# USB interface for Macs



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm wondering what USB soundcard/mic pre amp people are using with good results for their Macs and REW? 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated,

Dan


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

You might check the E-MU Tracker Pre USB 2.0, M-Audio Fast Track Pro - 4 x 4 Mobile, and PreSonus AudioBox USB. Actually, it's not hard to find on-line reviews for just about any interface you'd be interesting. People who like or dislike them will often note if they're using a PC or a Mac.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Thanks Wayne. I've done quite a bit of searching and can't seem to find anything but mixed reviews. I was hoping their was a sort of general consensus here on the forum for which are best--generally speaking. I know my M-Audio keyboard works flawlessly, so maybe I'll stick with them. I was actually hoping for a more rugged unit that would last a long time w/ minimal issues.

Thanks again,

Dan


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Yeah, most of these things do get mixed reviews. I make it a point, however, to study them and take note of exactly what it is they're happy or not happy with, to see if it directly relates to my set-up or intended application. For instance, I just ordered a Tascam 122L because the only people I could see having problems were using Macs. The Windows XP users seemed happy with it, so that made it an easy decision. :T That plus the fact that people here have successfully used its sister, the 144L. 

BTW, the Presonus was one I looked at that got mixed reviews, but IIR Mac users said it worked fine for them. Naturally, I passed on that one, but you might take a closer look at it. As always with these things, it's good to buy from a place with a generous return policy - just in case...

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

A search found this thread about the Presonus AudioBox. They generated a calibration graph, which means the got it to work with REW. Didn't say if they were using a Mac, though...

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Thanks Wayne! Your the best. Very helpful and persistent. I ended up buying a Tascam 144. Seems it works well with new Macs. Worst case, I use my PC--I wish I like that computer better as so many third parties make stuff for it. I just found an extremely good deal on the Tascam and I know they make good quality stuff, so I went with it. I'll be sure to post how it goes. I have a 13" MacBook with the Leopard version of the OS. Still waiting to upgrade to Snow Leopard and iLife '09.

It should be here by the end of the week.

Thanks again!

Dan


----------



## Goldenbear (Oct 20, 2009)

Dan,

How's the Tascam working for you?

I'm trying to decide between that and the EMU Tracker. I'm fed up with M-Audio, between their horrible driver (non)support and spam.


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Still not in my possession. Ordering online is still sort of scary.... I ordered from Abe's of Maine through Amazon. I'm going to contact them today.

Sorry,

Dan


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

UPS told me they never received it. Abe's of Maine said UPS returned it smashed then I asked me if I wanted my money back or to wait a few weeks until they can get another one from Tascam. They said they would then send it to me via airmail. Looks like I'll end up getting it about a month after order. It stinks, but the price I'm getting it at can't be beat. It's actually the model that comes with a condenser mic and I'm getting it for less than I could even buy the mic pre amp. Hopefully the mic isn't total , but if you play music you know extra mics are always nice to have.

Dan


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Goldenbear said:


> Dan,
> 
> How's the Tascam working for you?
> 
> I'm trying to decide between that and the EMU Tracker. I'm fed up with M-Audio, between their horrible driver (non)support and spam.


You might try the Tascam US-122L instead. Basically the same as the 144, only quite a bit cheaper without a firewire connection, which is not needed for REW.

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Well here we go. It's more than 3 weeks after my order and Abe's of Maine calls me today to say that they are no longer a Tascam distributor not they cannot send me what I ordered. :foottap: What a joke. Just goes to show you that if a deal is too good to be true ....... well then it's self explanatory. I know that's my last order through them.

Thanks for the help,

Dan


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

What a shame, Dan.  There are a couple of US-122L's on eBay right now being offered by individuals. Looking at Completed Auctions shows that they typically sell for under $80. It's everything the 144 is, except for a firewire output (which is not needed for REW).

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Wow Wayne! You are seriously the best! I was actually looking at the PreSonus AudioBox USB now. Seems no Mac users have any issues with it and it's build quality seems about the same as the Tascam. I'm going to wait until I get my money back from Abe's of Maine though. An employee called my wife today and said they won't refund my money until I remove my comments from their feedback on Amazon and said I was evil for posting it. Looks like I'm going to have to get the authorities involved. I'll talk to management before I do. :boxer: Boy what a mess. I've had more trouble lately with supposedly reputable online sellers than I care to think about. It's depressing. The only thing that's gone smoothly is the mic I got from Anechoic from this forum and the iPod I bought from Apple for my wife's birthday. I'll likely just start paying higher prices at brick and mortar stores just for the stress reduction. It's gotta be cheaper than therapy. :doh:

Thanks again Wayne!

Dan


----------



## BK_856er (Oct 23, 2009)

Can't resist...is this DTM from DML and DMF and AFM fame?

BK


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

I don't think so. You may have to spell out DFM, DML, and AFM for me though?


----------



## BK_856er (Oct 23, 2009)

My apologies....must be your evil twin brother. :R


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Or he is........


----------



## BK_856er (Oct 23, 2009)

Checking up on the presonus and came across the following, some of which might be relevant depending on your other (?) requirements:

http://wahiduddin.net/tech/audiobox.htm

BK


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Yikes! Thanks for the link, BK. :T

Yeah, based on that review I think I’d pass on that thing – a shame, because Presonus’ pro audio gear is generally regarded as good stuff. 

The reviewer notes that it’s noisy, among other problems. Maybe not relevant for REW, but these interfaces can be useful for other things. For instance, it could be used if you wanted to record some old cassettes to the computer, to make a CD. Or wanted to record a spoken voice, or anything else you might want to record with a mic (like if you want to prove to your neighbor that his dog barks like crazy when he’s gone ). Or if you have decent-quality computer speakers, like studio monitors – connecting them to a better-quality sound card than what’s in your laptop.

So basically, if I’m going to spend my money I’d like to be able to use the sound card for more than REW, should the need arise. 

*BUT* – check this out, a tidbit I noticed in the review:


> The AudioBox PDF manual says:
> Both channels of the AudioBox USB have a Mic/Line connector using the Neutrik Combo connector.
> which initially sounds great since they used the word "line", but alas, then they go on to explicitly say:
> Plugging a line level source into the instrument inputs on the front of the AudioBox USB not only risks damage to these inputs but also results in a very loud and often distorted audio signal. (In other words, don’t plug a line level source into the combo jacks of channel 1 or 2.).


Ouch. That tells me it might not be possible to generate a calibration file with this thing, or it might not work well using the Radio Shack SPL meter as the measurement mic, since it uses a line-level output. Apparently the 1/4” inputs are intended for guitars, which have very low-level signals.

Bottom line, I think I’d avoid the Presonus. I have no way to verify, but the Tascam’s published noise specs are excellent. Its frequency response is so flat it doesn’t really even need a calibration file. REW’s calibration shows it’s down less than .5 dB at 10 Hz, and .25 dB at 20 kHz.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

*moo*. Thank you guys for the review link and further comments. This has to be one of the best forums on the web. Now I'm just not sure what to do. I might just go back to the Tascam but do the 122 just to save some mulah. 

On a brighter note. I talked to a manager at Abes of Maine and he did indeed refund my money. It hasn't been cleared by my credit card, but it was confirmed by Amazon. At least I'm not out anything except a lot of time and confidence in online retailers, and I'm worried about what other damage this employee might be capable of inflicting. He has my phone number on his personal phone (he called me many times from it so the conversation wouldn't be recorded), and he knows where I live. I wonder how much access he has to my personal information. :dontknow: This is torture. I'm looking into it and I'm going to attempt to purge my info from their system. I mean if he's capable of extortion to get a better review, what else is he capable of?:scratch::gulp::doh: I also wonder how much of this has gone on with them. They have no other negative reviews......out of hundreds of thousands if I remember correctly.

Anyway, thanks again guys! Looks like it's back to Tascam for me. Looks like you've saved me more hassle BK.

Dan


----------



## BK_856er (Oct 23, 2009)

I've watched the tascam inventory dry up over the last week or so. Seems tascam is preparing to release their updated products (MKII line - check their site). That probably explains all the recent discounts and sketchy availability. I was working on a price match the other day and it went away before I could complete the deal. I'm now getting serious about an E-MU model to avoid chasing down phantom tascam units, but the tascams do appear to be very solid.

BK


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Seems to be no shortage of vendors on eBay selling the Tascam 122. One currently has a $100 Buy It Now price.

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Wayne, I'm scared to death of ebay at this point in time. Their reputation for security is not the best for sure. Amazon is supposed to be better, but even their vendors can be plain creepy. 

I may look into newer MKII Tascam Models. Maybe they'll be more compatible with OSX? My ultimate goal would be to make it work with the MacBook just because I really enjoy the other software and GarageBand. I'm not a big fan of iTunes, but it will do. Wish Apple didn't want my CC# just so I can use all it's features. That's just wrong and I won't do it. 

I think I'll write Tascam and see what they say. From a performance and feature perspective, they are exactly what I need with the 144 more than I currently need but maybe further on up the road I may wish I had purchased it. :dontknow: I never thought finding a mic interface was going to be sooo difficult.

OK, I'm off to write Tascam.

Thanks again


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

DanTheMan said:


> Wayne, I'm scared to death of ebay at this point in time. Their reputation for security is not the best for sure.


Hmm.... Well, a vendor doesn't get 100% positive feedback on 12,000 transactions if he's a shyster. Use Paypal and they'll guarantee your purchase in the event that the seller turns out to be a con artist.

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## BK_856er (Oct 23, 2009)

Dan, soundprofessionals has the 122L for $90 and they are very legit. I have used them multiple times for mics and custom adapters. Last week their price was $79. I think free shipping kicks in at the $150 mark. Might be a good alternative to ebay.

BK


----------



## Goldenbear (Oct 20, 2009)

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> You might try the Tascam US-122L instead. Basically the same as the 144, only quite a bit cheaper without a firewire connection, which is not needed for REW.


Good to know. I'll check it out.

Thanks!


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Wayne, do you sell on ebay? I'd trust you in a second. Just give me a link if you do.

BTW, Abes of Maine has 100% positive even after my negative review. The numbers get so huge they just round them off so it looks like they're perfect.

I haven't been to the sound professionals website for a long time. I'm on my way. Thanks BK.

I still haven't written Tascam, the wife needed me to accomplish something....

Dan


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Sure, I've sold stuff on eBay. But if you're asking if I have a 122L for sale - no I don't.

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Well I finally emailed Tascam to see what they have to say about the new mkIIs. I hope there are no issues with driver stability and newer Macs.

Dan


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

OK, so they say there's no issues with the drivers and no works been done on them for the mkII.

Hmmmm. Whataya think?

Dan


----------



## BK_856er (Oct 23, 2009)

Are you still considering the 122? Just a heads-up that sound professionals has a one-day blow out on the kit with mic and headphones for $89. Not a bad package if you can use the other stuff.

BK


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Shoot, that's a great price even without the other stuff! Sell the mic and 'phones and you'll have your 122 for practically free!

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

sold out. Too bad, I really need the cans and the mic would have been nice. Thanks for postng! That was a no brainer.

I've been reading on a couple of boards that the 122/144 work great with macs. You just have to have the patience to read the manual and install them properly and figure out how to use your software. That's what makes online reviews difficult. It can be hard to tell who's technically proficient. I have learned that there are better choices for the less proficient. Right now I'm thinking either a Tascam unit or an E-MU. I can't find enough details about the Tascam to make me think it'll be as good as I want for a few years, but a crazy deal like that one would sway me.

Thanks again!

Dan


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

Well, I got the E-MU 0404 USB. I haven't attempted any measurements yet, but I can say the device sounds very good. Music from the HD sounds just as good as the cd player. I'll start some measurements in a few days. So for this thing has been extremely easy to use with no real learning curve. It doesn't feel gig worthy as the Tascams are reported to be. None the less it has every feature I need for home recording and measuring. Hopefully this little guy will last for a long time. 

I'm off to get cables from RS for measurements!

Finally. I'm ready to measure!

Dan

PS. Thanks for your help guys. I appreciate it more than you know.


----------



## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

I've got graphs!

One speaker 3.5ft away in room.









Both speakers 7ft away in room prior to crossover adjustment.









and the speakers look like this:


----------

