Re: comparison Fireface400 vs. Fireface800

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

Looks like you've done some good analysis on these firewire boxes. I am 
personally sold on the FW400 so far, yet I don't have the mic insert 
requirements that you have. Two is enough for me.  I also want the smaller 
half-rack space units, and not a full rack width unit. I will be buying 
the 
FW400 in the next month or so, to initially use on my ThinkPad with an 
Adaptec cardbus firewire adaptor (someone on the list recommended, who is 
is 
using it successfully with another T60 ThinkPad).  I've heard a lot of 
Maxers talk good things about the FW400, working well with max and macs. 
So, 
I'll be using this when I get my new macbook in January.  The inserts I 
hear 
are very good quality, as is the drivers.

For other audio interfaces in this same price range and quality, I haven't 
found much. I noticed Focusrite has new boxes out for $700 and $500 
(Saphire 
Pro 26 and Saffire Pro10)...they are known for good inserts, but can't say 
about their drivers. I think the Motu units still have a good reputation, 
like the Ultralite.  TC Electrnic makes a $500 box, the Konneckt 24D, but 
I 
know nothing about it.  And then there is the M-Audio 1814.

Of all the half rack firewire units, the FW400 seems to be the most 
expensive. Do we pay for what we get? If so, that's the ticket.

I would be interested, Rainer, in your analysis and comparison of the 
FW400 
($1000), the TC Electronic Konnekt 24D ($500), Focusrite Saffire Pro10 
(4500), M-Audio 1814 ($500), and Motu UltraLite ($550) - all half rack 
firewire boxes.

Kris

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rainer Thelonius Balthasar Straschill" <rs@moinlabs.de>
To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 8:11 AM
Subject: comparison Fireface400 vs. Fireface800


A lot of people here seem to be using the Fireface400 or Fireface800, and 
some of them are using even both (Hi Luca), so I'd like to do a comparison 
of both and ask whether I missed anything here:

Since some people need more than the 2 micpres supplied by the 
Fireface400, 
I also considered a variant with a Quadmic.

So here we go:

Fireface 800 Fireface 400 FF400+Quadmic
Price(Street) €1219 €879 €1254
Form factor fullrack halfrack fullrack

I/O
In: Micpre 4 2 6
In: total 10 8 8
Out: total 10 8 8
digi I/O 16 8 8

MIDI I/O 1 2 2

Standalone mixer * *
LineIn limiter *


Summarizing: both interfaces seem to be lacking for applications which 
require lots of microphones - for a singing drummer e.g., both the FF400 
and 
the FF800 don't offer enough micpres. There is the option of extending the 
interfaces with similar-quality micpres using the quadmic or octamic pres 
by 
RME, at a price - the combo of FF400 and Quadmic (which gives you 6 pres, 
prolly enough for most solo applications) is even more expensive than the 
FF800.

There are a few small details which might be of interest to some users. 
The 
FF400's standalone mixer functionality is great if your computer crashes 
mid-performance. On the other hand, the FF800's limiter saves you yet 
another device (and thus rack real estate), especially when going into the 
interface with transient-prone instruments (e.g. bass guitar). Sadly, it's 
not available for the mic ins. And again, the additional pair of MIDI I/O 
of 
the FF400 might also save you another device in the setup. Worth 
mentioning 
(but I guess not for our typical applications) is the additional pair of 
ADAT I/O on the FF800.



Did I miss something here?

Rainer