All user reviews of 4/5 for the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra

- What technical specifications have motivated your choice?
among several I / O
- For what purpose?
- What is your config (Map mother / CPU / Ram / Hard, ...)?
- Which instruments or systems (console, prampli, DTD ...) you use it and how connections ...?
Branchs above are:
palmer pdi-03
output line out of my marshall JVM410H
DI
VG88
and digital out of my SW1000XG

USE

- Installation is it done without problem?
Yes no problem
- Have you encountered the incompatibilits?
Not at all
- Is Gnrale configuration is easy?
Yes, the control panel and very simple, and likewise the mixer.
- Is the manual is clear and sufficient? ...?
Simply pdf manual

IMPLEMENTATION

- Are the drivers stable?
Yes, I noticed nothing of problematic
- Are they often put day?
Yes
- What software do you use most often?
Cubase 5.1
- What you get lag?
7ms I can get off 5ms, even 3ms
- How many tracks you record / play simultaneously ...?
I record a maximum of 3 simultanne track, due to my setup:
- DI (to make re-amping and for some clean sounds)
- Palmer PDI03
- Marshall JVM410H (line output of the amp)

NOTICE GLOBAL

- How long have you use it?
3months

- What is the particular feature you like best and least?

+ Many inputs / outputs
- No rack !!!

- Have you tried many other models before acqurir?
Not

- How do you report qualitprix?
Very good

- With the exprience, you do again this choice ...?
Probably

What motivated me to buy this card was the number input pre-amp (4 xlr). At the time it was the only card that offered as input for a reasonable price.
As I am a drummer, I wanted to provide decision-battery.
2 headphone jacks are also super helpful when we bump two. The six outputs are very useful and thanks to Driver can route all inputs and outputs a good point.
I use it with an ASUS under Windows7 4GB of ram and i7 processor so a good Pc.
I rather use the card with Cubase and Reason in rewire. Now this is Live, but not particularly Pb. I've always managed to make my mix without much bug. anyway I do not think with a super bug to € 1000 does not exist!

UTILIZATION

The driver is stable but there are still some plays that come in addition to the signal when recording or they are from time to time to listen too. They are related to the buffer size, the problem is solved by increasing but it has increased the latency so this is a story included in each record.

The driver has not been updated since the release of Seven but working well and I believe a new version of this card came out so it is not likely to see another update.

At 14ms latency can be achieved in buffer with 512 to 44100kHz sampling okay!

Against by the little problem with this card is the detection at startup. This is a USB card and the PC should detect it for it to work. and according to the weather condition (no I'm not kidding), it more or less difficult to be detected.

Anecdote: I had an outdoor concert on a stage set up in town a hot day. There was no roof on the scene and the card was therefore exposed to significant heat. Because I took good sunburn! Making it impossible to detect the sound card. No sound card not together! So the only solution was to put the card in the fridge to see if it worked lower temperature. 15-20min after a short stay in the fridge, as if by magic it worked.
So this is the weak point of this card.

GETTING STARTED

The second point is that the damage plastic knobs disintegrates ca not very clean but ca n alter the operation of the card.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 3 years now and I always use it every day also.

This is my first sound card and I'm pretty satisfied. I mix less today but very practical for everyday use.

What I like most about this card: ease of use, pre-amplified inputs and stability.

What I like least about this card: detecting the start of the card that requires several attempts each time.
I think I remake this choice, but perhaps for the same card, version new.
For my use now I do not even useful to change.

A number of I / O that matched my needs, a good pre-amplification, response speed very very correct.
I think that at the time I bought it, it was a very good price / quality ratio. I did not follow the new releases, maybe found better today

UTILIZATION

The drivers I have planted the PC sometimes, especially after standby and off with the sound card during the standby mode. In other words, it is rare that plant.
I use Ableton and Native Instruments. I have a good pc so it is not fishing too late in the day but sometimes it starts to make a clicking

GETTING STARTED

Very clear once we got it how to handle I / O

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a year. I tried other models before but I was not satisfied or the number of entries, or pre-amplification. Since I mix, I hack on Native Instruments and Ableton and I play the guitar, this card is really, for the moment, a very good compromise.
I would do this choice with the experience and I consider still to evolve and move on to the range above

Sound card 6 inputs / 6 outputs + 2 I / O SPDIF (never used mine).

USB connection, USB (2 I / O in this case) or sector.

4 XLR inputs with preamps correct phantom power.
2 headphone outputs with independent volume control.

UTILIZATION

The drivers are not always very stable, it is true, but with a few precautions it can be used in Home Studio (disabling any internal sound card and any cards wifi, use 48kHz and not 44.1 drivers last generation).

Otherwise, soundcard hyper reliable, already used in 6 tracks without problems.

GETTING STARTED

The front and rear panels are use clear (this is one of the reasons I chose), the housing is robust, the software is, as with any sound card, a bit long really take in hand (in order to make complicated routing).

OVERALL OPINION

I've had it about 2 years ago, I had the opportunity to use other sound cards in the same price range, I've never been disappointed by the MPO in comparison.

Stability problems sometimes encountered (especially on Vista and Seven) does not allow me to put an excellent rating, but 8 seems appropriate.

I will trust M-Audio for my future purchases in this area.

My choice was motivated by the number of mic / instrument / line XLR to record simultaneously on 4 channels, USB input on my laptop.
I use it by plugging my 5-string banjo through my preamp Ultrasound DI Plus (More DI input jack to the Instrument In and XLR DI Out XLR Plus at Fast Track Ultra XLR), and my microphone Shure Beta 58 vocal through my TC-Helicon Voice Tone Harmony G XLR (Mic Input XLR and two cables at the output of Voice Tone, one for voice dry, exit Dry Right, and one for the vocal harmonies, Left Mono output, about two of the four XLR inputs of Fast Track Ultra). The control of the harmonies is through agreements banjo connected via an output jack Output of Instrument DI Plus Inst towards the entrance of Voice Tone In the Guitar output volume to zero to avoid double sound of the banjo in the output Harmonies (Left Mono) due to non-use of the output Instrument Through (the alternative scheme "banjo - Inst Inst In and Through the Voice Tone - Instrument Input DI Plus" does not in my banjo I like the sound output of the DI Out XLR Plus, either to the Fast Track Ultra or to an amp or console).

UTILIZATION

The drivers are stable so far.
I use Cubase LE which works simultaneously with all available channels but I have yet used the 4 channels of XLR front.
Audacity, meanwhile, does not, unfortunately, with more than two simultaneous channels with Windows because it does not Asio.
Ableton Live Lite, however, comes with Fast Track Ultra, does not more than 2 simultaneous channels and M-Audio have been making an effort on this point: Cubase LE Tascam foun well with the US-144 that has Yet only two input channels.

GETTING STARTED

The installation and configuration do I have posed no problem on XP SP3 or Vista SP2 32-bit and I have not met any inconsistencies.
The manual (in French) seemed clear but I am far from having used all the features of the interface.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for two years, and, as I said above, the number of simultaneous channels over two that determined my choice.
I had previously bought a Tascam US-144, but it is limited to two channels of XLR inputs.
It costs two times more than the US-144, but has three times as many input channels (+ 2 S / PDIF), including 2 XLR times.
I would definitely do it again this election unless I need more input channels (12 or more to register my group for example).

Jesse.

Card ultra compact, easily transportable.
I find the right converter plutt same as my setup does not allow to jug prcisment trs. Yet even taken on "fine", before modulation jobtiens my breath plutt good sign
It can receive all forms of connectivity and can receive an external sync via S / PDIF.
Only 2 Port Midi (in / out), too bad.

UTILIZATION

I use it with several soft without compatibility problem.
Are large by default against its drivers silent, unstable (ncessitait an almost systmatique APRS Reinstalling the lighting of the map). Rsolue problem since thanks to new drivers (put rgulirement day) and my time in 64bit Windows (I did both at the same time change). Since then, his works fine!
Second problem of routing software: it does not route the two inserts.

GETTING STARTED

Implementation very easy thanks to the soft and simple routing ddi of use. I regret labsence an equalizer on the utility output to correct the Linari card and my speakers (home studio requires) in lieu of a rverbe unusable.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for about a year.
I have not had the opportunity to try MODELS this price range, which does not give me a comparison of references, up from Mbox ugly ...
Still, I think for this price, the choice is again. It offers everything you asked even a little over-exploit (o everything is connected)!

I wanted a card not CHRE trs (300 in the neighboring side of the Rhine the era) that just do everything without esprer perfection, a goal reached!

The M-Audio Fast Track Ultra is a fairly nice, multi input pre from M-Audio. It features 24 bit/96KHz audio, USB 2.0, 4 preamps, 4 XLR inputs, LED indicator lights, phantom power, 6 balanced inputs, 6 balanced outputs, 2 analog inserts, S/PDIF, MIDI, 2 headphone jacks with controls and even has phantom power.

UTILIZATION

M-Audio did a pretty good job setting this whole thing up. The interface itself is nicely laid out, and everything is easy to use. There are no annoying breakout cables that cause a tangled mess. One thing I'm not a huge fan of, however, is the fact that they use USB 2.0. While USB 2.0 can work nicely, I find that it can be a pain once you start running lots of effects. The latency can get annoying, so you gotta monitor your latency more so than if you'd have a Firewire connection. M-Audio also tries to claim that USB 2.0 is faster, but anybody who knows about technology knows that theoretical output does not equal true output.

GETTING STARTED

Setting up is very easy, just like any other M-Audio device out there. Simply plug in the devices to their corresponding ports, and you're good to go. I didn't experience any compatibility issues, and that's a great thing. This works with both PC and Mac, so nearly anybody can use it without a problem. I never read the manual, but I can't imagine a real need to unless you're trying to figure out how certain connections work. Anybody who has used an interface before should know exactly how everything works.

OVERALL OPINION

The price is kinda high, but there are a lot of features packed in here. It's a solid device that has good sounding converters. There are better devices out there, but they either lack the versatility this has, have breakout cables, are Firewire only and/or are Mac only. For the features this thing has, it's definitely worth checking out.

Chosen after careful consideration as interface quality, comprehensive and excellent value for money.
I wanted a mobile product, which manages the South

UTILIZATION

I only got it today, so not yet tested

GETTING STARTED

Intallation fast and bp on a PC running Win 7 64 bit

OVERALL OPINION

The main areas for improvement would be to propose a better management of effects and mix live use, but especially for the meters to make levels! A single LED that is useless.
Incidentally the registration of 192 Hz would be a plus, and a AA battery power for portable use away from the area without pulling the battery from the phone via usb.
The price / quality ratio is excellent.