KVR Audio

pw · Post by pw » Wed May 09, 2007 9:07 pm

After totally wasting my time with the TC Electronics Konnekt 24D for around 1 1/2 months (dodgy drivers, first unit had a hardware fault, and now my second unit has another hardware fault, both diagnosed and confirmed by TC Tech Support...

), I am in urgent need of a replacement firewire audio interface, and after some new suggestions.

I can spend up to $1000 - perhaps I should have just gone with RME or MOTU from the beginning, for the proven track record they have.

I am running mostly on a Desktop PC (P4 3.0gHz), but also on Mac and PC laptops.

I need-

-stable, reliable drivers for Windows XP
-2 *quiet* mic pre-amps
- 2 Hi-Z inputs (for guitar/bass direct)
- ability to run the interface as a standalone mixer (without PC) with digital out

I am considering:

MOTU 828 mkii
MOTU Ultralite
RME fireface 400
maybe MBox 2 Pro (new firewire one), or even at a pinch beyond my budget, a digirack 003

And hope to get some other suggestions.

Thanks.

stanlea · Post by **stanlea** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:10 pm

RME is rock solid and has nice preamps.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:10 pm

don't rule out the presonus firestudio...it runs around 700 and has better pres I believe than the other interfaces they sell. I'm using one and love it...

Rajiv · Post by **Rajiv** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:39 pm

I'm having a lot of trouble with the FireStudio. It sounds great, but I get lots of pops, clicks and audio drop-outs. It really only completely clears up at 1,024 buffers. (Computer = Dell 3.2GHz, 1Gig RAM; audio 8-12 tracks running in Ableton Live5).

I have also noticed that in some non-audio applications (games, particularly) the sound completely drops. I don't do much of that, but it would be nice if it worked for all applications.

I think it sounds great, but I will probably be returning mine.

Has anybody tried the Alesis IO 26? Very similar I/O, $300 less.

I don't know if it's still available, but AudioMidi was selling the Firestudio for $624.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Wed May 09, 2007 9:44 pm

I haven't had any issues, but I keep my buffer at 512...I am running a core2 duo e6700 so that might be the difference...I also use it when I play Oblivion and Chessmaster (only two games on that machine)...never any issue at all...

pw · Post by pw » Wed May 09, 2007 9:47 pm

stanlea wrote:RME is rock solid and has nice preamps.

Are you using the fireface 400? With Windows XP?

pw · Post by pw » Wed May 09, 2007 9:53 pm

Hink wrote:I haven't had any issues, but I keep my buffer at 512...I am running a core2 duo e6700 so that might be the difference...I also use it when I play Oblivion and Chessmaster (only two games on that machine)...never any issue at all...

The firestudio does have good specs, but I have heard about driver issues (although your reports are encouraging), and I wonder why I would need 8 mic pres (and what was cut to get to that price with *8* dedicated mic pre-amps. How is the noise (or lack thereof) from the pres?

where02190 · Post by **where02190** » Wed May 09, 2007 10:05 pm

Apogee Mini-Me and a pair of good DI's, like the Radial J48's.

timobrien · Post by **timobrien** » Thu May 10, 2007 1:33 pm

My Motu828mkII has been rock-solid. Zero issues with my XP laptop.

Aural Chaos · Post by **Aural Chaos** » Thu May 10, 2007 1:50 pm

FWIW, I'm using the FireBox with a way lower-specced laptop than you other posters, and with ASIO4ALL I keep my buffers below 128 and it's totally stable.
I am running less tracks, but I have less of a computer also...

Dominus · Post by **Dominus** » Thu May 10, 2007 2:35 pm

Only get the MBox 2 Pro or 003 Rack (Or 002 Rack, they're blowing them out) if you're definitely going to run Pro Tools. Otherwise, skip them.

While you're at it, make sure your firewire chipset is made by TI, some of the NEC and Via ones have problems with audio. Motu recommends TI only, and M-Audio recommends Via or TI, but I've had issues with Via on some systems with M-Audio firewire devices.

rockstar_not · Post by **rockstar_not** » Thu May 10, 2007 2:43 pm

Dominus wrote:
While you're at it, make sure your firewire chipset is made by TI, some of the NEC and Via ones have problems with audio. Motu recommends TI only, and M-Audio recommends Via or TI, but I've had issues with Via on some systems with M-Audio firewire devices.

Bingo.

Before buying something new, try buying a PCI firewire card with TI chipset. My money is that will clear up the latency issues.

FWIW, Presonus also recommends TI chipset. It seems that's the only one usable for audio. They have a list of known hardware incompatibility here:

http://www.presonus.com/faq/index.php?a ... artlang=en

BTW, I run my FireBox at something like 2.3 mS latency without issue.

robains · Post by **robains** » Thu May 10, 2007 3:39 pm

I'm running a MOTU Ultralite on my MacPro without any issues (I run WinXP on the MacPro also via boot camp). It's a great unit for the price $500 -- I'm looking to upgrade to a Apogee DA-16X (different league) but not because I have a problem with the MOTU.

I've tossed a lot at it via Logic Pro, FCS, and Sonar 6 without any issues. On the WinXP side heavy FX projects get a little flakey but the same projects on the Logic Pro side work just fine so I'm assuming it's just the poor threading model of WinXP 32bit vs. OS X 64bit.

If you go with the MOTU Ultralite be sure to download an upgrade the firmware to v1.15. I also use Digital Performer 5.11 with it and have never had any latency issues on the Mac side. I share MacPro's onboard firewire line with Camcorders and other devices without a problem.

Hope this helps.

Rob.

Lucid · Post by **Lucid** » Thu May 10, 2007 3:48 pm

Fireface 400 or MOTU Ultralite

audibell2 · Post by **audibell2** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:08 pm

Here we are, more than 10 years from Win95 and still we don't have PnP audio interfaces which work as advertised. I shouldn't need to know what chip-set the I triple f---ing E 1394 card uses because it's an International Standard and if a card differs from the standard by the width of a gnat's short-&-curly hair, it ain't an IEEE 1394 card!
Because we put up with this shxx the manufacturers and the truly worthless salesmen at GC can continue to peddle electronics which don't work.
The Alesis MultiMix 12 FireWire is another POS - don't buy it - mine's packed up and going back. I wasted a whole day trying different 1394 cards, Dlink, Pinnacle, Belkin & KWE - all of which pass signal - but the FireWire mixer either says nothing or slows the DAW down to a stuttering crawl and then stops.
Tracktion-2 only sees the first two inputs and the L/R output, but no sound in the hdphns or signal in the lights. Every permutation of hook-up but still nothing. It works fine analog but I already have a couple of mackies so no thanks. Audition sees all the inputs but projects which sound fine through other interfaces grind to a halt; latency changes don't seem to help.
The "reference" manual contains little that is enlightening beyond the basic hook-up for a WinXP sound device - but the Health and Safety manual is beautifully written! Yesterday, GC couldn't get this POS to work on their Apple dual-core monster which was running the Digi 003 moments earlier. They used the CD drivers, I used the Dec 06 drivers from Alesis.

30 years ago I was using Peavy "stuff" and Switchcraft cables and I find myself reaching for the same old gear when it has to, absolutely, be there overnight. I hate to let my Panasonic DAT grow mould in a corner, it's just a 2-track pony but it ALWAYS works.
BTW, Echo, Lynx and Presonus cards WORK. Period.
WT

Firewire Interface: Stability/Reliability/Pre-Amp Quality