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firewire express card for PC recording...or USB 2.0

G

gearwhine

Aug 8, 2007
25
0
#1
I'm looking into home recording for the first time. I haven't done all too much research, but a little, and wanting to get stuff soon since I've got some stuff I want to lay down. I feel that the Alesis multimix firewire or USB 2.0 (coming out in the next month) fit my needs and price range (key point is price range! I don't really want to spend any more than 400 at the moment, I will not be getting serious for a long time. Super quality is not what I'm after, just good enough quality that I won't be angry about).

Anyway, interfaces aside...to the connections....I have read some debates/articles on USB vs. firewire. I'd like to go for the firewire, but my comp (HP laptop 1.86 gHz dual core, 2GB ram) only has USB. I can get a firewire express card, but I have read some reviews of these that they can be slow transfer rates....these reviews are off places like amazon.com though, so who knows how legit they are. Does anybody have any experiences with these express cards? Would the USB 2.0 connection be fine for my purposes? I doubt I'll be recording more than 2 tracks at once....we'll forget about micing drums for now. If USB should be fine (which I'm hoping it will be) then I will wait for that to come out, and save the 80 bucks so I don't need to purchase the express card to use the firewire.

Absolutely any input on this will be much appreciated. Thanks a lot. -Nick
 
#2
I'm using a Phonic Helix Board 18 firewire. They are only about $450 street price. I can record up to 18 tracks at a time with this thing. I love it. It's as cheap as a stand alone interface-kind of like getting a free mixer!. tHE PRE-AMPS ARE VERY GOOD . I've
used this for a mixer at gigs too.
Haven't tried it wth an express card- works fine with a cheap STAPLES firewire card though.
 
#3
USB 2.0 interfaces are (for the most part) limited to recording 2 tracks at once. Firewire is a larger pipeline that will allow you to record a lot more tracks at once. If you will really be recording no more than 2 tracks, USB 2.0 may be just fine for you. I got some decent results from the Lexicon Alpha USB interface I was using for a while.

If you're looking for more extensive, real-world reviews and info on home recording equipment, I've found a huge amount of useful information at Invalid Link Removed.
 

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