Decided I need 8 inputs - because of how i currently record

[junplugged]

I was first thinking i'd try out a usb or firewire interface, ((USB interfaces currently at 99 to 149 - many choices! - Lex Lambda anyone?)) but the more i thought about it and saw the options, i figured that i'll be 'using' it, not just 'trying' it and i'll want more features.

i currently work with 8 inputs and it won't be efficient for me to have fewer. i probably won't be using it much if it didn't match my current way i've been working for a long time.

The thing is that i'm recording me and no one else and i need to have the channels set up pretty much permanently like this so i can quickly record.

this is mostly for convenience - i have these always at hand:

i can't have fewer than 4 inputs/tracks for drums b/c i need control over the amount of kik and snare and i need 2 oh for stereo

i need a pair of sdc x/y set up for acoustic guitar

an ldc for mono vox and acoustic or just a vocal

an input w/ a handy dynamic hanging around for electric guitar amps or whatever else - bongos, etc

i have a list on the wall of the tracks assigned by default to those inputs so turn on the box, start new song, arm the tracks, hit record, play.

so if i can't replicate that for a pc daw (instead of my all-in-one box) then i won't be using it as much, thus, 8

(like to have choice of 8 decent pre's in unit but ok if it's only 4 or 6)

so new search may include:
tascam us-1641
presonus digimax 8 fs
presonus firestudio firewire
M-Audio ProFire 2626
tascam fw-1082
echo audiofire 12 or 8
motu 8pre
art tubefire 8
line6 ux8
alesis multimix
alesis io

add more if ya got em

my first impression is the tascam 1641 seems strong

waith, there's more:
digi 003 rack
M-Audio ProjectMix I/O
focusrite saffire
motu traveler
m-audio octane to an adat card?
apogee ensemble
mackie onyx 1200f
rme fireface 800

*update: Alesis io 26 Audio MIDI 24-bit 192kHz FireWire Interface is starting to look darn good, it has INSERTS!! on every input. I have compressors and junk i'd like to wreck my input signals with so it would be very useful. thing is only 4 bills.

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

I'm so confused right now...

 

[Bulls Hit]

Given that the component/chipset/converter quality on the units listed will be roughly the same, the big differentiator is the quality of the drivers.

You rarely hear complaints about the rme fireface or the echo audiofire

 

[therage!]

Yamaha N12, hard to find at the moment though.

 

[therage!]

Given that the component/chipset/converter quality on the units listed will be roughly the same, the big differentiator is the quality of the drivers.

You rarely hear complaints about the rme fireface or the echo audiofire

Good point. When I got my N12 I had decided if there were going to be all kinds of driver problems etc, I would send it back and get an RME. But the N12 has rock solid drivers so I kept it.

 

[apl]

Given that the component/chipset/converter quality on the units listed will be roughly the same, the big differentiator is the quality of the drivers.

You rarely hear complaints about the rme fireface or the echo audiofire

The RMEs are a cut above the prosumer pack, big time.

If it fits the budget, it can't be beat.

 

[junplugged]

i'm willing to go up to $1,500 or so. I have Vista Home Premium 32bit, 3 gigs ram, a couple of 250 gig drives on Amd dual core 64, has usb but no firewire, i just got a pci firewire interface in case i need it. so drivers def a concern w/ vista.

 

[apl]

i'm willing to go up to $1,500 or so. I have Vista Home Premium 32bit, 3 gigs ram, a couple of 250 gig drives on Amd dual core 64, has usb but no firewire, i just got a pci firewire interface in case i need it. so drivers def a concern w/ vista.

The PC does nothing for a quality of recording, as long as there's enough horsepower.

Seriously, the FireFace blows away everything else you've listed.

 

[wreckd504]

I know you said 1500 was your limit, but I couldnt help but mention

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rosetta800192/

I had to go <1500 i would choose the fireface 800

well thats pretty close to 1500

 

[LemonTree]

I've been mixing back through a 24 channel large formt board with 3 delta 1010s for years> That's all about to change, I want to keep all my mixes in the box for total recall. I'm looking to get an echo audiofire 12 and an allen & heath mix wizard(3) 14:2 the mic pre's in that little mixer are amazing and I can still sum together 6 stereo stems while keeping all my mixing ITB...thats the way forward for me.

It's portable enough and I can hit up the laptop with the audiorire when I want to do location recording

 

[kgirl72]

I don't know why I didn't get the echo firewire interface. I have an Echo Layla 24/96 at one studio and I love it. What I ended up buying for the other studio was the firestudio PROJECT. Not the plain ole firestudio. But don't let the names fool you, the firestudio project is a step down from the firestudio. A lot of people can't get it to work with their setups, but I was able to just fine. Not sure I'd recommend it, but I can say with confidence that you won't be disappointed with the Echo unit or the RME unit. I'd LOVE to have one of those RME units.

 

[pipelineaudio]

The motu 8pre is also a SCREAMING deal right now. Im investigating an issue with the very newest driver, but the last one was fine (and still available)

The motu and rme are going to have the lowest latency, least munchy drivers

The only problem you might have with the 8pre is it only has two analog outs. If thats an issue, camp the used shops till a behringer ada8k shows up and plug it into the adat i/o

then youll have 16 ins too

 

[SuperGeek]

Rme Rme Rme

The PC does nothing for a quality of recording, as long as there's enough horsepower.

Seriously, the FireFace blows away everything else you've listed.

Thumbs up APL

I have a RME FF-800 and a octa 8 for it as well

To me its great and the total mix interface is great for 0 latency multiple head phone mixes

 

[UnityRecordings]

Funny I come upon this thread now because i'm in the same spot.

I'm torn between the tascam and the firestudio

the only negative side of the tascam looks to me like the limited phantom power

any input on which one?

other than the $100 difference!!

 

[pipelineaudio]

There's a chance that the Tascam was made competently, possibly by the Frontier guys

Theres absolute 100% sure that the Firestudio is Dice II

 

[rivilee]

UnityRecordings, if you're talking about the Tascam US-1641 it has 8 channels of phantom. For the low end of the scale (needing the most inputs for the money) I love it! The preamps seem clean to me with plenty of headroom and low noise. Yes, the usb can be irritating at times (sometimes when I hit record it'll immediately dropout) but for personal use I can live with that. It has more latency than my PCI setup had, but overall for anyone needing a lot of inputs for not much money it's hard to beat!

 

[UnityRecordings]

really now, I 've read that it has selectable phantom for half of the channels at a time. looking at it again though couldnt you just hit both buttons and make everything phantom?!? So looks like you all are in agreeance that I should go with the Tascam?

 

[rivilee]

Uh, for the money the Tascam is fine. However, I've never been able to afford much more. I used an Aardvark 24 for several years and then when they went out of business bought the Q10 for $100. I never had any issues with them except they won't run on my current computer. I've never used any audio firewire interfaces so I can't speak for those and I haven't been able to A/B any other interfaces to see what sound differences there are.

The Tascam does have switchable phantom in 4 channel blocks and you can use all 8 simultaneously.

I guess there's good and bad in all of the lower end interfaces. As a music business grad from twenty years ago I've never kept up with the latest and greatest and have no idea about who makes what, etc. Through the years I've heard people gripe about almost every brand. I'll say this: Our lead guitarist is a recent 4 year music business grad who does keep up with stuff and he's impressed with the quality of the Tascam sound. If I were using my studio for pay, no, I wouldn't use this interface. I would find something that always worked flawlessly. However, for personal use for me and the band I'm in, heck yeah!!!

 

[pipelineaudio]

NOTHING works *flawlessly*

We are in the age of "good enough" and "close enough"

Some things are more reliable and better written than others, but completely trouble free in this age of mix and match between parts the makers had never even heard about is tricky indeed.

 

[msmales555]

Firestudio Tube

I have two Firepods and a Firestudio Tube. Everything always worked great in XP....but with my new Vista 32 computer the Firestudio Tube's audio drops out all of the time no matter what I've tried included talking to tech support (which was a joke). Stay away from the FS Tube if use Vista. The Firepod still works with VIsta but every once in a while there is a blip just in playback, which tells me it's still not perfect.

I would like to find something that works with my new computer that is better than the Firepod. I'm sort of stuck with Vista so whatever I get is going to have to be dependable with it. THe Firestudio Tube on paper looked great. It has tons of outputs, it has 10 mic pres, 6 line inputs, plus midi too...all at the same time. However, it doesn't work with my system. I'm thinking abour selling it and then buying someinthing else instead. What have people specifically used that works with Vista 32 that is superior or equal to the Firepod?

Also, what is DICE-II? I googled it but couldn't figure out why it seems to be commonly understood as a bad thing.....