Help for newbie! Interface Ug!

R

Ronnievoice

New member
:confused:

Hi everyone! I read the posts on here all the time but I need some real world advice so I finally registered for an account. Right now the front of my signal chain is a BLUE Blueberry micraphone powered by a UAD 6176, I love this set up, I will add a U87 when budget permits. Right now my concern is my interface, your gonna laugh but I'm running this into a M-Audio 2496, I know piece of crap right. I know enough about interfaces and I think my UAD and BLUE deserve high end converters, seems like everyone here is big fans of apogee, I personally won't mess with any of the apogee mini series, just not functional enough but that really is my price range. I've been looking into the RME stuff, I'd love to just go with the Fireface 800, but I don't really have that much money.

My budget 900.00 or less.
I know RME makes the fireface 400 but it doesn't have the same converters as the 800, it has the converters from the multiface and not the ADI series like the 800. I'm not a big MOTU fan. I am curious about the MACKIE onyx series. I refuse to conform and get digidesign anything, all there LE stuff uses the same AKM converters that MOTU and MACKIE use any way. I do need something firewire as I travel a lot, I'm not looking for bang for the buck I'm looking for something that will give me pro quality audio, I'd sacrafice, the extra pres and stuff but it has to be firewire.

Thanks for the help guys.
 
If you were thinking about the Fireface, the Mackie Onyx 400 uses the same converters.

If you're on a Mac, the choice is obvious in the price range: Metric Halo ULN-2.

If you're on a PC, I'd probably go with the Onyx, or possibly the new Fireface 400.

FWIW, the Apogee mini stuff is pretty good too, for the price.
 
Take a look at the Lynx II cards, as well as the RME stuff. The M-Audio stuff is better than you think, don't expect jaw dropping difference when you upgrade, but yeah, it sounds like it's time for better converters. Oh, and don't judge an interface solely on the converter chip manufacturer used, that's only half the story, if that.

Whoops, just noticed you need firewire. Lynx is out.
 
As far as I know the Mackie Onyx line uses AKM converters and the RME gear uses there own, I do understand that its not just converters all though that is half the battle, master clock, jitter suppression, that is why I favor the RME stuff. Only problem is, if I go RME I want the ADI converters which through firewire is only available on the Fireface 800 for some reason they chose to make the Fireface 400 with the same pre's but with the inferior converters found on the multiface, I'd be happy with just the ADI-2S because I really only need 2 channels of conversion as I'm doing mostly vocal tracking for Hip-hop but this unit has to run through spdif or light pipe, uggg. I guess I'm more looking for a good ad/da converter first as the primary interface that can run through firewire without needing an additional pci or pcmcia card. Thanks for the feedback.

As for the apogee mini stuff, I'd love to just get a mini-me if it atleast ran through USB 2.0, but all the latency issues with just the old USB1.0 I might as well get an MBOX.
 
Ronnievoice said:
As far as I know the Mackie Onyx line uses AKM converters and the RME gear uses there own,.
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Where did you hear that RME makes their own converters? Not that it isn't possible, but it certainly would be an unlikely business model for them. I just met with the head of marketing and the business development manager of AKM last month, and they didn't mention anything about RME rolling their own converters. I shouldn't put any numbers on this, but let me just say that such a move by a relatively low volume manufacturer like RME would be crazy, given the cost of going to foundry vs the very low cost of even the best off the shelf converter chips in qty.
 
Okay this isn't going where it should but as far as I knew RME made there own converters, but beyond that AKM chips are great, AKM has a bunch of different chips any way, are you telling me that RME if they do indeed use AKM chips they are the exact same chip that the MACKIE Onyx 400 uses? If it is that awesome, but I'm doubtful, these are really the 2 products I'm looking at, MACKIE (price and history), RME (seems to be the talk right now) But instead of comparing dick size and who you knows I was just looking for help.
 
xstatic said:
Would you care to back up this statement?
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Both the RME Fireface and the Onyx 400F use the AKM 5385 chip for A/D conversion. It's been widely discussed on many pro audio forums.

I should elaborate though - the Onyx does not use the same chip for D/A as the RME unit.

Of course, the chip alone does not necessarily dictate the quality of the A/D. I've owned both though, and found their sound to be pretty similar. On a budget it's a no-brainer.

If I'm wrong about the converters I will of course gladly retract my previous statement.
 
No your right, I was looking at what said that RME uses there own chips, I don't want to even mention what it was, basically I'm a dumb ass but I do appreciate your input, I think the Mackie Onyx is going have to be the champ, with the left over money I can get some additional acoustic treament and maybe a steak. Thanks again.
 
Ronnievoice said:
Okay this isn't going where it should but as far as I knew RME made there own converters, but beyond that AKM chips are great, AKM has a bunch of different chips any way, are you telling me that RME if they do indeed use AKM chips they are the exact same chip that the MACKIE Onyx 400 uses? If it is that awesome, but I'm doubtful, these are really the 2 products I'm looking at, MACKIE (price and history), RME (seems to be the talk right now) But instead of comparing dick size and who you knows I was just looking for help.
Click to expand...

Well, about 7", since you asked. :D Sorry, I didn't mean to piss you off. :)
 
Just as a matter of point, using the AKM 5385 chip for A/D conversion is a useless comparison here. First off, there is the analog side of things (which GREATLY varies results), then there is how that AKM 5385 chip is implemented in its duty. This is like the age old TL07xx debate. Just because two preamps use this chipset it does not mean that they are even close in sonic integrity. I just want to make this point clear before people run out and buy something based solely one factor and assume that it will be the same for all other products using that same piece.
 
Dam it, maybe I should just save for another couple of months for the fireface, does anyone have an opinion on the fireface 400 vs fireface 800? I know that the 800 can uses Firewire B and the 400 cannot, but since I'm using simply for vocal tracking I don't think latency will be a big issue either way. The pre's are the same. What gives? Anyone?
 
xstatic said:
Just as a matter of point, using the AKM 5385 chip for A/D conversion is a useless comparison here. First off, there is the analog side of things (which GREATLY varies results), then there is how that AKM 5385 chip is implemented in its duty. This is like the age old TL07xx debate. Just because two preamps use this chipset it does not mean that they are even close in sonic integrity. I just want to make this point clear before people run out and buy something based solely one factor and assume that it will be the same for all other products using that same piece.
Click to expand...


This is a good point. My comments stem from Ronnie's post referencing AKM converters in general.

I am not saying the Onyx sounds exactly like the Fireface at all - since he mentioned AKM converters I just thought I'd point out both units happen to share the same chipset for A/D.

In my opinion the Onyx actually sounds better, and the preamps are significantly more musical and pleasant than the RME preamps. The RME preamps sounded pretty dull and muddy to me. The Onyx 400F is the one piece I really regret selling, because it fit my needs perfectly and sounded great.

As always, YMMV.
 
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