Best interface for $300?

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Roflcopterrr

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Hello all, I'm setting up a DAW, and I need to know.. what's the best audio interface I can get for $300? I'm looking at the firebox, but i'm seeing reviews that complain that the preamp on it is junk. I'm also looking at the M-Audio Firewire 410... Can anyone help me?
 
Don't expect any built in pre to be "Neve-ish" for $300. The Delta 1010LT card is a good choice if you want PCI. If you bump your budget up, you could probably stag a Firepod or something. But the pres are probably the same that is on the Firebox. Just depends how many tracks at once you want to record. For the money, the Firebox isn't bad. You just aren't going to find "outstanding" pres built into a sub prosumer unit.
 
Roflcopterrr said:
Hello all, I'm setting up a DAW, and I need to know.. what's the best audio interface I can get for $300? I'm looking at the firebox, but i'm seeing reviews that complain that the preamp on it is junk. I'm also looking at the M-Audio Firewire 410... Can anyone help me?
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I use the firebox with an external RNP Preamp. I have used the Motu 828 and mBox.

I think the firebox is pretty decent but the pre's just dont have much gain on tap (at reasonable noise levels).

I liked the mBox's pre's better (for being built in) But I did not like the USB factor.

For $300 the FireBox's pre's are about as good as you are gonna find in any other $300 device I think.
 
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I have the 1010LT and it's served me well, though the regular 1010 is more convenient in that you get a rack unit and you have 8 1/4" inputs instead of 6 RCAs and 2 XLRs. You could always just buy some RCA-1/4" adapters, I suppose, but I feel like you're losing something in that (which is unfortunate because I'm going to have to do that sooner or later...)
 
My personal choice, the Focusrite Saffire LE at $249. I lik eit more than the regular saffire because you get 2 extra ins and thats worth more to me than the built in dsp on the regular saffire.
 
shawntp said:
I use the firebox with an external RNP Preamp. I have used the Motu 828 and mBox.

I think the firebox is pretty decent but the pre's just dont have much gain on tap (at reasonable noise levels).

I liked the mBox's pre's better (for being built in) But I did not like the USB factor.

For $300 the FireBox's pre's are about as good as you are gonna find in any other $300 device I think.
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I would have to agree with this. I've used both the Firebox, and now I have a Firepod. The converters work well, the thing connects easily to the computer, and has good features, but the pre's don't have a ton a of clean gain. I run an M-Audio DMP-3 through it, and an extra set of Nady's if I need more than 2 channels at a time. I'd recommend getting a DMP-3 and something that doesn't have its own built-in pres, for example, something PCI like someone above mentioned.
 
thebigcheese said:
I have the 1010LT and it's served me well, though the regular 1010 is more convenient in that you get a rack unit and you have 8 1/4" inputs instead of 6 RCAs and 2 XLRs. You could always just buy some RCA-1/4" adapters, I suppose, but I feel like you're losing something in that (which is unfortunate because I'm going to have to do that sooner or later...)
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With the unbalanced inputs you are losing half of the balanced signal coming out of most preamps, which I believe causes a 6dB loss in signal volume.
 
cusebassman said:
With the unbalanced inputs you are losing half of the balanced signal coming out of most preamps, which I believe causes a 6dB loss in signal volume.
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Well, I guess I could always buy two Delta 44s... be cheaper than buying a real 1010, and I'd get all the same inputs. Having said that, I might vote for that under "best interface for $300". You can get two of those for $300 easy, and that gets you 8 1/4" ins and outs. Not bad. Of course, you have to have two free PCI slots for that, and you can only use one if you're using Pro Tools...
 
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