All user reviews for the Echo Audiofire 4

I bought it on the advice of a salesperson promo she was at the time it was a good deal considering the price today.

Used for voice and keyboard instrument recorded midi.

Connected firewire on laptop toshiba satellite A100-766.

UTILIZATION

No driver problem apart from the impossibility for several years to save the console settings. Thing became very annoying dice the first hours of use ...

Used on cubase, reason, and nuendo

2 track simultaneous recording playback 4 track.

Last day very late having purchased shortly after its release.

GETTING STARTED

Trouble-free installation.

Simple configuration console but not very clear.

No incompatibility.

Manual or that? (Downloadable from)

OVERALL OPINION

Over 4 years.

First acquisition.

She has perfectly fulfilled the function except for this damn console reparameterized need to use.

She passed away after more than 4 years of occasional use! Alumage from the fault (flashing LED orange). Reconue No longer in the system and after hours (or weeks) of research, installation new driver, firmware update and hair pulling her to finish the annoying poubelle.Toujours during registration!

The XLR connector and firewire is "limited." This sheet Alim'm barely. Soon to be the price at the time involved a bad series. It is no longer manufactured and in stock on the official website ...

Console to set every time, life is programmed to flee as I saw the price today!

I use this sound card since the end of 2009 (three years) with Logic Pro 9 on an iMac (mid-2009) and it is perfect for my needs (save one to two tracks at the same time).

I like =
- Ease of use, easy to configure
- Design quality aluminum which fits very well in an environment Apple
- Manufacture of quality
- Compact size (fits between the iMac screen and desk, very fine).
- FireWire hub for connecting an additional hard drive.
- The input jack / XLR in the same port on the front (two front). IN jacks behind two big plus.
- 2 stereo RCA outputs for two monitors or headphone amp.
- The headphone output on the front panel

I do not like:
- Uh. May be too compact, I would have preferred a big VU meters with frontage to the AKAI but this card is much better then it is on. Especially with the sound card software very easy access to the 4 input levels seen with a very precise electronic meter.
- Never understood what the purpose of the SPDIF.

UTILIZATION

Drivers very stable. Last year I met a lot of trouble with FireWire, the card or my hard drive was not recognized, but I do not know where it came from, it was no longer reproduced.

I use Logic Pro 9 with a condenser microphone RODE and another in Ultra Low Cost Woodbrass. Very good recording levels. The integrated software allows good management sections, coupling the inputs for true stereo sound.

ECHO has a little time to make the transition from driver to Lion but it fell during the holiday season ...

GETTING STARTED

Installs and integrates problem on Mac and Logic 9 ...
A manual? He stayed in the box ....


Incompatibility arose with the release of OSX Lion but soon overtaken by an update of drivers from ECHO.


Cables provided, this is good. Attention is the FireWire 400 adapter must be 400/800 for new Mac.

OVERALL OPINION

I advise no problem to whoever would save two tracks XLR microphone jack or two instruments. Personally, I do not make use of the two input jacks behind since we recorded our every turn.

I like the quality of the preamps and the sampling rate (nothing to do with the cards Alesis). I tested the iO2 a friend, the ECHO level is clearly above.
I do not really see anything to repprocher even looking good ...
It's worth typing straight into the € 270 for a good quality sound card. In fact I'm surprised what is so inexpensive compared to other brands dedicated Apple ...


I highly recommend it, I almost want to buy a second to dedicate to my MacBook.

+ 4 in the afternoon, the quality of the preamp (before I had an ECHO Layla 3G PCI mode, as I switched to Mac, I wanted to buy the same brand and I must say that I'm not disappointed, so much I have bought a second for use on the go).


I use it with a preamp tube and a tube compressor (TL Audio FAT 2).
Ave bass, vocals and keyboard is more than excellent. Pro-quality trouble-free.


with iMac & MacBookPro 27 i3 i7 2011 8GB 8GB. The hair, nothing to say.

UTILIZATION

Drivers? kesako? yeah, you download the driver, plug and it works.
Echo console is really good and simpler than previous versions.

used with Adobe Audition (really my favorite software is so simple)
Logic Pro Audio 9, GarageBand and Live 8.

Latency between 8 and 13ms

GETTING STARTED

Installation nickel.
Fastoche configuration.
no incompatibility (even on PC).
Manuel useless.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 8 months and it is impeccable.
I've read reviews talking about cracking but it is only the setting of the buffer (depending on software). With Live, never had any worries. With Logic, you need at least 256 samples.

I love the most: the 4 analog inputs, two possible chaining via Firewire Audiofire Back, the manual (there is no need), the look (aluminum chassis very simple and beautiful / strong), the preamp ( hmmmmmm ....), the grain of my bass when she gets it.

like least: the firewire 400 (ok, must quibble).

On reflection, I would reiterate perhaps a USB port to use my 800 with my firewire hard drive firewire 800.

But in any case, sure, I will keep at least one of the two I have.

I already had the echo indigo DJ and I / O, having switched on mac I was looking for a firewire external interface for studio and live, with the ability to route to multiple outputs + pre-amps to plug a microphone or a guitar directly into the box.
I use a Macbook Core Duo 2GHz 2GB RAM, mainly with Ableton Live.

UTILIZATION

No installation required OS.L MAC interface is recognized a few tenths of seconds after being connected.
no power needed either ...

GETTING STARTED

With Live 6, the overall latency (input + output) is 22ms minimum (below, crackling ...).
it suits me (it was about the same with indigo), but I expected better.
Recording on track 1 + 1 score read with tons of VST.
I have not tried multi-track recording.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 2 weeks.
For now I appreciate the craft, although the latency Outher been lower.
I like the connectivity, ease of installation, price, and then the look of the beast.
Console MAC-OS is also very well designed.

Hello, I even bought jai interface Echo audiofire4
jOperation live 5.2.1

latency is 23ms was 44.1 on the console with echo driver in sample rate since 1024 with pieces gourmants AC runs better

parcontre on ableton live jai output between 26ms and 49ms
I never recorded anything I'm just using samples of the composition and plugs so I men crazy latency of

I t too disappointed with the latency, before javai Layla24 on a pci latency issue and I must say that was better than the fai pa pci javai 4ms
for the time, it could actually labeled "zero latency" on the box

jai also noticed that it takes 15% CPU resources directly, I lay on a point blank ableton live project

I know it's the sound card, because if I put the sound of my chipset motherboard realtek rotten, I fall to 1% of resource
You have made the same finding?

interesting information, I hope the benefit of yours

friendly

UTILIZATION

The driver gives me systmatiquement in 48khz, ca shit I want to be ...... 44.1 problem solved!

GETTING STARTED

Compo purely virtual ableton

OVERALL OPINION

Converto, I find them very good, it is the same as the rest of the line echo firewire

jai as parliaments echo Layla24 comparison, motu ultralite, presonnus BS, digi
I put in 10 Converto

jai pa still test the prampli

For me, this little (only) sound card silent the opportunity to play with pre-amp that I was dcris like quality.
The number of silent and out well enough that I use requires it. (computer music computer, plus voice recording with up to two microphones for sound recording)

The inputs and outputs are managed within a small interface on the operating system. (WIN, MAC, ...)
I do not love too much, just a practical matter.

UTILIZATION

ON MY PC, the drivers are not stable at all, it says my machine this old.
Use with CUBASE trs is not always nice, but MIDI trs works well, even on this log, or on REASON.
Almost no latency (kan even a little).

The headphone output rglage plutt faade is a good point against its competitors.

GETTING STARTED

<img class="smiley" src="/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_lol.gif" alt="" /><img class="smiley" src="/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt="" /><img class="smiley" src="/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" /> Pcable ...

OVERALL OPINION

A good map, with a budget a little but a report lev qual / prx correct.
Other good card competition well, but it just diffrent of other functional and pretty and more! (Like the woman of my rve)
I certainly would remake the same choice!
toushousss

I chose this card because it had good reputable, I had already had a map layla which was excellent and she silent censment recognized by Linux.
Project as having to buy a laptop, I anticipate a little by taking the card.
His two preamps (excellent IMHO), its two other inputs as well as among its SPDIF me enough.

Unfortunately, I did not finally taken the laptop and with full support under Liux ffado Relva fantasy. (AC AudioFire not come from its installation on windows was done in 5 minutes.)


UTILIZATION

The drivers are stable? a priori, yes, sometimes I had some unexpected changes of resolutions but I'm not sure that was either because the card.

What software do you use most often? Tracktion 2.0 audacity

How many tracks you get record / playback conjuction? ... 4 tracks in recordings, and a dozen in reading with VST and VSTis

What latency you get? Few ms,

GETTING STARTED

Installation is it without problem?

I took the precaution in buying a firewire card with Texas Instrument chipset so Windows 5 minutes max
Plutt plug it in ubuntu, try, comp, reinstall goes on a forum, reinstall, try, cry and return to Windows. (I criticize not Linux, I use it for my job, but the facility is not available all ... at least not me

Gnrale configuration is easy? yes

The manual is clear and sufficient? Yes, actually I just walked, it's not needed.

OVERALL OPINION

For how long have you been using it?

I used 4 months

What is the specific feature you like best, the least?

the sound is very good, excellent dynamic
the least: it is a bit ugly, it doesn't under linux (if it is not rdhibitoire windows or mac os)

How do you report qualitprix?
pretty good on occasion because the sound is really good

Have you tried many other models before acqurir?
Oh yes! maxi sound home studio (a crap), Event Layla 20bit (the great era), M-Audio Delta 2496 (very good, the only really works as a plug n play under linux but not enough input es) a tascam us 428 (latency inoperative shit, tascam dplorable SAV) a SEKD an RME Digi supposed to work under linux and that worked very well but not that worked very well under Windows.

With exprience, you do again this election? ...
I sold it today because I want to go under ardor, Linux (Tracktion tired) so I strongly advises Windowsy mcaosiste and confident and maybe that compile for Linux users as they breathe.
But since this is not my case I'll take another card. surely an echo layla 3g 24 or because it is really very good maps much more accessible than the RME well that I think at the same level.

(Originally written by bounav/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Audio, MIDI and SPDIF interface

24bit/96kHz

Six audio inputs and six audio outputs:

- Two XLR/instrument combo inputs on the front panel

- Two balanced line inputs on the rear panel

- Four balanced outputs on the rear panel

- Two SPDIF inputs

- Two SPDIF outputs

Firewire

Self-powered

I use it with Mac OS X Leopard on a Mac Mini Intel (Core 2 Duo) and a 12" Powerbook with Logic Pro 7.2.

Instruments most often recorded: acoustic, electric and bass guitars, and vocals

UTILIZATION

The Audiofire 4 is natively compatible to Core Audio and Core Midi so there's no need for drivers! Just connect it and OS X will automatically detect the card.

No compatibility problems until now. I use the interface with Mac OS and Logic Pro 7.2.

The configuration can't be easier. It's a REAL plug'n'play device. I haven't tested it with Windows yet. I read on Echo's website that there are 32 and 64 bit drivers available for XP and Vista (WDM, ASIO 2 and GSIF drivers)

I never read the user's manual. It's not necessary.

GETTING STARTED

No driver needed with OS X. Native Core Audio and Core MIDI card. Very stable operation. No drop-outs nor crashes.

Notice: since the card uses a Firewire bus, every time you add or switch on a device (like an external hard drive) in the Firewire chain the connection to the computer is reset and the sound is gone for 1/4 of a second. This is totally normal. It's the same with every Firewire device.

In order to realize the card's full potential install Audiofire Console, a small software mixer for the interface that allows you to change the routing of each stereo channel (three stereo channels = six outputs), enable the phantom power, change the sampling rate and the SPDIF protection mode, etc.

The software I use are Logic Pro 7.2, iTunes and Audio Hijack Pro

Latency time: I've set the latency down to 64 samples without having a single problem, but I usually set it to 128 samples.

Simultaneous recording of six mono tracks.

Six assignable outputs (three stereo buses)

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using this interface for two weeks.

Pros: Transparent converters. Compact size. Ease of use.

Cons: Only one headphone output.

Previously used audio interfaces: several Sound Blaster Live, M-Audio Firewire 410, Tascam FW-1082.

Excellent value for money!

Would I buy this product again? Yes, yes, yes! It's the interface I had been dreaming about!