Focusrite Saffire PRO 40 Firewire Audio Interface

[thebrig]

Following my post regarding audio interfaces,

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=123567"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=123567[/url]

there has been a lot of recommendations for the
[b]Focusrite Saffire PRO 40 Firewire Audio Interface.[/b]

[url="http://www.dv247.com/computer-hardware/focusrite-saffire-pro-40-firewire-audio-interface--58155"]http://www.dv247.com/computer-hardware/foc...nterface--58155[/url]

I am computer literate, and have some decent DAW's installed such as SONAR Producer,
although I'm not that competent with it yet, but I'm sure if I use it more, I will get to know it eventually.

I'm after being able to record my band in various situations, and maybe make some half-decent demo's.

Would this be a good choice, And is it reasonably easy to use for a novice?

Also, at £399, it is just under my budget of £400.

All advice would be welcome.

[Bankai]

Yes, and yes.

[plumbob]

Yes & yes !

[EdwardHimself]

Looks like a great choice.

[zigmondo]

Yes and yes tripled; firewire very stable(I wouldn't trust any USB card for this sort of task myself).

[thebrig]

After much research in stores, and positive advice from basschatters,
I think the Focusrite Saffire PRO 40 Firewire Audio Interface will certainly do what I want.

I am quite new to recording so the question I need answering is:

[size=3]Is it reasonably easy/straightforward to use?[/size]

[Bankai]

Yes. It's not designed for toddlers but it shouldn't be too hard to work out what to do with it providing you know the basic jargon and words that'll be used in the control software.

Edited March 1, 2011 by Bankai

[WHUFC BASS]

The Saffire PRO24 DSP is also a good choice if you need something slightly cheaper. It includes their Virtual Monitoring Software which looks pretty decent, two heaphone sockets with comfort reverb for recording vocals etc..

[plumbob]

I use a Mac and Logic , and the Focusrite is a lovely sounding unit.

If however you are using Sonar , have a look here ,

[url="http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase/en/article.php?id=1076"]http://www.focusrite.com/answerbase/en/article.php?id=1076[/url]

and judge for yourself whether you think you are capable of getting your head around setting it up . Also I would advise you just to do a quick search on the Cakwalk Sonar forums to check for any issues relating to using the Focusrite with Sonar.

As I say I cant judge what it works like with Sonar , but I'm sure with the current drivers you wouldn't have many issues!

[zigmondo]

(plumbob...thanks for the headsup re Sonar there; I had no idea of that; ta bud!)

[beely]

This advice may be slightly after-the-event but I can certainly recommend the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40.
I migrated from a Fostex VF160 to computer after recording in a pro studio and seeing Pro Tools in action.
I use an iMac with Logic and, like you, did extensive research into which DAW would suit me best.
I did go throught a head-scratching phase, mostly concerning terminology and routing of signals, but even my 55-year-old brain got to grips with it.
The knowledge-base on the Focusrite website is extremely useful.
I was having a problem with getting a signal through the headphones and phoned up the helpline. A very kind soul led me by the hand through the process and I discovered that it wasn’t so difficult after all.
(This became a recurring theme.)
The Saffire Mix Control is, once again, really easy to use once you “get it” if you see what I mean. I found the facility to have individual headphone mixes for each artist to be a real godsend.
Once I got past being slightly overwhelmed by what could be done with this I found that, as with most technical things in life, you end up using only what you actually need. You always add bits of knowledge on as you go.
I hope this doesn’t sound like I’m being a cheerleader for Focusrite. I’m just really happy with my Pro 40 and what I can achieve with it.

[WHUFC BASS]

I've only been hearing good things about Focusrite so I'll definitley be investing in either a PRO24 DSP or the PRO40. Not sure what the software is like to use, but it all seems pretty comprehensive from what I've seen on YouTube.