Motu VS Firepod - Preamps and performance

[theboy]

Sorry about comparison thread... but im still stuck on some decisions.

Just wondering how the Motu 828 mkII sizes up against the firepod. Im assuming the Motu will win but why? Less latency issues? Better pre amps?

Speaking of pre amps, is there a great difference?

thanks for any help.

 

[Cyanide-Depende]

MOTU has better preamps, but as most people say, their support sucks, Im lucky though, I can walk to their office and yell at them

Not really any latency difference from what I've seen. get the MOTU, its a little more work to set up but it sounds better.

-C$

 

[theboy]

thank you very much.

thought id throw another one into the mix, the onyx 400f... how does it compare to both the motu and firepod?

 

[guttapercha]

thank you very much.

thought id throw another one into the mix, the onyx 400f... how does it compare to both the motu and firepod?

Yeah there really is quite a bit now in this price range. Have you seen focusrite's new product in this category, the Saffire Pro 26/io?

http://www.focusrite.com/productdetails.asp?id=61&iRange=5

I'd love to a/b/c/d all of these somehow.

 

[theboy]

i did see it. a great looking box indeed. Basically my main problem is whether i should by something such as the saffire or firepod with 8 preamps, the onyx 400f with 4 preamps and then a couple of nice (nicer) preamps or the motu with 2 and get some more good ones.

I need the quality of the pre amps in all compared i guess. i know im asking a lot but i dont really have the resources (nor the ear quite yet) to tell. I know people will say trust your ears, but i trust people with more experience than me ears first.

So anyone in the know, could you place the pres in these 4? also in comparison to things like the dmp3? It would help heaps of people in my position...

thanks again

 

[cawhite12]

I think that the biggest factor right now would be your budget. If you have the money to get additional preamps for the MOTU, then by all means do it. More than likely any mid-range dedicated pre-amp is going to sound better than the stock pres on either unit. If you don't have the budget for it, and still need several pre-amps, you then might consider the Firepod or Saffire.

 

[guttapercha]

The Saffire and the Mackie both have line-ins for external preamps, so you don't lose that opportunity in the upgrade path. The question is: are their converters then better than the MOTU's?

My feeling for this is that (and you mentioned this before) it's probaby hard for the neophyte ear to really tell...moreso without $10,000 speakers to hear the results on.