With regard to Pennywizz6's recommendation of the Lexicon Omega--make sure you check out the reviews at
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=102/g=rec/product/reviews/base_pid=245505/rpp=10/

Lots of very positive feedback. I have the Mbox with Protools, a similar unit that costs more but has only 2 simultaneous inputs. (I believe the Omega allows 4 simultaneously.) The Lexicon version wasn't available when I bought mine or I probably would have gotten it instead. The Lexicon seems more like an all-in-one package as opposed to Protools, which forces you to buy expensive plug-ins to get good quality. I am not all happy with the effects and compression that come standard with the Mbox. While I do not have the Lexicon Omega, I can tell you that based on my experience with my PCM 80 and 90 reverb and delay units, Lexicon makes the absolute best digital reverb and delay on the market.
Hopefully there is someone out there who has experience with the Omega who can fill in my blanks.
Good luck.
(The reason I initially recommended the Mackie w Firewire option is that I have a problem with the latency built in to almost every computer based recording solution when adding tracks to something already partially recorded. I still like that option, although you can't go back and change anything--it forces you to get it right in a single take--but I have never beaten the live sound I get off my Mackie Onyx board in my studio.)

Ok guys, finally made a decision & just purchased a 'Presonus Firebox':
http://www.presonus.com/firebox.html

from my local music store and all I can say is that from the get go, I'm super impressed with it's quick plug/play setup (5 mins) out of the box, and above all, it's super impressive clean transparent sound, and quiet operation.

I was able to compare (side by side) at the music store, the Presonus Firebox, along with the M-Audio FireWire 410 and Lexicon Omega. My salesperson told me that though he was impressed with the USB driven Lexicon, he recommended (and others here have also stated) that I go firewire as it's a more reliable format, especially for this type of application.

Comparing the Presonus Firebox with the M-Audio Firewire 410, I thought the FireWire 410's to be rather cheaply made compared to the Presonus Firebox, which, in constrast, is very solidly contructed, whose control knobs include many finite click position points to allow you to fine tune & memorize prescise knob position settings. The M-Audio FireWire 410's knobs in contrast felt wobbly and overall buid cheaply put together. The Presonus also maintains a very small footprint. At $325, offered me, I couldn't turn it down.

Haven't had a chance to do any serious recording with it yet, but CD music playback thru my PC sounds nothing less than stellar. I've now gone & changed my PC's default soundcard device playback to the Presonus Firebox. I never knew my computer playback of CDs/Mp3's could sound so clean. I'm looking forward now to doing some recording with it.

I'm currently running Sonar 3 Studio version. Do you guys think it's worth the money to UPGRADE to Sonar 4 studio ($79 upgrade sale till 5/30) or Sonar 4 Pro version, which includes Lexicon Pantheon efx package + other goodies like individual per track efx processing ($229)?

The Presonus supports both ASIO & WMD drivers so trying to figure out which way to go: ASIO or WMD. Recommendations?

The Presonus also comes bundled with Cubase LE 1.07 so wondering how that compares to Sonar. It seems the more toys purchased, the more options (and subsequent confusion) there is. Recommendations regarding prefered audio/midi recording software programs is appreciated.

I've also heard that Wavelab and/or SoundForge are highly recommended for tweaking the final audio track. Which one do you guys recommend, if any?

Sorry for so many questions, but that's what this forum is for, right?

Scott

Scott, I think you would be well advised to upgrade to Sonar 4 PE; I did and I think it is very, very good. Also, I recommend you first try using WDM drivers because they are lower latency than the Asio ones, but the Asio are close, besides, that is what Cakewalk recommends .

Tom

------------------
Bigger is not always better

[This message has been edited by Tomcat (edited 05-25-2005).]

Scott,
This one looks realy nice ! (like the Digidesign 001, but more compact)

I never heard of this brand, so please keep us informed about the performance.

Roel

AFAIK, the main feature of the Producer
edition is surround sound. I have seen it
demonstrated, and it was very impressive to
hear an instrument moved around the room using a USB game joystick.
I prefer ASIO, and find it hard to believe that WDM drivers would have lower latency than ASIO.
But try both and let us know.

Tom, though a bit pricier than I would have prefered ($229), I went ahead & took your advice & upgraded to Sonar4 Producer edition instead of upgrading to Sonar 4 Studio edition ($79), in particular for Producer's inclusion of more & better efx processing and tweaking features, Producer's unique patented (POW-R) enhanced dithering algorithm feature making dithering from 24 to 16 bit CD better at preserving the sound quality of the 24/96 original, as well as per channel EQ, only available in the Producer version.

I also realize that Cakewalk supports both WDM & ASIO drivers, though they tend to encourage using WDM as they especially tailored Sonar to work well with it. I'll probably end up testing out both and make my final determination after gleaming the results.

As far as the 'surround sound' effects included with the Lexicon Pantheon reverb feature, I doubt I'll have much use for it as I'm not into 5:1 audio video. Still, the Producer version of Sonar includes both: the Sonitus FX suite & the full of the Lexicon Pantheon Reverb library, of which includes a lot more stereo efx choices than than the LE (light version) included with Sonar Studio. Here's a listing of the Producer exclusive features:
http://cakewalk.com/products/SONAR/producer.asp

Scott


[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 05-26-2005).]

Not sure whether this is an appropriate forum to ask this - but I would like to know whether the Presonus firebox has a default routing for when it isn't connected to a computer. I want the option of using it as a portable Mic pre/spdif converter to feed an optical spdif input (at 44.1k - that could be the other issue - it maybe defaults to 96).
My greatest hope is that the routing/sample rate/other stuff is stored in some sort of NVRam on the device so it just remembers the last settings the computer set.
So, Scottyee, if you wouldn't mind very much reporting back, I'd greatly appreciate the info.

Great posts and info. I caught on a little late. I can tell you that I have both an Audiophile 2496 ( internal , non USB ) and a USB Quattro, both made by Midiman, supposedly using the same chipset, and the Quattro's output is never quite as good as the 2496 on the same files.

I'm going with firewire next time too. Here is another thing. Every USB cable I have seems to pickup noise and RF. I notice this mainly on the Yamaha Motif ES6. When I midi it to the comp using traditional midi cables, almost no noise floor. When I midi to the comp using USB cables, I pick up noise, and a significant amount at that
( -65 to -70 db ).

I love this computer based stuff, but I also realize that their are weaknesses simply because most apps and Windows based protocols are not setup with high end audio in mind. I'm soooo tempted to go with a Mac for my next comp, but I'd have to sacrifice a few of my favorite apps if I do.

AJ

[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 06-01-2005).]

AJ, get yourself a mini mac and put 1 gig of ram in it (do it yourself; don't pay the big A's absurd price for it). That way you can find out if it will work for you for a reasonable amount of money and then if it works you can go out and spend that fortune to get into Mac's.

Personally I'm not willing to give up my PC only software just to have a Mac that's going to cost me a LOT more and then restrict my software options and cost me a LOT to replace it to boot.

Tom

------------------
Bigger is not always better

Yep, I agree... it's a lot of money. On the other hand, a good friend uses Mac in his studio. He went from Mac to PC and then back and couldn't be happier. No more of the Windows associated bugs and crashes.

I'd still keep my Windows Laptop, which has the added benefit of allowing me to still run the softsynths that have no Mac counterparts. My host apps all come with MAC versions, so no big deal there.


Money isn't my primary concern, but I don't want to waste it either. My primary concern is switching all the apps I've acquired to the Mac platform.


The more I think of it though, instead I think it might be best for me to get a Hardware DAW for Recording. I can think of a few reasons I like the Mac platform better than PC, but at the end of the day, neither was designed with just Audio work in mind.


AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 06-01-2005).]