shpladoink Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 I am seeking the best way (read: cheap but still high quality) to simultaneously record from a keyboard, electric guitar, and a couple of microphones. An online search found me the Alesis Multimix 8USB, but after shopping around at Guitar Center and Sam Ash, one of the sales guys said that the sound quality suffers on the Multimix due to all of the effects things tacked on. I also learned that USB can only carry two audio signals at once, which would be insufficient for our needs since I would like to record everything on its own channel if possible. Said sales guy then suggested the PreSonus FireBox, which has two mic inputs and two quarter-inch jack inputs, which (I believe) would do exactly what I'm looking to do. It's also twice the price. Our last album was mostly recorded using a crappy computer microphone, so pretty much anything would be an improvement. However, I figure if I'm going to spend money on recording equipment, it may as well be of quality and last me a while. Right now the FireBox seems a bit expensive for what it does, but may be my best bet. Basically, if any of you have used this equipment, I am looking for feedback on how it worked out for you and whether or not you would suggest purchasing it. If not, please suggest an alternative in the same price range (around or below $300). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anosou Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 I've heard god things about the Firebox. You should buy that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiesty Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 If your just looking to be able to record go with something like a mbox2 or fast track. usb2.0 is faster than firewire so there is not advantage there. If your looking at getting a firewire pre/control surface, thats a different story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anosou Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 If your just looking to be able to record go with something like a mbox2 or fast track. usb2.0 is faster than firewire so there is not advantage there. If your looking at getting a firewire pre/control surface, thats a different story. Actually, latency when recording audio is lower with firewire than USB 2.0 even though USB 2.0 is (a little bit) faster than firewire 400 for transfering files. It has something to do with how it was built. FW > USB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverCoat Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Kind of a related question: When the only firewire port you have is on the back of your Audigy 2, does quality suffer a little bit? Or is it just another firewire port? I ask this 'cause I'm looking for... pretty much what Spladoink is looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shpladoink Posted December 30, 2007 Author Share Posted December 30, 2007 Actually, latency when recording audio is lower with firewire than USB 2.0 even though USB 2.0 is (a little bit) faster than firewire 400 for transfering files. It has something to do with how it was built. FW > USB. Yeah, I was under the impression that firewire was generally faster than USB for this type of transfer. My current sound card is integrated, so I'm not sure what kind of effect that would have on latency, but since we're mostly going to be recording and then tinkering later, that won't effect me much. At over $400, Mbox 2 is a bit too pricey for me right now, and the M-Audio Fast Track Pro only takes two inputs at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big giant circles Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Mbox is overrated. USB and firewire are pretty darn close in terms of actual *speed* per se, but firewire of course offers more bandwidth, so while it's not *technically* any faster, it can carry more data at once. you're probably not going to get a decent firewire interface that's much better than a plain USB interface for less than $300. I recommend either the Firebox, or the M-Audio Firewire 410. and for the record, i agree with AS. Firewire > USB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiesty Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Ha, MBox is god, and yeah, it is pretty pricey, but Digidesign makes some really solid stuff. Anyways if your looking for some stuff on a low budget m-audio has some stuff as well as Alesis. For recording devices from M-audio I'd be tempted to just get one of their PCI sound cards with the 4in/4out box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moseph Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 I haven't used it, but I considered buying an Alesis IO14 when I was looking for an interface. It has four XLR/line inputs, which sounds like about the number you need, and it's cheaper than a Firebox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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