Where To Go From Here Options

[loudestnoise]

I am an Audio Engineering student in college and I would like to get some better gear for my personal stuff. I currently have a Mbox and a 12" PowerBook with 1.25GB of RAM. Here's what I am thinking. I know I don't love ProTools. I bought an Mbox because I thought ProTools was the thing, but post coming to school I've learned otherwise. I'm thinking I want to move towards logic or cubase. I've been looking at the PreSonus FireBox because one, I want a firewire interface, and two it comes with Cubase LE. I am a college student, therefore funds are very limited, but I can definitely put the $400 together to get a FireBox. Do yall think this is a good direction to go, or there any other firewire interfaces out there that you would reccomend instead of the FireBox?

[rickenbacker]

Sounds to me like you should probably get a FireBox. I have one at the moment and I like it a lot. I didn't need Cubase LE, but I loaded it anyway and it's pretty good. Eventually you'll get something bigger and better, such as SX or Logic, but it'll do you for a couple of years at least. The difference between LE and full version is in the number of inserts, aux sends and busses, largely. Plus some other neat stuff, of course.

The Focusrite Saffire also comes with Cubase LE, but I personally didn't like the Saffire as much as the FireBox.

[loudestnoise]

rickenbacker,

thanks for your input. i think i'm leaning towards the FireBox more and more. I'd really like to eventually get Logic Pro, but that'll have to be down the road a bit further.

[muzza]

Rickenbacker, why didn't you like the saffire?
I have done some research and, for me, have come down to the final 3 Firebox, Saffire and Edirol FA-66

What are your thoughts?

[rickenbacker]

There's another, lengthy PreSonus thread on these boards - try and find that, as you'll get a better idea of the various schools of thought. I personally didn't like the look of Saffire (standalone device, not rack), it only having two analogue inputs (PreSonus has four, plus two digital), the software being a bit fiddly (and not all THAT impressive), the preamp/headphone volume being a bit quiet (whereas the PreSonus is LOUD) and the knobs on the front of the device being impossible to read unless you're two feet away. There were just a lot of small, irritating factors about it and groovy stuff that the box promises that actually doesn't quite work as you hoped it would. Disengenuous marketing, really. The PreSonus, on the other hand, doesn't promise the earth but delivers on everything. It's 96KHz, whereas the Saffire is 192, but 96 is plenty high enough quality for me.