Focusrite Saffire?

[TC5]

Anyone had the chance to try the Focusrite Saffire yet? How are the pres and converters? Any comments or opinions?

[XHipHop]

I haven't heard the unit but your post made me look it up and read more about it.

What i find interesting is the fact that it comes with a few AU and vst plugins (amp simulator, compressor, eq, and i can't read the other one) , is firewire, and has the 8 analog outputs.

I wonder if the converters are the same they use as an option for their ISA 428?

[TC5]

I'm wondering if the mic pres may not be the same or equivalent as what is found on the Digidesign Mbox. Don't know the Mbox though. Is it any good?

[Renie]

bump

[JonCraig]

Originally Posted by TC5

Don't know the Mbox though. Is it any good?

No.

I'm told, however, that the limited power availability over USB really chokes the pres & converters in the MBox. I haven't compared the MBox to standalone focusrite green's... so i'm not sure. what i am sure of, though, is that the mbox pres sound like poo.

--jon

[retrodisko]

I have a RME for the Big Computer, and i have for months or years a USB M Audio fast track for the road, I switch to the Saffire 6 USB, and it sounds really good. for the price, its the same pre's from the big models, no drops, no issues, i have with it 4 months now.

Im wondering what you want to get? the 56, 40 , 24?

for playback its good for the price, its not the RME but i use it for Run traktor, Im A Dj before i start the studio thing, Ableton runs perfect on it, too

[TheDriller]

Originally Posted by TC5

Anyone had the chance to try the Focusrite Saffire yet? How are the pres and converters? Any comments or opinions?

I've had the Saffire Pro 40 for a while and its great.

The pres are clean and clear with plenty of gain available and extremely low noise.

conversion is good, solid. a marked improvement over the M-Audio i had previously.

The Instrument-ins are great, really high quality. delivers the tone of the instrument into the converters in top condition.

the level meters on the front are very handy.

monitor mute and dim switches, coupled with the two independent headphone outs is great.

the routing software is awesome, quite easy to use once you've had a play with it and opens up some cool routing possibilities.

drivers are solid both on my OS X and Windows installs.

highly recommended!!!

[retrodisko]

yeah, I use those pre in the Saffire 6 for voice and its just perfect, I use normally AKG for that , and its very very good,

I think that for the price im more truted on Saffire rather than similar brands,


I dont know what about Saffire vs Motu, for some reason, i was never seduced by motu, except when they have the midi interfases back in the 90's