I want to give up with the consolidation bullshit and just run Pro Tools as my singular DAW. Please don't turn this into an argument about DAWs. Trying to decide whether to sell the Saffire Pro 26 for an M Audio Profire 2626 or get an older M Audio interface with ADAT and run the Saffire through it. I really don't want to part with the Saffire unless the Profire is equally stable and has preamps that are of similar quality. I'm sorta at a deadlock on this one. What do you guys think?
Sell it or keep it? You decide! Interface related.
- Thread starter NickL
- Start date
Well first off, can the Saffire run as a standalone 8 ch. preamp with ADAT out? (like a Digimax or something) Cuz if so, then running that into some M Audio would work well I think; the only problem is the only older M Audio interface I can think of with ADAT ins is the 1814, and I've heard of some pretty bad reliability problems with them. There's always the 002, but digidesign drivers suck on PC's, you really wouldn't be able to use it as your primary sound card. Also, bear in mind that since I assume the new interface would be your primary sound card, you'd probably be taking a hit on D/A converter quality compared to the Saffire, and that's where the differences are really noticeable IMO since you're listening to whole mixes (doesn't affect what your recording, naturally, but it'd suck to lose some stereo width/clarity for mixing or just general music listening). I vote Profire!
Yes the Saffire can be run that way, and I believe I can use the D/A on the Saffire by running an ADAT out from the 1814. No? But I didn't know about any reliability issues, can you be more specific? I am not going back to a 002 I hated that fucking thing. Driver issues out the ass on my PC. Plus its out of my price range at the moment. my budget is basically whatever I can get for my mbox2.
Jarkko Mattheiszen
The FU guy.
I've heard some pretty nasty things about the reliability of the cheaper M-Audio interfaces as well, but unfortunately I don't have any first hand experience. I've often heard that the Profire series is the first series of M-Audio interfaces that are all-round decent, and that's pretty much what I based my choice on.
Im gonna upgrade from my Saffire soon..
Im looking to get the RME Fireface 800..
I thought about selling it but I think Im gonna keep it as a 8 channel pre.
I dont think I would get much for the Saffire and the extra channels can come in handy
if I have to record drums later on.
Im looking to get the RME Fireface 800..
I thought about selling it but I think Im gonna keep it as a 8 channel pre.
I dont think I would get much for the Saffire and the extra channels can come in handy
if I have to record drums later on.
Ooh, well if you could use the Saffire for your D/A duties as well then that solves that! And as for the 1814, I've just heard about generally shitty manufacturing; preamps dying, noisy pots, etc., but since you won't be using it for anything more than a dongle (zero analog stuff) that shouldn't be a problem - actually, since that's the case, you might be better off with the Profire Lightbridge! (granted it doesn't have any analog options like the 1814, but from what I've heard about the 1814 you're not missing much!
)
2000ContourSVT
Member
This sounds like my 002 experiences. Now I'm having the high-pitched whine issue from my mbox and I'm looking to M Audio as an alternative. Maybe I'll have better luck with the M Audio stuff but I'm seriously starting to doubt it lolI had a FastTrack usb interface from M Audio for a while...the drivers would just cut out in the middle of whatever I was doing...restart program... 2 hours later another driver failure... restart program. They released driver about 2 fuckin years apart for those devices, I get the new driver...same fuckin issue.
