[jivex5k]

What do you guys think of the M Audio Firewire? I plan on getting a midi keyboard controller and need a midi port and better sound quality, and i think the firewire looks slick to boot. Anyone had problems with it? Im on XP by the way.
And while im on the matter anyone know of good midi controllers? Im looking for something around 200 at most, don't need all the knobs and stuff, but a pitch wheel would be nice. thanks guys

edit- M Audio Firewire Audiophile that is...

 

[K271 Guy]

Why does the blue tool make a sword sound XD

 

[CSMR]

How does MIDI work actually? My sister's just bought a digital piano. Can all the information that the piano receives from the keyboard input be conveyed through MIDI, even for a sophisticated piano? Does it convey - how hard you've touched the keys, how you touched them, how far the pedals are depressed?
(Sorry for posing a question rather than answering the OP!)

 

[MiChael.]

I've always thinked that M-Audio don't do well special products, and I was right when I had Revo 7.1, sure it's fine, but there are better ones, it sounded quite mechanical compared to HDSP, but I prefer Revo for trance, techno and electro.

Btw, they had some blind listening tests at AVSforum: Lynx Two-B, RME Digi96/8 PAD and M-Audio Delta 1010 (the most expensive M-Audio) and they said Delta sounds like coming from under pillow, I have to agree with my experience of Revo, warmth is not real, it's muffled, but still harsh (mayne upped mids ?) and not very bright either.

IIRC, someone told about Firewire having less jitter, dunno how's that possible even...

Does it have to be external and connection USB or Firewire ? Cause there are other options available...

 

[jivex5k]

Yes it has to be external, im working from a laptop. I was checking out terratec's aureon 7.1 firewire. It looked pretty good and comes with a programmable remote. As long as theres a midi port and 1/4" headphone jack I should be pretty happy, but digital output never hurts either.

 

[MiChael.]

Look at this baby http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm

you could also look for Ego-Sys QUATAFire 610, MotU 828 MKII or 896

 

[jivex5k]

Yeah they certainly look nice but all the I/Os would be wasted. The only input i need is midi and sooner or later ill need digital. Plus my price range is around 200 or so, those models probably cost 1000++.
I saw the Quatafire and it looked rock solid, it was a little on the expensive side though.

 

[CSMR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiChael. I've always thinked that M-Audio don't do well special products, and I was right when I had Revo 7.1, sure it's fine, but there are better ones, it sounded quite mechanical compared to HDSP, but I prefer Revo for trance, techno and electro.

The revo is their least expensive product. The Firewire should be much better in all respects.

 

[MiChael.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSMR The revo is their least expensive product. The Firewire should be much better in all respects.

I don't have experience of that Firewire M-Audio, but I doubt it would be much better than Revo according to the quality of the best M-Audio soundcard Delta 1010 AVSforum blindtests, the M-Audio main characters of the sound are still there...

...though it's totally subjective who likes the sound and how the listener feel/hear it, some people might prefer SB Live over Wadia if she/he likes to hear only the muddy and harsh mids

 

[CSMR]

AVS forum seemed generally positive about the blind tests. Coudn't find the blind tess. I'd be interested to show them to the people at hydrogenaudio who think that all sound cards are the same.