Presonus Firebox Reviews?, Anyone actually use this yet? Options

[GitGeezer]

a little more Firebox experience...

I got an email response from Presonus regarding the SPDIF issues but I haven't had time to try their suggestions. I had performed the setup steps correctly, but they have some specifics for Live 4.1 that I will try. I wanted to use Live for organizing the material that I'm attempting to capture from a Roland VS880 but I changed to a two track editor option to ease the system load. So far no SPDIF inputs are available. As soon as I test the Presonus suggestions I'll post the results and the instructions.

My previous comments were devoid of comments on the sound of the Firebox. I would take this as encouraging "no-news-is-good-news". The sound is transparant and uncolored, just what I was looking for.

More to come...
GG

[beltunabob]

JD sounds has a price now of $199 on the Terratec PHASE 24 FW.

[bbmozee]

I must admit that I haven't been able to make the SPDIF connection work between the FIREBOX and my MBOX. Any light shed on the SPDIF issue would be appreciated! Other than that, all is well.

[bbmozee]

FIREBOX clarification--I can get the MBOX SPDIF output into the FIREBOX but no luck getting that signal recorded into Logic 7 Pro. The other 4 inputs record beautifully. Time for PreSonus to come to the rescue!

[ullanta]

Hmmm... what are you trying to do in connecting the Mbox to the Firebox? Is this on a single computer? I don't think either the Mbox or the Firebox work standalone, so... unless you're using 2 computers, I don't undertstand the point.

If there is indeed a point, how are you synchronizing the clocks? Could that be your issue?

-Barry

[arvidtp]

This is the same setup i would like ideally too. The Mbox manual claims that whatever goes in (seems to suggest this includes the direct signal from the analog mic pres - does anyone know for sure?) goes out the digital SPDIF all the time. The ideal would be to plug the mbox in, but not have any app in the computer use it - just power it from USB, then have it send audio via SPDIF to the firebox as it comes in the inputs, yielding an interface with 6 analog ins instead of 4. This would be awesome - Those of us without a lot of fancy hardware really cant take advantage of SPDIF inputs otherwise (For instance I have never had use for the SPDIF on my Mbox).

But I agree - how would the clocks be synced? How is this usually done between SPDIF devices? but it seems bbmozee CAN get his mbox SPDIF into the firebox - which means its prolly not a sync issue, correct? because the firebox understands the signal. he just cant get the SPDIF channels to show up in software as recordable inputs - correct?

[digimusic]

is there fire in the box???


i am in amsterdam and the firebox is coming end this month in the shops and then its decision-time to buy my first soundcard, or as we say in holland: lets saw some wood .got a fireboxquestion, hope one of u can anwser.
exactly howmuch latency are you experiencing with the firebox. zero? or a little? how much ms.. is it better compared to the m-box? i am planning to play sax and trumpet (so analogin-and analog out thrue the box should be zero latency right?)with the softsynths and beats in cubase on the background (well digital in -analog out also zero latency right?) still got my doubts about the software-mixer of the fireboxas compared to internal dedicated hardware mixing of my other option, the edirol fa 101 (sorry for souncard comparison number 1.019.001)

thanks for your time,
mark

[bbmozee]

Details re: Mbox-FireBox SPDIF connection.
1-I'm using this to get audio digitally from my laptop into my desktop computer.
2-The Mbox is connected to a TiBook 667/DVI and the FireBox is connected to an eMac 1.25/SuperDrive. OS X 10.3.8 on both. I've settled on 44100 kHz/24 bit I/O. The Mbox is setup for Analog I/O. This works because SPDIF out mirrors the analog out!
3-The FireBox is setup with Clock Source:FIREBOX SpdifIn (in the Audio MIDI panel).
4-So far, this setup can get mics, line, instument and even iTunes or ProTools LE playback into the FireBox via SPDIF. I'm able to monitor this via headphone and main outs on the FireBox (as long as the FireBox Mixer app is set to monitor "MIX" once sync is established).
5-The problem so far is that with the Clock Source set to SpdifIn, Logic 7 doesn't see the FireBox. With the source set to Mac, the four anaog inputs behave perfectly--but now the signal from the Mbox is lost. I've sent an e-mail to PreSonus regarding this and still await their response.
6-For now the SPDIF issues are all that remain. MIDI has performed flawlessly and considering that the Mbox cost me over a hundred bucks more for just 2 channels, I'm not going to bitch. But I still want that SPDIF! I'll keep y'all posted.

[ArchivalAudio]

wow
lotsa good info about the box here...
sorry I won't be much help... But I am glad that there is some posting going on
I do have one Idea that may help to determine if there is a fault with the SPDIF in on the FireBox here...

bbmozee
you may have already tried this?
do you have another unit to substitute for the SPDIF like a DAT or CD or DVD that will output SPDIF? that way you can send it into the FireBox and at least tell if you can get a signal.... providing that the SAME unit can also send a good siginal into the Mbox as well. well not meaing to connect or daisy chein them together just try one then the other simply to see if the firebox can get ANY digi in ... have you tried that yet?

also I know this may or may not help ...
many years ago now I had gotten (& still have) an EgoSys Waveterminal2496 , and kept having problems with it I thought it was cause of my machine met the minimun suggested but not the optimal suggested.... also the tech guys (who I emailed and spoke to by phone) did not even have a Mac in their lab to test any of the things they were telling me. Mac and windoz had a much different interface via the ASIO ... short story long: turns out the card, I struggled with for months.... getttin to work sometimes and clicking and popping others... was bad! they sent me a new replacement aferter trying hundreds of things and ...Volia! no more problems
the point is
make sure the SPDIF can or can not receive a signal from some other source first... a reliable source.
make sense?
sorry for the long winded ramblin'

hope that this may be of some use....

good luck!

-- Ian

This post has been edited by ArchivalAudio: Sat 5 Mar 2005, 21:57

[ullanta]

How is the clock set up on the Mbox side?