Choosing between multitrack interface devices. Help.

[tahmus]

Hello again:
Thanx for the explanations and advice . As usual the new information leads me to further questions.
It has been suggested by several of you that I should get an interface unit (i.e. delta 1010, echo-layla etc.) so that I can have multiple inputs for live recording.
But why not a controller/interface devise such as the Tascam US 428 (http://www.tascam.com/products/us428/us428_news.php) which has tactile controls bundled with the interface.
It seems that they would cost about the same ($4-500).? or is this a stupid idea and would not work at all? Thanks again.

oh also what is this "lightpipe" word that keeps coming up?

 

[housepig]

Tahmus -

I've heard not-so-good things about the Tascam interfaces, basically on a level that they are so-so for use as controllers, but they aren't good at all for recording, their preamps aren't good.

I haven't used one, but I've heard so much negative that I avoided them alltogether.

I think you'd be better off using the $400-500 for the Tascam and putting another couple of hundred for a Motu 2408, or Echo Layla or Digi 001. If you are ever going to get more than one ADAT or Tascam DA-88 digital multitrack, I'd go for the Motu, if you're only ever going to max out at one digital multitrack (or are never going to get one) go for the Digi or the Echo. (As I've said before, I'm partial to the Echo Layla myself).

And if you look on eBay, you can find Laylas for cheap (I picked one up that works perfectly for $375, and almost bought another right afterwards for $325!)

couple that with an inexpensive midi fader bank (like from JL Cooper) or even a cheap digital mixer (I picked up a Roland VM-3100, new in the box, for $199) and you have your control surface!

"Lightpipe" is a fiber-optic digital interface used most commonly with ADATs - newer Laylas, Motu 2408s and Digi 001s can hook optically to the ADATs and send and recieve 8 channels at a time digitally.

hope this helps. good luck.

- housepig