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Originally posted by echosystm PCMCIA is far superior to firewire, but you pay for it. Simple. Yes, USB is shit house.

A bit of clarification, if I may... By PCMCIA - I think you are reffering to a "split system", if you will? E.G. RME interfaces? Those are split because you have to have both - PCMCIA (or PCI) card and a separate break out box? If so, RME is based on a modified FireWire connection. It even uses Firewire cable. PCMCIA is just a name of a slot. Firewire is a name of a connection. You can purchase a FireWire adapter card that would be installed into PCMCIA slot. I am not really sure what you meant.

There are few devices that are pure PCMCIA, one of them being SoundBlaster Audigy ZS. There are split systems like RME and few other like Echo Layla and possibly E-Mu 1616M. Though, EMU is a semi-split system, unlike Layla or RME where you have to have both the card and box connected. With EMU you can leave your break out box not connected and use DSP chip inside your PCMCIA card for "computer only" editing. Or to get both, you can connect both with a cable.

Straight up FireWire adapter cards will run you about 15-30 bucks, depending on how many ports you need. You can then connect any FireWire-based interface to it. I'd suggest looking into what kind of firewire chips they are using. VIA Chipset is pretty common and is good. There are others, like SGI and some other brand I can't remember right now. I got one at Best Buy for $30 - works like a champ. Also, it depends on some other factors, such as the shape of the card. Most PCMCIA cards are shaped to accomodate direct cable connection. what sucks about it is that due to card's shape, I can only use 1 card at the time.

I need to find a Firewire card that will be thin but will have a break-out cable connection, this way I can use both slots - one for my Verizon Wireless connection and the wifi card would sit underneath. Right now it's not possible to have both in at the same time.

Definitely check out Motu Ultra Lite - you can probably find one for about $499 - it has everything you'll ever need, aside from optical interface. You even have terrific mic-pre's with phantom power!

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quote:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

--Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)

Last edited by emc^2 on Mar-24-2006 at 21:14