Best USB or Firewire Interface for Speaker Testing?

[Black Gate]

I'm hoping to get some user feedback on which USB or Firewire interface device to buy to direct sound into my MacBook Pro for speaker testing (frequency sweeps, etc). I am using an Earthworks M30 measuring microphone with an Earthworks pre-amp/phantom power supply. Naturally, the USB or Firewire interface should, as best as possible, provide a signal that is true and not colored.

Suggestions anyone?

Thanks.

[richie00boy]

Echo Digital AudioFire2.

[opc]

Hi Black Gate,

I use an M-audio Fast Track Pro over USB, with Speaker Workshop, and it performs very well. They have great mac support too (driver wise).

There's a built in phantom supply and mic preamp, as well as balanced out and input and 24/96 sampling. I use it everyday as a sound card, and it works great for measurements when I need it for that.

Cheers,
Owen

[planet10]

I bought an Edirol FA-66 to use with my Macs.

EDIROL FA-66 24Bit/192kHz FireWire Audio Capture :: Overview

If i had the budget i'd have gotten a Metric Halo

Metric Halo Mobile I/O ULN-2

With all the pro Firewire interfaces i see no reason to limit yourself with a USB device.

dave

[Iain McNeill]

Last time I checked out firewire for a windows laptop there were problems. The Presonus Firebox just couldn't do glitch free audio for more than a minute or so. Tried half a dozen firewire PCMCIA cards but it never worked. Maybe I should have gotten a new laptop as well

<edit> see your a maccie so no prob's then.

[planet10]

But Iain, he has a proper computer

BTW "Mr Gate", are you getting FuzzMeasure to go along with the rest of your kit?

dave

[Black Gate]

Thanks for the suggestions to date. I will look further into these devices.

[Black Gate]

Originally Posted by planet10

But Iain, he has a proper computer

BTW "Mr Gate", are you getting FuzzMeasure to go along with the rest of your kit?

Well Dave, I am not certain yet. I've tried the demo version of Mac The Scope by Wavebox and soon plan to give FuzzMeasure a shot. Any recommendations?

[Black Gate]

Generally speaking, is Firewire 800 superior to USB 2 on a Mac? That is, should I be looking at a Firewire interface over USB?

[planet10]

Originally Posted by Black Gate

Well Dave, I am not certain yet. I've tried the demo version of Mac The Scope by Wavebox and soon plan to give FuzzMeasure a shot. Any recommendations?

Mac-the-Scope is really more suited to electronics (granted my copy is the OS 9 version and the new version is likely more versatile -- no budget to afford an upgrade). Wavebox is a really good signal generator. The company is ChannlD (a really nice guy, i met him at AES 1999). I think his breakout hit may well be Pure Vinyl.

Fuzzmeasure is more aimed at speaker applications. I've not got a Leopard machine yet, so still use 1.3.5 for impedance/TSP and FM 2 for FR measures.

dave