Hi everyone,
i am looking to get a new powerbook (either 12" or 15" both 1.33Ghz) with 1Gb Ram and 5400 built in HD and also thinking of getting the motu 828 mk1.

My question is what latency - how low (playing back soft synths-effects) should i be expecting to get, only while playing back, if i record something external that will probably be only one instrument at a time. I am looking to have something like 16-24 tracks (mixed audio, soft synths & effects) probably some version of logic.

I currently have the RME multiface which gives me extra low latency playing back vsti's (1.5 ms) on an old intel pentium III but i'm looking to replace this (due to firewire connectivity, mic pre-amps on the 828 which i'll need) with the motu 828mk1.

thanks in advance
zakary

The MK l is good but for just a few more bills you can get the MK ll which will give you even less latency

828 MK ll

I think the mkII is much more than a few more bills, provided that i find a second hand mk1.

Could you tell me about the latency of the mk1 when playing soft synths with a midi keyboard ?

thanks
z

I know firewire is sexy and multiface requires separate pre's but it's a good hardware. Why don't you just get the PCMCIA kit for the Hammerfall system? I think that might be more cost effective for you.

Firewire is quite convenient and i agree the RME Multiface is top quality hardware but i was thinking of getting the 12" powerbook which doesn't have a pcmcia slot, i'd also have to get separate pre's and also a power supply for the card, where as with the 828 mk1 i'd just plug it and use it.

The multiface is top quality and i did a lot of research before i purchased it when i had a mixing desk, external effects & synths but now i'm going totally soft and it looks like it is too much for me. I'll be sequencing/editing within the powerbook (no external hardware appart from my midi keyboard) and occasionaly i'll be recording one instrument. I don't want to give it up and it looks like i'll be forced to go for the 15" powerbook cause of the pcmcia slot

thanks everyone so far for your advice
z

... so no one can say what latency they get with the motu 828mk1 and their mac while playing back software instruments ; (how many samples / Milliseconds)

I mentined with my RME multiface i get 64 samples / 1.5 ms


z