RE: Firewire interface recommendations

[André Donawa <andre@andredonawa.com>]

I actually got the ultra lite last week to replace my M-Audio 410 in the
studio but also use it for some live looping with my laptop.
I was really looking forward to getting into some tight poly rhythmic
loopage.


Haven't tried the firewire yet but the usb2 makes a lot of noise and
crashes my system.

A major disappointment for me.

>From what I've found on the net the usb only works with older drivers.

I'm hoping it plays nice with the firewire.


Andre

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On Thu, February 4, 2010 12:50 pm, Dean, Hal wrote:
> Per, you are right of course that the FF 800 would be perfect - in fact,
> for awhile I had it in the mobile rack. But now I have the Fireface in a
> rack, fully integrated into the studio, and it is a royal pain to pull it
> out and incorporate into the mobile rig. I also use a DAW with the
> Fireface running Cubase or Live, while looping in studio is done with a
> synced laptop. That works splendidly with the Layla, aside from the 
>issues
> originally reported.
>
> I left out two things in the original bill of requirements - MIDI, for 
>the
> purpose of syncing, and another input for the Trace acoustic through 
>which
> I run my classical guitar.  The Focusrite actually falls short in the
> input department, I have realized, but I could forego the "future analog
> synth" inputs, and make a requirement for that be digital outputs.
>
> As for MOTU, I have to say that I got a bad taste in my mouth about them
> when I had an 828 for about 2 weeks and it was a monstrous pain with poor
> sound. I returned it to Sweetwater and got the Layla. At the time there
> was a lot of chatter online about pros and cons of the 828.  All that
> said, I will indeed look into the Ultra Lite, sonce MOTU get high marks
> usually, and this is years later with a different computer.
>
> This feedback is appreciated!
>
> Hal
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Oldfolks Home Music [mailto:oldfolkshomemusic@gmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 10:49 AM
> To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
> Subject: Re: Firewire interface recommendations
>
> MOTU makes really great cards with a good chunck of DSP and decent
> pres.  I believe the Motu Ultra Lite might be best. I can't remember
> how much it is, but it has 2 mic/line inputs, 6 TRS ins and 8 outs.
> Look into it, I think it was ADAT in and out too.  I have a Saphire
> Pro 40 and it works well, but isn't very portable.
>
> On 2/4/10, Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Why not using the FF800 with pre mixing?
>>
>> Greetings from Sweden
>>
>> Per Boysen
>> www.boysen.se
>> www.perboysen.com
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 4:21 PM, Dean, Hal <HDean@wcupa.edu> wrote:
>>> Hi folks, I'm hoping a few of you can share your thoughts about what to
>>> buy
>>> to replace my Layla PCIcardbus audio interface, which just can't keep
>>> up
>>> with what I'm doing now. It's gain structure is inadequate and it is
>>> choking
>>> when I get a lot of stuff happening all at once in the computer. And
>>> yes,
>>> I
>>> do realize that every audio interface has its limits. Perhaps the
>>> problem
>>> with the Layla is that the drivers have not been updated for years. It
>>> was
>>> great for a long time but time to move on.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I have a laptop setup with Mobius running in Bidule, with a bunch of
>>> VST
>>> effects and VST instruments. I've been slowly putting together a live
>>> rig
>>> but have realized I need to replace the Layla and that, for reasons
>>> having
>>> to do with ease of pulling it out of the studio where it will usually
>>> live,
>>> the audio interface should NOT be mounted in the rack with other stuff.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  The new audio interface will be fed:
>>>
>>> ·         Electric Guitar signal from a floorboard with a few effect
>>> pedals
>>> and a Framptone switcher that send signal to a guitar amp, bypassing
>>> computer, and to the audio interface
>>>
>>> ·         Output from a Grace microphone pre-amp to which is connected
>>> an
>>> AKG mic that picks up flute and miscellaneous percussion
>>>
>>> ·          Two Belkat contact pickups, running through a stereo ¼"
>>> cable
>>> to
>>> a TRS, that need to be serious pre-amped.  These are attached to a
>>> variety
>>> of things - classical guitar body for percussive thwacking, rubbing and
>>> the
>>> like, and various homemade noisies.  They sound great through the
>>> Grace,
>>> so
>>> maybe switching the AKG mic to a pre-amp on the audio interface would
>>> be
>>> best.
>>>
>>> ·         Mono Output from an Echoplex (for anyone curious about this,
>>> I
>>> am
>>> at this point using the Echoplex as a failsafe for when the computer
>>> crashes. I have a MIDI box that takes FCB output and sends it to both
>>> Mobius
>>> and E'plex; the assignments are mostly the same so the E'plex mostly
>>> replicates what I'm doing with Mobius, though of course it is not 1:1.
>>> makes
>>> for some interesting "emergency modulations". Obviously there are more
>>> inventive things one could do with this, I just have not gotten around
>>> to
>>> it.)
>>>
>>> ·         Stereo output from future purchase analog synth
>>>
>>> ·         SPDIF from the Fireface 800 that is my studio audio engine
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The audio interface will send mono to the echoplex, stereo to a pair of
>>> powered speakers, and SPDIF to the F'face 800. Being able to send a
>>> separate
>>> mix to, say, a drummer across the stage would be nice too.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Small and lightweight is good too.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There are obviously a lot of  interfaces for more than $400 that would
>>> fit
>>> the bill.. how about another Fireface?... but I want to keep the cost
>>> down
>>> below 400, and it looks like that should not be hard to do. The
>>> Focusrite
>>> Saffire Pro 24 DSP seems to fit the bill, for instance.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Any input on this would be much appreciated.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hal
>>
>>
>
> --
> Sent from my mobile device
>
> Ricardo Lopez-Aguilar
> Oldfolks Home / Solomon Records Music
> http://www.myspace.com/oldfolkshomemusic
> http://www.sonicbids.com/oldfolkshome
>
>