[lamegamer]

Heya. I have lots of questions but I'll try to keep them clear and this post short. I REALLY appreciate anyone willing to give advice.

I'm a PC user, new to Macs, and I'm about to buy a Mac Pro. Here is the equipment I need to chain up to my computer:

A Yamaha EX5 keyboard (which I'll be using strictly as a midi controller)
Pioneer DJM 300-S mixer (with my two Technics turntables)

I'm considering buying a M-Audio FireWire 410 Audio Interface ( M-AUDIO - FireWire 410 - 4-In/10-Out FireWire Mobile Recording Interface ) to use to connect all of that to my computer.

For speakers, I'm looking at a set of M-Audio BX5a ( M-AUDIO - Studiophile BX5a - 70 Watt Bi-Amplified Studio Reference Monitors ) and, because I've heard those have overpowering high ends, a SBX Subwoofer ( M-Audio Studiophile SBX Subwoofer ).

I'll be using Logic, Reason, Garage Band, etc. to do my sequencing and composition. 95% of the time I'll be using this system to create music or record vinyl. Ocasionally, I may be recording live instruments with a mic or guitar thru the XLR imputs.
Okay, so now the questions. I know turntables, I know computers, I know music... But I don't know jack about Macs, external sound cards, or speakers in general:

1. Can I hook those speakers directly to the FireWire 410? If so, how do you hook all three up b/c I see the "direct outputs" on the back, but how do you determine which speakers get hooked where? Or, do you just hook the subwoofer up and then the two monitors get hooked to the sub?
2. Am I able to hook my turntable mixer up to the FireWire 410 so I can record my vinyl mixes?
3. Does this look like a good setup overall or should I go for something like a set of 5.1 logitech speakers which look like you can hook them optically to the FireWire 410?

I really appreciate any and all responses and help that people can give me. Thanks a bunch!

[SeSawaya]

I like your choices, good value for the buck, ect. M-Audio makes great stuff thats affordable, I dont think you can go wrong with this.

1. usually subs are the first in the chain, then the satilites are off of that. Not 100% sure, but mine are.
2. You can hook ANY sound source into your Firewire 410 to get sound in the computer. It dosent discriminate!

I've never been a huge fan of expensive monitors (not that yours are REAL expensive). The main reason is no one listens to music on speakers as good as refernce monitors. Once you get a mix to sound great on these, then you must get the mix to sound even better on a set of crappy speakers, cause that's what 99.9% of the pop uses. I use 2-3 sets of mid range priced speakers to make sure everything is good and even. I'm no super pro but I've fooled some recording studios into believeing my stuff was done in a high end studio when I really mixed it down in my car using an aux in jack!!!! People never really bought that I think, but it's true.

Good monitors are a must to hear the little things, but dont forget to get real with it too.

If you click my (I'm on iTunes) link you can hear what I mixed in my old Cavalier car stereo. I recorded it all on a Roland VS880EX. Now life is SO much better cause of my Mac and even something as simple as garageband. Truely an incredible program that I used to track all of my last CD (caribbean music link below)

ave fun & good luck!!!

[analogika]

The M-Audio audiointerface annoyed me tremendously the one time I had to use it on a gig:

The ****ing thing actually REQUIRED me to shut down my Powerbook before connecting it. Also, the owner had had to jam a little bit of folded paper in the main volume pot, because the pot had become unreliable.

A friend got a Presonus Firebox a few weeks ago, and that thing has really impressed me.

No driver - we just hooked it up to his MacBook (while iTunes was running) and it worked.
Very solid construction. Sounds great.

Same price as the M-Audio (actually slightly cheaper).

Check it out: PreSonus

I have no affiliation with them, but that thing seems like excellent value for money, while my experience with the M-Audio was less than impressive.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by lamegamer 

I'm a PC user, new to Macs, and I'm about to buy a Mac Pro.

Three words: Memory, memory, memory.
Got a Mac Pro a couple of weeks back, and 4 Gb ain't really cutting it.

[SeSawaya]

dear lord Doofy what are you doing???

[SeSawaya]

Originally Posted by analogika 

Same price as the M-Audio (actually slightly cheaper).

Check it out: PreSonus

I have no affiliation with them, but that thing seems like excellent value for money, while my experience with the M-Audio was less than impressive.

I'm REALLY interested in this thing! I do wish it had digital I/O or am I missing that?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by SeSawaya 

dear lord Doofy what are you doing???

I'm making music. And hating the bloke who invented swap files.

[SeSawaya]

mmmm, could we hear said music?

I'm intreseted in 4gbs of memory using music!!!

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by SeSawaya 

mmmm, could we hear said music?

Not for a while, sorry. There's no deadline or pressure on this one, so I'm enjoying the process of getting it "just so" (i.e. if the vocal line has to be recorded 3,000 times, it will be... If I have to comp the guitar lines for a year, then so be it). Couple of years maybe?

Originally Posted by SeSawaya 

I'm intreseted in 4gbs of memory using music!!!

I promise I'll let ya hear it when it has enough cowbell.

[SeSawaya]

haha! I understand, I always just set my own deadlines, keeps me working on it.

Well by then, maybe your computer will have 16 gigs of memory!

What are you using? PT, Logic....?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by SeSawaya 

haha! I understand, I always just set my own deadlines, keeps me working on it.

Yeah, that's familiar.

I got me an urge to get it out of my properly this time... ...it's always been a deadline-induced compromise in the past, but this time there's no rush so I'm not going to let it lie until what's in my head is duplicated exactly on a little round disc!

Originally Posted by SeSawaya 

Well by then, maybe your computer will have 16 gigs of memory!

Heh. At the rate it's going, maybe a terrabyte!

Originally Posted by SeSawaya 

What are you using? PT, Logic....?

Logic with a few other bits and bobs. Having used hardware for 10+ years, I'm sort of hitting a learning curve with getting back into software. Still, I'll see where it goes.

[SeSawaya]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Yeah, that's familiar.
Logic with a few other bits and bobs. Having used hardware for 10+ years, I'm sort of hitting a learning curve with getting back into software. Still, I'll see where it goes.

Yah i hear you, to do some things that were so simple (to me) with DAWs to use software makes it just way to confusing. But the opposite can be said about 1000 other detail.

I would just like to invest time into something that isnt going to drastically change in a short few years so I have to learn everythng again to do the same job.

dreamming perhaps....

[analogika]

Woah. Doofy using a software sequencer??

I would have pictured you as the type to be basing everything sequenced around a Forat Linn 9000 until well past 2030...except we all know hard rock never used synths, right?

[analogika]

Originally Posted by SeSawaya 

I'm REALLY interested in this thing! I do wish it had digital I/O or am I missing that?

It's there.

From the linked page:

Two channels of S/PDIF input/output and MIDI input/output are also included via DB9 breakout cable.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by analogika 

Woah. Doofy using a software sequencer??

I would have pictured you as the type to be basing everything sequenced around a Forat Linn 9000 until well past 2030...

I know, I know. Shoot me now.
(I may still transfer the whole caboodle to hardware sometime. Just for S&Gs. )