Upgrading from old Firepod?

EricIndecisive

EricIndecisive

New member
Hi everyone, I've had a Presonus Firepod for about 9 years and am thinking about upgrading if it is a cost-effective option. I've grown more sensitive to identifying nuances in recording, and it may be my crappy engineering skills, but I feel like a lot of my raw tracks are a bit thin / harsh sounding. It seems that things have come a long way since 9 years ago, and am seeing a lot of cool options. I am leaning a bit towards RME as I hear nothing but good things about their build quality and reliability which is worth the price.

My Firepod I believe only has 54db of gain on tap. I am buying an SM7b and I'm not sure it will even be enough to run it!

This is a hobby for me.. I love writing songs and would love to be in the "pro-sumer" level of recording gear, as I find myself with many hobbies. From what I've been hearing in many comparisons, it seems that a solid interface with clean pres and good mics will get you at least 90% of the way there (fidelity-wise), without adding in expensive outboard preamps.

What I would need for my applications:
Majority of the time 1-2 simultaneous mic'd tracks, occasionally 3.
Ability to handle MIDI input from an electronic drum set or keyboard.
Solid DI for recording bass.

Right now I mix through Equator D5's, and for headphones use BeyerDynamic DT990's (250 ohm).

So that's more information than you wanted... but in your opinions, how significant are current offerings from companies like RME compared to my 9 year old firepod? I'm not expecting it to turn garbage into gold, but will it breathe some life, openness and clarity into some of these raw tracks?

Thanks!
 
If your "raw tracks are a bit thin / harsh sounding", I think your problem are more serious than the quality of preamps or converters n the Firepod. The Firepod's quality credentials are solid, and to get better you would have to jump to a significantly higher price bracket.

Getting an RME interface will not do you any harm (except maybe to your wallet), but it is unlikely to turn "garbage into gold".

You would most likely getter value by examining your recording environment and techniques.
 
Thanks guys, that makes me glad to hear. The firepod has been super reliable for me so I have no good reason to get rid of it if sound quality is not wildly different than the new stuff. I should post some mixes up, if I ever finish one.. I will put that money towards some additional mics, possibly a ribbon and the 7b to get some more options. My nt2a Is great for my softer vocals, but when I do louder ones it is doesn't seem to fit as well. The sm57s boost in the highs and bass roll off I think might be thinning my already thin voice as well. It's not that I think my stuff sounds bad, but maybe I'm just wanting something a little different. Also reading all the posts online "I upgraded from my firepod and now angels deliver my mixes" and that doesn't help. I'll try and post some stuff soon though, haven't shared anything yet on here yet. Thanks again
 
I use an old Firepod too, and it's great. It easily stacks up to more modern USB interfaces in the same price range. Hell, I'd say it exceeds the new stuff simply because it is old and outdated and still operates every bit as good as anything else.

I also use an SM7b sometimes, and there is enough gain in the Firepod to use that mic.
 
Cool man, I really like your mixes as well. I think getting some additional mics in my arsenal will make me a bit happier. After checking out youtube videos of the SM7b vs the SM57 on a guitar cab, I really like the sound of the SM7b, so I'm going to buy that one. I'm thinking the next step after that would be a ribbon mic.. any suggestions on that front?

When I move into my own house I will have a dedicated studio room.. for now this is my setup with the firepod. I'm going to see if I can get the monitors to sit a little wider on the space.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top