PreSonus AudioBox USB

[chysn]

I switched my audio interface this week. I was using a Lexicon Alpha, which is a decent but low-cost 2-in/2-out interface. I replaced it with a PreSonus AudioBox USB.

In terms of recording clarity, they're both very good. But the PreSonus had several compelling advantages that swayed me toward buying a new interface:

(1) It's also a MIDI interface. This is huge, because it frees up a USB port on my MacBook Pro and decreases by one the number of boxes that have to sit on my desk. It sort of compensates for the lack of USB on the Evolver.

(2) The footprint is significantly smaller than the Alpha's.

(3) All-metal chassis, while the Alpha is mostly plastic.

(4) 1/4" headphone jack instead of the Alpha's minijack.

(5) Separate master and headphone volume controls.

(6) Phantom power, which I don't need right now, but it's a nice option.

If the Alpha has any advantages over the AudioBox, it's the spacing of the knobs. The AudioBox's knobs are tiny and closely-spaced. It does its job really well. If you can get by with 24-bit/48khz and two inputs, I highly recommend it, especially if you would value having a MIDI interface along for the ride.

[namnibor]

Hey! I have been taking a long break from forums and concentrating on learning, playing, recording, and I remember over on other forum, before my complete profile had been deleted, all direct posts, my weird x-file of year event, no admin. of site ever replied to my inquiries, nor did I get some kind of warning that perhaps I violated something, but I did sign up under 'namnibor' again successfully, am yet to make first post...not a conspiracy theory guy here but this happened the very next day I posted under "Other Gear" (non-DSI) Futuresonus PARVA synth, the link to that day's starting of the Kick Starter campaign, POOF! I was completely scrubbed. Razmo is only other soul I have shared this with, so with that, I recall (ON-TOPIC Now) you had asked about "The Loudness War", which is directly related to recording technics, and I am placing this link to audiofanzine's Part 1 and there's Pt. 2-3 links from that page on the topic of compression/dynamics, science behind acoustics/perceptions human hearing, et al. In event you have never been on that web site, it's also part of homerecording.com which is a true heavenly wealth of infinite knowledge and *nothing* like gearslutz, pretty pro.
http://en.audiofanzine.com/mastering/ed ... -ears.html

How's the new Audio Interface working out for you and was it seamless with Reaper?

[chysn]

Yikes. Yeah, it looks like you've been completely disappeared from the other forum. That's a pretty hefty loss of data, not to mention loss of context for countless topics on which you have contributed.

Thanks for the Loudness War link. It's interesting that it's been going on so long.

How's the new Audio Interface working out for you and was it seamless with Reaper?

It sounds great to me, and Reaper handles it fine. I don't keep a permanent recording studio set up; I have a music room at the front of my house, and my Moog lives on my late grandma's antique side table, and my Evolver lives on a heavy Manhasset music stand (which is a perfect stand, by the way, for a Desktop Evolver). I record with Reaper on my MacBook Pro, setting it up on a small Ikea table. In this itinerant "studio," every bit of portability helps. Thus, the combo of audio interface + MIDI interface is simply beautiful.

My process doesn't require more than the stereo pair of inputs, which is the probably the AudioBox's big limitation for professional use.

On OSX, at least, no special drivers are required. It just works when I plug it in.

[namnibor]

Good to hear your audio interface works seamless in your set-up. Reaper also happens to be fairly low taxing on any CPU, considering how many features it has. I am actually currently enjoying a few really well done Reaper Tutorials that are available for purchase/download on this site, which also has many other tutorials ...and these are indeed pro's doing these tutorials, even though there's quite a lot simply on YouTube, I often would find conflicting or outright erroneous info given here and there on YouTube and it was on homerecording.com that a person recommended trying Groove3's tutorials and of course there's the Reaper Forum as well.

This is the tutorial website and should take you to the Reaper section: http://www.groove3.com/str/reaper-training-videos/

This is the Reaper Forum (official) in event you or anyone else had not come across it: http://forum.cockos.com/forumdisplay.php?f=20

(I sure would like to know who exactly runs the "unofficial DSI forum" because I am now thinking it may be leaning more on the official side rather than unofficial, as Razmo explained to me that this could not have been an 'accident', seeing how only my profile and all posts deleted. Not exactly 'Democratic' and feel my freedom of speech was definitely quashed.)

[chysn]

Thanks for the links. After trying out Cubase and Live, I'm very happy that I finally found Reaper. I know that there are a ton of features that I don't use, though, so it'll be interesting to see the tutorials.

I sure would like to know who exactly runs the "unofficial DSI forum" because I am now thinking it may be leaning more on the official side rather than unofficial, as Razmo explained to me that this could not have been an 'accident', seeing how only my profile and all posts deleted. Not exactly 'Democratic' and feel my freedom of speech was definitely quashed.

When it comes to motive, I usually go by Hanlon's Razor*. But to tell you the truth, this would require a really unlikely set of circumstances as an accident. It's possible that they meant to delete another account and deleted yours by mistake. There are several points in the process (finding the user by name, viewing the user's profile, confirming the action) where the system makes it pretty clear what you're doing.

Also, unfortunately, phpBB does delete posts from its database. Some systems use a "soft delete" so that data can be restored by simply resetting a field, but phpBB actually deletes the data. So your stuff can't be restored unless the admin is willing to restore data from a backup and insert it back into the database. This is not a difficult operation, but based on how transparent and available the admin of that board is...

If you said something to totally piss the admin off, I must have missed it. You've always been respectful, on-topic, and insightful.

I've been considering how I can drum up more activity here. This will never be the place to go for general DSI discussion, but I might refocus the board on more technical aspects, like recording techniques and equipment, software, and do-it-yourself hardware development (e.g., Arduino projects).

_______________________________________________________
* "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

[dslsynth]

Hi namnibor, its sad to hear of your account loss on the other forum. Not sure what is going on there. Loads of good information, plenty of good community and a somewhat mysterious administration. Anyone knows what happened to The Analog Organist? Seems like he is out with almost all posts deleted. Really sad to see!

. o O ( entirely off topic )

[namnibor]

I wonder if The Analog Organist experienced the exact same thing as I have because his 'Profile' on unofficial DSI Forum is *still active* it states, as is his post counts, but MANY of his posts are now only shown with an "arrow insignia"...kind of odd, is it not?

Anyway, I have moved -on, but I felt it important to disclose on other site as well as here, of what exactly took place and a so-called "Administrator" that does not ever respond to pm's sent to them. A lot of data was indeed lost. Not cool in any way it's evaluated.