dansouth Posted April 14, 2001 Share Posted April 14, 2001 Anyone using a FireWire audio device? Is it real, or is it miles away from being useful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansouth Posted April 17, 2001 Author Share Posted April 17, 2001 Look, I know it's just a boring technical question. I promise in the future to use words like 'Britney Spears', 'Napster', 'greed', and 'troll' in all of my subjects. But since I did post this lackluster topic, could someone please humor me with an opinion on the subject? http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Posted April 17, 2001 Share Posted April 17, 2001 I haven't used any Firewire interfaces yet, but I'd imagine that the Firewire interface itself should be up to the task. Hell, if USB is only 10Mbit and can tranfer audio, then a 400Mbit interface should be able to pass with flying colors. Plus, isn't the PCI card that MOTU has been using for their 2408 series stuff essentially a Firewire card? I'd imagine that MOTU and the other hardware vendors will have to work out some initial kinks, but I think that Firewire if well supported could hold a promising future for audio. Of course, you have Intel trying to push USB 2 over Firewire, but that's a different story that I don't even want to get into right now ;-). -Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansouth Posted April 17, 2001 Author Share Posted April 17, 2001 Dylan, yes you're right. The MOTU PCI-324 card has three Fire Wire style connectors on it. I assume that they're using a proprietary protocol, but it's the same wire and the same plug. I've heard rumors about USB 2 and an updated Fire Wire spec, too. Anyone using one of the new Fire Wire audio interfaces, like the MOTU 828? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted April 17, 2001 Share Posted April 17, 2001 Haven't been able to check out firewire audio yet. However, I read an article in one of the tech magazines (I've looked and looked, but cannot find it. Maybe Craig Anderton can help on this one.) which described, at great length, the potential of firewire audio. Specifically, the ability to run many tracks at once through a single cable from interface to computer, or keyboard to recorder, etc. is VERY appealing. Yamaha wrote an open source code protocol for firewire audio, then handed it out to anyone willing to pursue development of products. Kudos to Yamaha. The current problem is that Yamaha is using chips in their first wave of firewire audio products that allow only 8 channels of audio to be sent/received. This IS a function of the chip set, so future products from all manufacturers should be able to handle many more tracks at one time. Realize, in it's infancy, firewire audio is being tested in the context of digital mixers and peripheral gear that has been setup to handle 8 channels of X multitrack at once, through a single plug in card. (Insert ADAT, DA-88, or analog for X) I'm suggesting to my friends looking to create portable recording soloutions on laptops that they wait for 6 month to a year for the initial fallout and the 2nd wave of products. By that time, the computers will run faster, firewire may be the port of choice on new laptops, and all you'll NEED in outboard gear will be a good interface and ONE cable between them. Of course, it's easy to be farsighted when you have no money to build a portable recorder now. ..yes.. ..that is MY situation. But I think I'll be far happier with what's available next year. I should point out that I'm NOT a computer maven, but that article has me very excited about the future. Neil It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderton Posted April 17, 2001 Share Posted April 17, 2001 FireWire is also the pipeline of choice for Digital Harmony, which has already licensed the technology to a bunch of heavy hitters. So interest on the FireWire front is definitely heating up. As to articles, there was one by Bob Moses in EQ magazine quite some time ago, and I did a piece for Pro Sound News. But there could definitely have been others, it's a soon-to-be-very-hot topic. Craig Anderton Educational site: http://www.craiganderton.org Music: http://www.youtube.com/thecraiganderton Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/craig_anderton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted April 17, 2001 Share Posted April 17, 2001 There is a good thread about practical firewire on David Frangioni's forum. They have a few MOTU 828 users chiming in already... Neil It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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