ginzburg Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Hello, I'm currently deciding to buy the following setup : - Imac 20" 2.66GHz/2GB/320GB/SD/ATI 2600 PRO - 4 GB upgrade - HD External 500 GB Firewire 800 - Logic Studio - M-audio Firewire 410 I have these tools at home : - Edirol UM-880 (currently with my pc) for all my Midi connections. - Edirol U-A5 (should I keep this or is the Firewire 410 a big improvement ?) - Roland XP-60 - Roland VS-1824cd - ROLAND VM-3100 - Yamaha An1X - Roland V-drums - Akai S-2000 - Different pre-amps and oudboard - Acoustic, electric guitars and electric bass. - Amps and Line 6 POD 2.0. Several stomp boxes. Is this a good idea to buy? I need a stable system. I'm most of the time recording myself so I don't need a lot of ins and outs. Occasionaly I record some bands using the VS-1824cd. Maybe I will use the Imac ? Will I be able to control my synths, VS-1824 cd and VM-3100 with apple and the other way too? (Like i'm doing with Sounddiver on my old PC). Will I be able to use the Rolands VM and VS as control surfaces for LOGIC Pro like I'm doing with my PC and Cubase. Will I be able to use soft synths and instruments with this setup without latency or should I consider another Audio Firewire Interface. Is the sound quality good? Thank you very much for your time! Greetz. Ginz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo50 Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I would generally recommend against the M-Audio 410. I have a lot of issues with it losing connection and clicking and popping. I'm not the only one. The internet is full of people complaining about this unit. Plus, it's not hot-pluggable, and it has no power switch, so when it loses connection, you have to shut down the entire computer and restart and HOPE that it gets connected again. It seems to have particular issues with Macbook Pros. Some people get weird noises and such. By the way, if any 410 users stumble onto this post, plugging the 410 into the wall for power sometimes helps SOME of these issues. I would buy a more expensive unit on Ebay for a good deal rather than buy a 410. Concidentally, if you DO still decide to buy one, I'll give you a good deal one mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaniGordon Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 + 1. Never liked M-Audio stuff. Feels bad, looks bad, sounds bad, the drivers are bad... Go with Metric Halo, RME, Apogee, MOTU, PreSonus... Unless you also need to use Pro Tools, run away from M-Audio interfaces. But YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janicon Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 You seem to like the Edirol/Roland stuff. I have been using an FA-66 for some time with no issues at all. May be an option for you. There is also a 10 in 10 out version. BTW lock up the AN-1X. I've been trying to steal my brother's but he wont let me near it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplets Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 I switched from a 410 to the MOTU Ultralite and it's been a beautiful ride since. M-Audio is known for buggy software drivers, although the hardware is not that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzburg Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 Hello, Thanks for your replies. There's currently a promotion on the Motu Ultralite. I erased the idea of the M-audio, too many bad reviews on the net. I was just wondering if it is interesting to wait for the Ultralite Mk3 or to buy the older model in promotion price. Do you have an opinion on that? Promotion price (+/- 500$) For Roland and Edirol I have allways been happy with the customer service and the quality of their products. I'm hesitating with the Edirol FA-101 but I think (as to what my local shop owner said) that Motu is still a little better in sound quality. To JANICON: I have my An1x locked up (-:, it's just such a great synth. I would never sell it! Greetz and thanks for all your replies. I'll keep you posted when I get my Imac on the 1/8! Can't wait to play with it. Ginz. 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kraze Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 If you can get a good deal on a ultralite you should definently get it. Otherwise, that's going to be a great setup's, most people can vouch for the imac line being great for use of Logic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlostau Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Stay away of M-audio... What speakers are you going to use for monitoring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzburg Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 For monitoring i'm using Alesis M1 Actives and a pair of Yamaha NS-10. I like to compare my mixes on both. I'm used to the Alesis M1 Actives. I know a lot of people dislike them, but I find them very effective for mixing. I suppose I've learned to manage their weeknesses. When I record my V-Drums I use my Behringer monitors, because they can take a lot of volume. I don't know the exact model number, but they are quite big! It has to be loud when recording my drum tracks I just decided to order the Ultralite, "old model", because I can't afford to wait for the new one. Ginz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlostau Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Yup, NS-10 are great, I like M1´s too it´s a good thing to have 2 diff monitors to compare your mix. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I would generally recommend against the M-Audio 410. I have a lot of issues with it losing connection and clicking and popping. I'm not the only one. The internet is full of people complaining about this unit. Plus, it's not hot-pluggable, and it has no power switch, so when it loses connection, you have to shut down the entire computer and restart and HOPE that it gets connected again. It seems to have particular issues with Macbook Pros. Some people get weird noises and such. By the way, if any 410 users stumble onto this post, plugging the 410 into the wall for power sometimes helps SOME of these issues. I would buy a more expensive unit on Ebay for a good deal rather than buy a 410. Concidentally, if you DO still decide to buy one, I'll give you a good deal one mine. As an owner of a FW410, I can agree with this and the other negative comments. Clicks, pops, losing connection, driver problems are all par for the course. It is workable, and can do the job, but if I had to do it all over again, I would find a less idiosyncratic solution. One thing I have to correct it the "hot swappable" comment. I have been losing connection lately and my first line of defense is to disconnect the FW cable, wait and then plug back in. This usually fixes the problem. It may not be recommended to hot -plug the unit, but it does work. This eliminates the need to re-start the computer. Note that I would not try this if the unit was plugged into the wall. The "hope is gets connected again" seems to have been fixed a few driver updates ago. Before that, I would try re-booting, re-plugging, re-installing and various voodoo rituals in the hope that the unit would re-connect. Finally, there is a power switch of sorts. Actually, it seems to put the unit in standby mode. The problem is that when in standby, the bright blue power light blinks continuously. If the room has anything less than stadium lighting, the blinking gets real annoying real fast. So, yes, I would also recommend staying away from the 410. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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