I'm shopping around for a bus powered 2-channel firewire audio interface for my MacBook Pro. I currently own a M-Audio Delta 1010 that I'm very happy with. I've read everything I could find about the following 3 interfaces which I believe to be in my price range and offer what I'm looking for.
Apogee Duet $499
TC Elect. Konnekt 24D $399
PreSonus FireStudio Mobile $299
Unfortunately the situation I'm in doesn't let me use my Delta1010 all the time. I live in an apartment, and have no dedicated area to set it up, so I'm constantly setting it up and taking it down when I'm done. This makes recording quick song ideas a real pain in the #^$. I want to be able to seemlessly use recordings from both my Delta1010 and Firewire Interface in the same song without much difference in sound. In my research the general consensus I've seen is that the Duet and Konnekt 24D have equal sound quality DAC's and ADC's. The PreSonus is slightly below them in this area. I've also read the Apogee Mini-DAC is better than all three of them but at $799, I think that's more than I'm willing to spend.
Things that are important to me:
DAC and ADC Quality
Phantom Power
Bus Powered Firewire
Monitor Out
At least 2 Channels
Compatibility with Logic
Any extra features are nice, but not really a necessity for me, it's just a portable easy to setup configuration in addition to my Delta1010... not a replacement. I guess at this point I've really narrowed it down to the Duet or the Konnekt 24D. Does the Konnekt really sound as good as the Duet despite the price difference? I know the Duet is tightly integrated into Logic, but I'm assuming the Konnekt would do just fine for my needs? Are there any other interfaces I should be considering in this price range?
I've done all the reading I could on this one, but I feel like my needs are a little unique which is why I made a new post.
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TheJackAttack, post: 299926 wrote: IMHO the Konnekt has better a
TheJackAttack, post: 299926 wrote: IMHO the Konnekt has better analog circuitry to go with the equal AD/DA so it gets my recommendation. I think it is slightly more detailed than the Duet. Just my opinion of course and YMMV.
Thanks Jack, I appreciate your opinion. I'm leaning toward the Konnekt because I've yet to see anyone prove the Duet sounds any better.
AC will provide a more consistent source of power in most locati
AC will provide a more consistent source of power in most locations. I don't use bus power much if I can help it. Also, you will need to use a 6 pin or 9 pin firewire port to even have bus power. The mini 4 pin firewire ports don't provide power. If you have a laptop then know that 99% of add on Express Cards will NOT provide bus power at all for safety reasons for the computer circuitry.
TheJackAttack, post: 299935 wrote: AC will provide a more consis
TheJackAttack, post: 299935 wrote: AC will provide a more consistent source of power in most locations. I don't use bus power much if I can help it. Also, you will need to use a 6 pin or 9 pin firewire port to even have bus power. The mini 4 pin firewire ports don't provide power. If you have a laptop then know that 99% of add on Express Cards will NOT provide bus power at all for safety reasons for the computer circuitry.
Could you clarify more consistent power, does it effect your recordings in any way? I was hoping my MacBook Pro with power cord connected would provide enough power to the Audio Interface, but I was going to leave the Interface itself unplugged. I'm fairly certain my Mid-2009 MacBook Pro uses 6-pin Firewire, so that shouldn't be a problem. Not planning on using an express card since I have Firewire 800 built-in.
I am not very conversant with Apple specs but I'd say you should
I am not very conversant with Apple specs but I'd say you should be fine with the onboard firewire. Don't fuss yourself about the power unless you have issues with condenser phantom power. You probably won't since most modern microphones don't truly require a full 48vDC.
TheJackAttack, post: 299938 wrote: I am not very conversant with
TheJackAttack, post: 299938 wrote: I am not very conversant with Apple specs but I'd say you should be fine with the onboard firewire. Don't fuss yourself about the power unless you have issues with condenser phantom power. You probably won't since most modern microphones don't truly require a full 48vDC.
Ok, thanks again for all your help! I'm asking the guys on the TC Electronics Forums how they feel about the Konnekt 24D. If I get the thumbs up, I think I'll save the $100 and go for the Konnekt.
Anyone else want to weigh in on this? I'm trying to be an informed buyer :wink:
IMHO the Konnekt has better analog circuitry to go with the equa
IMHO the Konnekt has better analog circuitry to go with the equal AD/DA so it gets my recommendation. I think it is slightly more detailed than the Duet. Just my opinion of course and YMMV.