S
Sudsy100
New member
I'm new to the home recording thing, and have hit a bit of a brick wall info-wise. I have been playing guitar professionally for 35+ years, so I'm trying to speed the learning curve as much as possible so I can (hopefully) ask the right questions. I know there have been similar threads as this elsewhere on the 'Net, but I can't find the answers with 100% certainty.
What I want to do is use my MOTU 896HD as my input/preamp Firewire Interface, and another unit as a motorized Control Surface. I'll be using a using a PC (XP SP3) for now with a SIIG NN-440012-S8 firewire card with the TI TSB43AB23 chip (on order . . . haven't received it yet). I also have a Delta 66 with the breakout box, but I don't think that will help the cause.
As far as I can tell, the easiest way to do this is with a dedicated USB motorized Control Surface, and the best of my knowledge the only two which fit the bill are the Mackie MCU Pro and the Behringer BCF200. Obviously, I'd like to go with quality gear, but every $100 I save here-and-there can go towards mics, monitors, cables, etc. I'm in Canada, and the cheapest I've seen a MCU Pro go for is used $800 + shipping + import fees & taxes.
OTOH, I can pick up a MCU "non-Pro" for a lot cheaper. Also, The M-Audio Projectmix I/O is very reasonable. But the MCU is midi (non-USB), and the M-Audio Projectmix I/O is firewire & midi with no USB. This is assuming my MOTU will be connected to my firewire card.
I'm exploring any and all options right now, but I'm really having problems getting definitive answers and hands-on advice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
1. I've come across a lot of threads that say using two devices on one firewire card is a bad idea, and this causes all sorts of freezing and compatibility issues. Is this indeed the case? If so, would having a separate firewire card for each device (one for the MOTU and one for the M-Audio Projectmix I/O) solve any problems?
2. Can I use either the MCU (non-Pro) or the M-Audio Projectmix I/O as fully functional USB Control Surfaces with a midi to USB adapter cable, and use the MOTU as my interface connected via firewire?
3. In a general sense, would I be better to just go with the "dual-purpose" M-Audio Projectmix I/O, and use it as both my interface and Control Surface via a single Firewire connection? Or, is the idea of using the MOTU as my interface, and buying a dedicated Control Surface (either the MCU, MCU Pro or M-Audio Projectmix I/O), a better idea for quality purposes?
BTW--I've recently found out the preamps on the M-Audio Projectmix aren't disabled by using the inputs (by using XLR's to 1/4"'s from the MOTU into the PM). So, the idea of using the MOTU as a pre into the PM doesn't seem to be all that great. It "would" have been perfect if the pre's in the PM were bypassed, because I'd only need the one firewire connection from the MP into my PC.
Thanks . . . and please excuse me if I'm missing something obvious, or my knowledge isn't quite up to snuff right now. I don't know what else to do but ask.
What I want to do is use my MOTU 896HD as my input/preamp Firewire Interface, and another unit as a motorized Control Surface. I'll be using a using a PC (XP SP3) for now with a SIIG NN-440012-S8 firewire card with the TI TSB43AB23 chip (on order . . . haven't received it yet). I also have a Delta 66 with the breakout box, but I don't think that will help the cause.
As far as I can tell, the easiest way to do this is with a dedicated USB motorized Control Surface, and the best of my knowledge the only two which fit the bill are the Mackie MCU Pro and the Behringer BCF200. Obviously, I'd like to go with quality gear, but every $100 I save here-and-there can go towards mics, monitors, cables, etc. I'm in Canada, and the cheapest I've seen a MCU Pro go for is used $800 + shipping + import fees & taxes.
OTOH, I can pick up a MCU "non-Pro" for a lot cheaper. Also, The M-Audio Projectmix I/O is very reasonable. But the MCU is midi (non-USB), and the M-Audio Projectmix I/O is firewire & midi with no USB. This is assuming my MOTU will be connected to my firewire card.
I'm exploring any and all options right now, but I'm really having problems getting definitive answers and hands-on advice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
1. I've come across a lot of threads that say using two devices on one firewire card is a bad idea, and this causes all sorts of freezing and compatibility issues. Is this indeed the case? If so, would having a separate firewire card for each device (one for the MOTU and one for the M-Audio Projectmix I/O) solve any problems?
2. Can I use either the MCU (non-Pro) or the M-Audio Projectmix I/O as fully functional USB Control Surfaces with a midi to USB adapter cable, and use the MOTU as my interface connected via firewire?
3. In a general sense, would I be better to just go with the "dual-purpose" M-Audio Projectmix I/O, and use it as both my interface and Control Surface via a single Firewire connection? Or, is the idea of using the MOTU as my interface, and buying a dedicated Control Surface (either the MCU, MCU Pro or M-Audio Projectmix I/O), a better idea for quality purposes?
BTW--I've recently found out the preamps on the M-Audio Projectmix aren't disabled by using the inputs (by using XLR's to 1/4"'s from the MOTU into the PM). So, the idea of using the MOTU as a pre into the PM doesn't seem to be all that great. It "would" have been perfect if the pre's in the PM were bypassed, because I'd only need the one firewire connection from the MP into my PC.
Thanks . . . and please excuse me if I'm missing something obvious, or my knowledge isn't quite up to snuff right now. I don't know what else to do but ask.