Can you suggest an audio interface with these features?

Winston · Post by **Winston** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:29 pm

Ok, so I've got a firepod, and I'm pretty happy with it, but I take gear out to play often, so I want to get a little portable interface so I don't have to disconnect and tear everything every week.

I'm looking for the following:
1- compact size
2- firewire
3- Two preamps (mic and instrument/hi-z. -> sometimes there will be both a guitar and a bass plugged in so I need both to have instrument level switch)
4- stereo rca or 1/4 inch inputs (Don't necessarily have to be simultaneous to the above 2 inputs but would be nice).
5- headphone output that can be assigned to a second pair of stereo outs (otherwise don't need outputs 3 and 4, just for headphone out)
6- not too expensive.

And it's gotta work well with a mac, but that's not usually a problem.
I've been considering the presonus inspire. Nice cheap little box. Only thing I'm missing on it is a second pair of stereo outs assignable to the headphones. I'm 100% sure that the headphones can't be assigned to a different output than the mains though. Can anyone comment? This would be nice, as it's under 200 dollars.

The other one I'm thinking of is the firebox. I had one once, not bad at all. Pretty quiet pre-ams though, and I had to trade two in to get a perfectly working one, and I've heard of a few problems with them and macbooks.
I also just noticed the apogee duet, but I think it only has 2 ins/outs.

Any suggestions welcome! thanks.

bathyscaaf · Post by **bathyscaaf** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:59 pm

Not sure about #5, but I'm using the Echo Audio Audiofire 4 and all the others apply. Love it.

Winston · Post by **Winston** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:46 am

bathyscaaf wrote:Not sure about #5, but I'm using the Echo Audio Audiofire 4 and all the others apply. Love it.

Hadn't sen that, thanks.

Looks pretty good. What's with the lack of an output level control? I never get it when interfaces leave that out.

Any more?

adventurepants_ · Post by **adventurepants_** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:59 am

+1 for firebox here, think its a great little box. stable, super quick and quiet.

bathyscaaf · Post by **bathyscaaf** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:59 am

There's a knob for the headphones, but there is a control panel/mixer that runs on your computer, which is where the output levels live. I'd send you a screenshot, but I have to have the Audiofire connected in order for it to come up, and I'm in the middle of moving so packed up.
-glenn

bathyscaaf · Post by **bathyscaaf** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:04 am

Oh yeah: The Audiofire doesn't appear to have the problems plaguing the RME interfaces when used with the MBP. I'm running it on a MBP Santa Rosa chipset without any difficulties.
Apparently the problems have something to do with the Firewire chipset Apple went with recently. If your Mac Book Pro is from earlier that last fall you shouldn't have a problem -- not sure about the most recent iteration.

Winston · Post by **Winston** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:34 am

My mbp is from before the firewire chipset changed, so that's not a concern, and now that they've gone back to the good one, hopefully it never will be concern in the future for me.

Thanks for the info, I figured it would have a software control, but I really feel alot better having a physical hardware volume knob. And it has to be a non-endless rotary. I don't trust those software controlling endless knobs for mains volume. Probably a distrust left over from owning an m-audio firewire 410 once. Damn thing would always forget it'sw main volume setting and sometimes go to max. No good for when you run straight to powered monitors. So yeah, I like a volume knob that stays where you put it. However, that's not as important as the other features I listed. The inspire would be perfect, I just don't know if you can set your cue monitor in ableton to the headphones separate from the mains. I don't think so.

dcease · Post by **dcease** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:50 am

i hate to say it, but from everything you described, it sounds like a ff400 would meet all your needs, save price. however, i've always seen it as a mid priced interface...

Winston · Post by **Winston** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:49 pm

dcease wrote:i hate to say it, but from everything you described, it sounds like a ff400 would meet all your needs, save price. however, i've always seen it as a mid priced interface...

Far too expensive for a secondary interface though. Isn't that like 1200 or 1300 dollars? Seriously, the inspire would be enough, except for the assignable headphone out.

I wonder if I could somehow use my macbook's own headphone out as a cue for ableton..... I'll have to start a new topic for that.

landrvr1 · Post by **landrvr1** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:59 pm

Got the Focusrite Saffire. Love it, and it pretty much fits your bill PLUS Midi in/out.

$300

chrysalis33rpm · Post by **chrysalis33rpm** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:16 pm

The Duet rocks with aggregate devices for the cue out.

arafel · Post by **arafel** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:22 pm

Fa-66 by Edirol/ Roland.

all requirements and midi in/out and Optical in/out
No driver required as uses Osx Audio inbuilt driver.
Separate Headphone out - And knob to mix main output and headphone for cue.
No setup required.. just plug it in your mac... Bus powers through firewire no problemo!
Just Kicking ass in my setup

- Be carefull with Firewire interfaces and external Harddrives though. When data access peaks to external HD, audio stream can be cut off for a microsecond (causing glitches) in Audio data output to Interface.. This has occured in my system (as all macs have only 1 firewire buss for all 400/800 ports), untill I switched Harddrives to USB2 ports. I have all my audio samples and romplers data (RMX, Atmosphere) on the external drives - so access is constant while composing.

Love the FA-66.

Winston · Post by **Winston** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:07 pm

arafel wrote:Fa-66 by Edirol/ Roland.

all requirements and midi in/out and Optical in/out
No driver required as uses Osx Audio inbuilt driver.
Separate Headphone out - And knob to mix main output and headphone for cue.
No setup required.. just plug it in your mac... Bus powers through firewire no problemo!
Just Kicking ass in my setup

- Be carefull with Firewire interfaces and external Harddrives though. When data access peaks to external HD, audio stream can be cut off for a microsecond (causing glitches) in Audio data output to Interface.. This has occured in my system (as all macs have only 1 firewire buss for all 400/800 ports), untill I switched Harddrives to USB2 ports. I have all my audio samples and romplers data (RMX, Atmosphere) on the external drives - so access is constant while composing.

Love the FA-66.

The FA-66 does look good except that it only has hi-z for instrument input on one of the preamps. I need to have a guitar and a bass plugged in at the same time. Have you plugged an instrument into the other preamp?

JDSampo · Post by **JDSampo** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:45 pm

Focusrite Saffire LE should fit your bill. Compared to the original Saffire its fifty bucks cheaper at $249 and has two more inputs although it lacks the hardware DSP and has 6 outputs instead of 8.

--JD

dcease · Post by **dcease** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:14 pm

(edit)
ewww... they got you covered... didn't see the other thread

agg. device is easy, and works!