FW1884+FE8's VS DM24's+MOTU's

  • Thread starter Thread starter SPINSTERWUN
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SPINSTERWUN

SPINSTERWUN

Active member
I need some advice from you all......

I am going through a divorce. I can't get access to my recording equipment. So I need to buy another setup.

Which setup should I buy???

FW-1884 with two (2) FE-8 expanders?

OR

Two (2) DM-24's and two (2) MOTU 2408's?


I can get the FW-1884 setup for about $2,800.00 to $3,300.00 USD

I can get the DM-24 setup for about $2,600.00 to $3,500.00 USD


The FW setup will give me enough IN/OUT's.

The DM setup will give me MORE than enough IN/OUT's


My biggest concern is the DM-24. I have a feeling that Tascam is going to, or has discontinued the unit.

I know that there have been serious issues with the heat sink being to close to some of the internal boards, which in turn burns out some of the capacitors on the said internal board.

Also, I am seeing that the LCD screen on the DM-24's are starting to fail.

The repair cost for the LCD screen is $200 to $300 USD.

I produce House, Dance, Hip-Hop, and RnB, so the FW gives me enough IN/OUT's.

Once again, the DM setup will give me more than enough IN/OUT's (but it is better to have them and not need them VS to need them and not have them :) ).

Plus, with the DM setup, I'll have more bang for the buck.

I'll be getting a new comp with 2gig of RAM.

I use Sonar 4.

Thank you all for your responses. ;)
 
Hi_D_Ho_Man, I thought about using the US-2400 with either a MOTU interface or a Tascam interface.

It would put me at $2,400 USD.
 
I just bought a the FW1884 and can't wait to get it up and running. I'll add the expansers once I decide I'll keep it. I got mine from AMS for $1000.00 and w. my digimax I can track 18 tracks at once.
 
deepwater said:
I just bought a the FW1884 and can't wait to get it up and running. I'll add the expansers once I decide I'll keep it. I got mine from AMS for $1000.00 and w. my digimax I can track 18 tracks at once.
Click to expand...
What happened to the AW16g you were so high on just a few short months ago? Do you have a case of newgear-itis?
 
I have the FW1884 and i really like the unit. Sounds great to me. But my complaint list is...
1. It was well past the warranty before i tried the pres and they give very little gain. A couple people on the Tascam forum had the problem as well and have had slow luck getting response from Tascam support as I am right now as well.

2. I had to disable hyperthreading to keep it from losing midi and control surface fucntions in the middle Cubase projects.

3.If your desk does not have the monitors raised(like me), the cords can really get in the way. When I get a chance Im gonna build a rack hutch type thing and drill it into my desk then monitor will be out of the way, plus I'll have a couple rack spaces.

Plus I think the FE-8 are expensive and the US2400 is a lot flatter. The back of the FW1884 sits 5 inches above desk level.
 
ssscientist said:
What happened to the AW16g you were so high on just a few short months ago? Do you have a case of newgear-itis?
Click to expand...

I still have it and love it too. I use it for small mobile of the studio recording projects and my wife has kinda taken it over. The FW1884 is for my studio setup. I'm just getting into the computer recording thing.
 
i cant believe she wont let you get your recording equipment...thats cold.
 
OK....

I am really leaning towards the DM-24's and the MOTU's.

My largest concern is the heatsink burning out the capacitors.

What would be the best way to add heat dissipation of the DM-24's heatsink?
 
Hi_D_Ho_Man said:
..... I had to disable hyperthreading to keep it from losing midi and control surface fucntions in the middle Cubase projects....
Click to expand...

That's unfortunate. It seems as if it defeats the purpose of getting a H/T computer, if you have to disable H/T.
 
Well......

I have decided on the two Dm-24's and the two Motu's.

:cool:

spin
 
i think you made a great choice. i had seriously considered the motu's before i got the fw-1884.

i decided on the fw-1884 because Frontier Design Group was involved in the unit's design and i knew i could trust the unit to work as advertised.
 
I love my DM24. I run mine with an expansion card to a RME 96/52, and it works great. Had no problem with the heat sink and capacitors, but I have had a new screen put in. I've had mine for almost two years now. I have a buddy whos got the same setup, and no problems there either.

What I really love about the DM is how versatile it is. I'm using Sonar 4. I use it for ins and outs, and control surface. Plus I have a Fostex D2424LV, that I use for live gigs, and the board hooks up perfectly via ADAT. Some people complain its difficult to learn, but if you've used a mixer before, its pretty straight forward, once you find where things are in your menus.

I don't know if Tascam has discontinued the 24 or not, but I do know they have come out with a DM3200.
 
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