugged enough for gigging. Mine has issues with the headphone sockets a few months after getting it. The effects aren't powered by the interface, but simple vst plugins of similar quality to standard offerings in most daw's.

I wouldn't recommend one for the OP's situation.

gtrshop · Post by **gtrshop** » Tue May 29, 2012 10:27 am

Unfortunately the laptop I purchased for this rig doesn't have firewire, at the time I didn't think I'd need it, so I excluded it from my criteria.

I was looking at an ART dual channel with tube pres... which is more of a USB preamp, but it's one that crossed my radar. No MIDI though, which would mean my Cakewalk UM-1G interface would become a permanent part of my rig. Which isn't so bad, but it's another "thing" to have to carry and worry about failing and another port to have to use upon my laptop. I know, they are there to be used...

I know the market is loaded with similar devices, I was trying to stick to a known brand name to avoid issues such as I am having with the FTP. I guess buying by brand isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I did find the pair of inputs on the FTP handy for a couple small off the floor recordings, I guess if I had to really nail it down...now that I've had a little bit to think about it, something similar in configuration to the FTP as far as inputs and MIDI would be the bomb.

S~

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:08 pm

I think you can use pci-e adapters but i don't know if it's worth the hassle. I really like the K6, solid 2 channel i/o soundcard with a really nice reverb and it's well laid out! I don't know what's good currently but i always try and look for an interface with good support and stable drivers. I was looking at the KA6 but it seems like the ak1 all over again and i thought they'd solved all those issues.

gtrshop · Post by **gtrshop** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:37 am

PCI-e adapters are out for me, since this is a laptop...easier to take to gigs. I still use a SEK'D ARC88 for my recording box, but I'm not about to haul that out to shows...

S~

geoslake · Post by **geoslake** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:59 am

What's the problem with the FTP ?

gtrshop · Post by **gtrshop** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 11:21 am

Well...audio stops after a period of time (random). In a live situation where I might not be playing keys for the better part of a set and I turn to get some fills or something there is no response.

Indeterminate what the actual issue is, it could be locking up, it could be the MIDI to USB converter failing...I don't know exactly, but I'm working to figure it out.

I've even gone as far as wiping my laptop and starting fresh, but that exercise is just winding up and I've had no diagnostic time to determine if any of those issues are resolved. Lots of comments on the M-Audio forum that indicate many users have similar issues.

S~

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 3:46 pm

gtrshop wrote:PCI-e adapters are out for me, since this is a laptop...easier to take to gigs. I still use a SEK'D ARC88 for my recording box, but I'm not about to haul that out to shows...

S~

Oops, i meant expresscard if yours has one. There's a startech adapter that sits flush with the laptop case which would be great for gigging i think. Most of the others have bulky ports sticking out but it is possible to expand the connections on your laptop, there's even a dock to use a pci express graphics card!

bluedad · Post by **bluedad** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 8:50 pm

I love my Steinberg CI2; for your needs you could get by with a CI1.

RunBeerRun · Post by **RunBeerRun** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:11 pm

Have you tried connecting the fast track by USB but powering it with a power supply? I don't know if that will solve it, I never have mine connected for more than an hour, it hasn't done anything weird yet.

Recommendations for USB device replacement for M-Audio Fast Trck Pro that died.