Which Interface Is Best For Me And Imac G5?, Mbox, Spike, Omega, Firewire 410? Options

[bigheadjoe]

In a couple weeks I will be getting a new imac G5. I am fairly new to recording music. I've used Cakewalk Sonar on my friends computer as well as Cubase SX. I prefer to use Cubase SX. I need a good solid interface, but I don't really care about the software that comes with it since I will be using Cubase SX3. I am a singer songwriter and currently I don't need more than two channels of audio recorded at the same. I am stickler for low latency. I've heard a lot of good things about Digidesign's Mbox, however it sounds like I'd be paying mostly for the software that comes with it. I've also been looking at:

Mackie Spike
Lexicon Omega
M-Audio Omni
M-Audio Firewire 410

Any suggestions?

P.S. Is the 600 Mhz bus worth the extra 200$ for the new iMac G5's

Thanks,
Derek

[Don't EVER put your email in full in the forums! We don't give them away, don't do the job of spammers! People can always write to you with the link in your profile. LPM ]

This post has been edited by lepetitmartien: Tue 14 Sep 2004, 03:26

[mishmash]

bigheadjoe,

I've been pondering the same kind of choices on the interface issue. My needs are similar to yours, but I'd like the flexibilty of a multi-channel interface for expansion purposes, and absolutely go firewire. Sorry I can't be more help on the brands, but there are heaps of these interfaces now. A friend of mine has a simple 2 in 2 out M Audio (USB) piece, and he likes the mic-preamps on it (He's a full time mix engineer). Of all the choices you list, Mackie probably has the best mic-pres.

On the frontside bus issue, YES. The fastest G4 FSB is only 167mhz. 600mhz on the new imac G5 will be a noticable difference, combined with the faster DDR RAM. This is the kind of smoke we need for softsynths and effects with no glitches. Jumping up to a 800 mhz FSB on the tower may get you another plugin, but the cost goes way up. After this it's the 1ghz FSB on the fastest tower G5, but $$$...

Remember when Tiger comes, the true 64 bit apps will follow in time, making the imac G5 specs shine even more.

mishmash

[bloodychoir]

Hi Bighead,

I'm in a different boat, same river. I'm a singer songwriter and I've been using a g4 ibook with a Novation Speedio two in two out interface and it does the job fine. As far as latency goes, if you're going in with a guitar for example, as long as it's clean (no onboard fx already in use on the track) it's good. I'd say it's more about what machine and the software you're plugging it into. I don't know a hell of a lot about the other interfaces, but at the time I bought it because for the price it offered pretty much everything more expensive units did, and it was reviewed well. I'm looking at the imac G5 now, to use with Logic Pro. Maybe you could help me with what made your mind up to get the imac instead of an entry level powermac g5. For instance, did someone give you an idea of how Cubase would run, track/plugin numbers etc.?

Cheers.

[bigheadjoe]

Hey BC,

Thanks for the advice. This iMac will be my first mac since my PowerPC 6100 from back in the day. In college I found pleasure in building my own custom PC's but I sold my last computer 3 years ago to buy my Fender Toronado. I just graduated from college and I have been planning on buying a Powerbook for sometime now. . .that is until the iMac G5 was announced.

I've decided on the new iMac because of the combination of Mobility, Power and Price. I liked the idea of having a mobile recording studio with the Powerbook G4's, however I knew I wasn't going to be getting the most bang for my buck. And while the iMac G5 is not technically a mobile device, it seems a lot easier to lug to a friends house than a PowerMac G5 and with the money I'll save I can invest in some decent intro recording gear. I know thats a little long winded and I didn't really answer your question, however I have total faith in Apple delivering a rock solid product which will take care of my musical production needs.

[NBailey]

I'll start by saying that I am a bit biased, since I am an avid Digidesign fan. (I know many, many people here disagree with me. However, if you go into any major studio you will find PTHD, not Logic, Cubase, DP, etc. I like being able to work on sessions at home and then transferring them back and forth from the studio.)

Here's why I think the MBox is your best bet.

1. Someone on here said that the Mackie has the best pre's. Don't EVER listen to someone that says Mackie pre's are good. Mackie is the laughing stock of the audio industry. The MBox has Focusrite (manufacturer of high-end audio hardware) pre's....trust me, even though they are entry level Focusrite, they will blow any Mackie pre away.

2. As I mentioned before, even if you like to use Cubase on your own time, PT is the standard. I own SX and DP4 and occasionally use those if I feel so inclined, but if you want compatibility PT is definately the way to go. Also, I don't know if you've ever tried to edit audio in PT, but it is by far the most intuitive platform for that, though it is a bit lackluster as far as MIDI sequencing goes. (Plus, it's free with the interface)

3. Cubase does have one advantage over PT and that is VST support. There are a bunch of cool free or cheap VST plugs out there to play with that haven't been available for PT....until now. The FXpansion VST-RTAS wrapper allows you to use all of those plugs within PT. Which leads to my next point.....

4. The Bomb Factory 1176 (compressor included with PTLE) alone is worth the 450 for the MBox. Considering the fact that a harware 1176LN reissue costs about 1800 bucks, I'd say that plug pays for the box right there.

5. If your MBox ever craps out on you while you're in the middle of a big project....(By the way, I've never seen it happen)....Digidesign will ship you a new one overnight, even before you ship the broken one back, so you can keep working.

6. There is a knob that blends between the live input of the MBox and the playback from the computer. This provides you with literally zero latency since the audio never even goes to the comuter before you hear it.

7. The Mackie Spike and Lexicon Omega will be obsolete in a year or so. Both are made by companies that have traditionally made hardware and are taking a shot at computer based production. Both interfaces have been largely unsuccessful. Stay away.
Both Digidesign and M-Audio started as computer recording companies and that is what they are good at. If you want reliability and guaranteed continued support go with one of these two guys. As a side note, Digidesign recently acquired M-Audio...this could make for an interesting team.

In summary...
The MBox has the best pre's, true zero latency monitoring, and most compatible software (even if you don't use it, it will be nice to have around)
Mackie and Lexicon are hardware manufacturers and don't have the software background and knowledgebase that Digidesign and M-Audio do as far as drivers and things of that nature.

If you really don't want to shell out the cash for an MBox, and really don't care at all about having PT...definately go with an M-Audio interface. They always have up-to-date drivers and make solid gear.

[xingu]

I would suggest looking at Tascam's US-122 - if you only need 2 ins, it's a pretty good deal, and with 48V phantom power (for condensor mics) as well as 2 MIDI ins/outs to boot. As with any purchase, you should consider your future wants/needs regarding inputs. I myself use Tascam's US-428, which has come in handy when getting together to jam with friends. For me, it's biggest limitation has been the lack of phantom power, but i just bought a cheap Eurorack to handle that.

If you won't be recording more than 2 ins at a time, a USB interface should be adequate. I've not had any problem with up to 4 with my 428. Besides, I've not heard great things about M-Audio's 410 - not that I have any personal experience, but browse through these forums for plenty of opinions. M-Audio don't seem have the best reputation for functional drivers.

[mishmash]

Well, you've heard from a true PT zealot, complete with trashing another company's reputation, whatever it may be. I don't care for elitism of any kind in this industry. Don't EVER listen to someone who feels they have to blow off someone elses experience to make their point. Use your ears, you be the judge. I could be off on the Mackie, and I have no problem saying so. That's the point of the forum--discussion. I'd be the last one to argue against Focusrite, but I'd still want to hear for myself what "entry level" sounds like compared to the other helpful suggestions offered up.

[pebulus]

I have found it to be very flaky - the only thing to cause my mac to crash. It has a minimum latency setting of 512 which, by todays standards is not great. Zero latency monitoring is one thing, but that's no use for monitoring effected audio or soft synths. Plus it makes a huge pop when you plug it in (which you will have to do lots!).

You're definitely paying for the name with the m-box - it's not a patch on any of the other digidesign hardware, and it is a piece of c**p when trying to use the coreaudio drivers with other apps like Logic and Live.

I actually bought mine on the recommendation of someone else, but I personally have had nothing but trouble with it and am investigating alternatives - Metric Halo sound really nice to my ears. Or the Mini-Me mmmm..... just got to sell my car....!

[rickenbacker]

MOTU 828 gets my vote. I love it like a brother.

[Metalflkk]

I would highly advise something other than Protools/Digidesign gear for anyone other than a seasoned engineer with a dedicated Mac system just for audio. I worked with the Digi001 at home (finally ditched it in frustration for a Novation interface, and a Motu 828 eventually!) and subsequntly the 002R in the studio and neither ever seemed to work correctly in Non-Protool apps, (ie. Live, Cubase,Soundtrack ect.) Plus there are many many quirks with Digidesign's CoreAudio driver workings, like you can only use the interface for 1 program at a time, (ie. you can't fire up itunes, Final Cut, ect. for a quick listen, you can't preview in Quicktime, hear system sounds, ect.) , and its painfully tedious to troubleshoot when no sound (as often happens) comes out! The studio I worked for still uses the 002R as its brand is so highly regarded by musicians, but, again, it seriously sapped a lot of creative energy when it frequently failed to work correctly!! On the other hand, the lab I've worked in with MOTU interfaces always worked just fine, (ie. normally!!) Seriously though, Protools hardware is nice and clean with dedicated Protools software on a consistent music-only setup, but if you plan to use other more comprehensive software anyway, and plan to run other apps/hardware on the system it can be a quirky and expensive nuisance! As for audio quaiity, the Digi002R atleast, sounded great direct from the keyboards/PodXts, then again, my far cheaper PodXt D.I 24b-48Khz interface run straight in USB sounds pretty tight and with little or no discernable quality shift! So, the 828 gets my vote for price/performance/reliability, plus you could stick it in a rack and take it anywhere, plus it (apparently, have not tried myself) functions as a stand-alone mixer!! Too bad there's nothing like Emu's Emulator X in OS X though, that makes me jealous for a PC.

This post has been edited by Metalflkk: Wed 3 Nov 2004, 03:33