usb versus firewire interfaces??

Hi - So far on my second usb interface. Just curious what are really the differences / advantages of a firewire interface versus usb (not asking about any certain brand) ??
 
Thanks

AT


Well, the biggest difference is that you are future proofed for longer.  Firewire seems to be dying on newer computers, while USB 3 seems to becoming standard on-board.

Firewire and USB 1 both came out about the same time, but FW had a much greater bandwidth.  USB 1 could only do stereo i/o.  So most companies went with FW, which had some other technical advantages.  With USB 2 bandwidth was about the same, and as computers got faster they could easily handle the slighter overhead USB needed.  It is only within the past couple of years that USB drivers caught up with FW, which had a head start.

If you are planning on keeping your interface for a couple of years and upgrading computers during that time, USB is probably the better bet as integrated FW disappears as do PCI slots.  You'll have to buy a FW PCIe card.

That being said, I bought a FW interface last year.

@

I agree. Unless you have the cash for a RME Fireface 800 and need that kind of quality USB is the way to go now. Computers are fast enough so the USB overhead is not even noticed. 

jim - and anyone else:  what do you think about the MOTU Ultralite MKIII Hybrid?

yes, but there are no USB3 soundcard devices on the market yet.

not only that, but I predict that FW will still be available for a long time, even if you have to buy a bus conversion card (i.e. PCI or PCIe to FW or cardbus to FW).  there are too many peripherals out there which still require connectivity.  even if the market dries up for NEW FW devices, the old ones still have to be supported for quite a while.

thanks.  for my current workflow I don't use low latency - I monitor externally even when recording MIDI.  I'm intrigued by the portability of the Hybrid system with its ability to be connected to USB or FW.

but I'll look at the fasttrack ultra 8r as well.  thanks for the advice!

RME FireFaceUC  [ USB 2 ]

- @ 48 Sample Buffer =  ~ 5.0ms  real-world-loop-back RTL Latency
- @ 64 Sample Buffer =  ~ 5.8ms  real-world-loop-back RTL Latency
- 32 Sample Safety Buffer only on the output [ 0.7ms ]
- unit is not fully bus powered

RME FireFace FW  [ Firewire ]

- Does not do a 48 Sample Buffer
- @ 64 Sample Buffer =  ~ 6.5ms  real-world-loop-back RTL Latency
- 64 Sample Safety Buffer only on the output [ 1.5ms ]
- unit is fully bus-powered

In summary:-

- the UC does everything the FW does, but at lower latency
- USB is everywhere
- CPU load will be  *slighltly*  higher with the UC, but with even a remotley modern PC  [ > 2009 ]  this is a non-issue and quite frankly, immeasurably miniscule anyway
- the UC's Safety Buffer is only  32 Samples in size - thats only  0.7ms [ total ]  ie:  at any given setting when compared to the fastest  PCI / PCI-e interfaces, the UC is no more that 0.7ms slower - thats just astounding

Unless you absolutley %100 must have a bus powered unit, it is a total no-brainer* - the UC is the way to go.

Tim
* - assuming of course the FW / UC  have all the I/O you need

Storm


Don't forget there is a Firewire 800 spec now which is what all the new Macs have by default versus the older FW400. The spec is still being improved. PC makers are going the cheaper route though. So, while USB is catching up to FW in speeds, FW is still improving too. But PC hardware isn't keeping up. Its going to be awhile before USB 3 interfaces come out.

Firewire's architecture was built for speed. It's a shame PC vendors have abandoned the platform.