All user reviews for the Echo Audiofire 8

Hi,



I just read the opinion of the blob-on Echo Audiofire 8, and I am surprised that you think you need to use a mac firewire ... Especially since this card is very well supported under Linux!

So actually for firewire Linux, you already need a real-time kernel, activate firewire (basic décactivé for security reasons), and install a small script called rtirq with which you can prioritize any process ...

There notemment distributions as Tango Studio that already incorporate everything.

Under windaube it is normal that it means walking is not for that ...

But frankly, advise people who will read you heading to mac to use firewire because more recent editions and rowing are all rotten after 2 updates (Random planned obsolescence!), This is a beautiful bullshit! I had so many worries that mac linux (damn unless under windows) except linux when it works, it works, it was no surprise after an update 6 months later ... and more is Almost free ... Must stop believing that mac is a reference is to the tying at every turn, and not so excellent performances it if not twice the purchase price of the machine to have a equipment suited to what you want to do ...




USE

I was just looking a notice of audio and now I come across a VRP at Apple ...

IMPLEMENTATION

So in summary before buying anything computer, check the threads on google and you will know where you stand ...

NOTICE GLOBAL

...dropoff Window

ECHO experience (I had almost the full range: Gina, Layla 3G Audiofire then 4 and 2, replaced by a Audiofire 8) and the bad experience MOTU several friends have kept me from ECHO.
Quality, 8 analog inputs / outputs, 8 controllable on the virtual table digital channels, preamp super quality, very nervous, very detailed, ADAT, midi, ... Brefr while to concentrate on the music.

I use it all on an iMac 27 i3 with an external HDD.

UTILIZATION

ultra-stable drivers.
latency of 4.5 ms with a buffer set to 64 in Logic.
one branch, we play, we do not feel any lag, even with direct feedback from the disconnected table.

I mix our album right now with forty tracks and plug ins and no problem.

GETTING STARTED

RAS, everything is clear and simple. No need for manual

OVERALL OPINION

I use ECHO for 12 years and it never bugged.
On Audiofire 4, I sometimes had some problems with logic, it would sometimes turn off and on the card so that the clicks disappear with a buffer set to the lowest.

otherwise with other AUDIOFIRE, RAS. Audio stream seems much more stable than firewire PCI (at the time I was turning my music on PC).


what I love most: the full routing, latency, preamp and A / D conversion

what I like least: the limit, the knobs on the front are plastic where everything else is aluminum. May be missing a button to adjust the volume of outputs 1/2 (ok, I quibble, I set everything on a small mixer or directly in the virtual and zouuu mixer).

Unbeatable quality / price. honestly, difficult to discern quality of RME Fireface.
I do not understand Echo has stopped production.
In my opinion, these are excellent technicians but not very good at marketing. Their products are just FA-BU-lous and they benefit from being more known. shame ...

And at least it's simple. One branch, we play, it saves, it's over.

For those who, like me, are fed up c .. interfaces where you have to be a computer expert to run, and there, we can focus on the music.

I love it!

I am interested in this sound card on a further notice that motivated my achat.Je possessed before Mk3 Motu ultralight and I found the quality of the A / D conversion mauvaise.Elle met me in the past but as a measure, my studio stuff and my expectations too.

I primarily chose Audiofire for the quality of converters used. The old 8 tracks (without ADAT) converters have the same peak set (ref: CS4272) and the same as the new RME firface (ref: AK4620).

UTILIZATION

For me, working on Mac drivers are very stable. I downloaded the program on the website and everything worked.
I record 8 tracks simultaneously via an old Soundcraft Series 02 and the latency is much better than on my motu virtually nonexistent!

GETTING STARTED

Nothing to say

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 1 month, frankly I do not post opinions about audiofanzine but I find the quality / price unbeatable this card (Used 200th) report. All depends what you want, if you need preamp quality, I recommend you head over to the RME or Apogee (not the same price), but if you have a good table or external preamps, it's really perfect.
I compared my old sound recording made with my motu and frankly it's day and night.The his breathing, sounds more open, more defined treble, better dynamics ...
In addition the design is simple and strong! This is what I expect from a sound card, it does its work and it remains discreet!

I would do without hesitation that choice, I'll buy one for bridger.

Interface 10 in 10 out FireWire (IEEE 1394a)
Came with 2 combo preamp and phantom amil
6 line inputs on TRS
8 line outputs on TRS
1 stereo input / output SPDIF Coax
1 headphone output with volume
The case of the interface is entirely aluminum (good for heat dissipation)
There is a button on / off (unlike the practice-101 edirol fa))
Despite the 6 pin firewire connection in which normally provided the amimentation, the interface is in need of a cord-like PC power supply to operate. It is of course provided and does not complicate the implementation as a separate power supply for example.
Rack of fixing strips are provided in the box.
The manual is in pdf format on the installation CD. (No paper manual)

My config is Athlon 64 3400 + with socket 754 with 2gig of ram and an ASUS motherboard with nForce3 250

UTILIZATION

S drivers installs in a snap (1.05).
I have also flashed the interface (1.04) (it has a built-in firmware ... well done!)
Control of the software interface is well designed, we can mix all the inputs to n 'matter which of the outputs).
The graphics are clear and controls are intuitive.

GETTING STARTED

The drivers are ultra stable.
"I had a Delta 1010 (m-audio) before buying the audiofire8 and" I was looking for a firewire interface that can 't get a sound quality equivalent as well as a similar latency.
I'm not disappointed, the sound quality is equivalent and even lower latency asio with the audiofire8.
The preamps are correct and the headphone output although it n 'there is nothing to s' faint.
As against the converters are exellent and the potato is at the rendezvous.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a week.
This interface is really great.
Only negative: the connections on the rear jacks are so close together that it is impossible to use Neutrik connections. It is stupid to the manufacturer saw the pro side of the product he would have thought that users would seek to use such connections.
NB: neutrik NP3X agree.
Despite this imperfection, I recommend this interface, that is a marvel.
As an example, I have turned a 16-track arrangement (24 bit 44.1 khz) encased in plugins with a buffer of 64 millisecond latency for no-click two or stall.
I have also managed the effects of a live voice during a rock concert all in 96000Hz with a buffer of 96 for a latency of one millisecond and it '... All concrete was happy!

Tt is in the data sheet

UTILIZATION

The installation requires you to download additional driver at the site of echo ..
incompatibilities but I took some time before you can read my movies and my mp3 (the card worked on Cubase with ASIO, but was not in the audio panel of windows.

GETTING STARTED

Drivers stable, but not for me to read a file on windows media as cubase is open ... quite boring, and clik every time the sampling rate changes (when you open cubase, etc. .., even the windows sounds are preceded by a clik probably due to the adaptation to the preamps tional frequency)

OVERALL OPINION

This is a great card that is worth its price, but small details annoy me (clik the aggrémentés the ignition of the first diode preamps, so that nothing is connected) .. converters are good qualities (c echo eh) and c what is asked before tt. Gives a good sound, no latency, mixing well done card, heads features easy to adjust, but the time it takes to adapt an application to another is unpleasant.

Echo quality (I already have an echo indigo), the firewire port to move from fixed to mobile. It was a purchase for a music school for recording and playing in real gst.

UTILIZATION

I put 2 just to say that the last driver is one who is in the installation CD. What is rare, and mean that the quality seems to be by appointment. As far as I am concerned that the card has never functioned.

GETTING STARTED

Well I have summarized. 2 computers at school, a desktop PC running XP and a vista laptop Acer (I know, I know c not me who has chosen).
No problem seemingly fixed on (I did not test pointed) on the laptop but a disaster!
Even in simple reading of a CD she cracked. Since one month I have tried everything (buffer, IRQ, check the chipsets, pass under XP, Linux ...) everything I said.
Result I change the sound card and lose € 100 in passing.

OVERALL OPINION

If I write this review not only for Echo is also a good brand but especially on the damn firewire.
Frankly it's a lottery on PC, you're never 100% sure that your hardware is compatible. I found that some manufacturers do not communicate enough about the system requirements for using this kind of stuff, in this case the IRQ. If he had scored Echo must check instead of the firewire card in the IRQ well I will not get it purchased ...
Unless you're on a Mac, think twice before buying a firewire interface!!

8 inputs / 8 analog outputs, 2 with built-in preamp and phantom power. I have never used all at once.

Sampling frequencies up to 96kHz.

Card simple but very complete: 1 input / output / PDIF, word clock input / sync I've ever used.

I plug all my mics on my OMP Audio Line preamp and preamp outputs of the branch on the map.

Used with PCs running XP (old stuff, Pentium IV 3 GHz) and Vista (Core 2 Duo P7550 2.26 GHz),

UTILIZATION

Drivers are regularly updated. There was a little flutter when I purchased the card (in 2005) linked to the incompatibility of drivers with Firewire chipset on my machine. But since it is nickel. Updating Vista, then Windows Update 7 were quickly made available on the Echo Audio site, and other updates taking into account the new hardware range. Updates reliable and regular.

I use Cubase Nuendo 2.0.

I never recorded more than 5 channels at once, on my setup to prehistoric times (Pentium IV 3GHz). By paying attention to optimize the PC (no antivirus, removing unnecessary services) it works without problem. Today I'm just 2 / 3 pickups for my model guitar / vocals on the PC much more powerful ...

8 ms latency in Cubase, I'm basically the audio, I've never tried to be better than the standard installation.

GETTING STARTED

As I said above, I had some installation problems related to the availability of drivers at the very beginning (2005) and the chipset used on my machine to the Firewire bus. The first machine was not compatible with the drivers provided.
Since then, I've never asked a question. The drivers have obviously been updated, I plugged the card on my 2 PC that followed (including a laptop), everything has always worked nickel.
General configuration very easy, the virtual mixer supplied by Echo is a model of its kind, to monitor all the remarkable characteristics and routing of the card.
It's very good, near the pro (high input / output choices +4 / -10, precise control sliders, level meters reliable, a tab and a virtual console for each pair of outputs, choice of sampling with locking possible is very convenient.
The card also works fine under Windows for all standard applications (I do not use a 5.1 configuration, only the stereo so I have not tested 5.1)

OVERALL OPINION

I use it happily since 2005. I had previously had other cards in the hands: M-Audio Firewire Audiophile, Edirol FA101.
This card is over in terms of usability of the software driver and sound quality. It's really very good.
2 friends bought the same in smaller (Echo Audiofire 4) and are happy: excellent preamps same invoice, same driver. The last of these acquisitions was in 2010: the card is still competitive with the competition!
I would do this course choice. It seems to me that the Echo range is very well placed in money, supplied with a truly exceptional quality. Only doubt I'd give a look at Steinberg MR816X for integration with Cubase ...