porteous
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Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
Focusrite sells what appear to be very feature packed firewire audio interfaces for not much $$$$ This makes me suspicious.. I'm looking for a basic firewire interface with 2 Mic pre ins, 2 TRS outs, and a digital in and out (Optical). The Focusrite Saffire PRO 14 and 24 seem like they would fir the bill, but I didn't see any Focusrite hardware listed on the Cakewalk audio hardware page. I would need solid 64bit Win7 drivers.
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Guitarhacker
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/01/31 20:53:24
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I use one and I know Greg (another caker here) also uses one. I love it....  I recommend it highly.... they also have a USB based interface. I paid $300 for this 2 channel Saffire..... I think the price is lower now..... and if it died I'd be at the store to buy another one.
My website & music: www.herbhartley.com MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface BMI/NSAI "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer "
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Fog
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/01/31 23:00:58
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I use a saffire 6 usb.. prefer it to the m-audio ozone it is replacing.. solely because it actually works and not 3 months later after m-audio decide to update drivers for it.
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lasaxman
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/01/31 23:40:33
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I'm using the SapphirePro24 DSP. Awesome piece of gear!!! Onboard EQ, compression, and reverb (although, the reverb is a little on the chanky side, but usable.) Plenty of routing flexibilty.
Jason ASUS P7P55D-E, Intel 5 2.8 Ghz, 8 GB RAM, 2 UAD-2 Solos (version 5.8), Focusrite Sapphire Pro 24DSP, Dual 22'' LCD, M-Audio Axiom 61, Cascade Fathead, Universal Audio Twin Finity 710 Preamp, AlphaTrack, Sonar PE 8.53
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RogerS
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/01 00:07:23
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I can vouch for the Saffire Pro 40 (FW). Good drivers and solid performance.
PE 8.5.3, Windows 7 Pro 64-bit, i7 920, GA-EX58-UD4P, 6gb Corsair DDR3, 2 x Barracuda 500gb, HIS Radeon GS-4670 Fanless 1gb DDR3, dual 24" monitors, Axiom 61, Korg Triton Pro, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, VG-99, Yamaha MSP5, Fostex PM0.5
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Anubis
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/01 01:38:47
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Saffire Pro 24. Pristine audio fidelity. Great pre-amps, solid drivers, and plenty of IO.
X2Studio_Win7(64)_SamsungChronos_QuNexus_QuNeo_Axiom25_Saffire24Pro_Saffire6USB_EdirolPCR300_Nocturn Amplitubes_AmpegSVX_StylusRMX_SampleTank/Tron_Komplete7_AddictiveDrums_TRacks3_Wavelab6 miTunes
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GIM Productions
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/01 05:40:40
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Absolutely!!!My Saffire Pro 24 io is great with X1 Pro!! Solid drivers and very low latency with Instruments.
Awesome pre amp with Bass and vocals.
Good luck!
Roby
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Ham N Egz
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/01 08:26:36
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Saffire 56 here with the liquid mic pre emulations.
It is more expensive than the other models but you have 8 ins and 10 outs and flexible routing
but it is FW though.
Green Acres is the place to be I dont twitter, facebook, snapchat, instagram,linkedin,tumble,pinterest,flick, blah blah,lets have an old fashioned conversation!
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syntheticpop
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/01 21:59:08
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Focusrite does bundle their interfaces with a lot of software - sweetening the deal. Their mic pre-amps are regarded some of the best in the industry. You can't go wrong with any of the Saffire line. CJ did mention that a few of them use Dice II drivers which he doesn't recommend; perhaps he could comment. Herb, do you know if your Saffire Pro uses Dice II?
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Guitarhacker
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/02 08:04:28
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I have the Basic Saffire on firewire. I don't recall anything about Dice drivers in anything I saw in the manuals.
The control panel for the SAffire is really nice... I set the panel to be fairly neutral.
My website & music: www.herbhartley.com MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface BMI/NSAI "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer "
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The Maillard Reaction
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/02 08:09:25
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"Their mic pre-amps are regarded some of the best in the industry."
Really?????
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Hitman
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/02 10:03:51
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this is an interesting thread, as im also in the market for a new interface, i been lookin at the 40 and the 56. i hear more positives then negatives. I hear the pre's are sweet, support is on point, and drivers run well. more then i can say for tascam.
Gigabyte GA-EP35-SL3 Core 2 duo E8500 4 GIGS OF RAM Tascam FW-1884 Sonar 8.5pe Reason 4 Roland XP-60 And they said i couldnt do it...
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Bristol_Jonesey
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/02 10:29:27
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Saffire Pro 26 user here.
Awesome piece of kit - rock solid, great pre-amps - weren't they originally derived from the Green Series pre-amps?
CbB, Platinum, 64 bit throughoutCustom built i7 3930, 32Gb RAM, 2 x 1Tb Internal HDD, 1 x 1TB system SSD (Win 7), 1 x 500Gb system SSD (Win 10), 2 x 1Tb External HDD's, Dual boot Win 7 & Win 10 64 Bit, Saffire Pro 26, ISA One, Adam P11A,
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fireberd
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/02 13:04:44
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I have a Saffire Pro 40. I did have a problem with the AC power switch but Focusrite in England sent me a free replacement.
I also have an MAudio Fastrack Ultra 8R and compared to the Saffire Pro 40 the Saffire's preamps are much better. The Fastrack Ultra 8R tends to "color" (slightly emphasizes the mids and highs) the input signal where the Pro 40 doesn't. What you put into the Pro 40 is what is recorded, no change.
"GCSG Productions" Franklin D-10 Pedal Steel Guitar (primary instrument). Nashville Telecaster, Bass, etc. ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero M/B, i7 6700K CPU, 16GB Ram, SSD and conventional hard drives, Win 10 Pro and Win 10 Pro Insider Pre-Release Sonar Platinum/CbB. MOTU 896MK3 Hybrid, Tranzport, X-Touch, JBL LSR308 Monitors, Ozone 5, Studio One 4.1 ISRC Registered Member of Nashville based R.O.P.E. Assn.
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derFunkenstein
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/02 16:34:01
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I know Focusrite makes good gear, but I had a terrible experience with a Saffire 24. I have a new TI-chipset Firewire card now, though. :D
In fairness to them I think it was just a bad device and the shop didn't have a second one they could swap out for me. If they did (or if I wasn't in a bind to be doing something that next day, which was a Sunday - so no shipping) I would have absolutely given it a second try.
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cecelius2
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What are users finding the Round Trip Latency (RTL) to be with the Saffire Pro 40?
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Zuma
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/04 09:42:21
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musicman100
Saffire 56 here with the liquid mic pre emulations.
It is more expensive than the other models but you have 8 ins and 10 outs and flexible routing
but it is FW though.
I am envious of you :)
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Fog
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/04 10:21:32
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mike_mccue
"Their mic pre-amps are regarded some of the best in the industry."
Really?????
REALLY , considering what you pay.. they are "studio grade" which is why the 6 sells so many at that price. Also handy they are UK based , so it's nice to put money into the UK economy, rather than elsewhere (which I do a lot) . http://www.musicradar.com...re-6-usb-242260/review
post edited by Fog - 2011/02/04 10:25:31
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Ham N Egz
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/04 11:52:10
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Zuma
musicman100
Saffire 56 here with the liquid mic pre emulations.
It is more expensive than the other models but you have 8 ins and 10 outs and flexible routing
but it is FW though.
I am envious of you :)
Well thank you , Zuma . Now AFA their line and 'quality" that Mike refers to earlier, I have TrackMaster Pro that is less than stellar, although it is a low end unit. The phantom power module went out on it and FR wants 200 to replace it!! I have AN ART Digital MPA and a Joe Meek One ,each with their own flavor. The Saffire 56 allows me to do some OTB mixing and re-amping with its multiple I/Os .The pre-amp emulations are a mixed bag. I love the emulations that my Liquid Mix 32 performs, but I cant really tell much with the Saffire 56, I think the word SUBTLE comes to mind here.
Green Acres is the place to be I dont twitter, facebook, snapchat, instagram,linkedin,tumble,pinterest,flick, blah blah,lets have an old fashioned conversation!
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Jim Roseberry
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/04 23:58:01
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"Their mic pre-amps are regarded some of the best in the industry."
Really?????
The "Red" and "ISA" range...  The Saffire preamps are the better end of mid-level pres. If you're used to prime outboard units, none of the preamps included with any audio interface are going to excite you. Not even the RME preamps... That said, for demo recordings (even serious demos)... most all of the units talked about here are "good enough" to get the job done. Even the much maligned 8-Pre preamps can capture decent tracks. Now... if you compare the sound to what you'd get with GML pres... none of the above will stack up. The GAP Pre-73 (relatively inexpensive) is a significant step up from typical mid-level units. It'll get you into Neve-ish territory for $300/channel. I want to hear their new compressor...
post edited by Jim Roseberry - 2011/02/05 00:19:42
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The Maillard Reaction
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/05 08:04:48
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"The "Red" and "ISA" range... " Those are actually the ones I was thinking of when I asked. ;-) It seems easy to agree that the Sapphire stuff is well done.
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Jim Roseberry
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/05 12:57:10
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Those are actually the ones I was thinking of when I asked. ;-)
I knew you knew... The ISA One single channel is another (fairly affordable) preamp that's a significant step up from mid-level. If Focusrite would get the Saffire range's total round-trip latency a little lower, I'd be all about them. Hi-jack aleart: Speaking of audio interfaces, my RME Babyface is currently sitting at the FedEx depot 5 minutes down the road. I think I might run up there and see if I can pick it up... Looking forward to using that at gigs (so small/portable it'll fit in the case with my mini-ITX)
post edited by Jim Roseberry - 2011/02/05 13:03:35
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JXM
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Re:Can you recommend Focusrite SAFFIRE audio interfaces?
2011/02/09 18:39:30
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I just installed a Saffire Pro 24. Was previously using and echo 3G but my new pc has only PCI-E slots and didn't want to use an adapter from PCI to PIC-E.
I thought there would be a latency problem but it works fine. I am using:
Buffer size : 64 samples / 1.5 msec
ASIO Reported Latency
Input 1.9 msec : 84 samples
Outout 3.9 msec : 172 samples
Total Round Trip 5.8 msec
This is with a drum plugin + midi track, 3 guitar tracks, 1 bass audio track and one vocal track with VX64. Guitar Rig on all guitar/bass tracks plus LP64_EQ on the bass.
When I add true pianos, I get a faint crackle but I freeze the track and all is well.
FYI - The PC is a DELL XPS 8300 with sandy bridge I7 250. A single 1TB drive, and wireless N (running)
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