Advice on PRO AUDIO CARDS (Audio expert opinions needed)

tigerwoods99tigerwoods99
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Alright, so at the moment I just have an M-Audio Revolution card in my DP G4 and am looking to get a pro card w/MIDI. The computer is gonna be the base for my mini home recording studio, I am planning first to buy a Roland Fantom X 61 key. I've heard about the Echo Mia as one...and others tossed around but I wanna know what I should be lookin for and how much something good is going to run me. Currently I am using Jaguar, but looking to upgrade to Panther Server very soon so I wanna know if I will run into any problems/conflicts with any PCI cards. For reference, I use Cubase SX (1 for now...2 soon). Any help would be appreciated.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    Soundblaster
  • Reply 2 of 27
    mr beardsleymr beardsley Posts: 365member
    I don't know if you are set on a card, but the Motu 828 MKII is awesome. It has Midi and enough inputs and outputs to make a good interface for a home studio.
  • Reply 3 of 27
    wrong robotwrong robot Posts: 3,907member
    I would get the MOTU, it has low as possible latency given it's a firewire based device.



    and then it will make it easier to hook up your mixer or other external studio gear in the future.
  • Reply 4 of 27
    spankaleespankalee Posts: 90member
    First of all don't go PCI. FireWire is easier to use, has all the bandwidth you'll need and if you ever get a notebook you won't have to buy a new interface. Stay away from Echo, and don't even think about a Soundblaster. You're not looking for a toy right?



    I'd say definitely get the MOTU 828mkII. I own one, and it's the best piece of audio gear I've ever had.



    It's reasonably priced and gives you 20 ins and 22 outputs (including the heaphones). It has MIDI, 2 Mic pres, and can act as a standalone mixer. You can edit all the mixer parameters form the front LCD panel, and it's actually pretty easy to use. I don't think I'd really consider anything else. However, if the price is too high, MAudio has some less expensive FireWire interfaces. They won't be nearly as good as the MOTU though.
  • Reply 5 of 27
    whisperwhisper Posts: 735member
    MOTU does indeed make good stuff. They should be high on your list. As for the PCI vs Firewire thing. In general, PCI cards give better sound, but I don't think it's anything inherit to PCI or Firewire -- it's just that the companies tend to put their best D->A converters (which is definitely the most important part) in their PCI products. PCI's latency can be a bit lower too, but there shouldn't be a huge difference.



    FWIW, I know two of the best engineers in town, and if you'll tell me exactly what you want to do and how much you can spend, I'll ask them for their purchasing advice.
  • Reply 6 of 27
    buckeyebuckeye Posts: 358member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Mr Beardsley

    I don't know if you are set on a card, but the Motu 828 MKII is awesome. It has Midi and enough inputs and outputs to make a good interface for a home studio.



    This is exactly what I would recommend as well.
  • Reply 7 of 27
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,438member
    If you have any doubts about whether to go Firewire or PCI simply look at the NAMM 2004 reports on www.harmony-central.com.



    I think it's fairly obvious that Firewire based I/O is overtaking PCI by a larger margin(for Macs)
  • Reply 8 of 27
    spankaleespankalee Posts: 90member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Whisper

    In general, PCI cards give better sound, but I don't think it's anything inherit to PCI or Firewire -- it's just that the companies tend to put their best D->A converters (which is definitely the most important part) in their PCI products.



    Uh... sorry to say, but that this just isn't true. The MOTU 896HD (FireWire) has the same ADAs as their HD192 (PCI), both are top of the line interfaces. Same with Digi equipment, and MAudio as far as I know.
  • Reply 9 of 27
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    Soundblaster is the industry standard.
  • Reply 10 of 27
    spankaleespankalee Posts: 90member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Matsu

    Soundblaster is the industry standard.



    Can I have some of what you're smoking?
  • Reply 11 of 27
    whisperwhisper Posts: 735member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Matsu

    Soundblaster is the industry standard.



    What industry are you talking about? This is about pro audio, not gaming audio. AFAIK, Soundblaster doesn't make anything at all in this market.
  • Reply 12 of 27
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    Get a Soundblaster 16 if you can, you'll need an ISA bus though!



    Those so called "pro-audio" solutions have all sorts of bulky external interfaces, take up space and create a bundle of wires. Ugly, not very Apple.
  • Reply 13 of 27
    whisperwhisper Posts: 735member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by spankalee

    Uh... sorry to say, but that this just isn't true. The MOTU 896HD (FireWire) has the same ADAs as their HD192 (PCI), both are top of the line interfaces. Same with Digi equipment, and MAudio as far as I know.



    Do they? My bad, I'd heard that the high-end PCI solutions had better converters.
  • Reply 14 of 27
    tigerwoods99tigerwoods99 Posts: 2,633member
    Thanks for all the replies so far. I dont really know what I can spend...I'm lookin to spend $2-3k of my savings on a mini home recording studio...basically 1 or 2 pieces of equipment, some mics, and a higher-end MIDI interface. Pretty much I will be recording demos, cds on the computer for other artists and myself. This is also meant to be a start for when I eventually have my own recording studio down the line...so I wanna start with this lil setup and eventually expand. Maybe I dont even need the sound card.....would my Revo be good enough for recording? I also know that Firewire is very popular for professional audio interfaces....I've heard the debate about Firewire vs. PCI..still dont really know what is better but I tend to not want a whole lot of external devices on my desk/whatnot. Plus, my room is really small and so is this house...not a lot of room for stuff. I checked out the MOTU on their site...Ive seen it before but isnt it pricey? Didnt see a price listed on there so I have no idea how much $$$ I'd be shelling out for one.



    On a sidenote...does anyone know if Sony MDR-V300 headphones are any good for the price? Plus, I need to know of a cheap USB mic or mic that will plug into my Revo for use temporarily.
  • Reply 15 of 27
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    I know Koss has some bitching ear-buds for $9.99 at Walmart.
  • Reply 16 of 27
    tigerwoods99tigerwoods99 Posts: 2,633member
    Matsu, does bein an ass ever get old to you? You're not even funny in the slightest bit...so do us a favor and dont click this thread.
  • Reply 17 of 27
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    My ass is getting older, and hairier, but hey, at least it hides the pimples...
  • Reply 18 of 27
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,438member
    Tiger



    You're going to want to wait until the end of March at the very least. Musikmesse is coming in Germany and in addition to new gear coming you'll get shipping dates on the newest products from NAMM if they aren't already available.





    As for PCI vs Firewire and Latency. It really depends on the application. Some people report great latency with both products or poor latency.



    As for desktop clutter, eventually you're going to want to get a rackmount of some kind. Music deskts generally have about 6U of rack space right in front for easy access. Clutter is inevitable unless you're recording doing effects and mixing all within the computer.



    http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAM...PR/FW1814.html



    http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAM...R/FirePod.html



    http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAM...PR/FA-101.html



    I'm through with PCI soundcards. All the specs in the world mean nothing if other components in the computer damage the sound.



    <edit corrected "musikmesse>
  • Reply 19 of 27
    tigerwoods99tigerwoods99 Posts: 2,633member
    Yea, I didnt even know when Musicmesse was...but I wouldnt be buyin anythin until then anywayz. Are there any FW800 interfaces coming out????
  • Reply 20 of 27
    tigerwoods99tigerwoods99 Posts: 2,633member
    bump
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