What interface do you use?

[thebrig]

I've had a couple of threads on here seeking advice on interfaces, and I'm still not sure what to get.

I have two laptops, both running [b]Windows7 64 bit[/b] versions.

One is [b]Intel Core i5-450M[/b] with [b]4GB Ram[/b], but [b]USB[/b] only and no card slot.

The other is [b]AMD Thurion 64 x2[/b] with [b]4GB Ram[/b], but has [b]Firewire[/b].

Obviously, the [b]Intel Core i5[/b] is the more powerful machine, but I would be restricted to a [b]USB[/b] interface.

The [b]AMD Thurion 64 x2[/b] does allow me to get a [b]Firewire[/b] interface.

So the question is:

Which option would give me the best performance?

I will be looking to record at least [b]8 tracks simultaneously[/b].

Budget up to [b]£500[/b].

[thisnameistaken]

It's difficult to say. I would expect both machines to easily manage 8 simultaneous tracks to disk though, so long as you're not recording at a silly bit rate.

[redstriper]

I'm out of touch, but I thought you needed firewire to record more than 2 tracks at once.
I use firewire on my laptop with an Alesis 16 channel multimix and it records 16 tracks at once with no problems.
But there were problems with the mini firewire socket on the laptop and it would drop the connection occasionally.
I installed a cheap PCI card with a full size firewire connector and it has since worked fine.
The laptop is a 4 year old Toshiba Satellite A110 with 1gig of ram and the Alesis mixer is brilliant, but I don't know if they still make the firewire version.
I use Cubase (bundled with the multimix) and record at 16 bits for very low latency and excellent quality.

You can hear some recent recordings [url="http://myspace.com/tacsiband"]here[/url].

Edited March 20, 2011 by redstriper

[ahpook]

i use firewaire - an m-audio nrv10

i blaaardy love it.

<£500 too.

[urb]

This is what I use - very good though there are much better things out there now - I'd love a RME Fireface 400 - just don't have £650 right now

[url="http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/info_56376.html"]http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/info_56376.html[/url]

The Mackie Onyx Satellite's are good though - and there are a few used ones out there - it's great as it can run powered monitors without having to have a mixing desk (which I have in a virtual sense with Logic anyway) plus you can pull out the central section and have a small portable interface that you can take for remote sessions as well.

M

[Ian Savage]

[quote name='redstriper' post='1169688' date='Mar 20 2011, 04:55 PM']I'm out of touch, but I thought you needed firewire to record more than 2 tracks at once.[/quote]

That used to be the case around the time of the USB 1.1/2.0 switchover, but apparently most recent USB devices will perform as well as Firewire stuff on a bit-for-bit basis; the difference certainly used to come with Macs as the throughput for Firewire was more efficient than for USB (or something, I'm not a total computer nut myself ), and apparently was much less noticeable on PCs as certain FW chipsets (Toshiba rings a bell for some reason) weren't optimised for audio and caused dropouts (might have been what redstriper was experiencing).

To be honest, I'm a Mac person for audio so I've always used FireWire as it was the better option back when I started, I'm still on it now. Last FW interface I used which'd do 8 tracks simultaneously (ten, if you utilise the S/PDIF digital interface) was the Presonus Firestudio Project, which I'd heartily recommend. Comes nicely within budget too.

[crez5150]

If you don\'t mind used you can pick a MOTU 828 MK2 up for just over £200 these days and they are absolutely superb interfaces. Firewire, midi, SPDIF and also has ADAT built in if thats your bag

[thisnameistaken]

FWIW I use an M-Audio FW1814 which I got on fleabay for about a hundred quid. Most tracks I've done at one time was 10, using an octopre for eight and the two built-in pres for the other two, but it was barely troubling my SATA drive at all on my 4 year old Windoze desktop, I reckon you could easily stream 30+ tracks at 41k onto any half-decent modern drive through either USB or FW.

[thebrig]

[quote name='crez5150' post='1169836' date='Mar 20 2011, 07:17 PM']If you don\'t mind used you can pick a MOTU 828 MK2 up for just over £200 these days and they are absolutely superb interfaces. Firewire, midi, SPDIF and also has ADAT built in if thats your bag[/quote]
Although I've done some basic computer recording, using Sonar Producer 8 and Reaper,

I'm not too sure what SPDIF and ADAT actually means and does.

Would you mind elaborating a bit?

Many thanks.

[Tuco]

[quote name='thebrig' post='1169883' date='Mar 20 2011, 07:44 PM']Although I've done some basic computer recording, using Sonar Producer 8 and Reaper,

I'm not too sure what SPDIF and ADAT actually means and does.

Would you mind elaborating a bit?

Many thanks.[/quote]
yeh , theyre the bits i never use lol

[Tuco]

all jokes aside iirc spdif (sony phillips digital somethething format??) you can connect a cd player etc to

adat was originally a revolutionary (is that too strong a word) way of digitally transfering 8 tracks at a time with accuracy..
i dont know too many details other that its not used so much anymore (although i may be totally wrong here!) and the prodigy mention it in "diesel power"

[Tengu]

I have the legacy version of one of [url="http://www.mhsecure.com/v5mm/2882_2dExpanded.html"]these[/url].

Is is probably way out of your price range and Mac only but it is firewire and a fantastic piece of kit. I wouldn't trust USB for sound recording although USB 3 is supposedly much better for such things.

If you can stretch your budget then the MOTU recommended above is also an excellent device.

[TomKent]

Firewire Focusrite Saffire 4in 10out. - the new 'pro' I think it's called?

Edited March 20, 2011 by TomKent

[paul_5]

If you're running firewire then I'd recommend either the Sapphire Pro or the MOTU stuff. I've only had experience of MOTU on mac, and they're rock solid. The Sapphire I've used with PC, and that's brilliant too. It's really a buyer's market at the moment as far as technology goes.

[sjohns]

I use a Imac I7, 16gb Ram with 256 solid state.

I use both saffire 6usb and digidesign 003 factory.

run awesome if im honest

[Ian Savage]

[quote name='thebrig' post='1169883' date='Mar 20 2011, 07:44 PM']I'm not too sure what SPDIF and ADAT actually means and does.[/quote]

S/PDIF = Sony / Philips Digital Interface, 16 bit digital stereo connection on a standard RCA jack

ADAT = Alesis Digital Audio Tape, 8-track recording interface often provided on an optical connection these days (some outboard gear will give you 8 mic inputs to an ADAT optical output, bloody handy - one of the few worthwhile bits of Behringer gear is the AD8000).

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='1170528' date='Mar 21 2011, 12:10 PM']S/PDIF = Sony / Philips Digital Interface, 16 bit digital stereo connection on a standard RCA jack

ADAT = Alesis Digital Audio Tape, 8-track recording interface often provided on an optical connection these days (some outboard gear will give you 8 mic inputs to an ADAT optical output, bloody handy - one of the few worthwhile bits of Behringer gear is the AD8000).[/quote]

Yeah I used one of those into the optical in on the back of my M-Audio box to record drums, handy bit of kit.

[thebrig]

Judging by what most people say, it would seem that [u]firewire[/u] would give me better results.

But the problem I have is that the [b]Intel Core i5-450M with 4GB Ram, (USB only)[/b], is the more powerful machine, but it does not have [u]firewire[/u], and even by using [u]firewire[/u] on the [b]AMD Thurion 64 x2 with 4GB Ram[/b], the performance is not going to be great, especially as I need to record at least 8 tracks at once.

Could someone who builds computers add [u]firewire[/u] to my laptop, even if it means perhaps cutting a slot in the casing for it?

[Archetype]

Hey Brig,
Its not somethng that can be done sadly, Does it not have any express card slots?

Gordon

[Archetype]

One idea,
You will get A LOT more performance from that i5 Processor, So why not go for a firewire interface for recording on that laptop and a small USB one for mixing using the same software.

G

[thebrig]

[quote name='Archetype' post='1172330' date='Mar 22 2011, 05:18 PM']Hey Brig,
Its not somethng that can be done sadly, Does it not have any express card slots?

Gordon[/quote]
Hi Gordon
It does not have an express card slot, most new laptops don't have them any more.

It's a pity as the laptop is quite high spec.

[thebrig]

[quote name='Archetype' post='1172334' date='Mar 22 2011, 05:22 PM']One idea,
You will get A LOT more performance from that i5 Processor, So why not go for a firewire interface for recording on that laptop and a small USB one for mixing using the same software.

G[/quote]
It would start to get a bit costly I think, and to be honest, I'm not sure the older laptop would be up to recording the amount of tracks I want without problems.

In your opinion, do you think I would I be able to record 8 tracks, simultaneously via USB on the i5 machine?

[OldG]

[quote name='thebrig' post='1172351' date='Mar 22 2011, 05:33 PM']I'm not sure the older laptop would be up to recording the amount of tracks I want without problems.

In your opinion, do you think I would I be able to record 8 tracks, simultaneously via USB on the i5 machine?[/quote]

I can easily record 8 tracks in 24 bit 48000khz WAV on my dual core laptop with firewire... I wouldn't be so confident with USB until I could test it out.


Ask around on some recording forums - you should get the pros and cons of both to help you decide.

[thebrig]

[quote name='OldG' post='1172385' date='Mar 22 2011, 06:11 PM']I can easily record 8 tracks in 24 bit 48000khz WAV on my dual core laptop with firewire... I wouldn't be so confident with USB until I could test it out.


Ask around on some recording forums - you should get the pros and cons of both to help you decide.[/quote]
I have spent the best part of a month on forums, and I'm still confused.

I would say it's about 60/40 in favour of firewire, but it seems a shame to use my older computer that is lagging well behind in terms of power.

And what I don't get is:

Why would reputable manufacturers produce USB audio interfaces with up to 16 ins/outs, if they don't work properly?

[lowdown]

[quote name='thebrig' post='1172480' date='Mar 22 2011, 07:26 PM']Why would reputable manufacturers produce USB audio interfaces with up to 16 ins/outs, if they don't work properly?[/quote]


They do work properly.
But the better one's are a bit more dosh wise.
RME being one of the best and most respected around with really really solid Audio & Midi drivers. [And excellent converters]
You will not see one bad review around.
[url="http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_overview_firewire.php"]http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_overview_firewire.php[/url]



Garry

Edited March 22, 2011 by lowdown