Anyone using a PreSonus FireStudio?

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
Post Reply
Diskclaimer
Posts: 295
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:59 am
Location: Danbury, CT
Contact:

Anyone using a PreSonus FireStudio?

Post by Diskclaimer » Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:22 pm

I might get one. Looking for advice.

Stace
Posts: 342
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:23 am
Location: Isle of Yessir
Contact:

Post by Stace » Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:10 pm

I've got the Firestudio 26x26 and MSR Controller, I've haven't had time to get to grips with the two yet. I've only had my guitar going through it. I don't really need one this big but I won it in a competition so instead of selling it I thought I'd give it a whirl because you never know when it might come in handy. :D

You might find it helpful (or not) by reading some of the posts on the Presonus forums.

http://forums.presonus.com/index.php
"Never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything" --- William of Ockham (1285-1349)

Diskclaimer
Posts: 295
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:59 am
Location: Danbury, CT
Contact:

Post by Diskclaimer » Mon Jul 21, 2008 4:06 pm

thanks

just wondering about the quality \ latency ect...

Noel
Posts: 270
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:20 pm

Post by Noel » Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:21 pm

I've got the Firepod (forerunner to the Fire Studio) and while I'm generally quite happy with it I find the latency selection very misleading.

Instead of selecting a buffer size (like on most sound cards) you have to select a latency time from a list of options. 2mS, 4mS, etc.

So you set the latency to 2mS, but when you actually measure it it's more like 15mS round trip delay instead of the 4mS you were expecting (2mS out + 2mS in) so there is an extra 11mS creeping in somewhere.

Apparently this is due to the drivers, the OS and the Fire Wire port,
Noel has left the building!

Geezus
Posts: 760
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2007 12:20 am

Post by Geezus » Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:54 pm

I've got the FireBox, which is the small wuss version of the firestudio, and pretty much everything about it kicks ass. Built like a tank, great sound, and the lowest latency of anything I've ever had. I highly recommend it.

Diskclaimer
Posts: 295
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:59 am
Location: Danbury, CT
Contact:

Post by Diskclaimer » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:00 pm

Noel wrote:
Apparently this is due to the drivers, the OS and the Fire Wire port,
have you tried AISO for all (i have not since i do not yet have an interface) someone told me this driver solves a lot of problems.

What i like to do is run an acoustic guitar thru ableton with effects on the track and listen in headphones while i play... or just walk around the room hitting stuff and listen to what it sounds like effected...

i need low latency. (dont we all)

Noel
Posts: 270
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:20 pm

Post by Noel » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:32 pm

Diskclaimer wrote:
Noel wrote:
Apparently this is due to the drivers, the OS and the Fire Wire port,
have you tried AISO for all (i have not since i do not yet have an interface) someone told me this driver solves a lot of problems.

What i like to do is run an acoustic guitar thru ableton with effects on the track and listen in headphones while i play... or just walk around the room hitting stuff and listen to what it sounds like effected...

i need low latency. (dont we all)
I tried ASIO for all but didn't have much success with it at the time - and didn't really have time to mess around too much at the time. I'll have to try it again some time.

I sometimes play my guitar through just as you describe and I have to say that total latency incurred by the firepod and a vst effect is definitely noticeable and just about on the edge of what is acceptable.

For triggering VST instruments from a keyboard I don't really notice it - but then that is only going in one direction.

I have a wave file on my system somewhere with a test recording that I made using Ableton Live and the firepod set up as follows: Click on Live Track 1 -> FP out 1 -> FP in 2 -> Live Track 2 -> FP out 2 -> FP in 3 -> Live Track 3 -> FP out 3 -> (same for tracks 4 to 8 ) -> finaly back to FP in 1 -> Live Track 9.

Set tracks 2 - 9 to record - Delay compensation off and click scene launch.

Result: The wood block on track one ends up as a convincing guiro simulation.

I'll dig out the file and post it up later, but I have to go out now.

Where this unit really comes into it's own is for making 8 track recordings in a live situation.
Noel has left the building!

Diskclaimer
Posts: 295
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:59 am
Location: Danbury, CT
Contact:

Post by Diskclaimer » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:49 pm

Noel wrote:
Diskclaimer wrote:
Noel wrote:

Where this unit really comes into it's own is for making 8 track recordings in a live situation.
right... 8 mic pre is one of the things i am looking for so it narrows the search... I want to mic up my drum kit with it too.

ive heard these units are good on latency but i think thats really referring to direct monitering (not going thru live)

bosonHavoc
Posts: 1936
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:34 am
Location: Austin, Texas
Contact:

Post by bosonHavoc » Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:20 pm

i have a firestudio but i replaced with a motu pci 424

the latency was ok for playing soft synths but not for recording live.
but the direct monitoring makes up for that in most situations.
but i'm still using a P4 3 ghz pc with 1 gig ram.
so that could be an issue too.

also i'd recommend getting your firestudio from somewhere like american musical that has a no questions full return policy for 30 days
becuase the first unit i got was screwed presonus tech support had me running through the hoops and blamed my computer.. but in the end i called american musical to return it (i was going to get an RME) but before i could say i wanted to spend a few more hundred and get the RME they said they would put in a shipping order for another firestudio.. so i gave it a second chance

the second one worked great.
(except i had to disable my wireless nic card anytime i used it.. thats a kown issue and the fix is to disable the wireless)

untill i upgraded the firmware then i had problems but i got that resolved too.... but now i have a motu pci and no latency issues at all.

i still own the firestudio and i'm letting my friend use it on his macbook
he has problems rarely but he switches back and forth with serato interface alot... nothing a reboot doesn't fix.

i plan on keeping the firestudio to use with a mac book pro when we get one in the fall.

i dont know that i'd totally recommend presonus but i dont know what else to recommend either... the motu has its little quarks that piss me off too.
the 8 pres on the firestudio are handy
but i use the pres on my yamaha mixer with my motu 2408mkiii and i like that set up better.

check out RME too.

Diskclaimer
Posts: 295
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:59 am
Location: Danbury, CT
Contact:

Post by Diskclaimer » Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:53 pm

bosonHavoc wrote:i have a firestudio but i replaced with a motu pci 424

the latency was ok for playing soft synths but not for recording live.

also i'd recommend getting your firestudio from somewhere like american musical that has a no questions full return policy for 30 days
.

its not looking good if you think its not for recording live

i will for sure get it from a place i can return it...

[/quote]

Post Reply