FireWire Audio Interface

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

FireWire Audio Interface

I am pretty much convinced FireWire is the way to go for audio, since it keeps off the USB bus, and from what I have read FireWire interfaces tend to be of a higher quality. Ijust asked the local apple dealer (in Toronto, who also deal in pro audio stuff) for quotes on:

Presonus FireStudio Mobile

Presonus Firebox

Echo AudioFire 4

M-Audio FireWire Solo

They have the Ederol FA-66 for $314Cnd.

I know a lot of folks here use the Firebox, but I have read the mobvile has even better AD/DA converters. I have read a few bad things about the M-Audio, and not much about the Echo. When I get my quotes back, I’ll post them here.

Any new thoughts on FireWire Audio?

Thanks!

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The echo audiofire 4 has the best A->D converters of the lot, very nice card - little bit on the pricey side considering what else you can get for the same amount of $$$ but if good A/D converters are important to you yet you don’t want to spend WAAAAAAY more to get something thats only slightly better then the Echo Audiofire 4 (next jump up is the RME Fireface 400) is quite a good choice of soundcard.

That said i own a firebox aswell and its a very competition between that and the echo audiofire 4 - the firebox has more 1 more stereo analogue output, a better headphone preamp and the sound is still quite nice.

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Thanks for the advise BentoSan! Up here, it seems the Echo is only a $50 more - no firm pricing yet from the people I want prices from, but looking around the FireBox runs about $250 and the Echo about $300.

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Ack, answering my own post! :open_mouth:

Got prices and such today though:

Presonus FireStudio Mobile ~ $349Cnd

Presonus Firebox $249Cnd

Echo AudioFire 4-they don’t carry

M-Audio FireWire Solo-forgetaboutit

They have the Ederol FA-66 for $314Cnd - which they say I can get for $220 'cause they want to get rid of it.

The Pro Audio guy I spoke with had praise for the NI stuff like the Audio 4 DJ they have for $230, but I told him I wanted Firewire. The price on the Mobile is about $50 less that I had found before, but its not firm til they get some in stock. Or, I could say hey, I’ll spend almost more on the interface than the midi controller and buy a TC Electronic Konnekt Live for over $700 :eek:

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I use a FocusRite Saffire LE

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I use a Presonus Firebox

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Loooooads of people here have that card and very very very few people have ever complained about it, i think i can count the complaints with only 2 fingers.

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on A/D conversion/powering a big system would you guys put the echofire, audio 4 and the firebox pretty much level?

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can you do 4 deck mixing with the firebox? are the outputs 8 dual outs or 4 dual outs?

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4 dual iirc

edit:

3 dual

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3x Stereo analogue outputs
1x stereo digital output

So your mixer would need to support digital in, or you would need a digital to analogue converter box.

12

I would by a Firestudio Mobile for $300…
But I think you can find a used firebox at the Presonus forum now that a lot of people want to upgrade their systems, think about that :wink:
GL with your choice.

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and the headphone out, so quick and dirty 4 deck works if you use the headphone out into mixer also.

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hmm. well 3 decks would still be fine for me. I found a firebox for $120 in my area.

ed. do many mixers have digital ins?

ed. hmm so I could use the headphone for deck 4, what is the difference in sound quality with this method?

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If I could get it for that I would! but its gonna be more like $350. Sort of wondering is the $100 difference between the FireBox and the Mobile justified? Not now. and hey, if I can get a used Firebox on the chap for nowm, sounds good, more money left for the 100-SE or Arcade faster!