Mix externally Echo Audiofire 2 & Xone 32?

I have a question I am a bit confused about. Can I hook up my Echo Audiofire2 to a Xone 32 mixer on 2 seperate channels? I read somewhere on the forum that I could hook up one channel through the outputs and another channel through the SPDIF output. But it would be a digital output on the SPDIF therefore I can't run a channel analogue through my mixer?? I'm not sure if the Xone 32 supports a digital signal...I probally don't know what I'm talking about. :confused:

I really like the quality of this card and I am seeing if I can hook two channels to my Xone 32 when it arrives very soon instead of buying a new soundcard. Also if it is not possible at all, what card would you reccomend? I hear that the Audio 2 DJ from NI can run 2 channels on an external mixer also with some manuvering and has the same quality AD converters as the Audio4...

You would need a spdif to line converter because the xone 32 doesnt have a spdif input.

You could buy an audio 2 but in terms of sound quality you would be going down a notch, dont get me wrong the audio 2 has great soundquality but the sound that comes out of the echo cards is a notch higher.

That said you would need to get a good spdif to line converter, otherwise you will have one channel with great quality sound (comming out of the audiofire 2 line outputs) while the spdif->line could sound weak. So if you go the spfid -> line converter route then make sure you buy one with good D/A converters !

I just remembered the card comes with a S/PDIF - MIDI breakout cable, as the website calls it. Would that be sufficient? I think there is a pair of RCA's on the breakout cable.

The pair of RCA's on the breakout cable is a spdif input and spdif output - you still need to convert that Spdif out to a line ouput if you want to use it with your mixer.

Hummmm, now im really confused on what I should do. That route will cost me more money plus it is alot of extra stuff to fumble with at a club....And then if the DA converter is not up to par it will all be a waste...hummmmmm:confused:

I would hate substituding sound quality to something weaker also.

You could buy an audio4, i got one(thanks goes to echo for supplying it for a review) and it rocks - best sounding soundcard i have ever used. the next jump up is RME but that starts to get REALLY expensive and the sound quality jump isnt huge.

I will have to do some research. A nice 2 channel firewire soundcard sounds nice. Does the presonus firebox allow external mixing of two channels? I was also thinking of going the Audio8 dj route...will have to think about my decision some more before I dive in. Thanks for the replys tho..

sure the firebox is great for that. you can do 3 deck external with the firebox, 4 decks if you use the headphone out....

make sure whatever firewire card you choose will work good with the firewire chipset in your computer.

Nice! thats what I want to hear. So just use the line outputs and the main output to suffice for 3 channels?(Me looking at a pic of the back of the unit) Using firewire also saves me USB port that I need. As for the chipset in my comp how could I determine it would work well with the firebox? My Audiofire2 worked fine once I purchased a gold plated high spec firewire cable...

google your computer models firewire chipset and then do a search for that chipset and firebox problems, that's how i do it.

yes you have the right idea on the outs situation, then there is a firebox mixer program for setting up the output routing, then go into traktor and select everything correctly there.

I know it's not the best option... but you could use the 2 channel output for one track, and the headphone output for the other track. The audio fire has 4 analog outputs,not 2.

When using an analog mixer you'd do the cueing with the mixer, not the sound card.

In the echo console you can select the main outputs to be -10db, and that way you'd have the same level in the 4 outputs. Most CDJ today are -10db RCA connections anyway, not +4db.

I know it's not optimal, but it's waaaaaay lot better than using an external converter to convert spdif. Yeah you get lower volume, but you'd be using the really good audiofire ADDA converters, which is what you're paying for basically.

BTW I had the firebox a few years back and was pleased with it, but I think the echo is much better in terms of ADDA conversion. Plus the audiofire has lots of things you're paying for and you won't need for djing like the preamps.

And you know where the name firebox comes from? Not because it uses firewire... but because after some times it gets VERY hot. You can still handle it but it almost burns. I don't know what would happen in a club environment where the temperature is high and humid... That was the case of my firewire version, I don't know about the usb version.

I'm not saying it's bad interface, only that imo it's not the best option for djing unless you plan to produce and record stuff too.

I appreciate the replies. But what I am thinking now is the firebox. If it is possible to run 3 channels with this interface and cue every deck, it might be worth the small lack of sound quality(Even tho I'm sure it will be better than the NI interfaces)... Also, depending on the situation I might still want to mix internally so my Audiofire2 is deffinitly still going to be used.

But what I was wondering is, on the firebox is the "main" set of outputs the headphone outputs? I am trying to distinguish them from the "line outputs". If this is the case I can only really use the 2 sets of line outputs correct?....Sorry for all the questions I'm just trying to get this straight. :D

Edit: Wait just reading over the posts you say that I cue with the mixer therefore I can use 3 outputs...But what is the difference between the main and the line?

I am interested if anyone has experience of the difference in sound quality between the Presonus Firebox and Echo Audiofire. I use a Firebox and am very happy with it for anything through bedroom/club/festival use. I have put it though all sorts of soundsystems small to very large. Is the Audiofire noticabley better in any way? I think the main advantage of (both?) cards is the loud outputs. CDJ1000's are very hot and given setups are normally geared and tweaked for them you really want to be matching their level. I know there are gain knobs on mixers but it's better to turn down a signal than boost it - even easier if there is a match to start with. The firebox outs are hotter than a CDJ...

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Originally Posted by Abyrne7

But what I was wondering is, on the firebox is the "main" set of outputs the headphone outputs? I am trying to distinguish them from the "line outputs". If this is the case I can only really use the 2 sets of line outputs correct?....Sorry for all the questions I'm just trying to get this straight. :D

Edit: Wait just reading over the posts you say that I cue with the mixer therefore I can use 3 outputs...But what is the difference between the main and the line?

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you can set the what gets routed where in the firebox mixer software. the only difference between the main and line outs is what you route to them and that you have a hardware vol knob for the main output

O, gotcha, makes sencse why they would label them like that now. Thanks! I guess the firebox is probally me best option.