External Interface compatibility

[BeatleWho]

The subject seems to be kinda scattered all over the place, do we have a "master list" anyplace of what's compatible and what isn't?

My main purpose is to be able to ship digital audio back and forth between my computer/Audacity and both my TASCAM 2488neo and my Philips standalone CD recorder/player. My PC has pretty crappy built-in audio connections, prone to acting like big antennas for every hum and electrical noise you can think of. Aside from that, with the other items being digital why keep an unneccessary analog in the sound chain?

I was looking at a TASCAM US144 but talking to some serious pros they are all telling me that Firewire is the way to go. This was looking too pricey BUT I have spotted the M-Audio Firewire Solo and the PreSonus FireBox interfaces. From what I can piece together here so far, the M-Audio may be dead in the water because of the ASIO issue but I think some of those posts had some age to them so I'd rather ask anyhow and get a fresh perspective. Sounded like the PreSonus may have also had some issues.

FYI, the PC is running XP Home SP3 and my Audacity is 1.2.4

I might be inclined to upgrade my version of Audacity, but before I do I need to find out if I can just download a newer version and keep them side-by-side. Reason is, sometimes associated files (like all the .aup project files) can get completely removed and/or corrupted by just deleting the old version and installing the new in its place. Learned this lesson the hard way. So some input on this aspect would also be appreciated.

Duane

[waxcylinder]

FYI, the PC is running XP Home SP3 and my Audacity is 1.2.4

Firstly 1.2.4 is absolutely ancient now - 1.2.6 is the latest "stable" version (which itself is ancient). The 1.3.9 available beta is now pretty stable (and later 1.3s are approaching a 2.0 release)

I might be inclined to upgrade my version of Audacity, but before I do I need to find out if I can just download a newer version and keep them side-by-side. Reason is, sometimes associated files (like all the .aup project files) can get completely removed and/or corrupted by just deleting the old version and installing the new in its place. Learned this lesson the hard way. So some input on this aspect would also be appreciated.

You should have no problem with Audacity in this respect. However I would still be making back-up copies of all critical recordings.

The only thing to note is that 1.2.x projects can be opened in 1.3.x - BUT 1.2 cannot open 1.3 projects - and note that once you have opened a 1.2 project in 1.3 and saved it in 1.3 it become a 1.3. project no longer openable in 1.2.

WC

[BeatleWho]

"waxcylinder" - I got a big kick out of that. How "Edison" of you !!! "BeatleWho" is something I use in a whole bunch of places and as you might expect, describes my two fave rock bands of all time. That being said, I have some involvement with a Chicago based band called "Lovehammers" who I think are really top-notch. They just put out a new CD called "Heavy Crown" that you might want to check out.

I have been to the "Strawberry Fields" area in NYC's Central Park where Lennon used to hang out; this was quite a moving experience. Always wished I could take that walk across the street ALA the front cover of the album "Abbey Road"..........

Ah, back to business....

It sounds like the .aup's are pretty safe although it does sound like it would be good to back them up onto a CD or DVD anyhow so just in case anything would happen in an upconversion to a 1.3.x I'd still have a good copy to fall back on. (I think I recall that my 1.2.4 goes back to around October of 2006 or thereabouts....)

Now I hope that someone will come along on the recording interfaces issue........ That's a sticky wicket and one I'd like to get bought and in place soon, as it is holding up several projects. I really don't want to do them digitally everywhere else only to have to shove them through a crappy analog interface to get tracks into Audacity and back out again......

Hey, I appreciate you stopping by to give your input......... and nice to meet ya!

Duane

[waxcylinder]

"waxcylinder" - I got a big kick out of that. How "Edison" of you !!!

Duane - also a reference to my grey beard and advancing years ...

Yup I too think you can't go wrong with the Beatles. Last Christmas my wife gave the CDs from the Anthology series - good to hear all these alternate takes after all these years. And I amused myself earlier this year by using Audacity to make "alternative CDs of the Beatles standard ones with the alternate takes dropped in (when available).

WC

[BeatleWho]

Well, I'm no spring chicken either BUT I don't let that stop me from enjoying music, making music, etc. If anything, I think that helps keep me feeling younger than I am although how the heck does anyone know how they're supposed to "feel" ????

I'm the product of the "analog on magnetic tape with razor blades on the splice block" era. So all this digital stuff is a learning curve for me but I don't mind that so much.......just hope I can get some help on this interface question in the near future. I think I'd still be "jurassic" but the first time I listened to a CD, I think it was something by The Police waaaay back, just the lack of noise between tracks was startling.......after having been used to either tape noise or vinyl noise. NO noise really reaches out and grabs you the first few times.

On the recording side of it, the editing of stuff in software - in this case Audacity - really got my attention. After so many cuts in mag tape having to be right the FIRST time, being able to try one and then UNDO if it isn't right was also very cool; and then there's the very "tightness" of the edit. You don't have garbage artifacts like mis-aligned tape splices do, etc.

A big thing in my book is that you can also "bounce" stuff around from one digital place to another and not have it trashed by noise after just a couple of bounces. I was reminded of this recently when I picked up the Beatles "Past Masters" re-master set and was praying for something miraculous for "She Loves You".......and didn't really get that something. A little research in Lewisohn's book "The Beatles Recording Sessions" seems to be pretty clear that the original two-track recording tapes were probably discarded (barring anyone grabbing them out of the dumpster etc) once the mono mix had been done as this was standard practice up into some time in 1963, after which they were apparently saved more frequently. Still, a number of the re-masters state that they were made from "original stereo masters" as opposed to being from the multi-track session tapes. Heck, they might ALL say that - I don't know what all was saved in a vault and what wasn't. I'd think if they had the stuff AND it wasn't badly deteriorated, going as far back to the most original material you can would yield the best product.

Anyhow, "She Loves You" apparently could only be re-done from a mono master and so the level of clarity and definition isn't quite as good as other songs. Interesting point to me, and how I stumbled onto the comment from Lewisohn about the original 2-track probably having been discarded, is that when the Beatles did the two German versions they had a copy of the instrumental track(s) from "I Want to Hold Your Hand" made and take to Paris, France where they recorded these two songs at the Pathe Marconi studios (so he says) and so you hear effectively the same music behind the German singing. OTOH, with "Sie Liebt Dich" (She Loves You) they made a whole new recording, and I think Lewisohn's point was that they HAD to because there was no original left to work with. In the several months between they clearly had time to improve their performance as I think "Sie Liebt Dich" sounds like a more "tight" performance and seems better to the ears for me - instruments seem better defined and easier to pick out. Too bad they didn't do an English version as well while they were at it......

In general, most of these "re-master" discs to me are "headphone" CD's - I doubt that most people would get that much more out of them through the average speaker setup than they would the previous CD releases. BUT, through the headphones most of what I have heard so far really has that WOW factor. Paul's bass lines got a definite lift, as they used to just be a bunch of "mud". Many of them on remaster are quite clear, and on early records there is somebody with a fret buzz that might be off Paul's bass. I can hear stuff like picks hitting strings, drum sticks striking.......which granted most listeners might not care so much about. Those of us who record, however, can appreciate stuff like that.

I had heard about what is alleged to be a "piano bench squeak" as that huge piano chord at the end of "A Day In The Life" fades out, and I think that's exactly what it is. It's weak in the right channel (if I don't have my 'phones on backwards, anyway ) but sure sounds like it to me.

Other than funny little stuff like that, there is a certain added clarity on many songs and in the very finest ones, putting the headphones on is a virtual "drop in" to Abbey Road studios (or wherever) while the recordings were being done. It really does sound that "alive" - one of the best I have heard so far is "Hey Jude". George gets a good showing on "Abbey Road", both "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun" are just wonderful.

Since I said I'm also a WHO fan (the wife turned me on to them some years ago moreso than I already was) I noted that there are variations on WHO CD's - I think with "Tommy" and "Who's Next" and probably others where one disc is OK but I think there were some "imports" (to us stateside anyway) which may have come off a Japanese label that are clearly superior, with "clearly" being a major point. Someone obviously went to some effort to get out a really good, clear and crisp product.

Anyhow taking that all back to the "bouncing" thing - there's plenty of evidence from these two great bands that how recording, mixing and mastering are done makes a HUGE difference in the quality of the final product in the consumer's hands.....

Duane

[waxcylinder]

The subject seems to be kinda scattered all over the place, do we have a "master list" anyplace of what's compatible and what isn't?

My main purpose is to be able to ship digital audio back and forth between my computer/Audacity and both my TASCAM 2488neo and my Philips standalone CD recorder/player. My PC has pretty crappy built-in audio connections, prone to acting like big antennas for every hum and electrical noise you can think of. Aside from that, with the other items being digital why keep an unneccessary analog in the sound chain?

I was looking at a TASCAM US144 but talking to some serious pros they are all telling me that Firewire is the way to go. This was looking too pricey BUT I have spotted the M-Audio Firewire Solo and the PreSonus FireBox interfaces. From what I can piece together here so far, the M-Audio may be dead in the water because of the ASIO issue but I think some of those posts had some age to them so I'd rather ask anyhow and get a fresh perspective. Sounded like the PreSonus may have also had some issues.

Duane,

sorry I overlooked the main purpose of your post earlier.

At least one other user has got the Tascam device to work(ish) - see this thread: http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 144#p38431

We have a sticky thread with reviews of external soundcards which we know play well with Audacity: see here: http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=9477

I do seem to recall several posters having problems with the Presonus devices - try using the Search at the top right of the forum page.

Update: I'd also consider looking at the ARTcessories device: http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp ... t=9&id=124 I bought an ARTcessories preamp when my old amp failed and feed this through my Edirol sound card. The build quality and performance of the ART pre-amp is impressive - so I would expect the soundcard to perform well. (If you happen to need a phono preamp too - then ART make a bundled device : http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp ... t=9&id=128

Whichever you buy it is worth trying to find a retailer who has a returns policy if you cannot make the device work properly.

WC

[BeatleWho]

Thanks, I'll check into some of this and GOOD point about the return policy.....

Duane

[BeatleWho]

BTW, is that ASIO licensing issue still an issue?

Duane

[BeatleWho]

I get the feeling that it was the MAC users who seemed to be having the worst time with the PreSonus....

Duane

[BeatleWho]

And I have posed the question about the ASIO licensing thing elsewhere to see if that's still a problem, hoping I might pick up some additional info. from others........

It's odd, but the posts seem to have largely dried up around mid 2007.... ?????

Duane