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What audio interface are you using for your DAW? (pg. 6)
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| simonbostock |
Debating about getting the Fireface 400 2nd hand but I'm just wondering, as they don't appear to make the Fireface 400's now, is the UCX the equilivant?
I just want to input the JP8000 and Tetra and perhaps the Virus TI (when USB is being an arse) and I think the 400 is sufficient. |
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| Mel David |
UCX is almost the same as far as hardware is concerned, but there are no FX in the 400, and it has only a Firewire port.
The Fireface UC is closer to the 400, apart from being USB.
Firewire ports may disappear completely from laptops, but as long as there are PCI slots for desktops you can always use a cheap Firewire expansion card if motherboards don't include a Firewire port.
The advantage of getting a second hand unit, is you would be able to resell it and not loose much money. Just make sure you buy an undamaged unit.
You also have to be careful with the Firewire ports. There are some high voltages there that can fry your motherboard or your audio interface, if you hotswap carelessly. You should never hotswap a Firewire cable, just to be safe. |
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| dj_alfi |
M-Audio Audiophile 192.
Had it for many, many moons. |
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| Looney4Clooney |
| quote: | Originally posted by Mel David
UCX is almost the same as far as hardware is concerned, but there are no FX in the 400, and it has only a Firewire port.
The Fireface UC is closer to the 400, apart from being USB.
Firewire ports may disappear completely from laptops, but as long as there are PCI slots for desktops you can always use a cheap Firewire expansion card if motherboards don't include a Firewire port.
The advantage of getting a second hand unit, is you would be able to resell it and not loose much money. Just make sure you buy an undamaged unit.
You also have to be careful with the Firewire ports. There are some high voltages there that can fry your motherboard or your audio interface, if you hotswap carelessly. You should never hotswap a Firewire cable, just to be safe. |
The UC is fantastic. UCX is overkill. IF you aren't doing live sound where you would use the fx which are only handy for zero latency fx rounting, the UCX is overkill. I got better latency with the UC using usb than a multiface 2 with pcix adapter. It really is that well designed. It is not just a usb device. They do something that makes it just work really really well.
The total mix is also rather neat. And i mean RME 's stuff tends to last long. The Hdsp line is like 10 years old and is still being sold. |
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| UrbanNinja |
| quote: | Originally posted by dj_alfi
M-Audio Audiophile 192.
Had it for many, many moons. |
now thats true high end stuff man |
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| Vernon Wanderer |
| quote: | Originally posted by UrbanNinja
now thats true high end stuff man |
Were you a punchbag in highschool?
1010 LT. Serves my needs. |
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| drogtech |
| I want to buy audio interface, what would be better option KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 vs Roland Quad Capture or ... maybe XONE 4D ?? |
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| simonbostock |
| quote: | Originally posted by Looney4Clooney
The UC is fantastic. UCX is overkill. IF you aren't doing live sound where you would use the fx which are only handy for zero latency fx rounting, the UCX is overkill. I got better latency with the UC using usb than a multiface 2 with pcix adapter. It really is that well designed. It is not just a usb device. They do something that makes it just work really really well.
The total mix is also rather neat. And i mean RME 's stuff tends to last long. The Hdsp line is like 10 years old and is still being sold. |
I've always heard good things about RME kit but £750 for a soundcard to bounce 2 synths in Logic seems a bit too much, just gotta find a reasonably young 400. |
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| DJ RANN |
| quote: | Originally posted by simonbostock
Debating about getting the Fireface 400 2nd hand but I'm just wondering, as they don't appear to make the Fireface 400's now, is the UCX the equilivant?
I just want to input the JP8000 and Tetra and perhaps the Virus TI (when USB is being an arse) and I think the 400 is sufficient. |
The 400 is a fantastic interface. Used them on several sample/edit rigs for close to 18 months and the things are just so damn solid. They use the same chips as the FF800 which is twice the price.
Although L4C makes a good point about the UC and how solid the USB thing (and frankly it's dark magic as to how they've managed to squeeze that much bandwidth and stability out of normal USB) the FF400 won't suffer from firewire eventually being phased out. You can run it perfectly on any version PCMCIA/PCI/PCIex/etc to firewire adapter so even if you got new computer without a FW port it's never going to make that interface obsolete. The fact you can get latency down on it to under 10ms with dozens of tracks means it's also not going to be outpaced by any new interfaces any time soon. It also sounds really clean and the mic pres are very usable.
If you can find a cheap one second hand, then jump on it but tbh, it's not going ot be easy as their resale value is quite high due to their quality. |
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| simonbostock |
Found a 2nd hand 400 but it's 5 years old. Dont know if it's wise to invest in a 5 year unit. I've found another one (referb'd in a shop so comes with some warranty) although the Firewire IC was replaced.
Is the firewire failure on these common? |
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| dj_alfi |
| I think firewire failure is prevalent all over the board. |
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| Looney4Clooney |
| quote: | Originally posted by simonbostock
Found a 2nd hand 400 but it's 5 years old. Dont know if it's wise to invest in a 5 year unit. I've found another one (referb'd in a shop so comes with some warranty) although the Firewire IC was replaced.
Is the firewire failure on these common? |
5 years is not old. These things work or they don't. I have a bunch of rme cards from 2001-2 and they all work. If you can get it for half , and you can test it , do that. There really isn't anything in a soundcard that will erode or break unless you drop it like say how Ryan was dropped on his head as a child. |
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