Re: Firewire interface recommendations

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

Why not using the FF800 with pre mixing?

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se
www.perboysen.com



On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 4:21 PM, Dean, Hal <HDean@wcupa.edu> wrote:
> Hi folks, I’m hoping a few of you can share your thoughts about what 
>to buy
> to replace my Layla PCIcardbus audio interface, which just can’t keep 
>up
> with what I’m doing now. It’s gain structure is inadequate and it is 
>choking
> when I get a lot of stuff happening all at once in the computer. And 
>yes, I
> do realize that every audio interface has its limits. Perhaps the problem
> with the Layla is that the drivers have not been updated for years. It 
>was
> great for a long time but time to move on.
>
>
>
> I have a laptop setup with Mobius running in Bidule, with a bunch of VST
> effects and VST instruments. I’ve been slowly putting together a live 
>rig
> but have realized I need to replace the Layla and that, for reasons 
>having
> to do with ease of pulling it out of the studio where it will usually 
>live,
> the audio interface should NOT be mounted in the rack with other stuff.
>
>
>
>  The new audio interface will be fed:
>
> ·         Electric Guitar signal from a floorboard with a few 
>effect pedals
> and a Framptone switcher that send signal to a guitar amp, bypassing
> computer, and to the audio interface
>
> ·         Output from a Grace microphone pre-amp to which is 
>connected an
> AKG mic that picks up flute and miscellaneous percussion
>
> ·          Two Belkat contact pickups, running through a 
>stereo ¼” cable to
> a TRS, that need to be serious pre-amped.  These are attached to a 
>variety
> of things – classical guitar body for percussive thwacking, rubbing 
>and the
> like, and various homemade noisies.  They sound great through the 
>Grace, so
> maybe switching the AKG mic to a pre-amp on the audio interface would be
> best.
>
> ·         Mono Output from an Echoplex (for anyone curious 
>about this, I am
> at this point using the Echoplex as a failsafe for when the computer
> crashes… I have a MIDI box that takes FCB output and sends it to both 
>Mobius
> and E’plex; the assignments are mostly the same so the E’plex mostly
> replicates what I’m doing with Mobius, though of course it is not 
>1:1… makes
> for some interesting “emergency modulations”. Obviously there are 
>more
> inventive things one could do with this, I just have not gotten around to
> it.)
>
> ·         Stereo output from future purchase analog synth
>
> ·         SPDIF from the Fireface 800 that is my studio audio 
>engine
>
>
>
> The audio interface will send mono to the echoplex, stereo to a pair of
> powered speakers, and SPDIF to the F’face 800. Being able to send a 
>separate
> mix to, say, a drummer across the stage would be nice too.
>
>
>
> Small and lightweight is good too.
>
>
>
> There are obviously a lot of  interfaces for more than $400 that would 
>fit
> the bill…. how about another Fireface?... but I want to keep the cost 
>down
> below 400, and it looks like that should not be hard to do. The Focusrite
> Saffire Pro 24 DSP seems to fit the bill, for instance.
>
>
>
> Any input on this would be much appreciated.
>
>
>
> Hal