The Presonus FireBox -- being too particular?

[thereedeffect]

I suppose this is my first post here. I've been silently observing for a while. So, before I forget: 

I will soon be purchasing equipment with which to record vocals and acoustic guitar on my computer. After researching my interface options, I was pretty certain I would end up grabbing a FireBox from eBay. At about $200, the value seemed untouchable. BUT my plans were tainted after finally having read from a couple sources that the preamps on this device can be somewhat noisy.

My goal is to create a dishearteningly low budget home recording studio with the cleanest sound I can get.

The specs I must meet:
1. I need two good mic preamps, because I will be recording with two phantom powered condenser mics at a time. The ability to expand beyond this is nice but not necessary.
2. I need responsive multitracking.

The stuff I have:
1. A pretty solid PC with firewire (preferred) and USB 2.0 capabilities
2. My beloved Larrivee L-03R
3. My mouth, with which I hope to create tolerable vocals

The stuff I need:
1. Audio interface (sound card)
2. Microphones
3. Monitoring headphones
4. Cables/stands/stuff not worth mentioning on this list
5. Most importantly, opinions of which of the above would help meet my goals!

Final thoughts:
1. Lists rock.
2. You guys rock.
3. I really do crave some donuts and coffee.
4. Software is a non issue so long as it's capable of achieving results. I learn quickly on that end.
5. Oh, and I rudely forgot to introduce myself properly. My name is Nolan Reed, and I'm proud to be a new member here!

[rockstar_not]

If I had the chance, I would NOT buy my Firebox again!  Noisy pre-amps is one particular issue, another is click-track bleed through internally in the interface.  Click tracks regularly bleed over into the front-panel mic channels (and no - it isn't headphone bleed, I've disconnected headphones and all external speakers and still have had this issue.)  It's a quiet bleed-over, but it's there.

In fact, I won't buy another PreSonus product ever again.  These are known issues with the units, and forum posts at the PreSonus site go unanswered by users (I didn't find out about my click-track bleed issue until my warranty had already run out).

You might want to try a Tascam FireOne interface.  $149 at Musician's Friend.

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Tascam-FireOne-FireWire-Audio-Control-Interface?sku=241179&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=46565726

Make sure you have a TI chipset for the most robust Firewire interface for audio uses.

[strawintogold]

3. My mouth, with which I hope to create tolerable vocals

God bless you. The best singers are never the ones that go into it thinking they can. Even better are those who do it anyway.

I hate that I want a donut though....

holly

[dwortman]

Ditto on the TI chipset for your firewire interface. I recently bought the M-Audio Profire 610 in large part because of the Octane preamps ( they can also be used as stand alone preamps).  All the documentation  calls for the TI chipset and actually states NOT to use an interface card using any other chipset.  The M-Audio so far is very nice. I'm still just learning about it but it might be an option for you to consider. I'm very happy with the test tracks I've done so far. Try Kristal for your software. It's FREE and supports ASIO but doesn't support midi if you need that.
Good luck,
Dale

[thereedeffect]

rockstar_not,

Thank you for your info. Click track bleeding seems like a pretty severe issue to have, subtle as it may be. This Tascam you've linked me to looks like a very interesting unit. Its features seem extremely useful and very much in line with what I hope to have. Do you have any direct experience with this one? If so, how is the signal quality? The price is almost eerily low.

What is a TI chipset?

[dwortman]

Chipset refers to the actual controller chip on the firewire board. TI is Texas Instruments. The other mfrs. you may come across are: NEC, Via and some no name. Here's a link to one board that I found: http://siig.com/ViewProduct.aspx?pn=NN-440012-S8.  Click on the "Specifications" tab. Sometimes it's hard to find out what type of chip is actually installed but it's worth the research.

[thereedeffect]

Ah. So by running a device like the Tascam FireOne through the Firewire controller onboard my Gateway Media Center PC , I may experience issues with things like track playback? How about with recording itself?

[dwortman]

I took this from the M-Audio website:  "When using a FireWire audio interface with your computer, there are a variety of things that can result in pops, clicks, crackles, dropouts, or distortion during playback and recording...  M-Audio Fire Wire devices perform best on a dedicated FireWire controller with a Texas Instruments (TI) chipset.  These problems (pops, clicks, distortion, buzzing, etc) are often encountered when using onboard FireWire ports, including those with Texas Instruments chipsets.  You can identify your chipset in the "IEEE 1394 Bus Host Controllers" category in the Windows Device Manager (Start>Run>devmgmt.msc). Undesirable chipsets include VIA, Ricoh, and NEC."  I know a lot of laptop mfrs. use the Ricoh chipset. Hope this helps.
Dale

[thereedeffect]

A jouney through my control panel confirmed, to my surprise, that my onboard chipset is a product of Texas Instruments. Cool!

[rockstar_not]

rockstar_not,

Thank you for your info. Click track bleeding seems like a pretty severe issue to have, subtle as it may be. This Tascam you've linked me to looks like a very interesting unit. Its features seem extremely useful and very much in line with what I hope to have. Do you have any direct experience with this one? If so, how is the signal quality? The price is almost eerily low.

What is a TI chipset?

I do not have experience with this interface - but it has the features that I am looking for in the next interface I buy.  I like that it has tape transport and jog function in addition to functioning as an audio/midi interface.  Tascam makes the US-122 which has been a VERY popular home recordist interface.

I do not know why the price drop is there.  It does seem eerily low.  Sweetwater blew them out some months ago.  Sweetwater has a very lenient return policy.  If they are selling it, I would take the risk.

[dwortman]

These problems (pops, clicks, distortion, buzzing, etc) are often encountered when using onboard FireWire ports, including those with Texas Instruments chipsets. 

Don't overlook this tidbit of info. Also, this may be a specific issue with M-Audio equipment. The manuals for these devices are usually online. It might be worthwhile to check them out before making your decision.
Peace,
Dale

[Michael T]

I just got a USB "2.0" M-AUdio Fast Track Ultra  http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FastTrackUltra.html  instead of a firewire set up because of the TI chip set issue, and several other concerns but really just wanted simple and versitile use. Patience is not my strong suit, nor is techno babble.
480 Mbps -v- 400 Mbps for the firewire 400 and super clean pre-amps, virtually no cross over. Compatible with virtually any software but comes with the into package for Ableton.

BTW,  Good Folks here, keep coming back!

[thereedeffect]

The Fast Track Ultra looks very nice! Unfortunately, it's beyond my budget. So I ordered the TASCAM FireOne from Guitar Center. They had a clearance on blemished items for $126! Now I need some good mics, cables, and stands, and I'll be rocking. Thank you guys for all your helpful input.

[thistlefly]

I used an Edirol interface (UA-25) for some years and was quite satisfied. I wanted to upgrade when I began heavy recording of tracks for my choir, and was referred by my Sweetwater rep to Presonus in general and the Firebox (FireWire) in particular. I have been blown away by the quality of fit, finish, and functionality. The preamps are quieter than anything in their price range... and I'm now an unabashed Presonus fan. (The headphone amp is also great if you are recording with more than one person, as I have been.)

The problem with click-track bleed through, which someone else brought up, is VERY often the result of headphones with less-than-perfect seals around the ear. (Don't even think about recording overdubs without closed headphones.) I was using a fine pair of Sony MDR-V6 headphones for many years... but my favorite now (for both accurate sound and sound isolation) are my Sennheiser HD-280 Pro; these are the best phones out there anywhere NEAR their price range, which is around $100 or so.

Hope this helps-

   Bob