Cheap but effective interface

[MarkG]

Yup - though I don't see any mention of a TI chipset on that top card (and I got my Satellite brand new for $160 shipped from ebay, so check out there too!)

There seems to be a lot of ambiguity around TI chipset cards, as in it isn't clear which chips are. Do you have a link to your chip, or another TI chipset?

This might also be a pretty stupid question, but do you know of an interface with the same quality, but fewer features? It seems that onyx has far more than I will use, so it might not be the most cost effective solution. However, if this unit is simply the best long term solution I'll just have to suck up, let my balls drop and keep saving for it.

God damn dude, fuck off.

You said what I was thinking I didn't want to go around biting and flaming people in my first thread

 

[ahjteam]

do you think?
joey in this forum (he recorded Oceano new album) use his POD XT into a firewire interface (spdif). if it was same quality, why he uses interface? why he don´t uses only usb?

spdif is 20bit, most interfaces can record 24bit audio. The difference? 24dB more headroom with same signal-to-noise ratio.

 

[The-Zeronaut]

God damn dude, fuck off.

 

[Metaltastic]

There seems to be a lot of ambiguity around TI chipset cards, as in it isn't clear which chips are. Do you have a link to your chip, or another TI chipset?

Here's one! In the US, though maybe they would ship internationally...

This might also be a pretty stupid question, but do you know of an interface with the same quality, but fewer features? It seems that onyx has far more than I will use, so it might not be the most cost effective solution. However, if this unit is simply the best long term solution I'll just have to suck up, let my balls drop and keep saving for it.

Well the funny thing is that the Onyx is the cheapest FW solution I know of, despite its features. It wasn't always that cheap, but has since come down; I think they're phasing it out. But trust me, it's built AMAZINGLY - all metal, heavy and ridiculously solid; the features such as two headphone amps and a separate control room output level knob are super convenient, and I run mine at 128 samples latency with zero issues; really, I have no complaints about it, and I've been using it as my main sound card since this past summer!

 

[Metaltastic]

And here's another, more expensive TI-based FW card - seems like the differences are it has the power socket so you can bus-power devices (not an issue with a powered interface or external hard drive, naturally) and includes a cable or two.

 

[MarkG]

Here's one! In the US, though maybe they would ship internationally...



Well the funny thing is that the Onyx is the cheapest FW solution I know of, despite its features. It wasn't always that cheap, but has since come down; I think they're phasing it out. But trust me, it's built AMAZINGLY - all metal, heavy and ridiculously solid; the features such as two headphone amps and a separate control room output level knob are super convenient, and I run mine at 128 samples latency with zero issues; really, I have no complaints about it, and I've been using it as my main sound card since this past summer!

Thank you, you've been of great help to me. It will probably be about month before I can purchase it, but I'm sure its worth the wait. At least now I'm confident about what I should be getting.

Thanks everyone who replied in this thread with advice and/or suggestions. I hope I'll be of some help to others around here when I get the hang of all this

I'll be getting that firewire card you linked along with the onyx satellite. They really do seem to be the best option now, and for future projects.

 

[Metaltastic]

Cool dude, happy to help, and I hope it works out for ya!

 

[eternally_gutted]

Presonus Firebox

thanks man.

 

[John_C]

am i right in saying that the general opinion is that firewire>UBS2.0 and presonus=good

 

[MarkG]

am i right in saying that the general opinion is that firewire>UBS2.0 and presonus=good

sounds about right from what I've heard Although I'm going for a mackie onyx instead of a presonus myself. Wish me luck getting it though since its been discontinued.

 

[Metaltastic]

am i right in saying that the general opinion is that firewire>UBS2.0 and presonus=good

Definitely yes on the first, and a reserved yes on the second - once you move into the >$500 Presonus interfaces, from all I've heard they can't keep up (especially in converter quality) with the others in the price range. But the sub-$500 stuff is awesome!

 

[beyond dead]

Definitely yes on the first, and a reserved yes on the second - once you move into the >$500 Presonus interfaces, from all I've heard they can't keep up (especially in converter quality) with the others in the price range. But the sub-$500 stuff is awesome!

agreed! the presonus light pipe stuff isnt as good as focusright ect. but the fp 10 sure is a sweet piece of kit! im sure the mackie satellite is pretty nice as well

ive got my eye on an apogee ensemble

 

[tearsofthedragon]

M-Audio Black box (reloaded) (USB) - got mine for £60 quid off ebay, its like a POD crossed with a soundcard, except you don't get any of the harsh trebble you might find when plugging a POD into your audio interface.

 

[tearsofthedragon]

I'd also like to add, that if your using the wrong type of PC the presonus stuff is a nightmare, it gets blocked up with the messages sent around your computer, I had to return my firebox, it was next to useless on my computer. M-Audio is much more user-friendly in my opinnion.

 

[2000ContourSVT]

Has anyone here used the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra? I'm looking to get an interface that supports Pro Tools and the FT Ultra seems to be perfect for me since I don't feel like dealing with the headaches of a firewire interface because I have the Agere/Lucent Chipset on my Macbook (non-Pro) with no express card slot to add any firewire card.