Looking for Audio Interface

merlot798 · #1 03-20-2009, 10:30 AM

Bass Pros,

I'm heading overseas for a six month "vacation" and will be bringing my Macbook and a bass to pass the time. I'm planning on using the Mac's garageband as a way to jam without lugging an amp.

What would be the best interface? I've browsed through the posts and found all kinds of options. I was looking to pick up the ESI UGM96 interface, but it's not ready to ship fo ra few more weeks.

Any thoughts?

Rich

singlemalt · #2 03-21-2009, 11:36 AM

Same Question as OP but for a more desktop Imac studio.

I'm looking at the Presonus firepod 10, curretnly on close out @MF for $350, with Cubase LE.

Any input (no pun intended) would be great.

Will the firepod work with Garageband?

JAUQO III-X · #3 03-21-2009, 11:52 AM

I use it and I love it. And you can use it with Garageband.

http://centrance.com/products/ap/

Bass Player did a review of it in it's April 09 issue.

I endorse Centrance Axepro and it's related Micpro products.

fretlesssurfer · #4 03-21-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

I use it and I love it. And you can use it with Garageband.

http://centrance.com/products/ap/

Bass Player did a review of it in it's April 09 issue.

+1 there. this thing is great. and small. SB

JimmyM · #5 03-21-2009, 09:42 PM

That AxePort is pretty interesting. How's the latency? That's one of the things that scares me about these USB interfaces for laptops. I have an M-Audio USB interface that I just can't use because of the latency. Don't want to do that again.

RocketGuy · #6 03-21-2009, 09:51 PM

I would go with a firewire interface too much latency with usb. I've had good luck with m-audio firewire 410 it's portable and powers through the firewire.

Mikhail · #7 03-22-2009, 01:24 PM

... Pro. I use it to jam along with my iTunes library, and with Amazing X, a slow down program. I haven't had any latency problems, although for my applications they might not be as noticeable as they might be with yours. I also use it to import vinyl for burning to CD.

Loudline · #8 03-27-2009, 03:09 PM

Michael from CEntrance here. Hello to bottom dwellers everywehere. I'm an engineer and a bass player and I designed this thing for myself.

AxePort Pro has a zero latency monitor - a slider that lets you mix the direct signal with the effects coming back from the laptop. PM me if you have any questions.

http://www.centrance.com/artists/ap/

Rick Auricchio · #9 03-27-2009, 03:36 PM

Be advised that the unibody aluminum MacBooks don't have FireWire, only USB. The MacBook Pro has Firewire.

Any audio interface supported by the Mac's Core Audio will work with GarageBand.

birdxofxprey · #10 03-29-2009, 10:45 AM

based on this discussion so far, it sounds like firewire eliminates the latency problems that plague usb interfaces. is this so? does FW have zero latency? (i know some usb interfaces claim zero latency, but it's not been so in my experience).

thanks!

fretlessrock · #11 03-29-2009, 11:27 AM

Firewire allows for lower latency than USB2 because it moves streaming data faster, and bidirectionally. Zero latency is only possible where you have no DSP in the signal chain. That means direct monitoring. You can get really close, but not zero. Also, remember that just your distance from the source gives you about 1 millesecond of "latency" per foot. Do you sit three feet from your nearfields? 3ms delay! 10 feet from your amp? 10 milleseconds! The horror!

The way you get around it is to monitor the direct signal, mixed in with the DAW output, instead of monitoring the signal that the DAW had to process. That is what Michael from Centrance is talking about when he says "AxePort Pro has a zero latency monitor - a slider that lets you mix the direct signal with the effects coming back from the laptop."

Ekim · #12 04-08-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loudline

Michael from CEntrance here. Hello to bottom dwellers everywehere. I'm an engineer and a bass player and I designed this thing for myself.

AxePort Pro has a zero latency monitor - a slider that lets you mix the direct signal with the effects coming back from the laptop. PM me if you have any questions.

http://www.centrance.com/artists/ap/

That gizmo looks pretty impressive. I'd like to get something like that. Can you take the out of a preamp (say a SWR Mini Mo) into it?

DocBop · #13 04-08-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdxofxprey

based on this discussion so far, it sounds like firewire eliminates the latency problems that plague usb interfaces. is this so? does FW have zero latency? (i know some usb interfaces claim zero latency, but it's not been so in my experience).

thanks!

Everything has latency its a matter of how much. Main thing in the FW vs USB is how many tracks can be supported. Low track counts USB fine, high track counts it doesn't cut it.

**Mads** · #14 04-08-2009, 06:04 PM

How many inputs and outputs do you need?

What's you're budget?

Do you have FW or USB or both (IE new or old MacBook)

svtb15 · #15 04-09-2009, 10:55 AM

There should be a way in your software to allow for zero latency monitoring.. I used to use an Edirol FA101 firewire with great results.. It went in to Sonar6. In Sonar there is a switch to click to either monitor your input, but i had about 4ms of latency. but if you flippe dit you had zero latency monitoring.. every thing lined up perfectly then..

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

That AxePort is pretty interesting. How's the latency? That's one of the things that scares me about these USB interfaces for laptops. I have an M-Audio USB interface that I just can't use because of the latency. Don't want to do that again.

singlemalt · #16 04-09-2009, 02:02 PM

Totally stoked on the presonus firepod into my mac.