Replacement for Digi 003r..Focusrite Safire Pro 40..?

[Piers Gibbon]

ahh thanks for the headsup on the fw drive issues

At the moment I use a lacie rugged, and I have a couple of other options I can try..but am hoping to upgrade to one of these silent Oyen ssd ones so I can keep it inside the studio for security

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0065N99EY

Also I am really looking forward to being able to route audio from other apps into PT via the loopback function.....I have my fingers crossed that it will allow me to chat via skype

Good luck on saving up, it took me a while too..I think there is something particularly sweet in the combo of TLM 103 Neumann and Avalon

[nst7]

This is why I suggested the USB based Scarlett. You won't have to deal with daisy chaining and you can have the interface on USB and your firewire drives on firewire, keeping things on two different busses. USB has greatly advanced in the last few years, and USB performance is now pretty much equal with firewire performance when it comes to interfaces.

[BradLyons]

When Pro Tools 9 came out, the way we interface into ProTools LE changed---well most likely because that ended Pro Tools LE Now that 10 is out and we're on the edge of 11, you have pretty much 100% flexibility in what interface you choose to use with Pro Tools. The Digi003 was a very good unit but frankly it was originally designed as the only way to have multi-channel Pro Tools on a small budget. You bought the Digi003 for that reason, not because it was the best interface out there. And for many it was more than fine, you even had the option of upgrading the converters via ADAT I/O or S/PDIF. But with products like the Saffire Pro 40 they are competing head on with the other manufacturers so it has to be good. Personally I think the Saffire Pro 40 w/Pro Tools is a seriously good, but affordable, combination. Sure you can also upgrade to the level of a Liquid Saffire 56 or even up to the Apogee Apollo, RME UFX, etc. The choices are pretty much endless, but I'm guessing the budget is not

[Piers Gibbon]

Thanks all, I take your point nst7 and Brad you are spot on

yes I have now ordered the Saffire Pro 40...can't wait to get started when it arrives

I could have found the budget for Liquid 56 or the RME or the Apollo - and I love shiny things as much as anyone - but I simply could not justify those as a business decision (I am also using a relatively old macbook pro for the same reason).

On the basis that I couldn't quite believe that even my most golden eared client would actually be able to hear any extra value on my voiceover wavs. And I asked him for his opinion! Sure, on multitracked music maybe..but on a mono voiceover track - I'd need to be convinced on that...and then will happily upgrade so please convince me!

Basically the things that have made the real difference over the years have been investing in an Esmono studio, the combo of neumann tlm 103 and avalon 737 (with a LOT of experimentation to find the right settings), mike placement, popper stopper placement...and hundreds of hours of recording real clients voiceovers with this set up once stabilised.

I have tuned my studio set up, and I have tuned my voice into my studio...maybe I am finding the resonant frequency ranges that work best in here...who knows

But interestingly I have recently started hiring this studio out to a highly experienced female voiceover colleague on a long term basis (https://soundcloud.com/louisagummer).

The first time she used the studio I couldn't work out why it didn't sound as perfect as I expected. I freaked and tested everything and then of course as she got more used to the space and the mike it all worked out - and now I honestly believe the sound we are getting is, as the golden eared client said "in the top two or three voiceover studios in the UK"...and we know how to get this sound reliably and repeatably

Hiring out the studio has made me look at everything in the chain and everything in the room..as a business. I am loving the quest to get the best sound possible, with backups of all systems possible so that my clients get the best service possible.

Thanks be to DUC for the help on the way, hugely appreciated

[dr_daw]

Good luck Piers!

You'll love the Saffire, you won't be disappointed. I fell in love with that same combo of the TLM 104 and 737 at a studio I managed for a while. Also loved using a U87 through that pre for vocals.

We're here if you need assistance. With the 'Loopback' just make sure you mute all your other routings or you will get CRAZY feedback. Save that the Loopback setup that works for you as a mixcontrol template. Took me a few kicks at the can to get it to work, but you should have no problem with Skype. The only concern MAY be your RAM. I don't know how well everything will perform when trying to run Skype, and record with that much RAM.

Let me know how your drive set-up goes, as I'm still hoping that something will change and I can free up my Thunderbolt port for a video out!

Regardless, enjoy...oooo, and MAKE sure you get the LATEST mixcontrol software for your saffire.