Hey all, question: Now that i have a beast of a machine and don't need a portable (and really unreliable) D/A convertor anymore (Presonus firebox) I was thinking of getting a new and more robust and MORE RELIABLE I/O box. I have read that the PCIE cards take a lot of the strain off of the processor and are generally more stable than their fw400 and usb2.0 brethren. Can someone please tell me since i have a 'decent' rig now (3.0 Dual Quad January 08 Mac Pro) which units have you with similar set ups been running? I like the 896 and the ensemble which are both firewire but if anyone is running a pci or pcie system please let me know your experiences.

sp

Just to be fair to the firebox and to let you know what my issue is with it; it seems to be losing connection with my tower and needs to be 'reset' at least once a day... BUMMER. Some users have said they have been experiencing the same issues...

I regularly use MOTU 828 and 2408 systems, firewire and PCI based, respectively.
both have been completely stable on my quad Mac Pro. i'm not crazy about the sound of the 828 mic pre's, but at the price point the converters are acceptable. and i love the cue mix software with the 828.
happy hunting.

Hands up Houston, I love playing in your town . Thanks so much for quick reply. We have the HD system in the studio so i was thinking of getting that for home as well and i agree with you on the 828 pres. We had that prior to the motu HD rack and the sound was a bit thin? the 828 is still better than my firebox though.. tried and true for sure. The reason i am thinking apogee at all is because of them working so closely with the Logic makers and perhaps its just their suggestive marketing that has me all up on their gear. This hunt is just getting worse by the week. I read all the reviews but i like posting threads as they seem to pose the question to those actually using the gear not just someone messing around with a promo model.... anyway, thanks so much!

SP!

Gotta say that I love my Duet. If you are willing to shell out the extra bux for the Ensemble you won't be disappointed. My next purchase will probably be for an Ensemble. I don't mind paying extra for good sounding, reliable gear.


www.reverbnation.com/mortalengines

I have been thinking about the lil duet for the lap top and sequencing bits for live shows since my firebox hasn't been 100% reliable. Perhaps it is something i am doing on my end but i am doubting that... I am wondering if it is sometimes losing sync because i am using the fw port to power the box. I should plug this thing into the wall and make sure i have exhausted all possible solutions... . Firebox! WHY ARE YOU BEING LIKE THIS!!

P

I have been digging my Duet as well. I just got the new Unibody 17" 2.9 gHz running Logic and although I am loving the interface... I am having an issue with my Macbook losing its internet connection when I plug in my Duet in the firewire port. Anyone else having issues. It seems to be the only happening with the Duet. I am not sure if its drawing power away from the Airport Card or what, but it drops off the network. It doesn't happen with External Hard Drives using the same (and only) firewire port.