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Today's Bonus:
- 2-input, 2-output audio interface
- 24-bit/48 kHz(better-than-CD) sound quality
- XLR microphone input with gain control and 48V phantom power for condenser microphones
- 1/4" instrutment input with gain control
- 1/4" stereo headphone output
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program My first thought was, "I wonder if Avid makes an upgrade to this set that includes Pro Tools M-Powered bundled with M-Audio Fast Track Pro"? This is indeed the basic version. But how basic is it? I would say this is almost perfect for anyone wanting to start mixing their own tracks with their own instruments and prerecorded loops. Basic for a purpose.
The M-audio Fast Track functions as an external soundcard and 'router' for all of your music gear. When you plug in the M-Audio, all the audio from your computer immediately goes through the Fast Track--it processes the sound from then on out, which is a good thing (I would wager that the M-Audio soundboard is better than your laptop's). The Fast Track is the entry level audio interface that M-Audio offers which is bundled with Avid Pro Tools SE (second only to Pro Tools M-Powered) that allows the price to be very attractive for first time music editors (for your own music, or someone else's). This is why the M-Audio is limited with only 1x XLR (Audio--e.g. a MIC input), 1x 1/4" input (Electric Guitar for example), 1x Headphone output, and 1x USB slot. The latter limits you to no MIDI input, and limited 'multi' performance sessions (multiple 'live' instruments at a time). With the Pro Tools SE software, you are only able to record 2 simultaneous live tracks--1 from the Amp in and 1 from the XLR input (any acoustic instrument with the help of a mic).
My setup was an Electric Guitar plugged into the 1/4" input on the M-Audio with a 3.5mm headphone to A/V male cable hooked up to my stereo system. The latter actually took the place of an external Amp, and with the Pro Tools SE software, became a lot more versatile with over 30 sound effects and tweaking capability. It was very easy to record, and picked up very well. You will have to adjust some things to get the right volume, however the learning curve is very straightforward. If you are using an electric guitar, you can adjust the sound to make it sound however you want. From maximum drive for heavy metal to a clean, wang for classic rock. Anything.
**Know that in order to use a MIDI controller (a Keyboard with a USB output), you will have to hook it up to your computer, not the audio interface. The only way to get most of the instrument sounds on Avid Pro Tools is with a MIDI controller**
What does it mean if you just have an instrument like me (Electric Guitar) and that's it? You will have to rely on Avid's prerecorded instrument loops for drums, piano, bass guitar etc or import them from another source. If, however, you do use a MIDI controller then you will be able to create tracks from over 100 different virtual instruments exactly how you want. So if you are wanting these tracks to be solely created by you, then it will be necessary for you to have a MIDI controller. The only way to play those virtual instruments is to have a MIDI controller.
I could not find this anywhere on the box, but the required space for this program is around 7.5gb. Installation took about 5 minutes.
*Few Problems (Nothing major, trust me):
I have a Windows 7 64-bit laptop that ran the program flawlessly with no CPU lag even when using max effects on multiple tracks.
1. When I first ran the program it hung 25% of the way through its 'loading'. After the first time, I never encountered this problem again, and it starts up within 10 seconds.
2. When I unplugged the M-Audio Fast Track from the USB port while Pro Tools was running, it froze my computer completely so that I had to do a hard reset.
3. When using the Fuzz-Wah effect for guitar without the 'Guitar Amp' effect selected, it would intermittently pick up so that sometimes the effect worked, sometimes not. It worked when enabling the Guitar Amp again however.
4. When the Guitar Gain switch is turned up on the M-Audio, as well as the Input switch, so that the right volume is on Avid Pro Tools for recording my guitar, there is audible crackling, hiss noise through the sound output, though it did not appear to come through on the recording.
What impresses me most about the Avid Recording Studio is its simple, easy-to-use interface that allows great recording and a very professional way to begin making your own music. If you are familiar with any editing software for video (Avid, Final Cut, iMovie etc.) then you will already know how to do most of the editing on the sound clips. There are limitations to this kit so that the price can be where it is, however for someone needing just the basics; this will be a largely trouble-free way to start the path to your own music production.
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I've been composing for a while and I just got really tired of recording my music using my computer's sound card. Quality just ruins it. So I got this product expecting it to solve all my problems. It did, and I find myself working on my songs every day.
The included software is really the whole deal, it has a lot of effects and loops. Just as described above. Some cons: takes about 30 min to install. There should be a more detailed chapter on the user guide to help you configure the M-Audio interface properly. It's all about latency; if you don't configure this right you'll find noise in every recording and it just becomes tedious. took me about 15 min reading online to get this thing right. Once you're all set, you'll feel like a pro.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The installation is quick and simple. For me it was easy, having used several other audio editing systems including some basic training on an advanced Pro-Tools system. Avid and Pro-Tools are the industries go to production choices, using the Avid Recording Studio is a great way for a newbie to learn the basic audio skills of recording. The equipment is pretty much plastic, light weight and feels sort of sturdy. I would recommend it for someone eager to learn the basics of audio recording and editing. The interface is a simpler version of a full professional studio, and has the capacity for adding advanced software. Anyone looking for a future in the recording industry or just wanting to record their own music or sounds for fun should check this out. One recommendation: follow the instructions exactly, do not mix it with other systems and have a great time.
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This quick review is for the interface hardware only, I haven't used the Pro Tools software that comes bundled with it.
I run Fl Studio 10 and Reason 4 on my PCs (Vista 32bit Home) and was having trouble with latency issues (pops, clicks, crackles) with the stock issue audio interfaces. On investigating the issue, I learned that these applications work best with fast running PCs (at least 1.9Ghz)and sound cards that can handle ASIO sound drivers. The best ones cost well over $100 bucks and require you to pull your PC apart to install the card, which I didn't want to mess with...
This little USB powered box comes with a proprietary ASIO driver, but it will also work with ASIO4ALL, a popular ASIO driver available free on the web. Installation & setup was fairly easy.
I had to set the latency control way up there, but this unit took care of most of the annoying sound glitches (I still need faster CPUs). Probably can get better performance with some additional tweaks.
This interface also works nicely with my new Blue ENCORE 100 microphone didn't get any noticeable hiss until I turned the the Mic Gain all the way up.
I haven't tried the guitar input.
*****UPDATE 9/21/12****** After upgrading to Reason 6.5, I finally dug my electric guitar out of the mothballs, and the guitar input on this interface works perfectly...
The top mounted controls on this unit are handy, but note that the headphone output is a 1/4" jack(as it should be) if you use headphones with a mini plug, you'll need an adapter.
As of this time, Amazon's price for this device is by far the best (goes for about $120 at local music stores), so if you are experiencing a similar issue with DAW latency OR need a simple way to hook a traditional microphone up to your computer, this could be an easy and inexpensive fix.
******UPDATE 10/24/12*****
I bought a new computer, and this device works fine under Windows 7 (64 bit, but some of the software I use is still 32 bit) Instead of messing with the Avid studio CD that came with it, I downloaded the driver directly from the M-Audio website. No problems...
This looked like an ideal product I own several M-Audio products already and they are all amazing! The interface itself works tolerably with other applications, but I bought the package because it came with a version of Pro Tools. A limited version, but it's still Pro Tools. However, it simply doesn't work. I installed it on my MacBook running Lion and it never runs. It doesn't ever get past the quick start screen. I tried installing it on my old G5 iMac running Snow Leopard, but it says it's incompatible with that product. There is no product support, and I've written to Avid, Pro Tools and Amazon, and so far (60 days) no one has returned an email message with any help. I wouldn't recommend that anyone buy it.
