Ok, so I am thinking about asking for a Macbook Pro for a graduation present in May. I noticed on the 15 inch versions, there is 1 firewire 400 port, but on the new 17 inch version there is 1 firewire 400 port and one firewire 800 port. What is the difference?! I have a Mackie Onyx 1220 mixer with firewire card and I plan on using it with this computer, but I want to make sure it will still work alright. I read that firewire 800 is a speed increase, but does the Mackie Onyx take advantage of that, or is it designed to work with firewire 400 only? I also tried reading the manual, but couldn't find any sort of answer.
The difference between Firewire 400 and 800
- Thread starter joe mama
- Start date
Soundmind??
New member
If the Mackie has a 400 card, the 800 will simply operate at the 400 speed (backwards compatible). I'd go with the 800 if possible, as it will be the new standard for the next couple of years till the next upgrade comes along.
ssscientist
Info you can use...
Macintosh's are 'spensitive.
Chris Shaeffer
Peavey ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In my experience the main difference is that FW800 cables are even more expensive, difficult to find, and you almost never have the right cable for the job when you need it.
-C
-C
Chris Shaeffer
Peavey ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
joe mama said:
Keep in mind you're getting more than just a FW800 port for that $600...
One of my main beefs with the Macbook Pro 15" is that it doesn't have a fw800 port. I just really like having TWO firewire ports because I generally need them both. Have 2 ports makes it so I don't need to carry around a PC card to hook up all the firewire crap that I've got.
For me it is a reason to hold out for the machine with 2 ports. I wouldn't care if they were both 400 ports I just want 2.
Take care,
Chris
Soundmind??
New member
I think the 400s are quite sufficient for audio work, just saying that if you have a 800 port, it will work with 400s. Should the standard become 800 in a couple of years, you will be able to buy PCI or whatever cards to upgrade to 800 at low cost, certainly less than $600.
SonicAlbert
Super-Sonic "Herb" Albert
Not on a laptop though. Those PCI card upgrades are for desktops only, and I don't think the MacBooks support PCMCIA cards.
FWIW FW 800 and 400 compatibliity
I am a technical by day and amateur photo guy by night, that is now adding audio.
The only caveat w/ FW 800 will switch down to FW 400 and if that is your only device on that interface or shared interface it is fine, but if you have a fw 800 and a fw 400 device on any shared interface, they all get switched down together (like scsi and usb).
On photo file transfers (18MB each) and data transfers FW 800 fly's past 400 and screams past USB 2.0. Just for Audio it may not be so critical, but I am not an expert.
I would say, if you will be doing live software based mixing of the signals, get FW 800 to help prevent or avoid any I/O delay's in the audio streams (data streams to the mac/pc). There are add on cards out there but I admit its more hassle to use them rather than built in cards.
Sonnet Inc makes a FW Expresscard 34 I have used in my PC (both 400 and 800 FW.) They work well enough.
One drag is that (likely not mixer boards) some FW devices require power on their FW interface and that is another cable must be plugged into the FW expresscard as the expresscard port does not provide this kind of external power. So a FW HD will require this. Ugh. But speed is power and takes power to fly!
I am a technical by day and amateur photo guy by night, that is now adding audio.
The only caveat w/ FW 800 will switch down to FW 400 and if that is your only device on that interface or shared interface it is fine, but if you have a fw 800 and a fw 400 device on any shared interface, they all get switched down together (like scsi and usb).
On photo file transfers (18MB each) and data transfers FW 800 fly's past 400 and screams past USB 2.0. Just for Audio it may not be so critical, but I am not an expert.
I would say, if you will be doing live software based mixing of the signals, get FW 800 to help prevent or avoid any I/O delay's in the audio streams (data streams to the mac/pc). There are add on cards out there but I admit its more hassle to use them rather than built in cards.
Sonnet Inc makes a FW Expresscard 34 I have used in my PC (both 400 and 800 FW.) They work well enough.
One drag is that (likely not mixer boards) some FW devices require power on their FW interface and that is another cable must be plugged into the FW expresscard as the expresscard port does not provide this kind of external power. So a FW HD will require this. Ugh. But speed is power and takes power to fly!