M-Audio Fast Track Pro vs. ProFire 2626

[bryan_kilco]

The other day I brought my little Fast Track Pro to the jam space where the ProFire has been sitting for a month or 2. Did a little test with just one mic and a few of us in the room, just kinda talking and bullshitting.

Turns out - the FTP is so goddamn noisy and the quality is just nowhere even close to the ProFire. I was floored and didn't believe it at first. I figured maybe since I was running RCA cables out of the FTP into our PA head that maybe that was causing the noise. So I played back the audio we recorded with the FTP THRU the ProFire (1/4" cable to PA), and still noisy.

So, I must say I'm pretty glad I went for the ProFire.

Anyone else want to chime in with thoughts or experience with M-Audio gear?

 

[BrettT]

Possible defective unit? Haven't really noticed any noise issues with my FTP.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Possible defective unit? Haven't really noticed any noise issues with my FTP.

I've never noticed this noise before either. I did let a buddy borrow it for about a month, and now that I think about it, that was the first time I've used it since I got it back. I figured maybe I just didn't notice how bad the noise actually was since I was used to the ProFire?

I noticed it makes the white noise in an amp sim even worse (like, when not playing anything).

Maybe it got dropped or something and he didnt tell me?

 

[ahjteam]

Might be USB noise too.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Might be USB noise too.

This was my first assumption. The unit still works fine (as far as I can tell) but again, I haven't used it in a few months since we got the ProFire. Night and day, really.

 

[kev]

My mates got a fast track pro, shitloads of USB noise on it.

 

[bryan_kilco]

ahh cool, so mine is not broken then. Figured my bud would have said something if he dropped it or something. I was planning on using the FTP for home use but after noticing how noisy it is, I think I'll just lug the ProFire around.....