Should I Replace This (Working) 12-year Old Audio Interface?

[SubHuman]

I've been using these with Cakewalk 2k:

View attachment 3876747

(Kidding!)

If only it was that simple! If it was easy anybody could do it!

 

[Joe Nerve]

I've been using these with Cakewalk 2k:

View attachment 3876747

(Kidding!)

I literally lol'ed. Thanks. I needed that.

 

[TOOL460002]

I literally lol'ed. Thanks. I needed that.

If you think that's archaic, I forgot I still have my old Wacom pad (yes, that is a COM1 port):

Some things are unkillable workhorses, and some need to be put out to pasture. Which reminds me...

 

[equill]

I'd still be using my 2004 Roland FA-101, if my Firewire-equipped workstation hadn't died. When I need to upgrade from my current 2-channel USB interface, it'll almost certainly be with a model that was released in 2012.

If it still does what you want, as well as you want, don't waste time and money on replacing it just because it's old.

 

[Frank Tuesday]

Been using this M-Audio FW1814 since 2006:

View attachment 3876680

Will keep it for old computer (PT/Reason), but new build should be together in a few weeks, so I'm going with something else soonish. Realized I don't need all those inputs cuz drums are expensive to mic.

Nice M-Audio relic tho! Remember Pro Tools M-Powered? Ya. That was lame. Happy recording!

You don't have to mic every drum. You can get great drum sounds with two or three mics. Kick and overhead, Knee and overhead; Kick and spaced stereo OH; The Recorderman Technique; The most expensive part of recording drums is a getting the room to sound good.

 

[tlite]

Thanks all- guess I'll keep the 610! Out of curiosity, the only thing it sounds like warranting an upgrade is incompatibility or improved/additional preamps. How have the preamps changed/improved since back in the dizzay when I bought this thing?

 

[seamonkey]

IMHO no need to worry about the pre-amps
Try a loopback test like what REW does to test the interface
https://www.roomeqwizard.com/REWhelp.pdf

This will do an over all sanity test of the end to end quality of the interface.

There has been improvements in pre-amps, but most are just undetectable by people.

 

[Engle]

As long as it works with your OS, you’re good. I found my pc started glitching with recent Windows 10 updates. There are no updated drivers for the Saffire Pro 40. I reloaded Windows and it was fine....until Windows updated itself.
I ended up resurrecting our old iMac (has a FireWire port) and I’m back in business.

 

[And I]

Just curious how many people who voted keep it have owned / used one before? Maybe I should make a poll...

 

[tlite]

Just curious how many people who voted keep it have owned / used one before? Maybe I should make a poll...

Well, I'm the OP and I have one! I really like the unit and it works well with Cubase 9.5 and Windows 10, anyway. All I can say is I haven't tried anything newer than this unit ever, so don't know what I don't know about what I'm missing. Direct Profire 610 experience combined with a more modern interface would be ideal, but hey, I'll take the more general advice/opinions, too.

I mean, this is Talkbass- the densest population of internet forum geniuses on Earth... hard to go wrong!

 

[And I]

Yeah I mean I've already said my piece in this thread... just curious if anyone other than you and I have actually used the thing.

 

[Rabidhamster]

If you don’t find something about it lacking I don’t see a need to upgrade. could you get something with better preamps and converters? Yes, if you have the money to spend. But I don’t think just “new” would benefit you at all - I wouldn’t recommend just buying a new interface at the same feature/quality level. For example you could have bought a higher quality interface when you bought that one. Why didn’t you? Was it simply monetary or is this all you really need? Is there something in your recordings bothering you?

If did upgrade I’d never vote to throw away any audio interface. Even the worst audio interface is good enough to donate if it isn’t broken.

 

[tlite]

If you don’t find something about it lacking I don’t see a need to upgrade. could you get something with better preamps and converters? Yes, if you have the money to spend. But I don’t think just “new” would benefit you at all - I wouldn’t recommend just buying a new interface at the same feature/quality level. For example you could have bought a higher quality interface when you bought that one. Why didn’t you? Was it simply monetary or is this all you really need? Is there something in your recordings bothering you?

If did upgrade I’d never vote to throw away any audio interface. Even the worst audio interface is good enough to donate if it isn’t broken.

Thanks. FWIW I wouldn't have literally junked it- was speaking metaphorically.

The Profire 610 was more than I needed when I bought it, and one of the higher quality interfaces designed for home use at the time. Still does what I need it to and sounds like not much in the way of reasons to swap it out yet. I'm lucky to have a pretty good day job- within reason, I can spend up for something decent if there's a reason to.

One potential reason for a swap is I've heard great things about UA's Luna DAW, and that requires their hardware, but it's by no means an urgent or necessary thing...