BEFORE you buy an M-audio Projectmix

Jaysplace101 · Post by **Jaysplace101** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 4:15 pm

After many hours wrestling with this thing last night, I called tech support this morning and was on the phone with them for a couple more hours.

My problem: I like to use external Mytek converters instead of the M-audio ones. But, I could not get the control panel to set it up so that I could do direct monitoring (no latency) on the spdif input. It works fine on the analog inputs of the projectmix, but the spdif input is a no go.

This afternoon, I got a call back from a senior tech and he said the duplicated my experience at their office and it's a bug that will be placed in the "bug log" to be fixed for the next update. There's no timetable whatsoever for the next update.

Seems to me this is a pretty HUGE bug. Basically, you WILL NOT be able to use external converters of any sort with the projectmix until this is fixed.

I just thought anyone considering this purchase should have this info. This is really a great work surface and I can't believe the features included for the price. Can't decide if I'm going to hang on to it until the next update or not.

j

Jaysplace101 · Post by **Jaysplace101** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 4:44 pm

forgot to mention.... it's a MAC bug only. Tech guy said there was no problem at all with the windows driver.

BKK-OZ · Post by **BKK-OZ** » Mon May 22, 2006 1:47 am

Hey there, thanx for posting this.

Does this mean that the answer to my Q2 in this post: http://www.unicornation.com/phpBB2/view ... 6477#76477

is "no"?

Noam · Post by **Noam** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 12:29 am

Interesting. I can do direct monitoring via the software mixer - of the 8 adat inputs from my ada800 no problem. I have a spdif unit as well but haven't tried it through the projectmix as I'd rather have the 8 tracks vs. the 2 from my spdif unit. I will try it out though now that you brought it up.
-noam

gearboy · Post by **gearboy** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 2:06 pm

M-Audio Mac drivers are horrible. I had a FW 1814 as a backup to my 828mkii... which has never needed a backup. Sold it because it crashed my Dual G5 twice the first day that I had it. And yes, I had the current drivers and many other folks here and on TapeOp have had the same problems.

Jeff[/u]

Noam · Post by **Noam** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 6:14 pm

gearboy wrote:M-Audio Mac drivers are horrible. ---Jeff[/u]

That's a broad assumption you're making based on experience with one piece of equipment. (unless you've had problems with others you haven't mentioned)

I had an m-audio delta 1010 running on a G4 through about 3 different OS's and it was flawless the whole time. Hardware and software. My Projectmix is working very reliably, though I haven't tried monitoring off a spif device. I am using an ada8000 into it and though I haven't monitored through it, (I monitor it's inputs through the P-mix) it is working fine for recording. The interface virtual mixer - monitor control software works really well with everything I've tried to do and hasn't crashed. I updated it once and both versions worked.

If there is indeed an acknowledged bug - and it relates to a feature that's important to you, that sucks, and one would hope they will remedy it.
It does say something that they took the issue seriously, didn't write it off or blame ancilliary equipment.

Just my .02

gearboy · Post by **gearboy** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:31 pm

That's a broad assumption you're making based on experience with one piece of equipment. (unless you've had problems with others you haven't mentioned)

Quite possibly. However, I started a thread concerning this over at TapeOp at the time and Mac folks were coming out of the woodwork.

Example: Adjusting the Aux Send in the inteface software that came with the unit (I added the most recent drivers as well for my version of Tiger) literally gave me the blue screen of death, twice. I simply moused the Aux in the software and boom, OSX crashed. Rebooted, did it again, OSX crashed again. Several other TapeOp folks had this problem as well.

If I Rewired Live5 and DP together and adjusted the volume knob on the 1814, used the volume control on the software control for the unit, or adjusted the volume in Live5, then the sound would skip and jitter horribly. As a matter of fact, I couldn't run two audio programs at the same time and adjust the 1814's master volume. If I was recording to Audio Hijack Pro, the results would show up there, which means it wasn't just the unit, but the drivers. Everything fed to the audio buss would skip and jitter. I even reinstalled the drivers several times. iTunes and DP open at the same time... DP and Peak 4 LE... DP and Audio Hijack Pro... DVD player and iTunes... forget it. I could not adjust the volume without it sounding like I was scrubbing audio on a Roland VS880.

These are all things that just work when I use my 828mkii interfaces, things that I do all of the time before and after I owned the M-Audio interface.

I keep my G5 in tip top shape, repair permissions, defrag regularly, and I've never had a problem before or since on my system. I sold the FW1814 for a second 828mkii because in three yrs on three different Macs (iMac G3, PB G4, PowerMac G5) I have never had an issue like that. Sure, my 828's backlit screen has gone dead, and every once in a while the power flickers in the house and I have to reboot it, but never did any other piece of software crash OSX.

Believe me, I really wanted the unit to work out. I got it for a deal new from my M-Audio sales rep at the time and just wanted a solid backup FW interface. I didn't want to shell out the money for a second 828mkii. But in the end I found a guy on TapeOp and we traded interfaces. He didn't like the 828 for PC and wanted to go with ProTools, so it worked out fine for both of us and I got a 2nd 828mkii for about $300. It's mint and solid.

Jeff

Noam · Post by **Noam** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 8:51 pm

It certainly sounds like they screwed the pooch on that unit or on the mac criver for it. - I've never used it but take your word ( and the others you've heard from) for it. Just found that what I have used - the delta 1010 and now the Projectmix ( though it may still have a routing issue) has been stable for me. Perhaps not perfect , - but better than your average bear in my experience.

Just didn't want you to scare people off all M-audio when some might find some of their product usefull.

-noam

BKK-OZ · Post by **BKK-OZ** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:12 am

gearboy wrote:M-Audio Mac drivers are horrible. I had a FW 1814...

Maybe I am thick, but isn't the 1884 a Tascam unit, and therefore has nothing to do with M-Audio? I just don't get it.

I have a FW-1884 (Tascam) and it works just fine. I sold an old 828 MkI when I got it, and it was a great decision.

gearboy · Post by **gearboy** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 7:41 am

BKK-OZ wrote:
gearboy wrote:M-Audio Mac drivers are horrible. I had a FW 1814...
Maybe I am thick, but isn't the 1884 a Tascam unit, and therefore has nothing to do with M-Audio? I just don't get it.

I have a FW-1884 (Tascam) and it works just fine. I sold an old 828 MkI when I got it, and it was a great decision.

Ummmm... read the quote again.

martian · Post by **martian** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 6:31 am

I thought was a tascam too - but after a search...

M-Audio Firewire 1814 - m-audio, firewire, fw, 1814, 18/14, fire ...
M-AUDIO FW1814 Audio Interface <p> """ """The M-Audio FireWire-1814 recording interface, is the company's first FireWire interface with ADAT Lightpipe ...

BKK-OZ · Post by **BKK-OZ** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:55 pm

yep, me a bit thick sometimes...