THE BEST AUDIO CARD 4 LIVE, IS:

[CJ Vega]

Dear FORUM members, another survey 2 help d comunity!!!
Im using for live acts a perfect tool that is (unfortunatly) no more for sell since Apple bought Emagic... its the Emagic A2/6, USB, two inputs, and 6 outputs, perfect to connect directly to the DJ mixer on any CLUB, since they are RCA connections! 3 stereo pairs!

Its a 24Bit audio card, USB and suits perfectly my DJ/Producer needs!

Still, nowadays with so many options, RME, M-AUDIO, MOTU, EDIROL, DIGIDESIGN, etc...the question is:

Whats your favorite audio card and why? Advantages/disavantages?

POSTS WELLCOME!

Electronic compliments,

CJ VEGA

[CJ Vega]

Hello guys!

No replies?? Everybody playing from the computer line output?

CJ

[Architect]

Are you using a laptop or desktop? I'm using the RME Multiface which has very good sound quality 8ins 8outs and midi, spdif, etc. Works great with Live.

[Clearscreen]

No replies?? Everybody playing from the computer line output?

i think it's more to do with how often this sort of thread comes up. fairly regularly somebody seems to ask 'whats the best <insert soundcard/midi controller/whatever else> with live' type of questions.

meanwhile, i use an ESI quatafire 610 and i'm damn glad i didn't get an maudio 410! been very happy with it, but one day i'll get the fireface 800 i really want...

[by-pass]

I never have probs with my rme multiface

[DJSK]

I love my Audiophile firewire! It's great for DJing. The sound quality is great. I just wish my computer had a 6 pin instead of a 4 pin connector. With a 4 pin you still have to use the ac adapter.

[AdamJay]

Audiophile Firewire user here as well.

great for cueing on stage, and at home i use it for bussing certain channels in Live through a couple hardware compressors.

but the BEST Card for Live does not exist. It depends on the needs of the user. and If users didn't all have different needs, there wouldn't be 75 new sound cards on the market today. You also have the issue of price. different people are willing to pay different prices for soundcards. I think the Motu Traveller is a great piece of kit, but i would not pay $850 on it (maybe $600 though). The Audiophile Firewire holds me over, i'm waiting to hear more user reviews of the Focusrite Saffire though.

[elektrovert]

same as above

love the queuing facilities.

[Voodu]

I've been thinking of buyinfg the m-audio firewire audiophile interface. I have a behringer bca2000, but fir some reason I can't seem to set it up properly for cueing.

Would it be possible for you to briefly describe how you have the audiophile, set up for pre-listening? I did read the manual on cueing but it seems my behringer headphone slot does not show up as an output, even after activating all the inputs and outputs in the prefs.

[AdamJay]

Would it be possible for you to briefly describe how you have the audiophile, set up for pre-listening? I did read the manual on cueing but it seems my behringer headphone slot does not show up as an output, even after activating all the inputs and outputs in the prefs.

Sure, mains go out of 1/2
pre-listen goes out of 3/4

on the unit itself, select the headphone source as "B" which is 3/4.

[elektrovert]

see what I do is have output 1 and 2 set to mix A in ableton which is the default on the soundcard too and out 3&4 set to the mix B, then in the master channel in Live I set cueing output to out 5& 6 which is the earphones on the firewire Audiophile.

then when you're selecting/previewing samples from your library the only play through the earphones, and since the other outs are locked to A/B mixing you can start and listen to the mix B by selecting it as the earphones source on the soundcard itself while mix A is still playing to the crowd.
You need another small mixer in the chain to do this though.

[Toufas]

audiophile fireware here as well
the only downside is the size and the ac adapter.....
laptop, uc17,audiophile,external 3.5" hd....the bag gets heavier everytime:P
luckily with live 5 and my new laptop (100gb hd) i wont be currying my hd with me...

[Model Reject]

Hi,
The RME is the best card I've come across and I've tested alot. It all depends on how many ins and out you want and weighing up whether it's worth the money.

www.modelreject.com[/code]

[jasefos]

I use a Dell 5150 in both Live and Studio scenarios (my first total desktop replacement).

In the studio I have a choice of using either PCMCIA RME Hammerfall with Multiface breakout box, Echo AudioFire8, or (more recently) a Yamaha 01X.

For Live performance I have an Echo Indigo DJ's which is ultraportable and hasn't failed me yet. This is fantastic for making music at the pub, cafe, park, etc.

For DJ-style gigs where I won't be lugging in MIDI hardware for doing on-the-fly composition and improvisation the Indigo DJ will be more than adequate. instead of using Live's crossfader (**** ARRRGH! no crossfader curve adjustment) most likely I will treat each of the Indigo DJ'S outputs as though each were a separate CD player device and instead use a DJ mixer's regular crossfader and cueing functions.


Since Live 5 has emerged however with Mackie Control support for bigger gigs where I'll be doing on the fly composition and MIDI synth paying I will without a doubt be using the Yamaha 01X ... what an awesome tool for performing with! This not only will be a great mechanism for taking the focus off the laptop but will also add a great extra visual element to the show (in addition to multiple synced Electribes, etc, etc).


Cheers

[MrYellow]

RME Multiface

Especially like the DigiCheck software which includes 30-band meter bridge,
phase correlation scope etc.

8in/out, full internal routing via nice interface with presets and such.

Comes with nice flight case and PCI+PCMCIA slots if bought as the bundle.

Never had a problem, always a dream.

-Ben