Hey,
 
I'm thinking about retiring my Delta 44 sound card and upgrading to a new one.
 
The one I have in mind is the PreSonus Audiobox 44VSL USB 2.0.
 
If anyone is using this interface, I'm wondering if you can tell me...
 

• Will this interface be a noticeable improvement over the Delta 44 and if so, in what way?

 

• How long can the cable length be from the computer to the hardware interface?  The reason I ask is because I have my  tower located in an adjacent room to the room I record and mix in.

 
Also, are there any other better options out there in the same price range?
 
Seems to me this is a pretty good choice.
 
Thanks!
 

I don't have the audiobox, so I can't comment directly on that.  I will make some general comments on PCI vs USB, however.

I've found that some systems can handle lower latencies using PCI instead of USB.  if latency is important to you, then I would suggest paying Jim Roseberry a 1/2 hour or so consultation fee and get him to evaluate your computer and then decide if a USB device is good for you or not.

latency is not really important to me for home recording, as I monitor everything via external hardware, not running softsynths or FX thru sonar for monitoring, so the system I have is sufficient.

If I ever decide to use a system for live playing, I know my current tower would not handle a USB system sufficiently.

I'm not trying to scare you off of USB, however, just want you to be aware that you might not get the same latency/buffer performance out of a USB device that you do currently on your PCI device, but it depends on your system.

regarding USB cable length: 
maximum USB cable length is 5 meters (~16 feet).  you can extend that, however, if you use a POWERED USB hub.  but sometimes those hubs will also cause problems with soundcards.  personally I would not want to risk my soundcard with a hub, but you might do just fine with it.

firewire isn't any better - the max length is 4.5 meters.

Hi Beagle,

Thanks for the input.  I know you have a lot of experience with audio interfaces so I appreciate the advice.

Jim built my machine, so I will consult with him as you suggested.

Thanks.

i prefer PCI myself, i think it's a less obtrusive, more robust way to go....

but there are some advantages to USB, it just depends on how you use it.

i would think, for a stable non-moving setup, the PCI would be best.

or PCI-e, if you can.

Thanks for the info.

I was under the impression that PCI was "old school" at this point and everyone was using USB (or firewire) at this point in time.

One thought I have had is that by getting the interface "out of the box" it may help to reduce a slight noise problem I've been having.

I'll have to check in with Jim on this.

Thanks.

I have USB 2.0 by RME. It works fine, but drivers are important. Have ran a 8ft. cable to computer but usually use the 3ft. one with Babyface on the desk above the computer. Can not use any ol' USB cord, must be a good one in the first place. Don't do software synths so far, so can't tell that way about the computer, but my new computer (only being a second generation Intel I3) is running fine with some music I am doing with 52 Tracks in Sonar 7. IF the ASIO drivers work good (whereas ASIO4ALL is not going to usually be as good as a manufacturer's driver), then the latency probably will not matter. But that is the trick with USB 2.0, the manufacturer has to have good drivers for the audio/interface and the jitter can not be pronounced either with the drivers and audio/interface. That's about it. Drivers are the key I guess with that stuff and the computer being fast enough if using soft-synths a lot. I would say it is not slower then PCI or PCI-e.

Dave - the reason I bought the MOTU was because my Delta 44 started having "noise" problems.  at first it was only on 1 input, but then seemed to spread to all inputs and all outputs.  not sure what common hardware component was causing that, but that's what caused me to ditch the 44.  it wasn't worth repairing it.

Dave King


Thanks for the info.

I was under the impression that PCI was "old school" at this point and everyone was using USB (or firewire) at this point in time.

One thought I have had is that by getting the interface "out of the box" it may help to reduce a slight noise problem I've been having.

I'll have to check in with Jim on this.

Thanks.

dave, i use a Maudio Audiophile 192 card.


it has breakout cables, so that the 'interface' is technically 'out of the box'.


i have used many usb interfaces at other studios, and have never seen anything particularly powerful enough about that setup to make me think my setup wasn't as good.


sometimes, old school, is the best.






http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Audiophile192.html

oh yea, 
i've used this for all of my own recordings for the last 4 years running, never a hiccup.

Interesting...  That M-Audio interface is very reasonably priced too!  I see that it has been available for quite a while.  Are there any other newer PCI cards available that would be worth considering?