View other reviews for this product:
Morby « Good and bad at the same time »
Published on 01/29/14 at 18:03I bought the Fast Track Pro early 2012 (it has 2 years) to replace my old ASIO sound card, preferring USB external format in view of the possible purchase of a laptop computer later.
Its 2 instrument input / microphone with phantom power, its small size, its MIDI ports and direct supply by USB (without external power supply) were perfect for my current and future needs.
When I wanted to buy early 2012 it took a while I try to find a dealer who still had in stock. I would have bought something else, but at this time there were other bcp's most expensive cards. I finally found my happiness in SonoVente, and the seller told me "it's normal that you do not find anywhere else, this model is no longer manufactured and we bought the entire stock of M- Audio "
UTILIZATION
I mainly use Guitar Rig and Cubase. Latency is decent, quality preamps and converters suit me. So far I'm really satisfied, this card is ideal for small guitarist I am.
The driver ... it is the problem! Initially I had a PC Core2Duo E-8400-3 GHz with 4 GB of RAM and Windows 7 Pro 32-bit, I used the driver provided on the CD with the sound card (version 6.0.2).
After about 24 hours my system "lost" the road map, which forced me to turn off and on the card to be functional again. So I went fishing on the manufacturer's website last driver: Version 6.0.7
6.0.7 This version has not corrected the problem was persistent. I did not go further than that, a small on / off the sound card per day is not death ...
I recently changed gear: Core i5 / Ogo Ram / Windows 7 Pro x64. I checked the manufacturer's website if a newer version of the driver was out in the meantime: nada!
So I installed my version 6.0.7 since it 32/64 bit compatible. And there is the drama! no sound in Guitar Rig nor in Cubase: (
So I push my further investigations on the net, and I found a forum that talks about newer versions of driver.je back with difficulty the track and ended up getting a 6.1.10 release.
How is it that Avid or M-Audio have not posted this version from their site? Is this version is a Beta version?? Strange anyway, especially for a card that was apparently stopped production.
Anyway, I installed the driver and 6.1.10 miracle, I sound! I believe saved me with a big sigh of relief, only remains to wait and see if this driver is stable over time ... and this is not the case! After about 24 hours, the system still loses the road map, except that when I turn it off and back on, I have a sound that Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!
In the [panel config]> [uninstall program] I tried the "repair"
And then it works, the sound card becomes functional and normal sound. Since I am forced to reset my sound card + daily repair driver ...
awesome, I love: (
GETTING STARTED
I decided to contact M-Audio support in order to see if they were not in their drawers a newer version of the driver that the 6.1.10 version I had procured another site than their own.
Response M-Audio a week after ". The Fast Track is Being Manufactured and supported by Avid You can touch 'em through www.avid.com"
I makes me the AVID site and there galley, the site (in English) is not at all clear. Drivers side they only provide versions for Mac and side support, it seems that we should "buy a ticket" to gain access to support, not even a contact link to send them an email. Wholesale their drivers are crap and more should I pay for software support? Where are we going?
In the end I'm pissed!
For a brand that prides itself on making professional products I really feel they have been taken for a fool. I therefore decided not to push my investigations before a steady driver sentenced to fix my daily driver until I replace the sound card when it is dying.
OVERALL OPINION
Before I used a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum bought around 2000/2001 (PCI Rack + external card), not really a map adapted to the zic fluke but she bore the standard ASIO when I had the opportunity Discover computer music avoiding me to invest earlier in a sound card really dedicated to the Zic. This one ended up grilling after 10 years of loyal service, which is why I bought the Fast Track Pro, which showed a clear improvement in sound quality and a good ability to manage projects with 30 or Cubase 40 tracks and a multitude of virtual instruments based samples (so heavy compared to synthesized sounds).
After 2 years of use I am always satisfied with the sound quality of this card, I urinate copiously against M-Audio (which kindly returns the baby to Avid without getting wet) and especially on Avid I conchie policy support .
So those (or those) who would buy this card, buy something else!
At the time of this writing (January 2014), other brands have released USB external sound card to the same capacity and number of entry in a price range € 120/180, go rather squint their side and AVID flee, at least for their consumer line.
Its 2 instrument input / microphone with phantom power, its small size, its MIDI ports and direct supply by USB (without external power supply) were perfect for my current and future needs.
When I wanted to buy early 2012 it took a while I try to find a dealer who still had in stock. I would have bought something else, but at this time there were other bcp's most expensive cards. I finally found my happiness in SonoVente, and the seller told me "it's normal that you do not find anywhere else, this model is no longer manufactured and we bought the entire stock of M- Audio "
UTILIZATION
I mainly use Guitar Rig and Cubase. Latency is decent, quality preamps and converters suit me. So far I'm really satisfied, this card is ideal for small guitarist I am.
The driver ... it is the problem! Initially I had a PC Core2Duo E-8400-3 GHz with 4 GB of RAM and Windows 7 Pro 32-bit, I used the driver provided on the CD with the sound card (version 6.0.2).
After about 24 hours my system "lost" the road map, which forced me to turn off and on the card to be functional again. So I went fishing on the manufacturer's website last driver: Version 6.0.7
6.0.7 This version has not corrected the problem was persistent. I did not go further than that, a small on / off the sound card per day is not death ...
I recently changed gear: Core i5 / Ogo Ram / Windows 7 Pro x64. I checked the manufacturer's website if a newer version of the driver was out in the meantime: nada!
So I installed my version 6.0.7 since it 32/64 bit compatible. And there is the drama! no sound in Guitar Rig nor in Cubase: (
So I push my further investigations on the net, and I found a forum that talks about newer versions of driver.je back with difficulty the track and ended up getting a 6.1.10 release.
How is it that Avid or M-Audio have not posted this version from their site? Is this version is a Beta version?? Strange anyway, especially for a card that was apparently stopped production.
Anyway, I installed the driver and 6.1.10 miracle, I sound! I believe saved me with a big sigh of relief, only remains to wait and see if this driver is stable over time ... and this is not the case! After about 24 hours, the system still loses the road map, except that when I turn it off and back on, I have a sound that Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!
In the [panel config]> [uninstall program] I tried the "repair"
And then it works, the sound card becomes functional and normal sound. Since I am forced to reset my sound card + daily repair driver ...
awesome, I love: (
GETTING STARTED
I decided to contact M-Audio support in order to see if they were not in their drawers a newer version of the driver that the 6.1.10 version I had procured another site than their own.
Response M-Audio a week after ". The Fast Track is Being Manufactured and supported by Avid You can touch 'em through www.avid.com"
I makes me the AVID site and there galley, the site (in English) is not at all clear. Drivers side they only provide versions for Mac and side support, it seems that we should "buy a ticket" to gain access to support, not even a contact link to send them an email. Wholesale their drivers are crap and more should I pay for software support? Where are we going?
In the end I'm pissed!
For a brand that prides itself on making professional products I really feel they have been taken for a fool. I therefore decided not to push my investigations before a steady driver sentenced to fix my daily driver until I replace the sound card when it is dying.
OVERALL OPINION
Before I used a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum bought around 2000/2001 (PCI Rack + external card), not really a map adapted to the zic fluke but she bore the standard ASIO when I had the opportunity Discover computer music avoiding me to invest earlier in a sound card really dedicated to the Zic. This one ended up grilling after 10 years of loyal service, which is why I bought the Fast Track Pro, which showed a clear improvement in sound quality and a good ability to manage projects with 30 or Cubase 40 tracks and a multitude of virtual instruments based samples (so heavy compared to synthesized sounds).
After 2 years of use I am always satisfied with the sound quality of this card, I urinate copiously against M-Audio (which kindly returns the baby to Avid without getting wet) and especially on Avid I conchie policy support .
So those (or those) who would buy this card, buy something else!
At the time of this writing (January 2014), other brands have released USB external sound card to the same capacity and number of entry in a price range € 120/180, go rather squint their side and AVID flee, at least for their consumer line.