What Audio Interface Usb? Firewire? Pci?, drummer w3 macs lookin 4 clean sound Options

[bcdigiart]

I OWN 3 MACS..... ROLAND 24 BIT VX MIXER..... DM-5 w/pintech pad controllers....

my macs.... (1) G4 933 mhz ..... (1) G3 beige w/G4 chip.... (1) G4 Titanium powerbook

All (3) MACS have FIREWIRE... & USB.... (beige has usb/firewire pci card..)

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR A DRUMMER TRYING TO GET BANG FOR THE BUCK.....??????

THESE WERE MY TOP CHOICES....

M-BOX w/ pro tools LE
TASCAM US-224 w/ Cubasis
M-AUDIO FIREWIRE 410 (soon to be released)
EMI- 2/6/M (not sure about this one)

I am mainly interested in sending PDIF out from my mixer into my computer for recording or
perhaps doing 1 or 2 track multi-track recording.....

I dont need anything over the top.... and figured USB might be just fine for my situation....

IS USB OK??? or am I making a bad mistake by leaning towards the M-BOX????


SHOULD I JUMP ON THE FIREWIRE BANDWAGON with the M-AUDIO 410????

Do I really NEED FIREWIRE????

ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED

[bilhep]

Hi bcdigiart,

As long as the USB is native you should have no problem there, though, rumor has it that FireWire, while slow to catch on, will turn out to be a better standard. As for my G3/466 Beige, with Belkin USB/FW Combo card, USB turns out to be unreliable since, periodically, it shuts down...right in the middle of a session! It is for this reason that I've ordered the FW-410. My reason for this is different than yours.

As a drummer you will ultimately need to mic individual pieces as much as you can. I see that you have a mixer so inputs won't be a problem but for me; no mixer; I wanted the inputs so I got the Yamaha AW16G Portable HD Recorder. It may be over your budget right now but consider the portability ane the quiet nature(no fans!) of the beast.

MOTU 2408 offers the eight inputs and FireWire; Digidesign offers the 001 and ProToolsLE(Industry-Standard software). In any case, please consider a control surface that offers you the facility you need as an instrument performer, to make small changes easily, without the need to get off your stool. Maybe you have someone to run the mouse with your PC-based software! I suspect that you, like most of us, work alone, late at night! :-)

Bill
william.heppe@verizon.net