Anyone using the Apogee Duet FireWire or Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 Audio Interfaces

[Greg]

Right now I'm using a Line 6 Tone Port as my audio interface.
It's not the best. I'm not happy with the gtr sounds when I record.

I'm looking into the Apogee Duet Interface. I did a A/B comparison with the Line 6 Tone Port and the Duet sounds a lot better.

However I heard some bad things about the Duet. Like sound dropping out and other things.

Also the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 seems it may be a good choice. plus I would prefer a rack unit.

Anyone use them ?
What do you thing ?

[Carl Fleischer]

My suggestion will be that you purchase a Metric Halo, the 2882 I/O or the smaller ULN, you will be impressed about what these units are capable of, some users are saying that they are pissing all over the competitors.
Check them out on the Metric Halo website.

[Greg]

I was thinking something in the $500 price range.
but perhaps I'll wait till I have more cash.

[Carl Fleischer]

One thing i found out being an "audiot" for a number of years is going for lowest prizes will not pay off in the long run, many major manufacturers will allways find a way snaking into your walet, that's why I jumped into MH, so wait till you have cash enough for at least the ULN.
I suspect that you have been checking out MH's website, they have a different approach in sales/development and keeping customers updated.

[max derelict]

you are gonna think I'm nuts, but for a Macbook an M-Audio Jamlab USB (obsolete probably, everything is obsolete where I come from except new forms of pointless suffering) works wonderfully to get a clean guitar signal in (OSX 10.4.11, but I see there is a Leopard driver now). The software is junk, Cubase's built-in amp sim is much better, for clean tones that is. To use a POD2 (bal TRS line outs) I connect a Steinberg MI4, also USB. But it works well only with Cubase, the Jamlab is necessary for GB3. You don't need converters with fantastic dynamic range for electric guitar in, but the interface must have decent drivers, be QUIET and not require the preamp gain level to be set at 7-10, a common problem with interfaces that are really designed for mic/line levels only. Apple really screwed up by dropping the TI FW chipset, and then the FW chipset altogether, making the Macbook unusable as a DAW unless you can live without an ext drive. The Metric Halo is so expensive it is not even available in my country. An M-Audio Firewire Audiophile (using the S/PDIF I/O and separate converter) works on the Agere chipset but I don't like the heat buildup. It supplies JUST enough power. Daisy-chaining works (but what a pain) so an express card slot is really a must have.

The MI4 is OK as an interface only, it needs a separate mic preamp and converter in front of it for quality vocals. It has a Hi-Z input but the Jamlab is better for some reason.

It seems the new macs work with Firefaces now, if I wasn't about to lose everything I'd go for one of them, the Steadyclock tech and drivers are wonderful.