What Firewire Audio Interface has the best value to feature ratio

[feedingear]

If anyone has any specific advice regarding Firewire audio interfaces with using a PC setup (Core 2 quad 2.3ghz, 4gb ram, XP, Cubase 5) I'd really like to hear some advice as well - as I am considering getting an interface so I can send outs from Cubase into my filterbank, and back into the DAW.

[merlin]

Hi folks,


I have been reading and reading and asking a lot as well and this is what I have found:


-There are probably two major brands of firewire intefaces which have proven their quality: RME and Motu.

From these two, RME has slightly better sound quality (clear, crisp/clinical accuracy, anyway: German quality), while Motu (Canada) has some extra options and sounds a little warmer. For example, the Motu 828mkIII has eq and compressor/limiter per input and per submix.

-Check your firewire interface. If you are on a p.c. see to it that you have a firewire interface with a texas instruments chipset as these have proven to work. pci firewire cards with ti chipset are availabe for 25 euro' s or so.

-The firewire audiomarket has opened up lately. A lot of different brands are now selling fw interfaces as well, for example lexicon. whether these products are good or perhaps better, remains to be seen; At least rme and motu have survived the test of time but that does not mean the others sell rubbish. I am only saying the gamble is a little higher.

- I own a motu 828mkIII and I am very happy with it. The eq and compressor do a very good job and the sound without these features is already very good. I decided for that one as I came from an m-audio pci interface. Whatever I would have bought, it was already a big step up and I considered the features handy and welcome. This audio interface is now abused as my virtual mixer and mastering suite and can be used standalone/without a computer as well.


M.