Re: Audio Interface for Notebook Users

["Krispen Hartung" <khartung@cableone.net>]

I noticed no one mentioned this:

 

Emu 1616 Laptop Audio Interface

http://www.zzounds.com/item--EMU1616

http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp?category=505&subcategory=491&product=13554

 

E-MU's new 1616 Laptop Digital Audio System brings the same powerful DSP effects, zero-latency monitoring and pristine 24-bit/192kHz A/D and D/A converters of E-MU's best selling PCI Digital Audio Systems to your laptop. The E-MU CardBus card can be used standalone for its DSP power and studio-quality headphone amp/line output, or plugged into the MicroDock for a total of 16 inputs and 16 outputs plus two sets of MIDI I/O. E-MU's Laptop Digital Audio Systems ship with ASIO2 and stereo WDM drivers for Windows XP and 2000, plus the new E-MU Production Tools Software Bundle that includes E-MU's Proteus X LE, plus software by Cakewalk, Steinberg, Ableton, IK Multimedia, and many more - everything you need to create, record, edit, master and burn your music.

 

It looks promising, better than USB, as it plugs into the PCI card. 

Kris

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Krispen Hartung

To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com

Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 3:45 PM

Subject: Re: Audio Interface for Notebook Users

Is anyone on the list using the M-Audio Fast Track Pro? 

 

Fast Track Pro
4 x 4 Mobile USB Audio/MIDI Interface with Preamps
USD 249.95

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FastTrackPro-main.html

 

I'm just curious how this would compare to the Indigo IO in terms of quality and latency, etc....I don't have any experience with USB interaces and latency, except with the Digidesign mBox, where playback and recording buffer settings needed to vary when I wanted no latency recording or no buffer error playback.

 

Kris

1. Echo IO http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/CardBus/IndigoIO/index.php - $200

2. Echo DJ - http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/CardBus/IndigoDJ/index.php - $200

3. MOTU Traveler - http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/traveler/ - $849

4. MOTU Ultralite - http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/ultralite/ - $549

5. MOTU 828 MKII - http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/828/ - $749

6. M-Audio 1814 - http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FireWire1814-main.html - $499

7. M-Audio Mobilepre USB - http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MobilePreUSB-main.html - $149

8. Metric Halo Mobile I/O ULN-2 - http://www.mhlabs.com/metric_halo/products/mio/uln2/ - $1075

9. Edirol FA-101 Firewire interface - http://www.audioamigo.com/edifa101.html - $500

10. Edirol UA-5 (USB 1.1) - http://www.edirol.net/products/en/UA-5/index.html - $300

11. SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook  - http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=204&product=10769 - $100

12. M-Audio 410 - http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FireWire410-main.html - $299

 

Most of these are totally overkill for me...there's no flippin' way I'm spending $500-800 on an audio interface, but given the number of inputes these more expensive units have and what they can do, the price does seem right.

Now, for my user requirements:

 

- 1 stereo ouput, 1 stereo input, 1 mic input (optional)

- Small and portable (no rack mount units), the size of a sandwich preferrably

- USB, Firewire, or PCMCIA (PCMCIA is best, IF AND ONLY IF it does not disable my laptop's soundcard...my Audigy 2 ZS does, which I do not like)

- $300 or less

 

Given this, the Echos look good, as do the M-AudioMobilepre and Edirol UA-5.

 

Kris