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Audio interface died. Input needed.


Shane_B.

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The flame went out on my Presonus Firestudio Mobile last night. No matter what I do I have a nice tube sounding crunch even at low gain levels on the inputs. It's nice for some things, but doesn't work so well for vocals, acoustic guitar, clean electric etc. etc..

I was thinking of a Presonus 1810c USB-C interface and just ripping out the firewire card. It was a nice card. Powered by the PSU, proper fw chipset. It worked great for many years. Presonus doesn't even make a firewire interface anymore that I can tell. The 1810c is going for $369 on Amazon right now which is a good price. It's $399 everywhere else except open box on eBay and a lot of places don't have it in stock. I've seen mixed reviews on it but then again I see that on everything so I'm at a total loss. 

I was enjoying 3.2ms RTL @ 96K on the Firewire Mobile in CbB. 5.8 RTL in S1 (tsk tsk tsk). I wonder if I can get close to that on the 1810c. It has a USB-C connection but I doubt it actually has that chipset/speed because it doubles as a USB 2.0 connection too. I can't imagine they would put both so I'm assuming the USB-C is actually USB 2.0 speeds.

The PC I built has USB-C, USB 3.1 and USB 3.0 ports with backward compatibility.

Thoughts?

TIA.

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Looks like a pretty good interface to me.

I wouldn't worry too much about using USB 2.0 speeds (unless there's something seriously wrong with the PreSonus drivers). My RME Digiface USB happily records 32 simultaneous channels without any issues over USB 2.0.

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37 minutes ago, Shane_B. said:

The flame went out on my Presonus Firestudio Mobile last night. No matter what I do I have a nice tube sounding crunch even at low gain levels on the inputs. It's nice for some things, but doesn't work so well for vocals, acoustic guitar, clean electric etc. etc..

I was thinking of a Presonus 1810c USB-C interface and just ripping out the firewire card. It was a nice card. Powered by the PSU, proper fw chipset. It worked great for many years. Presonus doesn't even make a firewire interface anymore that I can tell. The 1810c is going for $369 on Amazon right now which is a good price. It's $399 everywhere else except open box on eBay and a lot of places don't have it in stock. I've seen mixed reviews on it but then again I see that on everything so I'm at a total loss. 

I was enjoying 3.2ms RTL @ 96K on the Firewire Mobile in CbB. 5.8 RTL in S1 (tsk tsk tsk). I wonder if I can get close to that on the 1810c. It has a USB-C connection but I doubt it actually has that chipset/speed because it doubles as a USB 2.0 connection too. I can't imagine they would put both so I'm assuming the USB-C is actually USB 2.0 speeds.

The PC I built has USB-C, USB 3.1 and USB 3.0 ports with backward compatibility.

Thoughts?

TIA.

My new 1810c is arriving tomorrow, so I can't review it yet, but I expect it function as a worthy successor to AudioBox 44VSL (that stopped being a VSL when Win10 shipped; I've had it a long time). I bought it on Amazon on Monday. The price then was $399. So, you're getting a suprise deal!

I'm really looking forward to having 2 headphone drivers that support different mixes. That'll be fantastic for my niece and I doing voice-overs.

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24 minutes ago, John Maar said:

My new 1810c is arriving tomorrow, so I can't review it yet, but I expect it function as a worthy successor to AudioBox 44VSL (that stopped being a VSL when Win10 shipped; I've had it a long time). I bought it on Amazon on Monday. The price then was $399. So, you're getting a suprise deal!

I'm really looking forward to having 2 headphone drivers that support different mixes. That'll be fantastic for my niece and I doing voice-overs.

I just looked again. There are only 3 left. But, toward the bottom it says in small print "Refurbished by Amazon". :( I've bought a ton of stuff off Amazon that was returned or refurbished and it was actually brand new. I'm always leery about used and refurbished electronics like audio cards and video cards. 

Hope it works well for you. I've read horror stories about it. For example, my Mobile would randomly lock especially when changing sample rates. This has the same problem you have to unplug it as well as reboot your PC. One guy said you can't monitor in stereo because everything is set to mono and the Universal Control Mixer doesn't work with it. I don't know if I believe these reviews or not. Maybe I'll wait till you get yours. 😁

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37 minutes ago, msmcleod said:

Looks like a pretty good interface to me.

I wouldn't worry too much about using USB 2.0 speeds (unless there's something seriously wrong with the PreSonus drivers). My RME Digiface USB happily records 32 simultaneous channels without any issues over USB 2.0.

The most I'll ever use is 4 at once so I think it should be great. I got by with my old M-Audio Fast Track Ultra for years and it was USB 1.0 iirc. It was a great interface when you could get it to work.

Thanks

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49 minutes ago, Shane_B. said:

I've bought a ton of stuff off Amazon that was returned or refurbished and it was actually brand new.

As a previous third-party FBA seller, I can tell you that we received a LOT of returns that were completely new and unopened.  That said, it's part of the reason we closed that business, yet it's part of the Amazon model.  So, obviously that means you can try one of those items and simply return it yourself if it doesn't work!

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I would've looked for either a RME or a Firestudio 2626. USB C and 2.0 are still serial buses and you can't daisy chain interfaces like you can in Firewire. I remember Rick Naqvi demonstrating a setup where he had 4 Firestudios daisy chained and synced along with other FW interfaces and ADAT preamps for about 112 channels of recording.

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26 minutes ago, craigb said:

As a previous third-party FBA seller, I can tell you that we received a LOT of returns that were completely new and unopened.  That said, it's part of the reason we closed that business, yet it's part of the Amazon model.  So, obviously that means you can try one of those items and simply return it yourself if it doesn't work!

I would have to think they will start cracking down on the returns. I bought a bunch of high end Delta plumbing valves and fixtures that go with them for a big bathroom I remodeled a couple years ago on Amazon. All open box returns for less than the low end Delta fixtures you get at Lowe's. All of it was either brand new never opened or opened and never used. On the other hand, I can't tell you how many times I have bought new items and they were clearly used and damaged.

I don't like using Amazon so much but it's to the point where you almost have to. For example filters for my furnace. They are an oddball size (20 x 20 x 5 Merv 13) and nobody has them. Even the seller on Amazon I have been buying them from for 8 years stopped selling them. Had to switch to someone else on Amazon that just started selling them. They last 6 months but the one in there now is over a year because I couldn't get them until just now. Got 2 on the way.

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35 minutes ago, Bruno de Souza Lino said:

I would've looked for either a RME or a Firestudio 2626. USB C and 2.0 are still serial buses and you can't daisy chain interfaces like you can in Firewire. I remember Rick Naqvi demonstrating a setup where he had 4 Firestudios daisy chained and synced along with other FW interfaces and ADAT preamps for about 112 channels of recording.

112 channels?! Holy crap!

My biggest concern is obsolescence. I'm worried if I buy older gear or even new gear that's reaching the end of it's life cycle that I'll be stuck with something there are no updated drivers for and have a boat anchor again. This Mobile hasn't worked properly in a very long time and needs a firmware and driver update but even before they reach the end they stop working on them. I'd still be using my Fast Track Ultra if I could get drivers. It was a great interface when it worked.

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1 hour ago, Shane_B. said:

I just looked again. There are only 3 left. But, toward the bottom it says in small print "Refurbished by Amazon". :(

I forgot to say that it says "New". Below that it says "Refurbished". That's what threw me off. I had already done my research and just quickly scanned the page and missed the "Refurb" part last night. It's still there. 3 left. Here's a link to it.

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1 hour ago, craigb said:

As a previous third-party FBA seller, I can tell you that we received a LOT of returns that were completely new and unopened.  That said, it's part of the reason we closed that business, yet it's part of the Amazon model.  So, obviously that means you can try one of those items and simply return it yourself if it doesn't work!

Here's a Prime example. HAH! I slay me. $50 new, I paid $34. It's still in the original wrapper they come in. I know it's original because I just bought a brand new one at Kohl's and it's an identical box and wrapper. It just came literally 3 minutes ago. 

 

20210114_131146_HDR.jpg

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3 hours ago, Shane_B. said:

It has a USB-C connection but I doubt it actually has that chipset/speed because it doubles as a USB 2.0 connection too. I can't imagine they would put both so I'm assuming the USB-C is actually USB 2.0 speeds.

USB-C is a specification for the connector, not for the USB protocol used to transmit data across it. Your manual should clarify what connection speed is being served over that socket, but I would doubt that a laptop with USB 3.x on the other sockets would be at USB 2.x on the C socket. The USB 3 spec calls for backward compatibility with USB 2, so any USB 3 socket should serve USB 2 without needing a second hub or port. That is to say that if you have a USB 3 socket, it should always serve both USB 3 and USB 2.

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53 minutes ago, Shane_B. said:

112 channels?! Holy crap!

My biggest concern is obsolescence. I'm worried if I buy older gear or even new gear that's reaching the end of it's life cycle that I'll be stuck with something there are no updated drivers for and have a boat anchor again. This Mobile hasn't worked properly in a very long time and needs a firmware and driver update but even before they reach the end they stop working on them. I'd still be using my Fast Track Ultra if I could get drivers. It was a great interface when it worked.

I almost bought a Digi 001 at some stage. It does work on Windows 10, but you only get the DSP processing with the version of Pro Tools 6 it comes with.

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1 hour ago, Shane_B. said:

I forgot to say that it says "New". Below that it says "Refurbished". That's what threw me off. I had already done my research and just quickly scanned the page and missed the "Refurb" part last night. It's still there. 3 left. Here's a link to it.

I bought mine off of this page: PreSonus 1810c - new

There were 11 left when I bought mine. Now there are 7 left. So they're selling about 1/day. Not bad.

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53 minutes ago, John Maar said:

I bought mine off of this page: PreSonus 1810c - new

There were 11 left when I bought mine. Now there are 7 left. So they're selling about 1/day. Not bad.

I just bought BiaB. I'm having major problems with it and if they won't fix it and make good on it I'm going to contact Sweetwater and tell them I want my money back and get a new 1810c from them. BiaB has a major bug in it that applies to the style of music I do most which renders it useless. They confirmed the bug but I have last years version (bought just beyond the 30 day grace period by a few days) and now I can't use it. I bought the audiophile version so I'll have more than enough credit at Sweetwater for an interface if they won't upgrade me and fix it, or have the worlds most expensive USB drive. 😟

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1 hour ago, slartabartfast said:

USB-C is a specification for the connector, not for the USB protocol used to transmit data across it. Your manual should clarify what connection speed is being served over that socket, but I would doubt that a laptop with USB 3.x on the other sockets would be at USB 2.x on the C socket. The USB 3 spec calls for backward compatibility with USB 2, so any USB 3 socket should serve USB 2 without needing a second hub or port. That is to say that if you have a USB 3 socket, it should always serve both USB 3 and USB 2.

Thanks! I misunderstood the video I saw about it from Sweetwater or was it Presonus, can't recall which now. The way the video made it sound was USB-C was faster but  it was compatible with 2.0 also if that's all you had. I just checked their website Gigabyte GA-170 and it's a 10Gb 3.1 port with a C connector. "The USB Type-C™ port with USB 3.1 support is a robust and slim connector for all of your devices with reversible plug orientation."

The reversible part is debatable. I have a Samsung sound bar that uses a bluetooth dongle that connects to a USB-C port on the back for the sub and surround speakers. I couldn't get that thing to connect for nothin'. Spent 3 hours online, reading manuals, resetting everything, moving everything closer to it, nothing. I saw other people were having the same problem. Just for the heck of it I flipped the connector around and everything lit up and connected immediately. 

Also, thinking about this, you can set your PC to keep the USB ports powered even if you shut it down. The reports about the 1810c I saw where people had to unplug it even when they rebooted their PC has to be because of this. A simple system setting would fix that problem. 🤞👍

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6 hours ago, John Maar said:

I bought mine off of this page: PreSonus 1810c - new

There were 11 left when I bought mine. Now there are 7 left. So they're selling about 1/day. Not bad.

I just took a chance on one of the returns from Amazon. It said I have 90 days to return it for a refund. It's a shame because I had a nice setup with the Firewire Mobile. It did run hot and I always had in the back of my mind that it's going to let the magic smoke out some day. It still plays audio just fine. Great for mixing/mastering but the inputs are definitely fried.

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13 hours ago, Shane_B. said:

I just took a chance on one of the returns from Amazon. It said I have 90 days to return it for a refund. It's a shame because I had a nice setup with the Firewire Mobile. It did run hot and I always had in the back of my mind that it's going to let the magic smoke out some day. It still plays audio just fine. Great for mixing/mastering but the inputs are definitely fried.

Let us know how it turns out.

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