Troubles With A 828, Checking Other Interfaces, I Need Help/advice. Options

[deadend228]

In February I bought a g5 iMac. I use reason and ableton live. I also got a MOTU 828mkII from a friend for a VERY good price. However, for the three months that I had it I couldn't get any kind of response from it. I consider myself to be very entry level as far as digital recording goes. Anyway, I got tired of trying to get the mkII to work and refunded it with him. Now I'm looking at getting another interface. I need something to record a guitar direct and also to record vocals and an acoustic guitar through a microphone. I've read the reviews on have major problems with drivers and whatnot. I've even considered just buying a Fostex mr8 or even an analog multitrack cassette recorder, but I've already invested so much into my mac that it would seem like a waste to not utilize it, but I'm becoming very aggravated with trying to get things to work in sync. I need advice on M-Audio or Presonus interfaces. I've been thinking about getting a Firebox. Also, should I consider getting a mixer? At this point my aggravation level has couded my mind and I cannot put forth any constructive thought towards my problem. I just want to record folk/singer songwriter kinds of things and also record my guitar direct to put with things I do in reason to have a post-rock mogwai sort of thing.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[zooot]

I think you should try to get a motu 828. they work great.

[deadend228]

If you read my post again, you'll see that I did, indeed, get a MOTU 828. And it did not work great.

[mortalengines]

I really like my Mackie Onyx 1220 & it is quite literally a plug & play device. You just follow the directions that come with the unit & plug it in & go. I don't know if the mixer is really necessary in retrospect. Mackie has a couple of variations now (the 400 & some portable unit whose name escapes me at the moment) & I would probably get one of them now. The 1220 is a 12 channel mixer with a firewire option & at the time I wanted to produce bands. Making my own music has gotten in the way of that idea & I usually work with one or two other people at the most (and not very often either, to be honest). The mixer has come in handy for some routing things here at home between my PC & my Mac & also as a monitor for preparing for my live shows but that's about it. Hope this helps. I will also say that for whatever it's worth, I haven't had a SINGLE problem with my mixer or the firewire card in the year that I've had it.

[Airearts]

both m-audio and presonus at their lower end(cost wise) should serve your
needs well. Do yourself a favor and check out RME's interfaces, their fireface
series while pricey,are subjectively some of best sounding units around.

you may really end up regreting an all in one recorder,as you find you've
bumped up against it's feature set in about a week.

[mikestatic]

I am a MOTU 828 user, so I may not be of much help

I was using a Tascam US-122 for mobile stuff with no issue, now I have a lil' M-Audio Fast Track USB box that I've got nothing but good to say about. I've had other M-Audio gear (controllers, etc...) and they have all worked seamlessly with a Mac or PC for that matter. I don't think you can go wrong with M-Audio.

My $0.02...

[lepetitmartien]

The 828 has issues, the mkII too but it can be reseted (check the manual). A 828 mkII not behaving properly still after a reset should be looked after by MOTU.

Just my 2 cents on the 828

[Mac Daddy]

Saw a RME Multiface in the Forum Classified. 250 Euros... Best price ever. New they "Used" to cost almost a Thousand... New in Germany today they cost about 600 Euros... If you need a serious dependble built like a Tank unit, if it's still there get it!

[rickenbacker]

How much money do you have? Metric Halo ULN-2 or 2882 are hard to beat. I heart ULN-2.

[Mac Daddy]

Mortalengines you have an Onxy! Take one of those over an iPod anyday! First extra cash... I'm getting one too! From the sounds of things you're in love? Mackie Rules. Reputation. I'm still saving to get an Extension and C4 for my Universal...

lepetitmartien is in da house again... Our fearless leader returns!!! Now I can stop adding my "Tree fifdy" ($3.50... Is a South Park, 2 cents worth)

Anyone wanna buy Virtual Guitarist and Virtual Guitarist Electric Edition? Works with VST... I'm told there is a way to make it work in OSX, but it is not working for me. The 2 Programs are using almost 3 G's of my HD and I'm getting "zero" sound... Going to Upgrade to the New, Improved and on Steriods Virtual Guitarist... Half price or Buy One, Get One Free...

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