Mix externally Echo Audiofire 2 & Xone 32?

[Abyrne7]

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.

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...

[BentoSan]

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 !

[Abyrne7]

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.

[BentoSan]

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.

[Abyrne7]

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

I would hate substituding sound quality to something weaker also.

[BentoSan]

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.

[Abyrne7]

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..

[charo]

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.

[Abyrne7]

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...

[charo]

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.