Have any of you PC producers seen this?

[Shonsteez]

http://www.midiman.net/products/m-audio/fw410.php

Ive been lookin for a nicely priced piece of hardware that has firewire and can act as an external soundcard for my home setup.
Im not too sure if any of you have tryed it yet, but if you have drop some comments and illuminate tha subject for me aiight.
Im planning to use it for letting my DJ throw cuts into tha computer, as well as maybe plug a mic into it - which im not quite sure you can get away with since its really not a mixer. It claims it has a few on board mixing controls, so i figured accompanied by my software mixer at tha same time it might be ok...Im having bad thoughts about though.
Really; i would like to have a do it all unit like that tascam piece that cost 1500 bucks that Vitamin posted a while back - but thats just way out of my range.

Let me know what this things really good for and what it isnt....

Peace -

Steeze

 

[vitaminman]

Hey,

1. You can record the dj, you plug the outs of the dj mixer into one of the line inputs.

2. You can record a mic, the big black inputs on the front have preamps with phantom power specifically for this.

3. TWO headphone outputs!!!!

4. Technically it can be a mixer, 4 in and 10 out, you can adjust their levels with the included software mixer.

The specs for this card are very nice.

You will need a firewire port on your computer, either one built into the motherboard, or you will have to buy a firewire PCI card. They run about $50.

My only experience with firewire cards was with the MOTU 828, and it was the biggest piece of garbage: using normal Windows MME/WDM drivers you only had access to two channels, you couldn't monitor the inputs, and when you recorded anything higher than 16 bits it generated nothing but square waves. With the ASIO drivers it was a little better, but there were all sorts of clicks and pops in the recorded audio. It turns out that you had to have a special firewire card with a specific chipset, we only found this out after going to the MOTU site and digging through pages and pages of FAQ's.

Midiman are a much better company for PC's in my opinion...wait to read reviews before buying it, though, or make sure you get a 30 return policy with it in case it doesn't work out.

Take care,

Nick

 

[Shonsteez]

Dope!....Thats just what i wanted to hear.
Ill wait and see what everyone else thinks - hopefully its a good hardware piece coming from people who have it and use a pc with windows xp?

 

[Tim D]

That thing looks sick, im gonna wait to hear some more things about it before i spend the $ for it, just what ive been lookin for though

 

[Ash Holmz]

yo thats jst what i need..good look duece!! im a mac user..wonder if it works good on mac..or maybe better

 

[Shonsteez]

Holmz...I think it said on midimans site that theyre big supporters of both PC and Mac...I know my friend has a m-audio card and he uses it in his G4...So i think your good.

Check tha site again at tha top though.

Steeze

================================

Yo if anybody jumps into this thread late and you have this hardware or know of its faults/capabilities then throw me some comments...

thanks everyone.

 

[BROUSSARD BEATS]

hey 828 don't suck i have one
works fine for me

 

[vitaminman]

Hotshotz,

Are you on a Mac or PC?


Deuce,

The card is pretty brand new, I doubt that even the magazines have seen it yet. You're going to probably wait a few months before you can make an informed decision based on what other people have said.

Take care,

Nick

 

[BROUSSARD BEATS]

Mac

 

[Shonsteez]

Alright - i just figured since i had seen it in computer music and remix that its been in tha public eye for a while...

 

[vitaminman]

Hotshotz,

Boy, how did I know that?

MOTU are a fabulous company if you have a Macintosh: awesome soundcards, a powerful sequencer...but if you're a PC person, they are the worst company ever. They make all this great hardware, write good drivers (extensions) for Mac, then have some clown write crappy drivers for PC, hype the shit out of it in all the magazines, then don't answer their phone when you call for support.

Take care,

Nick

 

[BROUSSARD BEATS]

yea pc sucks with motu don't try it
crash like crazy
i would like for you guys to hear my beats
i don't know how to upload on here

 

[Shonsteez]

you gotta have an account like at soundclick, or mp3.com, or your own web page...and then go to tha showcae and link people.

But back to me!.............I know one person here has to at least have a tid bit of hands on?...Anybody? I really want this dam thing!

 

[Shonsteez]

Im dam near jus about to buy this thing - info or not!........
I cant wait anymore!!!.....Im saving for it as we speak - and im not far off - so if any of you have a last word, NEGATIVE ones of course regarding if this piece iz wack or not hit this thread up aiight!

Steeze

 

[vitaminman]

Deuce,

You're flogging a dead horse here, I don't think anyone has used it...if you're so set on getting it, why not make the purchase from a place which offers a 30 day return policy? That way, if you don't like it, you can send it back and get something else.

Take care,

Nick

 

[Shonsteez]

Yeah your right. Thats a good idea though - i just might do that...

Well... kill this thread now if you must - i have no more need for it at tha moment.

Steeze