Re: [LAU] MIDI over firewire on Linux?

On 04/19/2014 07:59 AM, Jonathan E Brickman wrote:
>
>>> Thanks! Do you know of any good such devices which are not very
>>> pricey? I
>>> found a few out there after reading your post, but they seemed all to
>>> be in
>>> the high-port-count and higher-cost ranges.
>>
>> Cheapest Audio plus midi has got to be the old ens1370 based cards...
>> free if you can find it. Best 16 bit sound for the price. If you don't
>> have a pci slot, then the next price range is going to be USB
>> devices... because most new systems don't have a FW plug, so an
>> adaptor is required. Also, USB covers more people's systems so scale
>> brings prices lower too. USB midi ports can be had for less than $30.
>> And of course there are lots of USB audio solutions out there
>> including built right into the mic stuff, again under $100. USB audio
>> is much more picky about system tuning for low latency.
>>
>> Assuming you already have a FW port, it is a better solution than USB,
>> but even a 2+2+midi FW unit will cost more than the USB 2+2+midi unit.
>> The Focusrite line starts with the pro 14 at $260. They call it 8in
>> and 6 out, but I only see 6 physical inputs (and two of those are
>> s/pdif i/o so only 4 i/o for analog) at $260... yet they sell the 2i2
>> for usb for $150 or so. Presonus is the same, their "Firestudio
>> mobile" is similar features and price to the pro 14 and the price
>> matches too. (just note that it seems to need breakout cables to get
>> at all the ports... including MIDI) Their audiobox USB (2+2+midi) can
>> be had for $140.
>>
>> So, yes FW costs more, but works better/easier. In the end you have to
>> decide how important moneywise these things are to you. The presonus
>> USB has been very good and stable... except in USB3 ports on Intel
>> USB3 ports which are... broken at least for low latency audio (Intel
>> agrees).
> That helps a lot. Had not heard that USB3 was broken for low-latency
> audio, I'll have to remember that. The reason I'm suddenly interested
> in Firewire though, is something I read recently: 6-pin Firewire ports
> are generally rated for 50,000 insertions, which is literally five times
> the very best of the USB1 or USB2 standards (the best USB is,
> interestingly, microUSB, at 10,000). I have been wearing out USB-A
> ports and cable ends at a disturbing rate on this mobile rig, and on a
> hunch checked Firewire ratings, and remain quite shocked.

Hmmm. My previous laptop lasted almost 10 years. I took it back and
forth with me to work, where it sat playing music for me. So the USB
connections were being plugged and unplugged at least 3x a day, 5 days a
week. 6 days a week when I started using it to record our church
services. The connectors and cables lasted fine the whole time.

They outlasted the motherboard power connector!

-- 
David W. Jones
gnome@email-addr-hidden
authenticity, honesty, community
http://dancingtreefrog.com
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