828MKII vs. Tascam FW-1884 Showdown...

nbdanielson · Post by **nbdanielson** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 1:45 pm

Hello All,

I've learned a ton about DP just from browsing this forum for the past few months - now I finally have a question about an interface in relation to DP4.6.

I currently have an 828MKII and have the opportunity to trade straight across with a friend for a Tascam FW-1884 that is basically brand-spankin' new - it has way more features then he needs...

I'm comfortable using my 828 and I have had no problems using it, so am hesitant to change things up...yet I know the Tascam costs about $600 or so more (which doesn't necessarily mean squat) and it also seems to have nearly the same features and quality as the 828 - however, since it has automation (less mouse dragging!) more mic inputs and inserts I'm really tempted to explore this option more. I could really use those extra mic inputs!!

Do any of you guys have any suggestions and/or experience with this interface? Any problems getting this thing to talk friendly with DP4.6? I always hear that it's best to stay uniform with brands (i.e. MOTU interface, MOTU software), although I'm unsure of how valid that idea really is since I've never experienced having different brands.

I just want to avoid switching and ending up dead in the water! Thanks for any responses!

-Nic

MOTU 828MKII
DP4.6
Absynth3
Mac G5 Dual 1.8Ghz
Korg N1, Rhodes Suitcase, etc...

nbdanielson · Post by **nbdanielson** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:38 am

It would still be cool to hear anything from those who have used this interface and maybe even have had the opportunity to compare it to an 828mkII - at this point I'm most interested in somebody's take on the quality of the A/D converters and mic pre's vs. the 828. Automation is one thing, but if it doesn't sound as good...it's a dealbreaker.

I am demoing this thing for the next few days and will be able to hear for myself - but another viewpoint would be really really helpful!

Thanks!

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:58 am

Both sound very good, but obviously each have their own advantages. The 828mkII can be expanded with additional interfaces, although both can be expanded via ADAT Lightpipe. There is an advantage with the onboard DSP processing for monitoring on the 828 as well as the physical meters, but the pro to the FW1884 is a FULL control surface. I like the 828mkII but if you have a way to trade straight across for this product which is quite a bit more money....IMHO, I'd do it. Then again as an engineer, I like faders and knobs

The FW1884 is a very good solution, I highly recommend it.... because of the control-surface part of it. I'm not saying this is better than the 828mkII, just different. In some situations, you're better off with the 828mkII and getting a US2400 or a Mackie Control.

yaknski · Post by **yaknski** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:02 pm

I've used both and the MOTU hands down sounds better. I believe the A/D convertors are better on the MOTU. For me, the better sound quality outweighs the benefits of a control surface, which you can purchase at reasonable cost. The Cuemix feature of the 828mkII is nice too.

With your Mac platform, I'd stay with what ya got.

kpsnyder85 · Post by **kpsnyder85** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 11:34 pm

I can't speak for this device in particular, but we have some digital tascam boards at work that I think sound like garbage next to the motu converters. Also, having just spent the last 4 months getting my O1V to talk to DP as a control surface, I'd make sure that you're getting the full benifit of the surface before you trade.

Good Luck

nbdanielson · Post by **nbdanielson** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:09 am

Hey guys - thanks a lot for the feedback! It's great to get some other opinions on this...

It looks like I will have the Tascam until early January since the guy got married last weekend and is out honeymooning...I'm still testing it out right now and I have to say that the sound quality seems different than the 828...still want to compare things further, but so far it's almost like there's a little less fullness to the sound when recording through the tascam. When I listen to the same thing that I recorded through the 828 it just seems to have a wider range somehow, particularly on the lower end...but like I said, I want to test more (I have this paranoid suspicion that the guitarist might have moved the bass slider on my Rhodes). I'll do something with a piano this time...

That being said, this thing has come to me at a great time - I'm in the process of recording drums for our demos and having those 8 mic pres has been damned convenient! Not to mention the ease of having it sitting right next to my kit so I can just reach over and tweak. Doing some preliminary mixes has been great with the control surface - I get things get done a lot faster now.

Anyway, on to more testing!

Thanks again for the thoughts people...if anyone has more input please share the word!
-nic

yaknski · Post by **yaknski** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:14 pm

Hey NBDanielson,

You can use the Tascam just as a control surface if you want (you couldn't use the preamps simultaneusly then however). Sometimes it's nice to have real faders and panning vs. a mouse when mixing.

I suppose one option if you need 8 pre's is to track just the drums through the TASCAM and the rest of the project go through the MOTU.

I haven't had to deal with MOTU support yet but I can tell you that TASCAM's support sucks, it's like they don't even exist. I got more help from user forums with my TASCAM problems. And guess what? No more TASCAM products in my studio.

nbdanielson · Post by **nbdanielson** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:43 am

Ok - Just thought I'd polish this thread off...I'm getting my 828 back tomorrow. The Tascam is maddening!
I've decided it really doesn't sound as good...and the firewire keeps randomly dropping out and going completely offline! (yeah i updated all drivers/firmware) I have to shutdown my mac, power cycle the FW and then reboot to get a connection again. Not a good way to get things done.

I love the control surface aspect of it though and it's going to be rough going back to a mouse. Maybe I'll get a cheapy Behringer surface sometime.
In the meantime, I guess I'll borrow my friend's Mackie 1604 and use those pres into my 828 to record demo drums for now.

Thanks for all the advice all!!
Nic