RME Fireface 400 vs. MOTU HD896 ?

[bluevoodoo]

I'd like to ask for your opinion on which is the better?I have the FF400 now and got an offer to trade it for a MOTU HD896.Could it be a good deal?

 

[Machinated]

I think I read in Soundonsound that the MOTU stuff has the same converters as RME, although I can't see the preamps being as good. I have a MOTU896 which I'm fairly happy with. I think it depends if you want a few more preamps with phantom power.

 

[bluevoodoo]

I think I read in Soundonsound that the MOTU stuff has the same converters as RME, although I can't see the preamps being as good. I have a MOTU896 which I'm fairly happy with. I think it depends if you want a few more preamps with phantom power.

Oooh,you're my man then I really like the sound of the RME's preamps but I find it that I can't exploit all the possibilities of 6 line inputs,I could use more mic preamps better.How do you like the stability of th MOTU driver?Did you have any problems with it so far?The RME is built like a tank and it's really reliable,I don't know much about this stuff of MOTU.

 

[Metaltastic]

Do some searches on here, MOTU's reliability is apparently AWFUL (hell, there's even a thread called "looks like I'm on my 3rd MOTU"), and furthermore, while the converter chips themselves might be the same as RME's, I'm pretty certain the analog circuitry surrounding it is inferior, and more importantly (for me), MOTU's PC drivers apparently are pretty crappy. I've been going through quite a debate on this myself, but I settled on the FF400.

 

[bluevoodoo]

Do some searches on here, MOTU's reliability is apparently AWFUL (hell, there's even a thread called "looks like I'm on my 3rd MOTU"), and furthermore, while the converter chips themselves might be the same as RME's, I'm pretty certain the analog circuitry surrounding it is inferior, and more importantly (for me), MOTU's PC drivers apparently are pretty crappy. I've been going through quite a debate on this myself, but I settled on the FF400.

My only problem with the FF400 is that recently I tried to install it on 3 different notebooks (an Acer w/ Celeron CPU and 2 Lenovos - our bassist's T61 and I have an R61 for myself) and I didn't succeed at all...the blue death screen appeared and I couldn't make the unit working with any drivers I could get my hands on. The weird thing is that 2 months ago it ran smoothly on the T61 but since then it has been uninstalled and I couldn't install it again because the blue death appeared.And RME's support is really crappy,I wrote a few emails but didn't get any reply.

 

[Machinated]

I have also got through 3 MOTU's, I think something to do with my computer sending too higher voltage through the firewire bus. Even still MOTU's distribution depo isn't too far from me and they have replaced them with no fuss on the spot. I think the issues I had came from having a shitty computer. Since its been rigged up with my Mac Pro I haven't had any issues. Further more I have found the drivers and totalmix software to work pretty flawlessly with my Mac and PC.

 

[Potshot]

I've had an 828mk2 that has been running fine for over a year now, no problems with the PC drivers whatsoever, can't say I've had any issues with it.

 

[deLuther]

Macs have better firewire controlers. Most of PCs does not have TI or Nec controlers now...
As I know only Sony notebooks have good controllers currently.
RME notes that you need TI firewire to operate properly (somewhere on RME`s site).

 

[LSD-Studio]

The RME-Converters are definitely way better!
the totalmix-software is tits and it works totaly stable.

installation and bluescreens: RTFM it says in the manual that you'll get bluescreens if you try to install it "actively", you gotta wait for "new hardware found".
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