M-Audio Project Mix I/O Control Surface/Interface

[s2ry0fdyr]

mga sir.. sino na nakagamit nito?
is this product good for recording?




http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOPROJECTIO

[jplacson]

Yes it is.  Excellent for recording.  Just a note, no M-Audio product comes with Pro Tools... this needs to be purchased separately... unlike the Digi 003 which comes with Pro Tools.

The advantage of M-Audio is that it's the only interface that can be used with Pro Tools, and everything else.  You also only have to purchase only one copy of Pro Tools, unlike Digidesign where every hardware purchase, comes with a purchase of Pro Tools.

Just one thing about the Projectmix that bugged me... no inserts.  This can be a deal breaker if you use a lot of outboard effects/compressors... the only way around this is to bypass the pres all together and use an outboard mic pre with an insert.

If you intend to use Pro Tools exclusively, then you may want to consider the very popular Digi003... or the Digi002 (which is being sold cheaper now since the 003 came out)

If you have no intentions of using Pro Tools... then there are other options other than the Projectmix... RME, Mackie Onyx, Alesis Firewire, among many other options out there.. even Behringer has one.

[s2ry0fdyr]

noob here..
WHat benefits can i get  using pro-tools aside from other software?


sir.. im  comfortable being a solo musician who does all the recording of the instruments.. without the bandmates!!

i need to record acoustic drums, guitar, bass, vocals etc.
is this product good enough for a person like me?

[jplacson]

Using Pro Tools has the advantage that most (not all) professional/commercial studios use it.  When recording at home, and you use Pro Tools... if you want to finish your project in a professional studio, just burn the Pro Tools project folder onto a CD/DVD or portable HDD and bring it to the studio.  All the work you do at home is transferred to the Pro Tools HD rig and you can use their effects, processors, etc.

Other than that, you'll find the other software packages work just as well (Logic, Sonar, Audition *note, I really hate Audition*, etc...for those that use other programs, please chime in )

And yes, doing a solo recording project, the Projectmix is good enough for you.

If you choose to not use Pro Tools, Mackie's Firewire ONYX line is a very good option since it works as a standalone mixer as well.  The Projectmix does NOT work as a live mixer.  The Digi003 does work as a standalone mixer.

[s2ry0fdyr]

sir, Would i still be needing any hardware if ever i use the project mix?
what do you think is the best sequencer suited for newbies?

[abyssinianson]

sir, Would i still be needing any hardware if ever i use the project mix?
what do you think is the best sequencer suited for newbies?

all sequencers have a learning curve. if you are getting the project mix, PT M-Powered will work well for you. from what I understand, the project mix is a self contained production tool so you can basically use it to do what you need as a solo musician.

[silmarillion09]

Try the Tascam FW 1082 or 1884 as well, I have the 1082 and its pretty dependable. mas maganda daw ang mic preamps ng project mix pero the 1082 is a bit cheaper. the 1884 is a bit more expensive than the project mix pero you can add faders by buying expanders. just my .02

[KitC]

what do you think is the best sequencer suited for newbies?

There is no single best sequencer for beginners. There are, however, lite versions as well as inexpensive "project studio" versions for practically all available DAW software. Some soundcards even bundle LE versions as part of their software package. Try to download demo versions of the software and see which agrees with your method of working.

[s2ry0fdyr]

mga sir, actually i was eyeing on project mix and Tascam FW 1884.
which do you think is better and has good reviews?

[xjepoyx]

mga sir, actually i was eyeing on project mix and Tascam FW 1884.
which do you think is better and has good reviews?

ive read alot of negative reviews about tascam fw1884, alot of driver issues.

if you really want an all in one interface and a control surface... try to check out Alesis Master Control.

i myself is eyeing for the Alesis Master Control. here are some link about the product.

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/news_story/a/news_id/e/1140

http://www.chipcollection.com/music-industry-news/big-damn-namm-update-07/

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2007/01/19/namm-alesis-introduces-mastercontrol/


and the demo video of the product

http://rhythm.harmony-central.com/video_popup/popup_theater.php?url=http://www.harmony-central.com/theater/Alesis_MasterControl_01_W-NAMM-07

http://www.harmony-central.com/theater/wnamm07.html

[bassman88]

ive read alot of negative reviews about tascam fw1884, alot of driver issues.

if you really want an all in one interface and a control surface... try to check out Alesis Master Control.

i myself is eyeing for the Alesis Master Control. here are some link about the product.

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/news_story/a/news_id/e/1140

http://www.chipcollection.com/music-industry-news/big-damn-namm-update-07/

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2007/01/19/namm-alesis-introduces-mastercontrol/


and the demo video of the product

http://rhythm.harmony-central.com/video_popup/popup_theater.php?url=http://www.harmony-central.com/theater/Alesis_MasterControl_01_W-NAMM-07

http://www.harmony-central.com/theater/wnamm07.html

OT:
bro, first time ko marinig tong master control ah, ang ganda ng specs niya, 192 khz recording on all inputs.. Where can I purchase Alesis items here in the Philippines? Do you know any distributors?

[killswitch]

i'm not satisfied with our projectmix I/O, three months after we first used it, audio inputs 1 and 2 were lost as if no amount of input level would ever get through the interface to PTMP, i tried their tech support, luckily, we knew someone @ m-audio US who replied promptly and told me that the problem was the audio board. so they sent us the board needed for the repair, i switched the defective audio board with the new one and it worked - well @ least.
a few months after the repair, the unit started losing connection with our computer, at first i thought it was the firewire card but when i tried connecting our FW1814 on that same port it was working just like the way it should. I tried m-audio tech support - again, and they said it was the digital board - this time. so they sent us the part and the unit worked again. the support is ok but i would prefer it very much if the unit i was using wouldn't need and get to the point where i'd be needing their support just to make it work the way it should. besides shipping parts from the US takes time -a time lost due to the inconveniences such product defects cause.
 

and another thing the master fader on the project mix doesn't work with PTMP - sucks!!!



         

[xjepoyx]

@bassman88

Alesis products are distributed by Avesco Marketing but i wont advise you to buy stuffs from their coz they super over charged items. For example an Alesis Multimix 8 FW cost 15K pesos when you buy it abroad and that includes shipping and handling but if you buy it here locally its 33K pesos.

[bassman88]

Thanks bro! ill do that. Hirap talaga maging musikero dito sa pinas. hahaha

[s2ry0fdyr]

yayks... first choice ko pa naman ang project mix.. madali pa lang masira!!

@killswitch

what can you suggest sir, should i buy tascam
FW1814?

advantages and disadvantages of ProjectMix over Tascam?
u'

[killswitch]

 the FW1814 i mentioned was also from m-audio. i've never used the tascam counterpart but i would think that the FW1814 would serve you well too in anyway (personally i'd prefer it) , especially if you're thinking of doing mobile recording.

[KitC]

Here's my take on this:

First of all, the ProjectmixI/O and Tascam 1884 are huge desktop controller interfaces so that precludes their use for mobile recording, although they can be mobile in comparison with other mixers.

I wouldn't exactly recommend these large control surfaces for beginners because of their complicated features which can overwhelm a beginner with feature overload. Besides, if this audio interface/controller breaks down, your studio is crippled as a result... I would rather buy separate components to lessen the probability.

The FW-1884 costs $1299 if you look around, the Projectmix is $1249. For that money, I would rather get myself a really good and sweet sounding interface with separate controller. For example, the Mackie Onyx 400F costs $699 if you look around. Other interfaces such as the Focusrite Saffire Pro 26 i/o ($699) will give you 8 channels of Focusrite preamps. Pair that with a Tascam FW-1082 ($599), and you have a very flexible combination that fits within your $1299 budget, and with sweeter sounding preamps to boot! You can even go for more inexpensive controllers such as Presonus' Faderport, Frontier Design Alpha Track, or even Behringer's BCF2000! These 3 controllers go for $199 so you can have enough leftover from your budget for a couple of good mics.

[mariuo]

would there be a difference in performance/reliability if you hook up the project mix to a mac or a pc? i feel bad for my friend, spent alot of money on rec stuff then his project mix might just konk out on him 

p.s. i think you should consider alternatives... cheaper alternatives at that hehe. no offense or anything but i wouldnt splurge on the projectmix unless i had a rec studio for business

[s2ry0fdyr]

thanks for the advice sir.

i'd rather go for the firewire interface!!

 

[moHaWk]

pogi lang tignan talaga ang project mix dahil sa motorized touch faders nya pero dito sa studio namin... behringer bcf2000 ok na as DAW Controller. Invest na lang kayo sir ng magandang Interface at maayos na preamps.

[KitC]

i'd rather go for the firewire interface!!

 

The Saffire and Onyx ARE firewire interfaces. Try to research well on the A/D and D/A converters, as well as preamps, and compare them with the interfaces you are gunning for. If you really want to blow a wad of cash, get the RME Fireface 800 which has one of the best A/D converters around as well as very good firewire integration (but not compatible with PT). If you really want PT compatibility, then M-Audio and Digidesign hardware are the only games in town. My advice is... choose your software first, then design your studio and select your hardware around that DAW; not the other way around. You will have less headaches afterwards.

[s2ry0fdyr]

oonga sir noh!!
software first then hardware..
yan kc din ung advice sa'kin from a friend who has a home studio abroad!!

for a newbie like me, should i go pro-tools or cubase muna etc.?
home recording lang naman on my part!! that i could record drums, guitar, bass, vocals etc.. solo artist!!

whats a good recording-approach for me?

[KitC]

So many ways to answer your question, but only you have the definitive answers.

What you choose for your DAW software will ultimately depend on how you want to work. The software you choose will determine if you go mac or pc, after which you will have to choose the soundcard afterwards. For pc's, decide on the soundcard first then build your pc around that soundcard. Why? To avoid compatibility issues, especially with pci conflicts or firewire chipset compatibility. Try to avoid usb interfaces for now.

You say one-man operation ka. Does that mean you will record all the instruments you detailed? For that matter, do you have all those instruments on hand? Secondly, you will have to mic those instruments and amps; a drumset can use as little as 3 to as many as 8 or more mics depending on the complexity of the setup - this will define your soundcard. The more number of inputs, the more expensive  the card. Rule of thumb is not to get the most inexpensive or the most expensive - there is a law of diminishing returns above a certain point as the cost gets higher.

The way I see it, you will be composing primarily in midi. Most one-man setups are usually guitar (or keyboard) plus vocals, often with a small mixer. Any additional instruments after that usually added via midi aside from individual tracking. Try downloading the Sonar 7 demo and see if this fits the way you work. There is no demo of cubase although there are "other available options". For mac, new computers usually come with Garageband so you can start recording right away. Some soundcards come with LE versions of software to get you recording right away. AFAIK, this is a good way to get "feet wet" with recording. Don't get too carried away with soundcard acquisition; ultimately you will find that preamps, mics and monitoring are more important (tama ba, Marvin?  )

[x_taxi]

true that boss kit!

my friend's bro's got the projectmix, although it's mainly used for recording.  pag solo flight ka, sayang lang yun madaming inputs.

a lot of people on the forums who complain bout a certain DAW software usually make it do somethin which it was not meant to do.  i mean there's a certain workflow which is unique for each one.  so your best bet is to actually try out the demo, or a buddy's rig.  we all prefer our own thing.

OT:  by the way, i started on fruit loops, then cubase vst.  now i use samplitude.  i still go back to cubase vst for some vst's which don't work with samplitude.   it's all bout the workflow, although that might be too much of a generalization.  but at the the moment, i'm a samplitude fanboy.