PreSonus Inspire 1394

The inspire 1394 is manufactured by preSonus, it is a firewire audio interface that is small and very portable. It has two mic preamps and two instrument ins. It comes with a software that is needed to use and control the functions like phantom power and gain/sampling rate since there are no hard buttons right on the device to take care of these functions. It is very easy to set up and only takes a few minutes to have it up and running. If have even used these daisy chained together before to create more ins and outs, you can even do this to create a full 16 input system.

UTILIZATION

I was using this interface for a short time back in early 2008. It worked great with Cubase and Abelton live, but it comes with Studio One (which I didn’t install). I have recorded some really good stuff with this interface on the road when using it with my mobile set up. The two mic inputs are very clean, the preamps are neat and do not color the sound at all. They are quiet and worth the money that this little box cost!

GETTING STARTED

It does come with some bundle software and plug ins like Guitar Rig LE and EZ Drummer lite. These two programs might not be the full version of them but they are still great o have and build from.

OVERALL OPINION

This package was intended to be for a beginner and I purchased it even though I was a veteran. It still served a much needed mobile purpose for my set up and I do not regret my decision at all. I just got tired of daisy chaining these together and just purchased a newer interface with more ins and outs so I wouldn’t have to have more than 1 of these sitting around my computer all of the time.

When selecting this device, I was specifically interested in inexpensive devices using FireWire 1394 only, as I'd max-ed out the native USB ports on my iMac, and I did not wish to run through a USB Hub, because I saw nothing but heartache there.
I use this with an Oktava condenser mic and with a few inexpensive vocal mics to record vocals and acoustic instruments with Garage Band and Ableton Live 7
I am using this device with my Intel iMac Dual Core 2.0 GHz, with 1GB of RAM (which I may just upgrade to 2GB)
It has dual 1/4" and XLR, and LR RCA input. While you can use more than one input at a time, my purposes haven't called for it. Also, you can use several different types of output for monitoring, ranging from an 1/8th" headphone jack and a 1/8" line out to or RCA outputs for powered monitors.

UTILIZATION

I purchased the Inspire GT Limited Edition model, as it was more aesthetically appealing to me. The Inspire GT driver did not work properly with my Mac, but when I installed the Inspire 1394 drivers, everything quickly fell in to line. I find it compatible with all of my equipment. I've experimented with different mic setups for acoustic guitars, and even run the stereo outputs on my POD XT Live in the 1/4" inputs, and it's given me some creative flexibility.
Configuration was a breeze, and after installing the correct driver I was working in a flash.
The manual was a bit sparse, but PreSonus online support was sufficient.

GETTING STARTED

The drivers are stable enough for my needs, and hobbyist/entry level users should find the features in the driver easy to work with. I am getting limited latency with Live and GarageBand, though I'm sure if I add ram, this will get better. At the moment, I'm one track at a time, working as a single musician.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Inspire GT for a little over a year. After my initial problems with drivers, I found it to be an adequate replacement for my MBOX that I retired because I hadn't kept my Pro Tools LE licenses up to date. I looked at a few other models, but this was the only full-featured 1394 FireWire device at the price point. I feel it was a good value, however, better quality interfaces have invaded that market since my purchase and I may have been better served by a device with a few external controls, i.e. volume and fader, rather than a device with strictly software driven controls.

2 among external sound card jacks, 2 among xlr, stro 2 input, 2 output and stro speaker output and a headphone jack; and of course 2 firewire output

Hardware: intel core duo + 2 GB of RAM

USE

Installation without problems for drivers or software for fournits. I just had a problem at the beginning, but no sound came by plugging headphones into the sound card; I simply branch my speakers on my sound card, I dbute and I did not understand that the external sound card sound card was ofice for the computer.

IMPLEMENTATION

No problems in terms of latency, nikel, sound responds my attacks, I find parcontre programming a little boring before finding the right sound is the sound that can saturate very easily if the balance is poor. Finally the sound is not great branch live, I prefer transplanting my amp lamps through a SM 57 and the sound, my faith has nothing to do, and is even enough good.

NOTICE GLOBAL

Voil card for 200 euros, it's really a good report qualitprix. I use it for 3 days.
Plus: the firewire output, 4 entrespares, simplicity of installation and use.
The least: the headphone back, which is not very strong, the lack of enter and exit twelve o'clock even if I is not need AC can still be used, the sound is not bad but not gnial either.

Everything you need for portable use. Small, pretty, and 2 XLR with phantom line in 2 + (instrument level) + 2 line in the CAR. 4 streams.
I bought to record a repeat, composed of the house, then why not the live, models, etc etc ...
Used so far only on mac (iBook 12 "G4 1.33 1GoRam) with Cubase or Logic.

Most recent internship uses c'tait recording repeating: everyone goes in the console, a Stereo and singing on two tracks spares.

UTILIZATION

Installation nickel, a quiet rolling. Everything is clear, limpid.
Sometimes small problem plutt from Cubase, but unplug and reconnect and all is well.

GETTING STARTED

Drivers super stable, no room for days I think, but why should we? No calculation of latency, but I hear it. I tried on four channels simultaneously with the unfortunate iBook internal hard drive, and running. Reading is my hard drive morfler after a while.

OVERALL OPINION

Operation from dc 2005, nothing wrong. It's cheap, has done its job and the sound is transparent trs. I was not able to try before you buy a lot, but in terms of his is the best thing I had in the hands (though the sound card echo taient trs good dj).

Choice again, especially since it can stack multiple ....