Phonic Firefly 302

The Phonic Firefly 302 is a Fire Wire interface that you can record simultaneously up to 5 channels. It only cost around 150 dollars when it first came out and it was perfect for a beginner. I had not heard to much from Phonic as a company especially when it came to interfaces so I was very skeptical if it would be any good. I wont say that it was a very good interface, it was average at best. I feel it would be a very good interface for the “new” musician recording at home because of its features and the price. You will get a copy of Cubase LE with it which will help you get your feet wet in the DAW game with understanding how everything works. The quality isn’t that bad for a 150 dollar interface.


UTILIZATION

The headphone amp was a little noisy to me and it needed some work, that was really the only issue that I ran into with it while trying to monitor and listen to playbacks. But it’s a very cost effective interface that you can use to get your recording career off the ground with. I never saw an update for any drivers either and the latency seemed to be pretty low.


GETTING STARTED

I never saw a manual for Phonic Firefly 302, but setting it up took no effort at all. Especially if you set it up in Cubase LE that comes with it.


OVERALL OPINION

Outside of the noisy headphone amp, I am pretty pleased with this little interface by Phonic. I would have to say the thing that makes this interface appealing is that it can record up to 5 channels at a time and the quality is pretty decent. I wouldn’t expect to get that out of a 150 dollar interface. So if you are a beginner go for it.

So for the price (125 € chez Thomann)
This is a good card.

2 in (Mono) and 2 out (Mono Audio (with either
RCA Jack or large which is quite comfortable)
more in / out SPIDF,
XLR Mic input with preamp and phantom power supply (not tested)
big stereo output jack (headphones)
and in / out noon.

The case is metal which is quite comfortable
especially on the road,
the map rather inspires confidence in its robustness
(Certainly more than the cards in boxes plasticky

We can adjust the gain of the microphone,
the gain of the two separate audio inputs,
and the volume of the stereo headphones.
(The sound that comes out of two Audio Out)

one firewire 4 (small, on most laptop)
and 6 firewire and power supply provided (transformer)

attention on the other hand, I bought it because it is self powered
via firewire, has provided you use a 6 pin firewire (large)!
or on laptops is often 4 (small connectors)
and you must know that the difference between the two is that there is or
non-food .. So with my laptop I have to use the power supply industry!

more small firewire connection is really small and therefore
fragile, and disconnects without facilemment expression ..

Well so much for the little worries
if not install, operate without any problem!
Super simple, works very well,
low latency using ASIO,
quite suitable for playing MIDI sync
with machinne (RS7000 on my part)
(As against the WDM driver is dodgy at latency)
You can set the buffer size from a small
control panel which is nothing else for that matter,
(Ah, if a see if the card is detected
hotplug in XP, the card is a bit of time Defois
to be recognized, but if it is on and connected
ca at startup is no problem.

I advise so if you have a 6 pin firewire connection
(About the size of a USB but not quite the same form)
because you can enjoy self-nourishment

For if you aves against a small 4-pin connection,
then I suggest you look more towards USB
(To take advantage of self feeding, and because
FW is too small fragile.

UTILIZATION

Easy!

GETTING STARTED

Ok
* No noise (well, quiet for that price
(When I gallery with my previous
a USB card because of the noise generated by the transformer of the laptop)
* Low latency ASIO drivers (tested with Live and Reason in sync noon with a RS7000)

OVERALL OPINION

Quality / price ratio: very good!

just this little critique on the firewire,
But that is not specific to this map
(Which also has the extreme kind enough to offer
both types of connections!)
but the laptop with firewire 4-pin connectors (without PSU)

- What technical specifications motivated your choice?

The possibility to connect my guitar Electroacoustic, my vocal mic, my accordion microphones.
Firewire because I have read that c'tait better than USB!
I wanted something simple and not too expensive.
I have no requirements of quality too leves

- For what purpose?
I am a musician and I wanted something easy to register, properly, just to rpter songs and work of the compounds.
As I move a lot I wanted was to connect on my laptop.

- What is your config (motherboard / CPU / Ram / Hard ,...)?

I do not know, it's a Asus F7L, pent T2390, 250GB HD, 2GB memory, and finally described it on a small label!

- Which instruments or Systmes (console, prampli, DTD ...) you use it and how connections? ..
Interface connected to the PC laptop with a firewire cable 6broches/4broches blind (there is provided a firewire cable 6broches blind) and plugged the power adapter.
guitar jack connected interface
SM58 microphone: XLR religious Interface
accordion via two microphones suited (right hand, left hand) connected to a small box which is connected prampli then by a cable XLR / XLR
closed headphones beyerdynamic DT 770 pro to register over the tracks dja registered.

Not much wrong, all fawn I only play one instrument simultaneously.
Everything works fine except the level guitar that is a bit feeble, yet my guitar possde a prampli

UTILIZATION

- Installation is it without problem?

I was afraid because I have vista trs and no one could tell me if c'tait compatible.
YES, it is compatible, at home in all cases.
To install, all went well (I have carefully followed the instructions in English (bought from Thomann in Germany)

- Have you experienced any incompatibility?
Not
- The configuration gnrale is easy?
Yes
- The manual is clear and sufficient? ...
Yes and no, it would be better in French, forcment ...

GETTING STARTED

- The drivers are stable?
- Are they often put day?

I do not know, After you install the interface, I'm all on the site of a phonic Tlcharger driver, had no particular concern.

- What software do you use most often?

I tried it with Cubase LE (supplied with the card), and nickel is
and Audacity, a real catastrophe.

- What you get lag?
5ms, the sound is perfect, below a grsille everywhere, it's a horror.

- How many tracks you get record / playback simultanment? ..
I have recorded that both

OVERALL OPINION

- How long have you use it?
2 weeks, not much back then

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

for now, my expectations arpond

- Have you tried many other models before acqurir?

no other

- How do you report qualitprix?

It's still too expensive! but hey, I did not intend to compete m'quiper a studio. So for the price and from my ability, a will.

- With the exprience, you do again this choice? ...
Little exprience, so far, I would try in a few months you about ironing
After a few days ... I am worried!
Last night I threw a fit. When I record my guitar, my pops, the sound PForm silent at times. I tried to edit paramtres as latency. Nothing worked. It's frankly not cool. On the site of Phonic, they confirm that it is possible to use the Firefly 302 more under vista.
I just did a test on my desktop PC, it works well. It's bizare.
I will keep you informed if I can stabilize the craft.

I bought it for its price and that is its only advantage.
I recommend to put some more money for better, let me explain:

UTILIZATION

- The drivers are installed in a slightly odd-sized
- The XLR with phantom is fun ... but we can not adjust the input levels. If it saturates at the entrance of the card, too bad ....

GETTING STARTED

- Composer's rock 2 guitars, a drum machine with Cubase is fine, but when you put a dozen tracks, she pulls another face (gzzzzzzzzzzgrgrzzzzzzgrzzz)
- No software to manage the levels of the slopes, or output. Provide a small desk space.

OVERALL OPINION

Some days it works fine, other days she gzzzz (and it's not for lack of trying with latencies hallucinating). I will soon part with it.