What is the best firewire interface for recording a live band with 8 or more preamps?

Question

FIREWIRE MULTITRACKING / Adat inputs

(Price limit below £1,000)

so far i have been considering
Focusrite Saffire PRO 26
Alesis Multimix 16
Presonus Firepod
Motu 8Pre
Motu 828
Motu Traveller
Phonic HelixBoard
Yamaha 01X Mlan
Aardvark Direct Pro Q10
and some others i cant remember...

Answer 1

I thought you would have a mixing deck with the mics connected to it and a computer with an audio interface / audio card and recording software like cubase sx . I have a studio for dance music production with all hardware and everything is connected to my mixing console and i record into cubase sx . The best bet is to go into a god shop and say look this is what i want to do and here is how much money i have they will be able to sort you out .

Answer 2

Mystical Energy is right - you'll need a mixing desk then outs from that into the audio-interface. That is unless you go for one of the new generation Yamaha Mixing Desks which are fitted with fire wire conectivity and are supported by software. I've just bought Steinberg's Studio 4 which is a bundle of the full version of Cubase 4 plus and Audio Interface all for under £200. I'm using it for acoustic applications and multi-layer work rather than live work, but I reckon that, hooked up with a passive mixing desk such as a Mackie DFX-12 (Very quiet indeed) would work for life recording.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

There is not really a best. I would suggest that the MOTU stuff and the RME stuff are the best. I have a few Aardvark Q10's and they make great recordings. The Presonus stuff is very reliable but perhaps not the highest quality (about the same as the Q10's)

If you are really interested in the Q10's let me know I would gladly sell you one of mine as I am migrating to all RME soon.

Answer 4

erm.... go for Motu8pre