Re: still on the interface quest...

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

>> two days before leaving for an eight days tour) and I went for the
>> RME FireFace 400 because I need high quality pre amps when playing
>> wind instruments acoustically.


On 19 jun 2007, at 11.17, Rainer Thelonius Balthasar Straschill wrote:

> I'm somewhat curious, Per: I remember you using the RME Multiface,  
> so you obviously did already have some external pres. So why didn't  
> you stay with them?

I have an analog external mic preamp (PreSonus VXP) which gives  
excellent audio but it's too big and heavy for bringing to the lo  
budget gigs I'm doing these days. I'd rather leave that one behind,  
safely mounted into in the studio rack. However, on the road (Y2K6  
typically) I was using the TC Electronic FireworX as the mic pre amp  
for my Multiface. That was ok, but I'm going into a new direction now  
with less external hardware. So instead of buying a new cardbus for  
the Multiface I went for the FF400 directly. I had to trade in the TC  
so now I'm busy duplicating my FireworX effect patches with VST  
effect plug-in for an all-in-one-laptop version of the same looping  
rig. Last weeks festival gigs were EWI only but I want to get back  
into using more flute and sax. I also did a fretless guitar looping  
gig last month but direct line in of an electric guitar was fine on  
the Multiface without any pre amp at all (yes, I know - wrong levels  
and everything... but it sounded ok so what...)

> There is one feature of the FireFace400 which I've yet to see from  
> another interface, and that is the possibility to control its  
> internal mixer via MIDI even if there is no computer connection.

Yes, I am happy with that option sitting there in the box although  
I'm not sure I will need it.

> So in the event of a computer breakdown (anyone still remembers the  
> gig at Anno Domini?),

Yeah, that was a nice and unexpected "ice breaker" ;-)

> with a quick button push on your fader box you could switch to a  
> different preset, thus muting computer output and bring in e.g. a  
> spare EDP (or DD20 or DL4 or Repeater) you have connected to the  
> thing.

Handy "catastrophe scenario saviour" if you are doing strictly  
scheduled shows where there is no place for an excuse and a re-boot.  
However, my recent gigs are announced as "risk taking" so I don't  
mind if something should break down on stage, letting people  see  
that I'm not cheating ;-))  Has not happened yet though.

per