I am putting together a PC recording set-up and am trying to identify the best interface in the $300-$500ish range. I am leaning towards using Reaper as my software, but that is not set in stone. The various offerings from Presonus and Focusrite seem to get the most buzz in this price range. Does one have a leg up on the other? Is there another option I should be looking at?
If you have firewire,you might oughta be looking at MOTU ultralite for 550$.If not look at the Presonus.
If you think you might use Sonar, stay away from anything with the Dice II chipset. Otherwise, I agree that MOTU and Presonus are the way to go. Specifically look at the Presonus FP10. It sounds great and is rock solid.
Thank you both for your replies This is good info on the Dice II chipset. My bassist uses Sonar, so there is a possibility that I would be using it I am not familiar with the Dice II chipset, do both MOTU and Presonus use it?
The DICE II chipset is found in a lot of interfaces by a lot of manufacturers. It is not in MOTU products, nor is it in the Presonus FP10. It is in the FireStudio line.
focusrite has a great pre at about $700, the ISA 1, awsome. The presonus firebox has focusrite pre's and sounds great for about $200. Between those two I would go with the motu ultralite mk3 or the apogee duet. The motu has more ins and outs and a great sounding compressor/limiter which is very helpful on your frontend. The duets AD converters are legendary but I've found that the motu's new AD's are getting closer. I have both and find myself using the motu almost exclusively now. Once I can afford a good hardware compressor that may change.
I just got the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, so far it has been great! Very flexible, good sound, great preamps, stable and with low latency.
