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Soundcard: M-Audio Audiophile, USB vs FIREWIRE

Okay so I'm going to get one of the M-Audio External Soundcards, but I don't know if I should go with USB or FireWire... From what I've read FireWire is better.

I never really understood the difference between FireWire and USB.

They're priced about the same, which one should I go with?

Most people prefer firewire over USB for sound because of the latency issues associated with USB 1.0. There is a `faster' version of USB called USB 2.0, but it will only work at that speed if your computer AND the device support it....so you could still wind up the old latency issues if your PC doesn't have USB 2.0 ports.

My computer does support USB 2.0

Basically from what you're saying, and what I'm hearing elsewhere, if there's no specific reason to go with USB, then I should go with FireWire, correct?

quote:

Originally posted by RoBDaWG My computer does support USB 2.0 Basically from what you're saying, and what I'm hearing elsewhere, if there's no specific reason to go with USB, then I should go with FireWire, correct?

Firewire 800 is faster than USB 2.0, so if the soundcard and computer are both FW 800, no question, go with the Firewire.

It also might be called IEEE 1394b.

[edit]

It won't be called 1394a or 13xx or anything other than 1394b, those are slower.



Your signature is friggin awesome btw.

I don't think that USB card supports USB2... at least not when I was considering it. I got the firewire which is 1394a by the way.

I got it cos its faster than USB1. But I'll warn you its not plug and play. If for any reason it looses conection (and believe me, when carrying around with a laptop it happens very easily) you gotta restart the card & and pc; which is really annoying. Other than that its great.

1394a, according to spec, is slower than USB 2.0, but faster than USB 1.

In actual usage though, the 1394a always performs better on the benchmark than USB. So unless your Firewire is 1394, go with firewire anyway.


So go:
1934b
1934a
USB 2.0
1934
USB 1.1
Serial
Morse Code
Potentiometer

Hope that's helpful.

Wow such a tough choice... that non plug-n-play issue may steer me away from FireWire now...

Thanks a lot for the info though, that's really informative stuff!

P.S. thanks on the sig comment! Another Johan fan?? Yeaaa!

Yee yee!

Firewire is supposed to be plug and play. Hopefully that problem has been solved in newer versions of the drivers.

Maybe something as integrated into the system as a soundcard can't be plug and play though. I would imagine that problem would exist for USB as well if it were to be a problem with firewire. Then again, I've been able to uninstall things and reinstall them without restarting, even when the computer couldn't find them.

don_q, you fairly proficient at using the computer? Like using the device manager and all that?


I would still go with the Firewire though. It can perform at almost twice the speed of USB, depending on the situation.

Perhaps check out the m-audio forums, see if anyone else has a solution to the disconnecting problem.

quote:

Originally posted by djglacial don_q, you fairly proficient at using the computer? Like using the device manager and all that?

yep. I'm a prof. of a Computer Science dept. at a university

when I bought the card it brought the warning in the intructions, in the warranty and in a seperate pink slip. Plus when it disconnects and you open the software it also states the warning: Do not connect the the card! you must restart both blablabla...
it really wasn't something I expected when I purchased and it really bothers me cos my laptop has firewire mini and with that port if you barely move the cable sideways it looses connection. I have tried it with the normal 6 pin firewire via a pccard and it hasn't happened, but again I'm already very careful with moving it around.

Anyway all I needed was midi, 24bits and rca's and for $139 it was really worth it.

Huh, that sucks...

Well maybe you can tell me why firewire is supposed to be plug and play, but that card isn't???

Clues?

What's the model number anyway?

i have the usb version,and there's a slight latency problem.
i dont know if this is the same with the firewire card.
most people say you get what you pay for!

quote:

Originally posted by djglacial Huh, that sucks... Well maybe you can tell me why firewire is supposed to be plug and play, but that card isn't??? Clues? What's the model number anyway?

jeje nope sorry. Its gotta be a software issue they probably didn't care for improving. They claim reconnecting while XP is running can damage the pc so they don't let you do it via their software. I haven't worried about overriding.

model number?

quote:

Originally posted by don_q model number?

Model name/year? Something like that. I wouldn't imagine they would keep the same card out for several years. Technology changes to fast.

Soundcard: M-Audio Audiophile, USB vs FIREWIRE >> the firewire
date produced (from box): 1-25-2005

quote:

Originally posted by don_q Soundcard: M-Audio Audiophile, USB vs FIREWIRE >> the firewire date produced (from box): 1-25-2005

Hmm. Yah, looking at their model numbering system, or lack thereof, it's impossible to tell when they update their hardware.

They probably just give new products completely new names.

Anyway, looking at the difference between the two on the website, the USB is by far the inferior model. For one thing, it's not bus powered, so you need to have an electrical jack handy. So much for using it on the plane...

And if it's only USB 1.1, you're not getting too far on that thing mixing wise.

Think about it, simple PCM at 16x48000 = 768 Kbits/second.

USB can only handle 1280 Kbits/second.

It's a waste of time unless you need the inputs/outputs or have EMI noise issues.

quote:

Originally posted by don_q I got it cos its faster than USB1. But I'll warn you its not plug and play.

Mine plugs and plays all day long

Like i can turn it on and off no worries, it just gives me this stupid message saying "DO NOT TURN IT BACK ON" but i do anyway coz i'm SMARTER THAN THE CREATOR and it works fine.

*loves*
xoxoxo ^_^

quote:

Originally posted by echosystm Mine plugs and plays all day long Like i can turn it on and off no worries, it just gives me this stupid message saying "DO NOT TURN IT BACK ON" but i do anyway coz i'm SMARTER THAN THE CREATOR and it works fine. *loves* xoxoxo ^_^

Which one do you havE? FireWire?

Well, it's not usb, so take a guess... :P

quote:

Originally posted by echosystm i'm SMARTER THAN THE CREATOR...

OH? so I'm a what??!!!
..
..
..





whatever

anyway if I turn it off and on yeah it can be done. problem is when it disconects that the pc doesn't recognize it anymore. I once tried turning it off afterwards, but still it wouldn't recognize it. Still I wouldn't recommend you do it just in case their warning is true:

quote:

When hot-plugging, there are rare occurrences where either the FireWire peripheral or the FireWire port on the host computer is rendered permanently inoperable. While M-Audio products adhere rigidly to the FireWire industry standard and pass stringent internal testing, the possibility remains that hot-plugging your M-Audio FireWire interface with some computers may result in the type of problem described here.

quote:

Originally posted by don_q anyway if I turn it off and on yeah it can be done. problem is when it disconects that the pc doesn't recognize it anymore. I once tried turning it off afterwards, but still it wouldn't recognize it. Still I wouldn't recommend you do it just in case their warning is true:

I had my mouse port on my amiga die from hotplugging joysticks.

Guess 1989 serial technology ain't plug and play.

USB is plug and play as well, but with the m audio products, you need to install drivers anyway...

not many PCs come with firewire, yet, so usb everything is avalable


usb is getting old though, so get firewire if you can easily use it.


im currently recommending the m audio firewire 410 to people, it has a great price for what you get

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