The definite Cubase/Audiointerface for mobile use thread

J

joeSciacca.com

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Ok... I read all possible threads and eyeballed whatever could had been necessary in google but now I just have enough. - And I suppose I'm not alone in here. :)

So let's first define the requirements for a simple, reliable and cost effective cubase/audiointerface appliance on a whatever laptop (let's assume a target system with the following properties: 512 MB RAM and tons of GB on HD, a Pentium 4 1.4, usb 1.x and PCMCIA (some of you may recognize it as a Dell 8200) :) ). With this appliance we either want to sit at home and record our neighbours while they are doing whatever in their living room, in stereo or just one guitar and a microphone asynchronously or synchronously. :)

Now... we all now that many of the on board audiointerfaces of our mobile friends almows always suck. - Frankly said. - And that's why the goal of this thread is about finding a suitable substitution for that crappy sounding iface.

On my journey through the internet I have found the following possible thingiies, that seem to nicely fulfill the requirements at a broken-musician friendly level. - Note: We're talking about simple, reliable and affordable stuff here. It should be clear that we don't want to produce the next HITFACTORY release with these (allthough some have sold millions with two adats e.g. Alanis Morrisette) :)

Here we go

Based on USB
- System|4
- M-AUDIO MobilePre USB
- M-AUDIO Duo USB

Based on FIREWIRE
- M-AUDIO FireWire 410
- ESI Ego Systems QuataFire 610


What's the next taks?

Everybody who has made experiences with any of these listed appliances should contribute.

And after all that?
We all now what is good and trustworthy and don't have to spend money on crappy bullshit and can dedicate ourselves to what where here for... makin' music.


Enyjoy!


greets from joe Sciacca
 
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So you suggest to change the min. requirements for a USB kind of setup to USB 2.0? - That's ok with me (as there are cheap USB 2.0 PCMCIA Cards).

Is USB anyway a valid choice? I already had some annoying experiences with Tascam US something and GuitarPort (spikes and crackels). - Seems like the problem persists with System|4 (read a thread for that in this forum).
 
Even USB 2.0 doesn't keep up with Firewire when looking at sustained transfer rates.
The advertised rate of 480Mbps for USB 2.0 is only burst speed not sustained. Hence making Firewire the optimum choice for laptop setups that require multiple streams of audio data. Plus you get the added benefit of a greater sustained transfer rate for an external FW hard drive to use for the working directory as opposed to the internal drive, which already has to deal with all the read and writes from the OS and programs.
 
So like I already suspected: USB, seems not be the right interface for 'botherles' use in audio applications. I mean I've it experienced myself. Just wanted to be shure that I'm not alone.

So let's cut the USB thing from the requirements and concentrate on Firewire solutions.

Are there any others in the dimensions (size and cost) that could fit into this experiences thread?


Share your thoughts. :)
 
Did some research of my own. Planning on buying a laptop with the specs you mentioned. The interface would be a firewire one. Heard to much bad stuff about the USB stuff. firewire is more versatile for the future I think.

It left me with the same two devices. The Qauta fire 610 and the Firewire 410. They almost have the same specs, so I'm going fore the Quata Fire 610 since that one is 400 EURO's and the other one is 450. I have a behringer UB1202 mixer just to be able to be flexible with monitoring and other stuff.

If I had the money I would have bought the motu 828MkII. It's twice the price and 4 extra in/out's are a luxury to me.

Next on the list would be two decent headphones. One for the technician and one for the musician in the recording session.

In my case I would move the recorded session at location to my dualscreen desktop. Mix the session with the plugins I need on a good set of active monitors. Looking for the mackie hr624 or the hr824.

I think that would be a setup where you could make flexable good recording and good mixes. Sure you needs a few good mics and pre-amps, but that's another story.

with technical skills, experience, good music and production I wouldn't see why I wouldn't be able to make a near-pro recording for around 5.000 Euro's.
 
talked to the guy at my music shop... seems that these two seem to be the only two devicies for this kind of usage....


hmm... I bet I'll be goin' for the quatafire too. but not only because it's cheaper, but because it seems to be smaller in size.


anyone experienced this device already? esi quatafire?
 
'this kind of usage' = requirement = an affordable mobile reliable external audiointerface that works finde with a notebook, for demo recording, live recording (everything that doesn't need more than two tracks simultaneously). I have done many demos on my laptop but the prob is the soundcard's latency (dell inspirion 8200) is not acceptable. everytime I recorded a track I have to move it to fit the click. :mad:
 
joeSciacca.com said:
'this kind of usage' = requirement = an affordable mobile reliable external audiointerface that works finde with a notebook, for demo recording, live recording (everything that doesn't need more than two tracks simultaneously). I have done many demos on my laptop but the prob is the soundcard's latency (dell inspirion 8200) is not acceptable. everytime I recorded a track I have to move it to fit the click. :mad:
Click to expand...

First of all, to avoid latency and such with the internal soundcard, you can use the ASIO4all generic asio driver ( I get 1,5 ms on my laptop with a christal soundchip).

Dont use the ms wavetable softsynth as a midi click, use the audio metronome (in cubase)

http://michael.tippach.bei.t-online.de/asio4all/

Second: do a search on the soundonsound site for more info, butI believe martin walker (one of the writers for sounonsound) bought himself an echo indigo IO card :

http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/IndigoIO/index.php

If you have nasty interference on your audio while the mains is plugged in, that is a commonground loop problem (not sound card dependent).

For solutions, look at the martin walkers faq on the SOS website

cheers,

Hugo

btw, if in need of good VSTI/ sounds look here:

http://www.esoundz.com/details/viewDetails.php?ProductID=217&referrer=home

this way you get Sampletank 2 Le (1 instance per session, BUT:16 midi channels and 8 stereo out's) and you can consider also to add at that moment the string collection which is at 59 or 69 usd I believe

Here’s a link with reviews of the sonic synth 1 the pic on the site shows sonic synth 2; but it’s not out yet . The reviews are for sonic synth 1.

The engine you get is SAMPLETANK 2 LE

http://www.kvr-vst.com/get/116.html

P.S.
You can get $5 in epointz by entering a user name for the referral if you purchase.
My user name is hugojacquet just make sure you put in in the “user name” part and not the first or last name part, so enter that when you place your order. I will get $5 too thanks!
 
A new ASIO Driver for my Crystal soundchip???

oh...

I will try this driver on my laptop. Curious to know if you're the one who fixed the 'I can't select line in as recording source' bug.

I'll keep you posted tonight.
 
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