Audio Interface

[Drumrgal]

I've been reading all the threads about SD2.0 & mine should be arriving any day.
I originally put this question on the Superior Drummer 2.0 thread but decided it would be better to have it's own thread.

I have a Mac OS X version 10.5.4, 2.4 GHz Intel Core Duo. Has 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM & have the Roland TD 12 with an extra tom & crash I've added myself.

I'm trying to find the best audio interface to use. I have had suggested to me the PreSonus FireBox Firewire Audio Interface (Cubase LE included) & wonder if that's the best choice or is there a better one?

I want my sound of SD2.0 to come out of my Roland PM30 if possible, or get the best possible sound out of my iMac. I do have a pretty good speaker system for my iMac but I don't think it's enough. Also want to be able to use my headphones with Superior Drummer 2.0

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Drumrgal

PS: Attached is a pic of my Roland TD 12

[SuperPuss]

First of all, welcome aboard

I've heard good things about the Presonus interface and, although I haven't used one personally, I have used other Presonus products and they work well and the build quality is decent.
Getting audio from S2 into your PM30 should be a simple matter of connecting the Presonus output to your PM30 inputs.

Your Mac should be plenty fast enough for S2 but you might need more RAM.

[Drumrgal]

RE: Audio Interface

Thanks SuperPuss.
I appreciate your information.

That's good to know about Presonus. I'm still not 100% sure if I'll go with that one or not but I am heading over to my music store (Long & McQuade) this afternoon & I'll take a look at some of the other Audio Interface products they have there as well.

I am quite picky about sound quality so I want it to sound as good as possible but because drumming is a hobby for me, I don't want to go too overboard money-wise.

I'll let you know what one I end up getting.

Thanks too for the tip on getting more RAM on my iMac. I will look into that as well.

Drumrgal

[SuperPuss]

You're welcome Drumrgal

While you are checking out interfaces, have a look at the Digidesign products too. The new range in the M-Box series is great and so is the Digi003 range if you have a little extra to spend. I use a Digi002r with Protools in my studio and love it.
These will run very nicely on your Mac too

Protools is pretty much the industry standard for DAW's and Superior 2.0 will run fine with it. I am about to buy S2.0 myself.

[Michael Render]

Digi makes good equipment. So does MOTU and it works well with Macs. Make sure your brand is committed to supporting Macs.

[Drumrgal]

Thanks again SuperPuss for all your help.

I just wrote down the new info you gave me to take to Long & McQuade. I definitely will check that out too.

Drumrgal

[SuperPuss]

Bump to Motu Michael. I have a Motu Midi Timepiece AV for all my midi and sync duties and it is great. Built well and very reliable.

Edit - looks like we posted at the same time!!

[Drumrgal]

Thanks Michael.

I will look at Digi as well as MOTU.
That's good advice on making sure the brand is committed to supporting Macs as that can be a problem at times. . .

Thanks again SuperPuss...good to know about MOTU as well

Drumrgal

[Theconvert]

I swear by RME's Fireface 800 or 400. Rock solid!
I had a presonus firewire interface and it was the worst piece of equipment I ever bought.- Just my opinion - dont flame me :-))
I dont know much about the sound quality cause the number of times it crashed my ( Brand new ) computer, I just gave up and got the RME.
Its a little extra on your wallet but the peace of mind and the sound quality is definitely worth it.
So if you are looking to spend the money and want something for the long haul, I would suggest RME.

[csnow]

I bought the Echo Gina 3G PCI interface. It got rock solid reviews on many sites. However, I haven't built the PC yet so I can't comment on its performance.

[Mixxit]

Everything everyone has mentioned here is good. I think the MOTU suggestion is a great one. The Digi stuff is good. Learning Pro Tools is a great idea if you're into DAWs and recording. If you're REALLY trying to be budget-minded, there are M-Audio interfaces that would probably meet your needs too. Good luck!