what do you guys use for audio output from your laptops???

forge · Post by **forge** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 9:39 am

tjwett wrote: if you have a PC i would go with a nice PCMCIA card or if you prefer USB i recommend the emagic a 2|6 and 6|2.

I wouldn't get the emagic ones for PC - correction, I did get it, but it's overpriced with no new support for PC and the latency on it is crap, for £50 quid extra new I got a firewiire 410 which is brilliant - nice pre-amps, excellent latency, solid - the only down side is if your PC has 4 pin firewire the connector is small and easier to bump out by accident.

Spaturno · Post by **Spaturno** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 9:45 am

Use Maya 44 Usb for Djing and livesets and it works great.
Yes, I know, it has Rca outputs, but in most cases I have to plug in a Dj mixer so I don't really need Jack or Xlr outputs. For stage purposes I use it with two DI-100.

pulse · Post by **pulse** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 10:20 am

using quatafire 610 from esi with great sound and absolutely no prob

best value for price I think !!!

check it at

www.esi-pro.com

ekko · Post by **ekko** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 10:39 am

saddam whosayin? wrote:the built in audio out will eventually die on you -

Evidence? I've never heard of this anywhere.

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:02 am

I would NOT recommend the Emagic A2/6 - I don't think the quality is that good, and I sometimes get artifacts when recording (not distortion, glitches and quantitisation errors). Also, the RCA plugs are a minus - jacks or XLRs for me, thank you.

-Paws

saddam whosayin? · Post by **saddam whosayin?** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 12:35 pm

saddam whosayin? wrote:
the built in audio out will eventually die on you -

ekko wrote:
Evidence? I've never heard of this anywhere.

uhh, i think you just did ...? I guess you'll just have to find out for
yourself

imo the built-in mini should be your backup in case of emergency

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:06 pm

the output on the side of my iBook doesn't seem to like bass much. Or maybe it's the iBook likes bass so much it keeps it all in. Either way, not good enough...

-Paws

elemental · Post by **elemental** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:14 pm

I use an echo indigo if its just pure laptop, and if I need inputs or extra outs I'll take out my MOTU 828 (although I want to upgrade this, I dont think the converters are as good as newer interfaces)

montrealbreaks (no login) · Post by **montrealbreaks (no login)** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:35 pm

elemental wrote:I use an echo indigo if its just pure laptop, and if I need inputs or extra outs I'll take out my MOTU 828 (although I want to upgrade this, I dont think the converters are as good as newer interfaces)

Honestly, I dig my MOTU 828 as well. It's NEVER failed me.

I would like to switch to a 96k card like the Echo Indigos, but I want two outputs (one for the system and one for me) PLUS one input.

The M-Audio Transport looks like it fits the bill, but I have a very suspicious vibe about three ins and outs at the same time all at 96k going over a USB 1.1 connection...

Does anybody have an M-Audio Transport? Is it working for them? They're DIRT CHEAP, about half the price of an Echo Indigo...

L8er
Montrealbreaks

ekko · Post by **ekko** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:40 pm

saddam whosayin? wrote:
uhh, i think you just did ...? I guess you'll just have to find out for
yourself

imo the built-in mini should be your backup in case of emergency

Ok, so it died on you? Well, you're the first I've ever heard of this happening to, and I know dozens of iBook/Powerbook giggers...so that's hardly indicative of a "normal" occurance, wouldn't you say?

Never seen it on any of the other mesage boards either.

Anyway, I do use the 828, as you do, at home, but if I only need stereo out on the road, I don't bring it.

Saw people using the 1/8" out at NAMM pretty frequently, too. Never a problem with the bass. Again, just speaking from experience.

saddam whosayin? · Post by **saddam whosayin?** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 2:02 pm

the point is on stage "once" is 1 time too many
especially with no backup
its like your hard drive--- you could poll 50 people and maybe only 1 of
them's had a crash --- does that mean you dont do back up?
and it wasnt actually my audio out that died, it was my bandmates
i wouldnt allow myself to get caught out there like that-

ekko · Post by **ekko** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 2:28 pm

saddam whosayin? wrote:the point is on stage "once" is 1 time too many
especially with no backup
its like your hard drive--- you could poll 50 people and maybe only 1 of
them's had a crash --- does that mean you dont do back up?
and it wasnt actually my audio out that died, it was my bandmates
i wouldnt allow myself to get caught out there like that-

Frankly, I see it no differently than breaking a guitar or bass string or any of the other 1,000's of things that can go wrong during a live performance. Playing live is all about taking those sort of chances, and playing Live is no different, IMO.

saddam whosayin? · Post by **saddam whosayin?** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 2:47 pm

Frankly, I see it no differently than breaking a guitar or bass string or any of the other 1,000's of things that can go wrong during a live performance. Playing live is all about taking those sort of chances, and playing Live is no different, IMO. icon_cool.gif

True
But for me strings breaking is not something that goes wrong, it's part of what happens when you play live... its going to happen sooner or later and you know that
thats why you dont go on stage without spares or if you're a rock star an extra guitar that your roadie tosses to you to make you look cool

its the same w/ the laptop for me

zeropoint · Post by **zeropoint** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 4:33 pm

toyo wrote:Hi,
I am using a Powerbook G4 1,25 GHZ and a M-Audio FW 410, only problem is that it is not working with my external FW800 drive.
i emailed m-audio and that was their reply,

Try connecting the FireWire drive to one of the ports on the back of the FireWire 410. The issue is that you can only have one device as the master device and some hard drives want to try to be the master device on the FireWire bus and all audio devices MUST be the master on the FireWire bus, so the drive and the FireWire 410 are competing to be bus master.

You should plug in the FireWire 410 to your computer while the computer is off, then plug in the drive to the back of the FireWire 410, then boot your computer.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

hope this helps

Toyo.....try getting a PCMCIA firewire card and running the hard drive off that...that's what I do and it's never given me any problems

Peace

Tim

saddam whosayin? · Post by **saddam whosayin?** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 5:27 pm

as i said earlier
I think its a problem with the 410 drivers - the 828 didnt have that problem and its firewire as well
in addition I find I have to reset the control panel every time I want more than 2 seperate outs which sometimes requires a reboot
otherwise i'll have stereo in addition to 3-4 5-6 etc.
also you might find like I do that you have to restart and disconnect the 410 in order to shut down
oh- and one side of 1-2 is louder than the other

i'd be willing to bet it works fine on PC but on mac it leaves something to be desired