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List Price: $129.00
Sale Price: $87.99
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- Ultra-flexible audio interface connects your instruments, mixer etc. with your computer for recording and playback
- High-resolution 24-bit/96 kHz converters for high-end audio quality
- Ultra low-latency drivers for Windows XP and Mac OS X included
- Stereo headphone output with dedicated level control
- Dual high-bandwidth FireWire connectors for absolute flexibility
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In August 2006 I purchased this small audio interface (1.10" x 6.10" x 4.53") to connect my notebook with my mixer.
Until today I am very satisfied with the device. Being a user of Apple's LOGIC I found no trouble in setting the interface up. No installation of any software was necessary (the same applies for Garage Band). In Mac OS X it allows you an easy configuration via the audio application.
Attention PC users: Windows requires you to install drivers before you connect the unit to the computer. Unless an ASIO driver is used, the set-up might be tricky, too.
Additionally everybody should consider the following system requirements:
PC
Intel or AMD CPU, 1 GHz or higher
min. 512 MB RAM
6-pin or 4-pin FireWire interface
Windows XP SP2
MAC
G4/G5 or Intel Core Duo, 800 MHz or higher
min. 512 MB RAM
6-pin or 4-pin FireWire interface
MAC OS X 10.3.9 (Panther) or higher
The connection via FireWire works flawlessly and supplies the interface with power, too. Therefore the included external power adaptor has not seen much use so far.
From my point of view this interface serves any home-recording musician (especially if you use a Mac) and the artist on stage who wants to hook up his notebook to other devices. Needless to say, it is not suited for more complex tasks or even studio use due to its limited inputs and outputs. But this is not the purpose of it anyway, which allows me to recommend it for the mentioned tasks.
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I use this product with a PowerMac G5, OS 10.5.8. This is a compact, solidly built product, but it isn't self contained. While it supports Mac Core Audio, it doesn't provide input or output level control from Sound Preferences, Audio/Midi Setup, or any other sound app (like Audacity or Vinyl Studio). To digitally record live music, LPs or tapes, you will need a good preamp with level control, such as a mixer. Also, you will need a way to vary the output, unless you are using the included headphone amp. Muting from the Mac doesn't work either. This isn't a big problem, it's just inconvenient... It limits the usefulness of my Griffin Powerwave for audio editing.
I recommend using the wall wart power supply... after about an hour, the firewire port I was using stopped working, and I haven't been able to get it back... possibility because it was drawing too much current from the FW400 port and damaged something. I switched to a different FW port, plugged the wall wart into the FCA202, and haven't had a problem since.
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This product is awesome. I have a new imac and I had latency issues going directly from the line in to the board. This gets rid of that issue right off the bat. Its well worth the money and if you have a sound board there is no need for anything else.
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I purchase this FCA to play & record analog tracks from a Behringer PMP5000 using the following laptops running Window XP, SP3.
1. Gateway MX6453, Duo Core AMD Turion 64X2 Mobil CPU, 2 GB mem. Both ASIO drivers dated 2005 from the CD and 2008 from their web site produced horrific audio sound. Regardless of the sampling nor latency set up, it skips, stutters...
2. Dell M4400, Duo Core Intel, 4 GB mem. This is my main work horse for solidworks, CAE... however even with this mini cray CPU, the FCA hoggs 20-30% of the resource thus grinding the audio output to breaking point.
The reason I select the FCA supposedly for the very simplicity of input, output, Firewire's low latency. However I can't vouch for the driver software. I have 2 more laptops running Vista, but I am not enthusiastic about installing the same fail driver on any Vista machine.
It does not matter for the window audio drivers, the FCA uses ASIO (Audio Streaming Input/Output) driver to utilize low overhead data between the source (FCA) to the sound card hardware by passing the CPU. I don't give in so easily, however after a month of tinkering the FCA is my favorite paper weight on top of my music scores. Maybe after I overcome the drivers hic up, I can come back and write another after thought.
(This is a review for FCA202 F-Control Audio 2 Input / 2 Output 24-Bit/96kHz FireWire Audio Interface by Behringer)
I like the fact that Behringer did not put a gain and volume control on the unit.
There is no pots used between input/output to AD/DA converter means the audio signal in the unit won't be compromised by pots. (There is only one pot used for headphone out, but it is OK, since it is an extra output.)
I had a USB interface with gain and volume control, but after a few years of light use, the pots on board gave up on me. The audio interface became useless, just because the pots worn out (since the unit was very small, replacing pot was very difficult task.)
So, less moving parts means more reliable product.
You'll need to be able to adjust I/O level (external mixer before FCA202), but it is not a problem for me, in fact, I prefer that way.
