KVR Audio

klagga · Post by **klagga** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:05 am

I´m looking for a new audio interface and I like the flexibility of firewire, which may have come of age now. The price is of lesser importance, it´s the combination of quality and necessary features I´m looking for.

I´ve looked at the specs of the upcoming Fireface from RME, http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm

The Fireface seems to have all the bells and whistles I need, except I can´t understand why it doesn´t have a main output volume knob.

Why should I have to use a mouse to do the simplest thing, adjust the volume output to the speakers? To leave this out is a big mistake from RME, I think. Why should I have to get an outboard mixer just for that?

That appears to leave me with the new M-Audio firewire 1814 audio interface, http://www.midiman.net/index.php?do=pro ... 30985a354a

The 1814 seems to have most things one need. It has, like the RME Fireface, quite a few hardware and software features, etc. One nice extra, it has TWO independent headphone outs with separate knobs for this AND a main output volume knob. M-Audio has understood the need for hands-on use on an audio interface.

I suspect the quality of the hardware and software may not be as high on the 1814 as on the Fireface, though (the Fireface costs nearly twice as much). But that doesn´t matter too much when talking vocal/mono sources, since I plan to get a great preamp, the SPL Gainstation, anyway, which I´ll plug into the spdif input of the 1814.

So, anyone tried the 1814? What´s your opinion? How does it compare to RMEs great reputation for stable and ultra-fast ASIO drivers, etc

Thanks

uncleruby · Post by **uncleruby** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:36 am

I too have been waiting for the right firewire interface to come out...If money truly isnt a consideration then you have to go with the RME Fireface..for the link to your monitors and headphones try a monitor matrix like the presonus central station. You really cannot compare the quality of these two devices...The audio spec of the M-audio is nowhere near as good, from the inputs to the conveters to the outputs--no comparison...And I suspect RME will provide you with better drivers too!! One box is Pro the other is home hobbyist...cheers!

klagga · Post by **klagga** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:27 pm

I didn´t know about the Presonus Central Station, thanks for the tip. That piece of outboard gear in combination with the RME HDSP 9632 PCI-card maybe would meet my demands, but then I´d have to skip the firewire concept.

Hmm, I guess one never finds the perfect solution...

bugs · Post by **bugs** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:59 pm

Looking at highend interfaces myself. Don't believe it is fair to compare these two offerings. FW1814 seems to be designed to compete with MOTU 828mkII maxing out at 24bit/96k with limited 24bit/192 analogue output. The FireFace 800 is a much higher end interface with full 24bit/192K comparable to the MOTU 896HD and other HD systems. There are numerous other important spec differences as well (e.g. driver support, FireWire 800, etc). Hence the serious price differential: FW1814 @ c. 600USD and FireFace 800 @ c. 1450USD.

klagga · Post by **klagga** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:57 pm

I agree that the Fireface may be in another divison. I noted in my first post that it´s considerable more expensive than the 1814, but in exactly what the quality differs is an open question.

I just read in the Fireface manual that the MIDI inputs can´t operate multi-client, so a MIDI input signal can´t be distributed to several programs at the same time. This makes me worry a bit, what if I play a note on my midi keyboard that is recorded in Cubase and adjust a knob in a third party plugin - can I record and automate those knob-adjustments within these limitations?

BTW, any tips on gear that would be fair to compare with the Fireface then?

sidrat · Post by **sidrat** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 6:13 pm

why not check out the metric halo mobile i/o 2882?

http://mhlabs.com/

8 very good preamps (4 xlr / 4 trs), great a/d/a converters, full front panel metering, firewire (bus powered too), adat/spdif/aes i/o, internal multi-bus mixer (with total recall of your presets), headphone amp, 1 rack unit, $1185 street price...

fwiw, the fireface is supposed to have the same converters as the adi-8 (which have been compared to higher end converters). not sure how the preamps or instrument inputs fare, though. haven't seen any reviews or had one in my hands yet.

uncleruby · Post by **uncleruby** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:09 pm

Metric Halo does sound good-something I came across when researching this stuff---BUT Its only for MAC
Klagga did not say MAC or PC? I am a PC person. the Metric Halo would have been near the top of the list otherwise....I've said this in other posts,,,in the next year there will be a plethora of new Firewire stuff --ECHO Audio -Hercules- RME- Terratec(some cool stuff)- Mackie has the ONYX out soon- others I'm forgetting I'm sure....cheers!

klagga · Post by **klagga** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:15 pm

PC here.

bugs · Post by **bugs** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:43 pm

FireFace 800 and MOTU 896HD are about it for highend firewire interfaces with XP. I'm sure there is something in the pipeline from other manufacturers.

sidrat · Post by **sidrat** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 4:07 am

actually, i've heard that some pc guys have gotten around the 2882/pc compatibility problem by picking up an inexpensive adat compatible pci card and an old used mac ($50 or less if you look around). what you do is:

1) install the pci card into your pc
2) connect the mac to the 2882 (to configure the 2882's internal mixer, gain, phantom power, etc.)
3) feed the pc's soundcard with the adat output from the 2882.

this is a very inexpensive way to build a great sounding 8 channel preamp / converter front end for a pc. of course, it's not a very elegant solution but you could always sell the pci card and mac once the windows drivers are finally released

btw, the mio uln-2 can run as a standalone preamp / a-d converter (without the need for a mac) but it's only 2 channels. however, the preamps are better than the 2882's and it's cheaper so it evens out.

fwiw, hope this helps...

ticketofame · Post by **ticketofame** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 7:17 am

Hi Klagga,

I would definitely go for the Fireface. In my experience (I changed my audio cards from M-Audio Delta 66 to RME Multiface) RME converters don't just have the better specs but also sound better. The TotalMix mixer of the RME cards is far superior to anything that M-Audio offers and RME drivers perform better than M-Audio's.
Besides that, the Fireface has some very decent mic preamps built in that might save you the additional money for the Gainstation, although you should keep in mind that the RME preamps for sure sound different than the Gainstation.

This makes me worry a bit, what if I play a note on my midi keyboard that is recorded in Cubase and adjust a knob in a third party plugin - can I record and automate those knob-adjustments within these limitations?

That should be possible as a plugin in Cubase uses Cubase to connect to the MIDI port and doesn't need its own MIDI port.

Bye, Philipp

dxl · Post by **dxl** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 11:51 am

i have a motu896 (non HD), none of the M-audio sound as good as my 896, even the delta1010.
so i don't think the 1814 is anygood

just see how many complains about their USB interfaces around the music fourms, so u might get an idea.
if the fireface's 4 mic preamps are exactly the same as their other QuadMic, then they are usable
the preamps on my Motu896 are not much better than cheapo mixer mic pres. asl to m-audio's... well...

but anyway, theres no way maudio will sound better!!
BUT damn, emu's new products has so F redicullius price...
EMU-1820m....

i want to get it but, it's not firewire...

sidrat · Post by **sidrat** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:12 pm

actually, the emu does have a firewire port

as for the rme, the a/d converters in the adi-8 pro sound very good. not sure if they cut corners on the fireface or not. i've never heard their preamps nor seen them reviewed. anyone here actually put them up against something decent? if so, how do they sound?

again, the mio 2882 has 8 very good sounding preamps and converters. best bang for the buck imo...

dxl · Post by **dxl** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:55 am

sidrat wrote:actually, the emu does have a firewire port

as for the rme, the a/d converters in the adi-8 pro sound very good. not sure if they cut corners on the fireface or not. i've never heard their preamps nor seen them reviewed. anyone here actually put them up against something decent? if so, how do they sound?

again, the mio 2882 has 8 very good sounding preamps and converters. best bang for the buck imo...

ahh.. i mean a firewire audio interface, not just the extra firewire port.... with emu... u need at least one pci slot....... if they making all the good 1820m into just one firewire box, with no need of pci...and same stability. i will get it!!! liike... now...

"mio 2882 has 8 very good sounding preamps" Compare to what preamps?

sidrat · Post by **sidrat** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 5:55 pm

better than many - not as good as some. they stand up pretty well with the grace 101 and millenia hv3b... havent compared them with anything else yet. just wish they had a little more gain like the uln-2 pres. not a problem unless you're recording very quiet source material, though...

M-Audio firewire 1814 vs RME Fireface