Need help upgrading from Firepod

JazzMang

JazzMang

He's Junktastic!
I have had my firepod for some time now and I really like it, especially with the functionality added by the new firmware, but I feel that it is time to move on to bigger and better things.

I need to leave the Firepod preamps behind. Its time to collect standalone preamps and ditch the integrated stuff. It would be nice if Presonus put inputs that bypassed the preamps...

Anyways, I have been looking at the gear from RME lately.
Right off the bat, I need at least 8 ins and 8 outs with the capability to expand to 24 I/O at least.

I also dig the firepod for its firewireness, and I do so b/c I do a lot of recording with my laptop as well as my desktop. I know that RME makes PCMCIA cards for the hammerfall stuff.

Does anyone have any of the RME stuff with a similar setup? I would prefer the I/O panels to be rackmountable.

Thanks.

-JazzMang
 
Here's the Fireface 800
http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm


Btw, I'm pretty sure you can use the inserts on channels 1 and 2 and it does a bypass. Another assumption I have is that using the line input on channels 3-8 will bypass the preamp. That is, if you use a 1/4" input, the knobs only act as a +/-10db trim rather than preamp gain. I may be wrong.

Either way, I transparently run an outboard pre and compressor on my Firepod.
 
aaroncomp said:
That is, if you use a 1/4" input, the knobs only act as a +/-10db trim rather than preamp gain. I may be wrong.

Either way, I transparently run an outboard pre and compressor on my Firepod.
Click to expand...

If it adds volume, its got a preamp in there. If it was just a -10 pad, that would be ok. The main drawback of the firepod is the fact that the preamps are integrated tightly into it without a means of bypassing them.

I was looking into the Hammerfall DSP stuff.
 
Hey,

So are you looking to sell your presonus firepod? If so how much?

Please let me know. Cause I will cop it. ;)

Thanks!

Im subscribing to this thread so just respond here and we can easily move conversation to phone, address, and email. ;)
 
So I talked to Presonus about the bypass thing - only the insert/sends on channels 1 and 2 give you a true bypass. For other channels, they recommended keeping the gain at 12 o'clock on the Firepod if running ourboard preamps, etc into the 1/4" (line in) jacks. The latter is what I've been doing and I A/B'd it with my outboard pre cranked and headphones cranked on a neutral ambient sound - I couldn't tell any change. The quick check with vocals yielded no difference either. Again, this was quick.
 
For those people with RME, i need help.

I am confused on what I can connect.
I want to buy the HDSP 9652 host card, but I want a breakout analog I/O box. Can I hook up a multiface to the card and use it as my analog I/O panel?

I am just really confused about what I can connect together in the RME product line. I know that RME sells the PCI expansion boards, but I want a rackmount breakout box.

Any suggestions? I basically want the host card and a breakout box, and I want to be able to use my laptop.
 
JazzMang said:
For those people with RME, i need help.

I am confused on what I can connect.
I want to buy the HDSP 9652 host card, but I want a breakout analog I/O box. Can I hook up a multiface to the card and use it as my analog I/O panel?

I am just really confused about what I can connect together in the RME product line. I know that RME sells the PCI expansion boards, but I want a rackmount breakout box.

Any suggestions? I basically want the host card and a breakout box, and I want to be able to use my laptop.
Click to expand...

I've just started looking at the stuff too, With the ADAT lightpipe you can get some of the preamps that have the lightpipe option, mindprint come to mind, What I was looking at was the DIGI9636 + M-audio Tampa, I know there not the best pres but it would be good to start then could always add better pre's or the AEB4-I expansion board to add 4 analog inputs, or the OctaMic. From what I gather almost anything can be hooked up to anything else in RME stuff (I'm sure not everything but enough stuff for me)

P.S. the multiface does have ADAT so you can hook it up, but i only see where it says "S/MUX poured in hardware: 4 channels 96 kHz/24 bit for record and playback via ADAT optical" not sure if you can only record at this or if you get 8 ch. at 48 khz.
 
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With RME, you have to buy the PCI Card or Cardbus (Laptop) Cards that go with the Multiface and Digiface, so the 9652 won't connect to those. That's why they have all of the expansion cards for them. I recommend the Fireface by RME. I just got one about a week ago, and oh my, what a difference. I used a Firepod for a while, and then a Tascam 1804, and the Fireface blows them away. Plus, with the Firewire technology (and it's support of FW-800), you would be set for a long long time. The pres in it are actually pretty nice, and the converters are definitely top notch. I'd definitely think about the Fireface if you're wanting an RME product right now, especially if it's a product that you're looking at holding on to for a while, because I'm thinking that PCI is going to be on its way out soon, but they will always make Firewire cards for like PCI-e slots.
 
cawhite12 said:
With RME, you have to buy the PCI Card or Cardbus (Laptop) Cards that go with the Multiface and Digiface, so the 9652 won't connect to those. That's why they have all of the expansion cards for them. I recommend the Fireface by RME. I just got one about a week ago, and oh my, what a difference. I used a Firepod for a while, and then a Tascam 1804, and the Fireface blows them away. Plus, with the Firewire technology (and it's support of FW-800), you would be set for a long long time. The pres in it are actually pretty nice, and the converters are definitely top notch. I'd definitely think about the Fireface if you're wanting an RME product right now, especially if it's a product that you're looking at holding on to for a while, because I'm thinking that PCI is going to be on its way out soon, but they will always make Firewire cards for like PCI-e slots.
Click to expand...
The whole point is this: I want to buy a unit that does not have preamps built in, or has a true hardware bypass. AFAIK, the fireface does not offer any type of bypass.
What else could I use with the HDSP xx52 to get a breakout box with 8 I/O's?
 
JazzMang said:
The whole point is this: I want to buy a unit that does not have preamps built in, or has a true hardware bypass. AFAIK, the fireface does not offer any type of bypass.
Click to expand...

The Fireface has the 4 preamps yes, BUT!!! It has 8 line ins in the rear (2 of which share the front [channel 7-8], but can be switched to front or back, so you actually get a total of 10 analog ins) And actually I'm looking at my Fireface right now, and even the front panel inputs have both XLR and 1/4" in's, and they are not the combo jacks. But, at the very least you can bypass pres on 8 analog ins in the rear of the unit. Just go to there website at www.rme-audio.com. As far as I can tell, the 96 series doesn't have breakout boxes. You could probably run cabling, but what a mess. Besides, the Fireface right now represents the BEST of all of RME's technology to date. Also, you would have a Firewire interface that can easily go from one computer to another. If the price tag of the unit isn't a biggie, then to me it's a no-brainer.
 
How is the fireface as far as expandability? Does RME current allow the daisy chaning of firefaces?
The only reason I ask is that I need the capability to do 16 tracks at some sessions.
 
On there website it says you can chain up to 3 of there units together, but you would have to use the Firewire 800 on it instead of the 400 (which I'm using right now). Just out of curiosity, do you actually have 16 outboard preamps? Because you could go into the ADAT ins (Fireface has 2) and each of those supports 8 channels of audio each. Just depends on your setup I guess.
 
Hmmm. Adat would be a good alternative.
My main beef with the firepod that I currently own is that it kind of limits itself on expandability.

Tis a shame I dont have firewire 800 yet. I will have to look into that.
 
That was my problem with the firepod as well. That and not really any good input monitoring. If you go with an ADAT pre, then you wouldn't need to get Firewire 800, because as long as you're using just one Fireface, then you can use the Traditional Firewire 400 (It has both). It's just if you're going to chain 2 units together you need the 800.

I really didn't like that the firepod only had the 2 channels that you could truly 'bypass' the preamps on. Other than those small things, the Firepod was an amazing piece of equipment, and would be great for most people.
 
Hey cawhite12,
thanks for getting me to look more closely at that, you've changed my mind, even though it more money than I wanted to spend right away t's worth it in the long run.
 
I've also been reading up on the fireface and I really like it. Seems quite flexible and expandable.

If only I could get it for less than $1450!!!
 
ds21 said:
Hey cawhite12,
thanks for getting me to look more closely at that, you've changed my mind, even though it more money than I wanted to spend right away t's worth it in the long run.
Click to expand...

Your welcome man. Definitely worth the extra dough. It was also the easiest install of any computer peripheral that I have ever worked with. The Drivers on the thing are rock solid.
 
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