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For whomever else is interested - there were a few of us who bought into this interface when it was fire-sale priced at $99 a couple of years ago....
For the number of mic pre-amps, the US-800 at $99 was a ridiculous steal. However, I can no longer tolerate the 'disappearance' of the interface in the middle of recording sessions. It's drivers, and TASCAM refuses to fix the issue, hence the firesale clearance of available units that were out in the market. It no longer exists as an available product (disappeared from market about a year to year and a half ago, while the lower channel count US-600 remained on the market).
It does work reliably on Intel-Apples from what I can gather.
If I don't sell it, it becomes my 6 input mixer sans faders and any channel EQ.
So, I'm shopping and I've become addicted to it's standalone mode. That's one thing I now don't want to give up. Whether these units work this way is one of the harder things to uncover.
Here is what was on my list starting a few days ago:
Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 or higher input channel count (some reports that it works standalone, others say no)
Akai EIE Pro (confirmed that it works standalone mode, with 4 combo inputs which all can be used for mic/line/instrument - cool)
M-Audio Fast Track C600 - just found out no can do on standalone, so it's scratched
M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R - no standalone operation, off the list
PreSonus Audiobox 44 VSL or higher channel count - can't tell whether this works standalone or not. Not all 4 inputs same, not a deal breaker, but something that makes the EIE Pro quite attractive right now.
Phonic firefly 808 universal - confirmed standalone, but availability of these in used market is pretty limited from what I can gather.
Edirol/Roland/Cakewalk UA-101 - can't confirm standalone at present.
Leaning to the EIE Pro at present, unless I find out 44 VSL works standalone.
Last edited by rockstar_not; 12/29/13 08:34 PM.
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Yeah i bought mine at the same time, and it was just okay. when it worked it was pretty good, but when i bought my new one i was stunned at the difference in sound quality.
Scott i do not think the Presonus stuff works with out a computer, or stand alone as you call it. Sadly. But i do not play live with out my laptop so it does not matter, and if I did I have a Yamaha 12 channel mixer for that stuff. I find nothing beats the Presonus fat channel strip for each channel.
Lenovo Win 10 16 gig ram, Mac mini with 16 gig of ram, BiaB 2022, Realband, Harrison Mixbus 32c version 9.1324, Melodyne 5 editor, Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL, Presonus control app, Komplete 49 key controller.
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Rob, I think I used to use my PreSonus FireBox in standalone mode.
I'm re-thinking that as a 'requirement' and probably going to just separate that out to a small format mixer. I've found a little Alesis Multimix 6 FX for $30 in Craigslist that I'm picking up this morning. That will be my 'rehearsal rig' and actually might improve my function of my Casio XW-P1 keyboard. How? Well, I can route the output of the Casio into my Zoom G5 guitar effects using one of the channels, as well as my electric guitar.
The XW-P1 has a very nice 'clean' drawbar organ simulation engine, except it does not have a good overdrive.
My Zoom G5 effects pedal has tons of great amp simulation and a footswitch assignable slow/fast leslie sim.
I'm going to be building a couple of patches for the Zoom, for the XW-P1, which should bring me a more usable overdrive sound for the organ simulator.
This is bringing me back to a longer list for shopping for the interface.
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I did a hour show on street jelly again last night, and it went off without a hitch. Got solid clean sound thru the Presonus. The fat channel effects inside the VSL are so well worth the price of admission. I won't say Presonus stuff is better than others, but that feature to me stands up better. I came real close to a focusrite unit this time, and if I had i am sure it would have been awesome, but that VSL system is so powerful and you don't even know it's there other than great sound.
Lenovo Win 10 16 gig ram, Mac mini with 16 gig of ram, BiaB 2022, Realband, Harrison Mixbus 32c version 9.1324, Melodyne 5 editor, Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL, Presonus control app, Komplete 49 key controller.
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Rob, Thanks for your replies. FYI, I owned a PreSonus FireBox before my firewire apable laptop bit the dust. I did have some issues with it with cross-talk between headphone output and recording channels as well as a high-pitched whine that would rear it's head now and then. If you listen to the absolute tail end of this recording, you'll hear click-track bleed into the DI input for my bass: https://soundcloud.com/rockstar_not/scott-lake-rest-ye-orion It's at about 3:53-end . I should note that these were direct recorded tracks, no microphones were used, so it's not an issue of headphone speaker bleed into an open mic. I don't have any published stuff with the whine in it. I never discovered either issue until my year warranty was over with and PreSonus would not honor repair or replacement of my unit - though I found out through the PreSonus forums that both issues were experienced by other users. So, I'm a little leery of PreSonus just from past experience with this one unit. No, it shouldn't mean that the issue persists, but just seeing the case design and slightly odd-ball knob layout being similar causes an immediate negative reaction for me. I'm finding some interesting hits in the used market, and quite an interesting contrast of 2nd hand sales tech support question answering. Not many Audiobox 44VSL units in the used market - which in a way could be a good sign that generally people hang onto them after purchase. I have to hand it to both Lexicon and Focusrite for quick answers to technical questions for even 2nd hand potential customers. I was up front with both tech support lines that I was considering buying used. I haven't had any questions to PreSonus yet, and for the Fast-Track series, trying to get technical questions answered from AVID has turned out to be almost impossible if one is not yet a customer. I'm scratching them back off my list simply on this alone.
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Times change, so do designs and manufacturer response to same.
The only thing the Firewire really has in common with the much newer VSL usb series is the brand name.
But once burnt with an unsolvable problem, we can be pretty wary if not downright obtuse about such issues.
--Mac
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Times change, so do designs and manufacturer response to same.
The only thing the Firewire really has in common with the much newer VSL usb series is the brand name.
But once burnt with an unsolvable problem, we can be pretty wary if not downright obtuse about such issues.
--Mac Yes, obtuse, illogical, leery, worried, etc.! This whole thing is a bit like dating to me. In 20 years of home recording, I've only used 3 devices at home with any significant time: SB Live Platinum with the Live Drive, PreSonus FireBox, TASCAM US-800. At work, I've used many different RME devices, both PCI and external, a great little EMU 0404 USB - which if the company was still in biz officially I would probably stick with them, M-Audio Fast Track. I will typically 'marry' a device and deep dive the thing until: 1. I have either outgrown it, desiring additional capability, 2. Hardware changes outside the interface terminate it's usefulness, 3. I can't tolerate the malfunctions of the interface any longer. Reason #1 is why I switched from SB Live to the PreSonus. Reason #2 is why I switched from the PreSonus. Reason #3 is current drive.
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Sold today on eBay. Now the serious shopping begins... Anyone else who bought one and unhappy with theirs, they actually sell pretty high on eBay if you have taken care of it and take good photos.
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That's a pretty good price on the EIE-Pro.
Does anyone remember when Akai first brought these units out and they were called the EIE-I/O? Actually, just checked and the lower end version is still called that!
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If anyone is still reading, decision made after getting a great deal. Focusrite Scarlett 18i8. I sure hope I can get the Mix Control applet sorted out before long!
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Came today. I had to check to make sure I could input from the inputs and the midi, so here's a very short demo with midi programmed drums, some keys, a bass line and my electric guitar. https://soundcloud.com/rockstar_not/massive-experiment
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Sounds like you've just about mastered it already! That was quick!
BIAB & RB2024 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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Funny thing is, I didn't touch anything - it all worked as expected. Not the same experience I had with the Saffire 24 Pro DSP with the exact same mix control software.
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