Fire Wire vrs. USB

RJH_MUSIC · Post by **RJH_MUSIC** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:49 am

I cureently have an 828mrkII FW audio interface. Since I am having no luck solving the RICOH FW and or VISTA challenge, (although I am successfully running under VISTA 32 but cannot get the SYNC to my drum machines to work), I am going to do one or two things or both depending on the answer to this question.

Is there any difference in performance or capability between the 828mrkII Firewire model and the USB model?? I originally thought that USB 2.0 would be faster than FW 400, but someone recently told me that FW is peer to peer and yields faster performance than USB and that I would not be able to record more than 2 simultaneous tracks with the USB model. Can someone please shed some light. I am very close to dumping VISTA and going back to WIn XP Pro. I would also like to install XP x(64) to take advantage of the 4 gig ram, but after reading new posts on this, I think I might be better off with XP Pro 32 bit.

Please help.

RJ

sebbee · Post by **sebbee** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:33 am

Hi RJH,

Am in the same seat as you, got 4gb ram i would like to use.
But my 828mk2 FW does not work on Vistax64 with 4gb ram. I have been told to try only with 2gb ram, but i haven't tried and am not going to. Not interestedsince i want to use all my 4gb.

I can't answer your question about audio channels, but with FW you can use lower buffer than USB. Wich means FW will give you lower latency. ¨

Some people also claims that bad usb drivers uses more CPU than FW. Am not 100% about this but i have heard it from many.

Hope this helps abit! Cheers

RJH_MUSIC · Post by **RJH_MUSIC** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:11 am

Thanks. This has been a nightmere to say the least. I would prefer to have the FW unit, but right now I need it to work. So if a go to the USB model and a year from now MOTU ifnally gets the FW drivers right I am screwed. If the USB model does not fair any better, I am still screwed. Now, if I want to use XP Pro, I have to find a third party SATA driver, because WIN XP installation won't see my new hard drive and quits the install. UGH!!!

I have had success with using the FW unit with VISTA 32, with 4 gig of ram, because VISTA 32 only sees 3 gig anyway. The only thing not working is my MIDI sync. I get intermittent behavior with syncing my MIDI drum machine for MIDI Clock. One minute it is there and the next it is gone. I guess I could live without it in the hopes that in the future drivers will be better. I do not beleive the stuff I hear about the RICOH FW chipset, because if the Chip Set were bad, it would not work at all in either VISTA version, but it does in VISTA 32. WIth that said, I do not know if the sync problem could be related to that. There are so many variables I can't figure out which ones to tackle first. I currently own both the ULTRLITE, and an 828mrkII FW. I can get my money back on the ULTRALITE, (Guitar Center) but I only have 15 days from the purchase date to get my money back on the 828mrkII, (Sam Ash). And no one has the USB model in stock, so I have to order it. I am screwed no matter what i do, unless I return the 828 and wait for the USB model to arrive. If it does not work well, I can take it back and re-purchase the FW model. I have been at this now over a month and have not produced on measure of Music since.

RJ

RJH_MUSIC · Post by **RJH_MUSIC** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:16 am

OK, new plan! For tonight anyway. I did by a FW ExpressCard from Sewell Direct, that has a TI chipset in it. When I tried it on VISTA ULTIMATE with 4 gig of ram, It would not work at all. I have not tried it on VISTA 32. So tonight I am going to connect it up on VISTA 32 and see if it works and my sync getts any better. If it does, then I will stay with the 828mrkII FW. If it does not, then I am back to square one.

RJ