440 Forums > English > Mac Music > Audio, MIDI, DSP Cards and Interfaces, Controllers > Other Controllers, Interfaces, DSP Cards  |
 Firewire Or Pci? |
 Sat 26 Apr 2003, 14:52
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#1
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 Newbie Group: Members Posts: 8 Joined: 25-Apr 03 From: Järfälla - SE Member No.: 16,770  |
I have a Powermac MDD 1GHz, and plan on using it for music, with basic recording and midi stuff. Now I'm looking at the new M-audio Firewire 410, which looks like a great audio interface for me, with audio and midi in/out. Well, my question is: are there any real advantages in having a firewire interface on a stationary machine as opposed to a PCI card. I mean is the firewire card only better for portable computers?
thanks! |
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Sun 27 Apr 2003, 19:51
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#2
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 Maniac Member  Group: Members Posts: 645 Joined: 17-May 02 From: Broughton Member No.: 4,705 |
Some people say the FireWire option is a good one with MDD PowerMacs as it avoids any noise interference, being external rather than internal. I have a FireWire interface and FireWire hard drive and I like the way this set-up works.
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Wed 30 Apr 2003, 21:41
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#3
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 Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 359 Joined: 11-Feb 01 From: Yerres - FR Member No.: 268 |
The FireWire Interface will let you hook it up to a portable computer. MOTU's PCI cads don't have the intererence problem at all. I am using the first and second generation 2408 on the MDD and they have worked very well for me...
-------------------- When you understand disorder, out of that understanding comes order-JK.
http://www.audioplanet.fr |
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Thu 1 May 2003, 08:05
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#4
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 Newbie Group: Members Posts: 18 Joined: 10-Mar 03 From: Englewood - US Member No.: 14,040 |
I had the MOTU 828 Firewire interface and returned it because I didn't like it at all. You can only monitor one pair of inputs at a time through the hardware, and it did really goofy things like switching the monitor inputs back to "none" every time I pressed stop. I couldn't record more than a minute of audio without dropouts too. I might have had a bad unit though...
Anyway, I now have the MOTU 2408mk3 and could not be happier. It rocks. Tons of ins and outs and total control over all of them. I only use the analog section and it's still well worth the money. Lots of room for expansion too, should I ever need it. By the way, I'm using it with DP4 and a FW800 dual 1.25 G4 Power Mac. 
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Sat 3 May 2003, 22:36
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#5
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 Newbie Group: Members Posts: 24 Joined: 28-Sep 02 From: Portland - US Member No.: 8,052 |
i've also got the 828, though i haven't had any of the problems that mook has had. it's true, hardware monitoring only allows for one pair of inputs at a time, but on the other hand, it's portable and costs less than 800 bucks...
-------------------- there can be hours between the so and the what of the so
www.notquite.net |
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Sun 4 May 2003, 07:14
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#6
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 359 Joined: 11-Feb 01 From: Yerres - FR Member No.: 268 |
With Mac Os X, the 828 should have a lower latency while monitoring through Digital Performer. What IS the latency of the other 6 inputs of that card while monitoring through DP?
-------------------- When you understand disorder, out of that understanding comes order-JK.
http://www.audioplanet.fr |
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Mon 5 May 2003, 18:41
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#7
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 8 Joined: 25-Apr 03 From: Järfälla - SE Member No.: 16,770 |
Well, thanks for your replies. The problem is that the cards you're talking about are way too expensive to fit my economy. Can anyone recomend a pci alternative to m-audios firewire 410, with preamps and at a good price?
The firewire 410 seems to delayed. does anyone think it is worth waiting for, or should I buy a pci-card? |
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Mon 5 May 2003, 21:51
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#8
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 359 Joined: 11-Feb 01 From: Yerres - FR Member No.: 268 |
How many I/Os do you need?
-------------------- When you understand disorder, out of that understanding comes order-JK.
http://www.audioplanet.fr |
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Tue 6 May 2003, 11:20
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#9
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Maniac Member Group: Members Posts: 645 Joined: 17-May 02 From: Broughton Member No.: 4,705 |
As tempting as the 410 is, I don't have a lot of confidence in M-Audio's drivers. I don't know what the 410's drivers are like because the product isn't out yet, but there have been a lot of complaints about M-Audio gear over the past year or so. I wouldn't expect trouble-free performance from the 410 straight out of the box, put it that way.
The MOTU 828 is more expensive, but I think it's a much better product. There are always a few floating around on the second-hand market and they hold their value fairly well, so while it might be a stretch financially I think you'd be better served in the long run with something like an 828. If the 410 is going to cost around £350 and a second-hand 828 is maybe £450, there's no competition, IMHO. |
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Tue 6 May 2003, 11:49
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#10
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 8 Joined: 25-Apr 03 From: Järfälla - SE Member No.: 16,770 |
QUOTE (rickenbacker @ May 6 2003, 10:20) As tempting as the 410 is, I don't have a lot of confidence in M-Audio's drivers. I don't know what the 410's drivers are like because the product isn't out yet, but there have been a lot of complaints about M-Audio gear over the past year or so. I wouldn't expect trouble-free performance from the 410 straight out of the box, put it that way. The MOTU 828 is more expensive, but I think it's a much better product. There are always a few floating around on the second-hand market and they hold their value fairly well, so while it might be a stretch financially I think you'd be better served in the long run with something like an 828. If the 410 is going to cost around £350 and a second-hand 828 is maybe £450, there's no competition, IMHO. What about the drivers for the ESI Waveterminal 192M PCI card? They're pretty new (the drivers) I think, do you know anything about them? the 192M is pretty cheap and with the extra midi card it has everything I need, the problem is I haven't found anything on user experience with os x. |
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