#433541 - 10/30/03 10:56 AM
Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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Darcity
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I'm looking for an audio interface to use for my 1 Ghz DP G4 running Logic Audio Platinum 6. Any interfaces that are not on the poll will be considered as well. Any help will be appreciated? BTW, I don't want to spend over $1600 and I don't have a physical digital mixer yet.
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#433542 - 10/30/03 11:55 AM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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I don't like tieing the controller to preamps. Might as well just be a mixer. Makes it doubly hard to update later. Like a corded telephone with an answering machine built into it, looks great on paper, but maybe not a good long-term investment.
Bill
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#433543 - 10/30/03 11:55 AM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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henryrobinett
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What exactly do you want to do with your interface? How will you be using it?
Audio interfaces are many and varied, and to a certain extent are a personal choice. I prefer Metric Halo's boxes 2882+dsp and the ULN-2 myself. I think these are great convertors and very nice mic pres all in one. AES/EBU, SPDIF, lightpipe on the 2882, low latency, 24/96, perfect for location recording as well. I had a bunch of MOTU stuff but abandoned them in favor of Metric Halo. The DSP box also has built in dsp for Metric Halo provided plug-ins. It's working now folks and is available after the long wait!!
But as they say YMMV.
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Henry Robinett
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#433544 - 10/31/03 09:18 AM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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Darcity
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Thanks for the replies. After thinking about it throughout the day, I answered my own question. An all-in-one box never really ended up being my final answer. I was just trying to cut costs, but it looks like I will just have to "suck it up"! I most likely will get two separate devices anyway maybe the Mackie Control and something else.
Thanks again for the replies.
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#433545 - 10/31/03 10:45 AM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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edmann
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Originally posted by henryrobinett:
I prefer Metric Halo's boxes 2882+dsp and the ULN-2 myself. I think these are great convertors and very nice mic pres all in one. AES/EBU, SPDIF, lightpipe on the 2882, low latency, 24/96, perfect for location recording as well.
I almost bought one of these boxes for all the same reasons that you mention - but being a vet of Much Gear I did some investigation first, which led to the clear understanding of the digital i/o problems - as of yet still unresolved, and (finally) acknowledged by MH (BJ) in a post this month (October 2003).
One of the most baffling things to me in all of this is that as I became aware of the MH product and began asking normal questions of the MH tech team - every single question was addressed thoroughly EXCEPT anything regarding digital i/o - which was left unaddressed as though I had never asked the question. After 3 times - I gave up, understanding that no matter what, they were not going to comment on anything with regard to the digi i/o in the MH product. To me that is awful darn strange, and did nothing to build my confidence in MH. They knew I was serious about buying a 2882 - and it would appear as though they would have been perfectly happy to have me believe the dealerships, purchase one etc.....and then I would be own my own regarding stated dig i/o functionality.
So yes it is a great sounding device - but one should carefully review the MH forum (link at http://www.mhlabs.com) - do searches under "grunge" "ADAT" "digital" and decide for themselves after reading the posts of the actual users in this regard. Further - do not believe ANY dealership when they tell you "it is all worked out and resolved". It isn't - and if digi i/o part of what you want your 2882 to do - and it does NOT work within your system (apparently the problem is inconsistant depending upon which gear is being interfaced with) - you will pay 15-25% of your purchase price (cost of a return) just to have found out "oh - I guess it doesn't work with my gear."
If they ever get the problem resolved i will probably buy one.
Ed
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#433546 - 10/31/03 08:08 PM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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henryrobinett
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Ed,
True, they have had a problem with their Adat I/O. In fairness I've never had a problem with it. I don't use lightpipe THAT much, but have on three occassions with no problems whatsoever. It seems that various individuals have had certain issues. But it also seems to me that some folks will have issues on all platforms. The fact that they're not universal doesn't mean it's not a bug, but rather problems that are harder to pin down. Most of those Adat issues I believe have been resolved.
I think the boxes are amazing, especially when the DSP is taken into account. Nothing else I know of out there does anything quite like it. So when taken with built in mic pres (good) to very good with the ULN-2 and up to 12 band EQ, compressors, limiters, M/S processors all built in powered by it's own dedicated sharc chip - well to me there's no contest.
I still am holding onto one of my Motu boxes, 2408mkII so I can use the lightpipe with some external pres. It works for me.
If you DON'T need the lightpipe then it's even more of a great buy. BJ is a phenomenal programmer and visionary. Albiet he's a panel of one, so things move kind of slower than you'd prefer. But the company has integrity.
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Henry Robinett
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#433547 - 10/31/03 08:26 PM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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Red Winger
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Originally posted by Darcity:
Thanks for the replies. After thinking about it throughout the day, I answered my own question. An all-in-one box never really ended up being my final answer. I was just trying to cut costs, but it looks like I will just have to "suck it up"! I most likely will get two separate devices anyway maybe the Mackie Control and something else.
Thanks again for the replies.
If your price point is about $1600, you may want to consider that for that, or maybe just a bit more, you could get the Mackie Control and a MOTU 828mkII (which is the direction I've been leaning).
Good luck! 
RW
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#433548 - 10/31/03 11:45 PM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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Originally posted by Red Winger:
If your price point is about $1600, you may want to consider that for that, or maybe just a bit more, you could get the Mackie Control and a MOTU 828mkII (RW[/QB]
Bill
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#433549 - 10/31/03 11:45 PM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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edmann
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Originally posted by Red Winger: Originally posted by Darcity:
Thanks for the replies. After thinking about it throughout the day, I answered my own question. An all-in-one box never really ended up being my final answer. I was just trying to cut costs, but it looks like I will just have to "suck it up"! I most likely will get two separate devices anyway maybe the Mackie Control and something else.
Thanks again for the replies.
If your price point is about $1600, you may want to consider that for that, or maybe just a bit more, you could get the Mackie Control and a MOTU 828mkII (which is the direction I've been leaning).
Good luck!
RW
For what it is worth,
good luck in your quest
Ed
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#433550 - 11/03/03 03:55 PM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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Red Winger
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Hey Ed,
Thanks very much for the post. I've heard really mixed things about the Motu box. A couple of guys have raved about it, but I've also heard/read a few folks, such as yourself, point out a lack of audio quality. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do much in the way of A/Bing to compare. 
Do you (or anyone else) have input on the following:
1. If you were going Mackie control (rather than integrated interface/controller), would you recommend the RME Digiface or MOTU 896 (192khz-capable) instead of the 828? Something else? Note that I'm looking to be less than $2k for both audio interface and controller and I'd prefer Firewire to PCI, just for convenience in setup/mobility, but am not opposed to PCI.
2. The 1884 is definitely intriguing and at a good price point (particularly compared to Digi 002), but I read in SOS that it lacks much in the way of softsynth control, and is really more or less limited to controlling the basic functions in Logic. Anyone have experience to the contrary?
Cheers (and apologies to Darcity for hijacking his post),
RW
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#433551 - 11/03/03 06:41 PM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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edmann
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Originally posted by Red Winger:
I've heard really mixed things about the Motu box. A couple of guys have raved about it, but I've also heard/read a few folks, such as yourself, point out a lack of audio quality.
Do you (or anyone else) have input on the following:
would you recommend the RME Digiface or MOTU 896 (192khz-capable) instead of the 828? Something else? Note that I'm looking to be less than $2k for both audio interface and controller and I'd prefer Firewire to PCI, just for convenience in setup/mobility, but am not opposed to PCI.
2. The 1884 is definitely intriguing and at a good price point (particularly compared to Digi 002), but I read in SOS that it lacks much in the way of softsynth control, and is really more or less limited to controlling the basic functions in Logic. Anyone have experience to the contrary?
first I must say that all my "information" is my basic summation of the general consensus as I perceive it based on entirely too many hours researching. That said:
I think you would be interested in the RME Multiface (not Digiface) - the diff is that the MF has analog i/o and digi i/o. It would appear as though the Multiface is a better sounding box than an 828. I just went thru the 896, I had a 2408 mkII, friends have 828 mk1's.... the sound is basically the same IMO, just gradations of the same thing.For me somehow the MOTU stuff lacks clarity and definition. I have not tried the 192 - people seem to like that. My understanding is that the 828 mkII sounds like the 2408 mk3. In any case RME = better. Many people rave about their stuff.
I will have to read the sos review - but I would find it hard to believe that you could not make your own templates on the 1884 for softsynth tweeking. I think I saw something about it on the tascam site...in any case there appears to be enough controllers on that surface to be absolutely fluent as long as you can assign the destination.
If the thing had it's ADAT and S/MUX thing happening I would buy one.
Get one and let us know!
good luck
Ed
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Ed Mann
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#433552 - 11/03/03 07:02 PM
Re: Which audio interface, FX1884, O1X, or other?
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Red Winger
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Thanks for the quick response, Ed.
I'll check out the Multiface and the Tascam site as you suggest.
Cheers,
RW
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-Elvis Presley (1935-1977)
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This is good information for me as well. 
