Which Interface Is Best For Me And Imac G5?, Mbox, Spike, Omega, Firewire 410? Options

[bigheadjoe]

In a couple weeks I will be getting a new imac G5. I am fairly new to recording music. I've used Cakewalk Sonar on my friends computer as well as Cubase SX. I prefer to use Cubase SX. I need a good solid interface, but I don't really care about the software that comes with it since I will be using Cubase SX3. I am a singer songwriter and currently I don't need more than two channels of audio recorded at the same. I am stickler for low latency. I've heard a lot of good things about Digidesign's Mbox, however it sounds like I'd be paying mostly for the software that comes with it. I've also been looking at:

Mackie Spike
Lexicon Omega
M-Audio Omni
M-Audio Firewire 410

Any suggestions?

P.S. Is the 600 Mhz bus worth the extra 200$ for the new iMac G5's

Thanks,
Derek

[Don't EVER put your email in full in the forums! We don't give them away, don't do the job of spammers! People can always write to you with the link in your profile. LPM ]

Ce message a été modifié par lepetitmartien - mar. 14 sept. 2004, 03:26.

[NBailey]

I'll start by saying that I am a bit biased, since I am an avid Digidesign fan. (I know many, many people here disagree with me. However, if you go into any major studio you will find PTHD, not Logic, Cubase, DP, etc. I like being able to work on sessions at home and then transferring them back and forth from the studio.)

Here's why I think the MBox is your best bet.

1. Someone on here said that the Mackie has the best pre's. Don't EVER listen to someone that says Mackie pre's are good. Mackie is the laughing stock of the audio industry. The MBox has Focusrite (manufacturer of high-end audio hardware) pre's....trust me, even though they are entry level Focusrite, they will blow any Mackie pre away.

2. As I mentioned before, even if you like to use Cubase on your own time, PT is the standard. I own SX and DP4 and occasionally use those if I feel so inclined, but if you want compatibility PT is definately the way to go. Also, I don't know if you've ever tried to edit audio in PT, but it is by far the most intuitive platform for that, though it is a bit lackluster as far as MIDI sequencing goes. (Plus, it's free with the interface)

3. Cubase does have one advantage over PT and that is VST support. There are a bunch of cool free or cheap VST plugs out there to play with that haven't been available for PT....until now. The FXpansion VST-RTAS wrapper allows you to use all of those plugs within PT. Which leads to my next point.....

4. The Bomb Factory 1176 (compressor included with PTLE) alone is worth the 450 for the MBox. Considering the fact that a harware 1176LN reissue costs about 1800 bucks, I'd say that plug pays for the box right there.

5. If your MBox ever craps out on you while you're in the middle of a big project....(By the way, I've never seen it happen)....Digidesign will ship you a new one overnight, even before you ship the broken one back, so you can keep working.

6. There is a knob that blends between the live input of the MBox and the playback from the computer. This provides you with literally zero latency since the audio never even goes to the comuter before you hear it.

7. The Mackie Spike and Lexicon Omega will be obsolete in a year or so. Both are made by companies that have traditionally made hardware and are taking a shot at computer based production. Both interfaces have been largely unsuccessful. Stay away.
Both Digidesign and M-Audio started as computer recording companies and that is what they are good at. If you want reliability and guaranteed continued support go with one of these two guys. As a side note, Digidesign recently acquired M-Audio...this could make for an interesting team.

In summary...
The MBox has the best pre's, true zero latency monitoring, and most compatible software (even if you don't use it, it will be nice to have around)
Mackie and Lexicon are hardware manufacturers and don't have the software background and knowledgebase that Digidesign and M-Audio do as far as drivers and things of that nature.

If you really don't want to shell out the cash for an MBox, and really don't care at all about having PT...definately go with an M-Audio interface. They always have up-to-date drivers and make solid gear.