Question about all this Firepod and Onyx 400F crap...

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tubedude

tubedude

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I'm THINKING about going for something a little newer and HOPEFULLY better sounding than my Delta 1010. The Delta 1010 has served and is serving me VERY well and is so solid its almost scary. Never ever ever a problem EVER. So, I need something as solid to even think about this crap.
Anyway, some questions....
The Delta uses a PCI card, plugged in via a DB25 style connector.
These new things use the Firewire deal. I dont have a plug for that in my audio box. Does it come standard on newer motherboards, or do I just buy a Firewire card for it? Whats good if I have to buy a card? If it comes standard on newer mobos, are those faster and more stable than the cards are?
Also... if I had a card for my box, do I need to worry about audio drivers for the firewire card, the firewire product (ie Mackie) or both?
I am using Sonar 3, if anyone has had any luck or problems with Sonar and these products, let me know. I work in a semi-professional setting and need my stuff to work right, on time, every time. Money is at stake.
My current setup is going on about 4 years old I guess. Although stable and wonderful, and still powerful as hell, I think I need to be thinking about what to do next. I want some better more open coverters, and I like having the extra headphone amps of the mackie, and I could sell my extra junk pre's like the DMP3 since that Mackie thing has at least similar if not better preamps in it.
Are those converters they speak of the same on all 8 inputs? You gotta ask those kinds of questions. Sometimes they get sneaky and put them on the 1st two just for the claim. Never know.
Thanks in advance.
 
Firepod

I used a Delta 1010 for a few years and it worked great but then had a need to record acoustic drums, so i shelled out some cash for the Presonus Firepod and it is badass for the money. Inputs one and two of the FIREPOD can be switched between microphone or instrument level while inputs three thru eight can be switched between microphone or line input. in a nutshell it works for everything i have needed. and it has 2 seperate outputs wich is cool becouse i run a mix to my rec monitors and for band practice i have an additional mix running to the PA. and im getting ready to purchase another Firepod and daisey chain them together. And i am using a firewire card and have had no problems, later.........................KEY
these are trax i have recorded using the Firepod
www.myspace.com/exesion
 
I believe that firewire is fairly standard on motherboards these days. If you buy a card, go with one that has the Texas Instruments chipset on them. The other chipsets don't work as well or at all. When I installed my MOTU 828, it wouldn't let me install without a TI chipset in the firewire card. I think. Either way, go with TI. Yes you will need to worry about drivers for the firewire card, and the interface. I believe that XP can auto-install drivers for the firewire card, it did for mine. As for the converters, I can't say, because I don't have a 400F, and haven't researched it at all.

Hope that I helped. :D
 
Yeah I traded my Delta44/Yamaha mixer combo for a Firepod and it's been good.

Had to buy a pci firewire card. Stick with the TI chipset if you need one.

I use it with both my desktop daw & laptop. Very versatile, great sound and a big step up for me.

Even better, after I unloaded the 44 and the mixer & flicked the Cubase s/w it came with, the upgrade cost stuff-all. They even chucked in a couple of condensor mics. Ask me if I'm happy...

Here's a sample I recorded with it
 
Can't go wrong with the Firepod. You can get a PCI card at Circuit City with the TI Chipset for <$30. Do you own homework though.....their tech guru couldn't get through the basic specs on the various cards let alone tell me what cards used what chipsets.
 
Tubedue - you don't need the preamps, do you? If not then the best deal on the market right now is the Yamaha i88x ... 8 analog i/o plus ADAT so you can expand quite easily ... a pair of really good preamps ... $399. In the UK this unit costs $1200 - meaning that this special offer price in the USA is cheaper than TRADE price in the UK!!!

I have a couple on order as we speak ...... :)
 
noisedude said:
Tubedue - you don't need the preamps, do you? If not then the best deal on the market right now is the Yamaha i88x ... 8 analog i/o plus ADAT so you can expand quite easily ... a pair of really good preamps ... $399. In the UK this unit costs $1200 - meaning that this special offer price in the USA is cheaper than TRADE price in the UK!!!

I have a couple on order as we speak ...... :)
Click to expand...

I didn't realize those i88X's were $400. That makes them very attractive.

Here's a review....
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan05/articles/yamahai88x.htm
 
therage! said:
I didn't realize those i88X's were $400. That makes them very attractive.

Here's a review....
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan05/articles/yamahai88x.htm
Click to expand...
I was really looking at those too, but they don't seem to be supporting it anymore with new drivers or anything and lots of people have been having trouble.

Hey Noisedude, let us know how yours work out, maybe I'll change my mind again if it all goes well.
 
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I did quite a bit of reading here, at Gearslutz and one or two other places before deciding to go with it. The consensus is that the drivers settled down and are now fine, and that with Yamaha and Apple financially applied to the mLan project, the product will not be allowed to be sub-standard!!

I understand that this interface was slashed in price to try and kick-start mLan, rather than to sell off an obsolete product. It is essentially the 01X (I think) without the control surface and with two superior pres. Or at least that's what I read!!! :)
 
I've been using a Firepod for a few months now and love it. Concerning the Firewire card issue: I spent the worst 60 hours of my life trying to get the connection to work smoothly - finally, the problem was found to be caused by using the motherboard's firewire port. So my advice, get one of the Texas Instruments based Firewire cards as suggested above.
 
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