Mobile / Portable audio interfaces w/ pre-amp recommendation

StompyJ · Post by **StompyJ** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:46 pm

Hey guys, getting a bit more serious with the studio here and need to be able to record some vocalists in out-of-my-studio places, can anyone recommend some good portable decent sounding audio interfaces?

I know of the MBox and motu traveller? any others?

telekom · Post by **telekom** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:50 pm

Hi stompy,
Tascam US122 is cheap and ruggedly built (with the exception of the knobs which feel a bit "shoogly"). I used it to record numerous vocal takes in some very unpromising spaces and it did the trick. Very simple to use, solid performance so far for me. Who's next? give the guy some ideas!

HTH
M

BLuE_Lu · Post by **BLuE_Lu** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 7:56 pm

Since I never had the cash, I'm using a 122 Tascam myself - its alright, the line ins tend to be muddy, especially in the bass range and bit muffled in the highs, but for the money its an okay deal I guess.

IF you have enough cash I strongly recommend metric halo interfaces (there are only two different models) with some real PRISTINE pres. Firewire and everything. I think mhlabs.com is the place to go.

later

StompyJ · Post by **StompyJ** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 9:32 pm

thanks guys! I gotta find a way to record this vocalist at her place by Sunday

udp · Post by **udp** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:23 pm

If you're on OS 10.4 the US-122 drivers are really touch and go. Don't know which os you're using, so may not be an issue.

MrYellow · Post by **MrYellow** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:26 pm

Echo Layla is said to be very good for the price.... On par with RME I hear.....

-Ben

StompyJ · Post by **StompyJ** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:50 pm

Ben, thanks, I actually have a layla24, but the pci card, not the laptop adapter

Clearscreen · Post by **Clearscreen** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 1:50 am

i use a quatafire 610, and they've also just released a usb box called a u46dj that 'might' be worth a look (not sure about the mic inputs on that one). my quatafire runs great on pc, and can use firewire powering on mac (or anything with 6 pin firewire). got mic phantom power and the preamps seem ok too (i haven't run a mic through it but guitars come up a treat), but i doubt they'd stand up to a motu or rme setup.

if you're looking for something small, tough as nails and cheap i'd recommend the quatafire, but make sure it has the latest firmware preinstalled on it. when i bought mine 18 months ago they were scrambling to update the firmware for OSX, but i imagine they've got it sorted by know.

if i had my way, i'd be using an rme fireface 800 though...

telekom · Post by **telekom** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:17 am

udp wrote:If you're on OS 10.4 the US-122 drivers are really touch and go. Don't know which os you're using, so may not be an issue.

Hey udp,
I had problems with the original drivers as supplied on CD and OSX 10.3.7 when I first bought the US122. But when I upgraded from the website it all went fine. Don't know about compatibility with 10.4 as I haven't got Tiger yet

Is there not some new fangled bit of Tiger which can allow use of USB external soundcards without drivers, ie native to the OS? I thought I read summink about that.