New Audio Interface Suggestions

I quite like my MOTU 828mk3 but I have had lots of quirkiness like crashes with a tone and the LEDS lit, doesn't happen often, but it does. I've had the drivers spontaneously disappear as well, but a reinstall fixes that. I wonder if I were to use a Texas Instruments chipset firewire card if these problems would go away. People say that the Texas Instruments card is the most compatible or the most to spec, something like that.

Hi all,Focusrite is AWESOME,i'm a Saffire Pro 26\io owner ,low latency, sweet preamps ......perfect.
Good luck!!


Roby

Thank you for the responses thus far. To reiterate, I'm really hoping to move away from Firewire (unless it's 800) as I'm running into bandwidth problems using the Firewire 400 of the Tascam with EWQL Holldywood Strings. Hence the PCI and PCIe ideal.

just for the record: i have always had problems with TC Electronic's 64 bit drivers.

isn't Cakewalk's V100 an audio interface too? shouldn't this then run best with X1?!?!?!

Cakewalk UA-101 ... never gave me any trouble and it's just about awesome.

Can anybody enlighten me about the V100? Isn't this an audio interface with additional transport for Sonar users?

hank you for the responses thus far. To reiterate, I'm really hoping to move away from Firewire (unless it's 800) as I'm running into bandwidth problems using the Firewire 400 of the Tascam with EWQL Holldywood Strings. Hence the PCI and PCIe ideal. 


Multiface 2 comes in pci or pcie, has breakoutbox, 8 ins and 8 outs, plus another 8 through adat.

When the time comes I'm thinking RME all the way.
No one complains about the "sound", and they seem to write the most rock solid drivers...

Thank you for the interesting discussion.
Jim, this is partly the result of THIS this discussion I've been having on the Sounds Online hardware forum (I am 'sniffydog' there). The consensus seems to be that the Tascam/the firewire could be my problem. 

FWIW I am having plenty of other niggling problems with the Tascam since I switched to X1 on my new Win 7/64-bit DAW - takes a restart (of the desk) every morning to get any audio, firewire seems to drop out randoming or stays connected but all audio disappears unless I restart everything.  (and yes, I am using my trusty old TI-chipset PCI card for the firewire)

None of this is good when you're trying to finish something for a tight deadline.

Tom, thank you for your brilliant tutorial on setting up the FW-1884 in Windows 7. I read that you had some similar problems. Have you gotten to the bottom of them?

I guess I was thinking a new interface with more bandwidth might help with the EWQL issue and get me a bit more stability. I could keep using the Tascam as a controller but route the audio through something more reliable.

Does all that make sense?

Multiface 2 comes in pci or pcie, has breakoutbox, 8 ins and 8 outs, plus another 8 through adat.

skyodelic,


Curious. So, the adat ins/outs on the multiface is simply a 'pass thru' ?


reason I ask:
I'm also needing an adat pci-e card with adat for my digital mixer. But, am worried about how much longer my digital mixer (DA7) will be alive, so I have to consider what I would do if/when it dies? The multiface might be a good option, to use basically as an adat PCI-e card to my DA7. Then when my DA7 dies, I'd have the ins and outs and preamps of the Multiface. I have been thinking of the HDSP- rme 9632 or 9652 but, for like $200 more for the multiface I'm sort of future proofed. Hmm...


just sort of thinking out loud here. but, any feedback would be appreciated.

Curious. So, the adat ins/outs on the multiface is simply a 'pass thru' ?

 
They're additional I/O channels.
They function exactly like the analog I/O channels (aside from not providing A/D D/A).
 
The Multiface-II is a nice unit... as are the Fireface 400/UC (similar I/O config but with Mic preamps).

Emptybe,
You mention that you are using a TI based PCI card for your fireire

#1 Did you set the firewire port to "Legacy"? I see you read the tutorial, but again you don't say.
    If you have, check to see that you set the PCI card's port to "Legacy" not just the MB port.

#2 You are running driver v1.8 for the Tascam?
    I'm running v1.7 in Win 7x32 and it works fine, v1.8 on my x64 DAW.

#3 X1b which build? X1a caused an issue with the ASIO driver, you had to check "Play Effect Tails" but build 246 seems to have fixed this. I had an issue after installing 246, but re-booting fixed that.

I'm running at 64 samples (ASIO), but I'm not stressing my machine like you are.

For what its worth I boot windows then start the Tascam. After setting the port to "Legacy" I haven't had any issues (BSOD's were common for all users before the "Legacy" fix, this came down from RME BTW).

Feel free to PM or e-mail if you have any specific questions.

Tom

I have a Roland Octa-Capture.


the octa-capture is a great interface but he is after pci or pcie