Advice On Choosing Between Interfaces, focusrite,mbox2,maudio,presonus,motu Options

[jdaawg]

I'm new to the audio recording world. I just bought a macbook and I'm looking to make some music. I would like to record guitar, keyboard, and vocals, and maybe create some rythm backing. I've been reading lots of posts on this site (and getting virtually no work done!) so I decided to present my case to the tribunal in the hope of achieving more specific results.
I've begun looking at the focusrite saffire, the Mbox2, the MAudio 410, the presonus firebox, the edirol FA-66, and the Motu ultralite. I have no allegiance to any particular recording software package, having never used any of them, and I'd like to keep it as cheap as possible.
Based on the posts I've read here, I'm pretty much discarding the Mbox2, if only because of the USB 1.
I would just get something real cheap like the tascam 122 and use garageband, but I know myself, and I will just need to go spend more money upgrading (and time selling the tascam on ebay) in a few months when I want better.
Any advice on which to buy would be appreciated.

[arvidtp]

the motu ultralite looks like the best of the bunch (and most expensive i think) based on how well their other firewire interfaces work. but i've never used one. I really like my firebox, just wish it sucked up a little less of the CPU. (but that shouldnt be as much of an issue with a macbook).

Saphire? sounds to me like the integrated DSP would not really be that useful. Esp. if u already have a pretty fast mac.

Mbox2 - never used one, but i have the Mbox 1 (and work in a lab on campus with Mbox 1s where i have to constantly troubleshoot the darned things). It is extremely unreliable and the huge latency makes it useless for live performance (which i do a lot of).

I've heard mixed things about the 410. Some like it, some dont. A friend of mine uses one a lot for performance and likes it. Someone else i know kept getting clicks and pops with his. Some say the pres are not that great. And only 2 analog Ins is not fantastic.

When i bought the firebox i was also looking at the FA-66, but the sales rep at audiomidi.com steared me away from it, saying it was not that reliable to be used in live settings. He recommended the firebox and it's never failed me in a live or pretty much any setting.

This post has been edited by arvidtp: Wed 19 Apr 2006, 00:58

[jdaawg]

Thanks for the info. How about software? Most of my friends talk up protools. I have no idea even who the major players are, and what applications they are typically used for. Is protools the top of the line? Is that a reason to reconsider the mbox?

[arvidtp]

having used it a lot i would say that protools is overrated. It gets the job done, but its not as flexible as other software (like Logic) for composing (i use logic almost exclusively now) or doing crazy things like integrating with MaxMSP in realtime. Protools is more post-production centric and easy to learn. Logic on the other hand (and i think also cubase and DP) is more difficult to learn but more composer-centric. But difficult to learn does not mean bad, I find it just means more time with the manual at the beginning, but now has resulted in me being able to work faster in logic than in pro tools for most things. Also protools using only digidesign hardware is a pain because until you get to the big-time (ie multi thousand $$ TDM pro tools rig like my university has in the main studio), the digidesign hardware just aint all that great compared to the competition (such as MOTU or Presonus on the cheaper end, or RME or Metric-Halo on the more pricey end) in my opinion. And most of digi hardware is no good for live work. I have no experience with the new pro tools on M-Audio hardware though. Curious about that. A guy i know had trouble with M-Powered and Pro Tools 7 on his windows PC I think. But thats all i know.

I've never used DP, and cubase not for a looooong time. But i can say that I like logic a lot.

sorry for all the parentheses

best,
Arvid

[hahaworld]

I'd like to put in a big vote along with arvidtp for Logic. It kicks the you-know-what out of Pro Tools, in my opinion. The learning curve is higher in Logic, but once you get the idea, you'll never miss Pro Tools. DigiDesign (in my experience) has always been lackluster about their support for Macs, and though the program is very intuitive and user-friendly, you're stuck with DigiDesign hardware (or M-Audio now, I guess). I know the Pro Tools lovers will be quick to disagree, but I'd be willing to bet that anything you can do in Pro Tools, you can do better in Logic. I left Pro Tools for Logic over 3 years ago, and I haven't missed Pro Tools one whit. Good luck, jdaawg.

p.s. I've got a Firebox at home and an Inspire for the road, and they are both fantastic. PreSonus gets my vote, too.

[cornutt]

I'll put in a vote for the LE version of Metro, which is very inexpensive, and probably does everything you need and then some. I use Metro SE with an MOTU 828. You might want to look at the 828 Mk II, although it might be overkill for what you need. (On the other hand, if you are doing all of this recording live, maybe not.)