It's only Firewire for now. I'm not building around a 12yo+ card, but at least for now I need something. But, no, it is probably obsolete.
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PC Build for Studio One
- Thread starter TOOL460002
- Start date
It's only Firewire for now. I'm not building around a 12yo+ card, but at least for now I need something. But, no, it is probably obsolete.
I just plugged in a PCIe card with no issues to continue using my antiquated Firewire devices.
It's a matter of degree. FireWire and DVDs are obsolete. 8-tracks tapes and slide projectors are antiquated.
Either way, building something new that has an integral component that is no longer widely produced or supported is the definition of built-in obsolescence. FireWire is in maintenance mode without much on the horizon for future support in terms of new devices or updated drivers. The upside is that an audio interface is easily replaced and the OP intends to do exactly that.
To be pedantic, FireWire is in a state of "obsolescence" (state of being which occurs when an object, service, or practice is no longer wanted even though it may still be in good working order). I have an obsolescent FW Saffire Pro 14 that still works perfectly well, so I spent the $15 on a PCIe FW card as opposed to researching and purchasing a new interface that probably would provide no improvement over the still-functional Focusrite.
I'm not afraid to spend money, but only when I see a tangible gain.
As long as the Focusrite interface and the PCIe card continue to function, I'll keep using them.
The OP stated that he has a working FW interface and has no interest or need to replace it, so I'd say spending under $20 for a FW PCIe card is probably the correct recommendation for him. If something goes bad in the future, it's easily replaced with upgraded gear that is readily available.
In general, it's probably similar thinking that keeps the P Bass a workhorse; "If it ain't broke..."
It's fine that you want to continue to disagree. But now you're projecting your values onto the OP. The above two statements do not agree.
We all agree that the interface will work. I'm sure you recognize the extra effort it takes to keep things running well when they pass their expiration date. I'm not sure you are going to provide tech support 18 months from now when the gremlins come out, even though they may not be related at all to the interface. What happens when the system starts to have sporadic audio glitches? That can happen on any system. But on this system there will be the sense that no matter how much fiddling you do, that the underlying problem might only go away by replacing the interface. It's very difficult to justify spending troubleshooting time on a solution that you don't innately know that it "should" all just work. With FireWire on a new system you instantly lose that confidence.
My point stands that the expense and effort of building a brand new system and leaving in an outdated piece of gear is worthy of consideration.
It's pointless to continue this since your concept of convenience vs. expense is different than mine. I spent under $20 and have been using the PCIe card with existing gear for about two years and will continue until something goes wrong. Then I will buy a new interface. Why spend that money now when I don't need to?
As another example of this, I have a Line 6 Bass Pod XT Live that is well-past its freshness date but continues to operate properly. Until it fails, I won't be buying a new modeling multi effects unit. It still works! Why replace it?
I drive a 6 year old car. Works great. Why replace it?
I have a Samsung Galaxy 5 phone with a broken charge port/USB connector. So I transfer files via Bluetooth or physical removal of the Micro SD card (plugged into a reader on my PC). Charging? I bought a couple of extra batteries and rotate them around - one is always fully charged, one is on the charger and one is in the phone. A little inconvenient? Yes. But the phone still functions as it should aside from the one broken component and I have found an inexpensive, minimally inconvenient way around it. Will I buy a new phone when this one loses more functionality? Yes. Sadly, there are no new smart phones with removable batteries, so I dread moving "up".
Oh, and the OP literally stated:
He didn't say, "Please answer my question with a suggestion to buy something I'm not asking about."
DigitalMan, I generally agree with your posts but I also notice you are a scrappy fella, so again, I'm done here. If you feel the need to come back again, knock yourself out, but this is a case of two immovable objects and no irresistible force.
...and Presonus has stated that St 1 v5 will utilize a good gfx card to speed up and smooth out the UI (zoom, scroll, et al) via hardware acceleration routines built into the software.
YMMV, as always.
