Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - My old MOTU 2408 performs better than my Fireface?

pabelius · 18th September 2006

Hello all.

So I've been happily using my RME Fireface for the last year- very happy with the sound. However, it did not occur to me that my glitching and processing power problems with soft synths in Logic had anything to do with my audio interface until my partner, who has the exact same computer system as I do, flawlessly was able to play so many more soft synths than I. The different thing outside the computer itself? The interface. He's still on a MOTU 2408 MK I. I swapped out my Fireface for the MOTU and BAM! I instantly had so much more available to me. I thought for a long time my problems were from a deficiency in my computer- that I needed a QUAD or 4 GB's of RAM. But honestly, now I'm able to do most of what I need to do without hang ups. Of course, the sound quality sucks in comparison, but working is so much easier.

The Fireface was on a dedicated FW PCI card, on the bottom most slot possible, the first port, with nothing else on that card. I tried plugging the FW directly into the top main FW port on the G4, but it didn't make a bit of difference. When using a certain amount of soft synths (heavy ones like Storm Drum and other East West stuff) I would get clicks, blips, glitches, stops, errors like "conflict between Logic and external device."

So how is it that MOTU did such a better job in crafting a PCI card than a standard FW PCI card? What can I do? Is there a card that people recommend using for more throughput when using FW audio interfaces? How exactly does this work? What's my best option?

Once again I'm forced to rethink my system. I had no idea that my processing problems in Logic had everything to do with the INTERFACE!!

Thanks for any help/suggestions in advance.

18th September 2006	#1
pabelius Gear Head Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 43 Thread Starter	My old MOTU 2408 performs better than my Fireface? Hello all. So I've been happily using my RME Fireface for the last year- very happy with the sound. However, it did not occur to me that my glitching and processing power problems with soft synths in Logic had anything to do with my audio interface until my partner, who has the exact same computer system as I do, flawlessly was able to play so many more soft synths than I. The different thing outside the computer itself? The interface. He's still on a MOTU 2408 MK I. I swapped out my Fireface for the MOTU and BAM! I instantly had so much more available to me. I thought for a long time my problems were from a deficiency in my computer- that I needed a QUAD or 4 GB's of RAM. But honestly, now I'm able to do most of what I need to do without hang ups. Of course, the sound quality sucks in comparison, but working is so much easier. The Fireface was on a dedicated FW PCI card, on the bottom most slot possible, the first port, with nothing else on that card. I tried plugging the FW directly into the top main FW port on the G4, but it didn't make a bit of difference. When using a certain amount of soft synths (heavy ones like Storm Drum and other East West stuff) I would get clicks, blips, glitches, stops, errors like "conflict between Logic and external device." So how is it that MOTU did such a better job in crafting a PCI card than a standard FW PCI card? What can I do? Is there a card that people recommend using for more throughput when using FW audio interfaces? How exactly does this work? What's my best option? Once again I'm forced to rethink my system. I had no idea that my processing problems in Logic had everything to do with the INTERFACE!! Thanks for any help/suggestions in advance.