Considering the M-AUDIO Octane...

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Marijuana Czar
Member Since: Oct 01, 2009

Hey, so I understand that you need a decent preamp to record good audio,
and then an A/D converter to get it to your PC right?

Well I need to upgrade from this crappy Behringer 1204fx mixer/audio interface,
and I was looking at www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Octane.html < this.
I have a few questions though, like
1. Are the preamps going to be noticeabley better sounding?

2. What is "ADAT Lightpipe output (TOSlink)", and does this have to do with connecting it to my PC/DAW? And if so, then what DAW software allows for this?

3. Could someone explain these 3 things for me?
3.1 "line inputs are half-normalled as insert ins or standalone A/D"
3.2 "M-S matrix encoding on channels 7 & 8 with width control"
3.3 "phase reverse switches on even channels"

I appreciate input, cheers.

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Marijuana Czar
Member
Since: Oct 01, 2009


Dec 21, 2010 02:18 am

Or should I go with the www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/ProjectMixIO.html ?
I think it said it has preamps, and I could sure make use of all that automation.
But are the preamps better than the Behringer 1204fx, or for that matter, the M-AUDIO Octane??!
EhejHLAFSdghfshKFhfsHASFS....

MASSIVE Mastering, LLC
Member
Since: Aug 05, 2008


Dec 21, 2010 12:01 pm

1) Yes, notably better.

2) ADAT lightpipe is 8 digital channels down a TosLink fiberoptic cable. You'd need an interface with ADAT I/O and there you go. Nothing to do with software.

3.1) I'm assuming you can use the inserts as direct inputs to the AD converter. Handy.

3.2) Mid-Side (a.k.a. Mono-Stereo, a.k.a. Lateral-Vertical, etc.). You might want to do some reading up on this... This is stuff you should have a relatively good handle on before you put a pair of mics in front of anything (nothing personal - That's just the case) or try to construct a stereo mix. All stereo is MS. Left = M+S, right = M-S. Stereo is the difference between left and right and that difference is the inverted signal that makes up the side information.

3.3) Phase reversal / signal inversion. Same thing. Flips positive to negative. Grab a book on basic recording theory and read up (too much to go over in a forum).

The other unit... Couldn't tell you about the preamps. "That automation" isn't the unit - It's in the software. The unit is simply reacting to (or writing automation cues to) the software. It isn't going to do anything the software can't do on its own. It just gives you faders instead of a mouse.

I'd bet a short stack of chips that the preamps are better than the Behringer (that particular board having some of the noisiest and least linear I've ever heard) and I'd imagine if the PMIO had the Octane preamps built-in, they'd probably show it off -- The Octane preamps aren't the bees knees, but they're not too shabby and remarkably inexpensive as a bonus.

Marijuana Czar
Member
Since: Oct 01, 2009


Dec 22, 2010 12:55 am

Alright thanks, I probably should get a Recording for Dummies book or something, it couldn't hurt lol
So I'll need an interface with ADAT I/O to hook this up to my PC? Any suggestions on that? Never even heard of them before.
And yeah I know about automation lol, I guess I should of said physical, MIDI automation..

MASSIVE Mastering, LLC
Member
Since: Aug 05, 2008


Dec 22, 2010 02:13 am

I'd think that more have than not (except for the ridiculously 'low rent' stuff). It's probably the single most popular multi-channel connection. Even the PMIO has ADAT... You could run the Octane right into the PMIO via lightpipe.

Marijuana Czar
Member
Since: Oct 01, 2009


Dec 22, 2010 07:23 am

So run the Octane into the Project Mix I/O via lightpipe, then from the Project Mix I/O into my PC via firewire?
That sounds pretty good, I might need to wait a month until I get enough money for both then.
Thanks for your help

MASSIVE Mastering, LLC
Member
Since: Aug 05, 2008


Dec 22, 2010 05:20 pm

Well, you could start with the PMIO (at least it has a built-in interface) and add whatever you want later.

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