Quick Decision: M-Audio or Line 6 POD UX1 ???

[Virgil.]

Ok, which one should I get... I only have a budget of $150 + tax..

M-Audio Fast Track MKII USB Audio Interface (new item)
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-Fast-Track-MKII-USB-Interface?sku=703669

or

Line 6 POD UX1
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Line-6-UX1-with-PF?sku=250003

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

[Line666]

M-audio. Has phantom power.

 

[Virgil.]

M-audio. Has phantom power.

Although I don't use condenser mic's right now, this would be nice to have if I ever get one. Right now I'm just using a couple of SM57's.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap/260860-sub-forums-postings.html

 

[Virgil.]

Ok, so my original post got locked because I apparently posted it in the wrong area. (Original Post) So forgive me if I'm in the wrong area again.

Ok, which one should I get... I only have a budget of $150 + tax..

M-Audio Fast Track MKII USB Audio Interface (new item)
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com...ace?sku=703669

or

Line 6 POD UX1
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com...-PF?sku=250003

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

EDIT: I'm only using 2 SM57's at the moment, so the "phantom power" is negligible for me since I'm not using any condenser mics right now. I'm also using REAPER as my recording software.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Get a used UX2

 

[Virgil.]

Get a used UX2

I never trust used. I've been burned way too many times buying used, then all of a sudden, it craps out on my after the return timeframe expires. Thanks for the idea though.

 

[narcossintese]

I´ve never noticed that UX1 didn´t have phantom power. I really can´t see why someone would want a UX1 instead of a UX2. The price difference is small.

 

[Virgil.]

I´ve never noticed that UX1 didn´t have phantom power. I really can´t see why someone would want a UX1 instead of a UX2. The price difference is small.

Well, I'm married and have lots of bills, so money is tight right now. But I've been able to save-up and only have a budget of $150. Quite honestly, I'm just beginning to learn how to record, so I just need something basic to get me started. I will save up probably for something in the $400-$600 range within the next year or so. But I want to start working with something right now. I have all these song ideas floating around in my head, and nothing to record them with other than a tape recorder, but i'd like something a little better than that. LOL.

 

[Metaltastic]

Presonus Audiobox USB

 

[Virgil.]

Presonus Audiobox USB

Can I plug in my guitar directly into this one? (I'm assuming you're referring to the PreSonus AudioBox USB 2X2 USB Recording System for $149???) Or are the inputs on the front just for mics?

Are there any Latency issues w/ this? I need something that acts as an external soundcard basically since my pc cpu lags everything up usb.

 

[Metaltastic]

Nope, you can plug your guitar in there (hence the "mic ^ instrument" text beneath the inputs ), and one of my roommates got one last year and the latency wasn't an issue! (and I'd trust the quality of that over cheaper Line 6 or M-Audio interfaces any day)

 

[Virgil.]

THanks.... i'll look into the presonus then.

EDIT:
I'm using a Dell laptop running Windows XP SP2 home edition, with an intel Core2 duo 2.60 ghz processor w 2 gigs of Ram. Thought this info might be helpful in determining which interface would be good for me.

 

[updog]

I'm using a Dell laptop running Windows XP SP2 home edition, with an intel Core2 duo 2.60 ghz processor w 2 gigs of Ram. Thought this info might be helpful in determining which interface would be good for me.

By the specs of it, your laptop looks great for audio production, especially if you'll upgrade the RAM to 4 GB at some point.

I had weird problems with an M-Audio Fast Track Pro like a year ago, when I had an Acer laptop for my PC. Apparently, it isn't enough to just see the specs of your PC, at least that's what I was told; people said I literally would've had to know which goddamn USB chipsets the computer I'm getting had inside it, and there was even a list of "daw-compatible" PC laptops floating on the internet.

Acer had NO information on their website about any sorts of chipsets or anything, and they never answered my emails. And I learnt all this AFTER purchasing the lot.

It's likely though, that you won't run into such problems as I did (weird crackling and popping every now and then, and I used a few months trying to figure it out) but what I'm trying to say is, you definitely can't tell which interface works for which setup. It's kind of scary.

Most people seem to have laptops that work properly, though, and Dell isn't exactly as shitty a brand as Acer, so I wouldn't worry.

 

[Virgil.]

By the specs of it, your laptop looks great for audio production, especially if you'll upgrade the RAM to 4 GB at some point.

I had weird problems with an M-Audio Fast Track Pro like a year ago, when I had an Acer laptop for my PC. Apparently, it isn't enough to just see the specs of your PC, at least that's what I was told; people said I literally would've had to know which goddamn USB chipsets the computer I'm getting had inside it, and there was even a list of "daw-compatible" PC laptops floating on the internet.

Acer had NO information on their website about any sorts of chipsets or anything, and they never answered my emails. And I learnt all this AFTER purchasing the lot.

It's likely though, that you won't run into such problems as I did (weird crackling and popping every now and then, and I used a few months trying to figure it out) but what I'm trying to say is, you definitely can't tell which interface works for which setup. It's kind of scary.

Most people seem to have laptops that work properly, though, and Dell isn't exactly as shitty a brand as Acer, so I wouldn't worry.

I'm reading a lot of reviews where people experience "popping" and other distortions through the cheaper interfaces like a UX1 and the lower-end M-Audio.

I've read a lot of reviews of the Presonus that Metaltastic suggested, and since it has (what seems to be) better construction, there aren't as many negative reviews as say the m-audio or line 6. I'm really leaning towards the Presonus now... unless anyone can convince me otherwise.

And yeah, this laptop is a beast. The amp I have right now has a direct "studio USB" interface built into it, but because I have to run the USB cable into my laptop and use my on-board soundcard, I'm getting some crazy ass delay that makes it impossible to multitrack or monitor anything i'm playing. So as long as I have something that is external and that will eliminate most of the latency, I think it should work fine w/ my laptop. Although I should (hopefully) be getting a nice macbook from my work here soon

 

[updog]

Well, my solution was to get a MacBook but be careful, if you're going to get a Mac and thinking about getting a FireWire interface later. I heard they changed the FW-chipset in the newer Apple laptops, to something that doesn't work with certain FW-interfaces. I guess that's what you get for fixing something that already works.

 

[Virgil.]

Well, my solution was to get a MacBook but be careful, if you're going to get a Mac and thinking about getting a FireWire interface later. I heard they changed the FW-chipset in the newer Apple laptops, to something that doesn't work with certain FW-interfaces. I guess that's what you get for fixing something that already works.

wow. lame. Well, whatever I get now doesn't have to work w/ a macbook necessarily. I'm just looking for a UI that's pretty basic for now to get me started and to hold me over until I can save up for a more expensive UI next summer that'll work w/ a MAC and PC

 

[Metaltastic]

(it's just interface dude, User Interface is something totally different ) But yeah, I can't think of any interface I'd recommend over another depending on computer specs, so I'd still say Audiobox!

 

[Line666]

I'm reading a lot of reviews where people experience "popping" and other distortions through the cheaper interfaces like a UX1 and the lower-end M-Audio. :

That'd be because these people have no idea how to operate the buffer size and their pcs aren't fast enough.

 

[updog]

That'd be because these people have no idea how to operate the buffer size and their pcs aren't fast enough.

If you're in any way referring to me, trust me, I checked these things the very first. And the Acer was by its specs about as good as my MacBook is now, except that it had an ATI processor rather than an Intel.