Liquid Saffire 56 - Any users here? reviews?

[Demonstealer]

So I have like this teeny room and I want to setup a live drum recording option for myself. Even if it's just an average tight sound that is cool with me. So like an 8 mic option is also fine and I found this product to be very interesting because it has 8 preamps on board so I essentially just need this and my drum mics and computer and I'm good to go.

Anyone here using this right now? Any reviews? Any alternatives to this setup in a similar price range?

http://global.focusrite.com/firewire-audio-interfaces/liquid-saffire-56


Thanks in advance.

 

[Empathy]

I use one at home. It's a good bit of kit, though the drivers aren't perfect and I ALWAYS have issues with firewire interfaces; I run a Win7 64-bit DAW and experience occasional dropouts. I attribute this to my DAW not being a dedicated audio workstation and being bloated with tonnes of other shit. Still, it's got good conversion for the price, nice array of features and inputs. The preamps are actually pretty damn good, I remember CJ gave them the thumbs up in a thread a few months back. An OctoPre Dynamic would compliment it excellently to expand your inputs, the dynamics controls on those sound wicked on drums.

Worth mentioning that I'm considering ditching it and picking up one of those new Forte interfaces. I don't need an 8 input interface at home and I'm sick to death of the firewire problems.

 

[TonyS.]

No, problems after 2 years...really recommend this unit!

Info:
runs at Windows 7 64 bit, with Cubase 6 and Protools 10 @ 64samples(even in a full mix)

 

[Demonstealer]

I'm using the 2 input saffaire right now via firewire and really don't have too many issues to complain about it works fine for 99% of the time.

 

[Studdy]

Are the Octopre MKii preamps any better than say a profire 2626/maudio dmp3 or behringer xenyx/mackie onyx??? Are they an upgrade over your average preamp or save the money and use cheap preamps.

 

[kev]

Yep, had mine since release and still going strong. And its probably going to break down now i've said it.

 

[AllanD]

I have both the 40 and the 56. I wouldn't recommend the 56, it gave me a ton of driver issues on my main computer. The 40 works better IMO, and I never even use the 56 preamp emulations, they weren't that great and they were NOISY. I now use the 40 as the main with the 56 as an adat preamp.


tl;dr: not worth the price difference, get the 40.

 

[Manicompression]

I picked this up a year or so back, I really enjoy it. It was an upgrade from a presonus firepod and its waaay better. I dig the liquid preamps but to be diplomatic I dont think they are worth the upgraded price from the 40. I use them on my old dedicated music only pc running vista 64 and so far so good, very smooth experience so far. Thumbsup

 

[C-Martin]

I got the LS56 and it's been my main interface for about 3 years. It's been solid for me so far, a few issues sometimes with PT but i think it's actually more a PT issue than the LS56. Nothing that i couldn't fix with a simple restart. I use it everyday in conjunction with an RME ADI-8 AE as my main converters for outboard and monitors. The Saffire's may not be in the same league as something like an RME interfaces, but they are still pretty solid and very capable.

I mainly chose the LS56 over the 40 because it had more I/O, more features like HPF, pads and phase on the preamps and it doesn't have 2 mic inputs in the front (I dislike having a mess of cables hanging out in front of my rack). I do use the emulations when tracking and i dig them, never had any noise issue. I use the Neve emulation regularly when i'm tracking drums.

Just get whichever one has the features you need/want. If you need the expandability and features with the extra I/O, HPF, pads, phase flips and are like me and dislike front loaded mic inputs, go with the LS56; if you don't need all that and want something smaller and simpler with 2 front loaded mic inputs, the Pro40 will perform just as well as the LS56 for less money.

 

[Demonstealer]

Right now the 40 is not available in India and it's 500$ on sweetwater so I could order it directly but the price would go up by 30% at least considering our duty rate here. On the other hand I could possibly get the Liquid 56 slightly cheaper than the Indian MRP which is about 200-250$ more than the 1000$ price online from the USA based stores. Fuck I'm confused now!