Question about audio interface

[wflkurt]

Hello everyone. I just upgraded my macBook pro situation from a 2012 to a brand new one. I'm using it mostly for home recording as I am slowly getting more and more into that. My old computer was FireWire and I was using a Presonus Firestudio with eight channels to record my drums. I am also running Logic and honestly my old set up seemed to work pretty good for me. It really wasn't until I made the foolish mistake of upgrading my old computer to the current operating system that it started to fail. I'm sure I could have restored i to an earlier time but knowing that I want to continue on recording, I went with a new Mac.

Of course this new mac uses Thunderbolt and even with a conversion cable, my presonus Firestudio will not work anymore. sadly I will need to get something else and am wondering what everyone uses. I looked at the current presonus versions and they run around $700... ouch... I get it and am honestly not surprised that I need MORE stuff. I was just wondering if anyone uses anything cheaper that performs just as well. I still have a presonus audiobox that works so I can record Piano and stuff like that. I can only get two tracks of drums though which is not ideal.

Thanks for any insights and help.

Kurt

 

[bpaluzzi]

Hello everyone. I just upgraded my macBook pro situation from a 2012 to a brand new one. I'm using it mostly for home recording as I am slowly getting more and more into that. My old computer was FireWire and I was using a Presonus Firestudio with eight channels to record my drums. I am also running Logic and honestly my old set up seemed to work pretty good for me. It really wasn't until I made the foolish mistake of upgrading my old computer to the current operating system that it started to fail. I'm sure I could have restored i to an earlier time but knowing that I want to continue on recording, I went with a new Mac.

Of course this new mac uses Thunderbolt and even with a conversion cable, my presonus Firestudio will not work anymore. sadly I will need to get something else and am wondering what everyone uses. I looked at the current presonus versions and they run around $700... ouch... I get it and am honestly not surprised that I need MORE stuff. I was just wondering if anyone uses anything cheaper that performs just as well. I still have a presonus audiobox that works so I can record Piano and stuff like that. I can only get two tracks of drums though which is not ideal.

Thanks for any insights and help.

Kurt

I'd recommend either of these for a first interface for drums:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 - $550
Presonus Studio 1824c - $550

 

[wflkurt]

I'd recommend either of these for a first interface for drums:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 - $550
Presonus Studio 1824c - $550

Thank you so much. I will look into these.

 

[bpaluzzi]

Thank you so much. I will look into these.

No problem! The nice thing with these two is that you can continue to use them as ADAT preamps if/when you choose to expand your setup.

I started with a Scarlett 18i20, and when I upgraded my system, I was able to continue to use the Scarlett as additional preamps. I'm now running 28 channels, 8 of which are coming from that first original 18i20.

 

[wflkurt]

No problem! The nice thing with these two is that you can continue to use them as ADAT preamps if/when you choose to expand your setup.

I started with a Scarlett 18i20, and when I upgraded my system, I was able to continue to use the Scarlett as additional preamps. I'm now running 28 channels, 8 of which are coming from that first original 18i20.

Vey cool. Thanks for the info.

 

[Buffalo_drummer]

No problem! The nice thing with these two is that you can continue to use them as ADAT preamps if/when you choose to expand your setup.

I started with a Scarlett 18i20, and when I upgraded my system, I was able to continue to use the Scarlett as additional preamps. I'm now running 28 channels, 8 of which are coming from that first original 18i20.

I use the Scarlett 18i20 as well. Very happy with it, good bang for the buck. I also run a pre amp via ADAT into it for 8 additional channels.

 

[Tubwompus]

+1 re: the 18i20.

 

[funkypoodle]

Another +1 for the the Scarlett 18i20

 

[blikum]

Possibly the Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter would work for you? https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...d464ll_a_thunderbolt_to_firewire_adapter.html

 

[MacDaddy]

Another +1 for the 18i20. I upgraded last year for the same reason. My old interface was not supported for the latest OS. The Focusrite has been very good.

I would ask though... doesn't your new Mac have USB port? I'm no expert on what is compatible with what but could that be an option? Firewire to USB? I suppose your new Mac has the most current OS so maybe the question is moot.

Best of luck!

 

[TheDrummerFromAmsterdam]

Are you sure your Presonus doesn’t work?

My two Firestudio Tube interfaces do, even under the latest OS update. And this on a 2013 Mac:

I use this official Apple adapter with a Belkin firewire cable:

It didn’t work for about two years and then suddenly it did, and has been working flawless ever since.

I now have a 2018 Mac Mini which doesn’t have Thunderbolt unfortunately so I need to get a new interface.

Which is a shame as the Presonus is the only 1U interface to date with 10! Preamps and a stellar clean preamp sound.

The interface I came up with after a long period of comparrison, is the Steinberg UR816C

It has DSP effects which take load of the Mac can work as a stand alone mixer too, has ADAT to expand the Preamps, has two headphone outputs and can be controlled by the iOS app too.

I also looked into the Presonus 1824C:

But this doesn’t have the DSP option l, and I feel the Steinberg is overall a tad better.

My other option would be to check if I the teo adapter option would work, but I don’t think I would like that.