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M-Audio Firewire Audiophile 2496 Audio Interface
Compact, FireWire-compatible audio/MIDI interface that takes the legacy of M-Audio?s award-winning Audiophile line to the next level.
"Great audio interface at a great price!"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:The warning about not connecting to your computer when its turned on is dissapointing. FireWire is supposed to be hot pluggable. But, with my laptop, it works fine if I just close the cover so it goes to sleep, plug in the M-Audio box, turn on the box, and then wake up the laptop. Everything else works as advertised. The hardware controls are simple and the software interface provides lots of control. IMPORTANT - I read a couple of the reviews below that complain of problems. Dont' pay any attention to them. The person with the hard drive problem is talking about a problem with the Live Delta software, not the M-Audio box. The software is supplied as a bonus, but this box can be used with any audio software. The Live software manual does indeed talk about limitations with slow drives and offers several solutions. The person with the upgraded Mac is kind of in the same boat. He's complaining about a computer problem, not a problem with the M-Audio box. It is well known that one thing you give up when you upgrade a Mac's processor is potential compatibility. I learned this the hard way years ago when I tried to save money by upgrading a Mac. A lot of software would not work with it.
Quality:
Top notch. Small, easy to take with you, travels well, accepts a bit of knocking around without complaint.
Value:
Awsome for the price. This box is the key component in my home recording studio. Plus, it comes with a limited version of Live Delta which is an extremely versatile and powerful program that can be used for multi-track recording, live DJ clip-sessions, and much more. It took me a week to go through this software and learn all its ins and outs, and when I was done, I sprung for the $225 upgrade to the full version. The box cost $150, so for $375 I had a powerful hardware/software solution for a home studio that cost less than the price of the software alone ($500). A great deal!
Sound:
Excellent! Its a 24-bit interface and is up to its specs. I use it for studio recording doing track-at-a-time recording and a high end studio mic, and this box introduces nothing - just as it should!
Support:
Only had to call once. It was just something I needed help understanding. They were very helpful, very polite.
Overall:
This box, along with the included software, makes for a very powerful studio recording solution. The ability to time-warp recordings to match beats without changing the pitch is a phenomenal aid to getting professional recordings. The connections and routing capabilities of the box makes it very flexible and able to easily fit into your recording needs.
"I know audio and this is a gem of a product for the right system."
Feature:
I use a Mackie 8 channel mixer, Kenwood MDisk recorder, Sony DAT, and it works flawlessly with all.
Quality:
Not bulletproof, plastic knobs, would NOT change cords over and over, set it up with Quality cabling (I use all AR Master series) and LEAVE it alone. Jacks are NOT very hefty but not cheap either.
Value:
I paid $150 on EBay 2 years ago and consider it one of my best purchases.
Desirability:
I honestly really like the look of this unit but SEXY??? Give me a freak'n break!!! I like the tops graphic and really love the blue led.
Sound:
I have been in the Pro Sound profession for 20+ years now and have used several other M-Audio and competitive products and this ranks up there with ANY of them! MUST have FAST drives preferably Sata 300. And good cpu power (I am using AMD Athlon 64X2 5000+) I use XP and have ZERO problems, NEVER had a pop or a crackle in 2+ years!!!
Ease of Use:
NOT plug and Play but simple to figure out, I say this but I have used several other M Audio products so I am accustomed to this, Some may have a problem innitially.
Support:
Never have had to use them since I have a lot of experiance with both Audio and PCs. But have heard from a few colleages that they SUCK!!!
Overall:
I HIGHLY reccomend this unit!!! BUT as I stated earlier if you have so so drives and a run of the mill pc...LOOK ELSEWHERE....
I use a Mackie 8 channel mixer, Kenwood MDisk recorder, Sony DAT, and it works flawlessly with all.
Quality:
Not bulletproof, plastic knobs, would NOT change cords over and over, set it up with Quality cabling (I use all AR Master series) and LEAVE it alone. Jacks are NOT very hefty but not cheap either.
Value:
I paid $150 on EBay 2 years ago and consider it one of my best purchases.
Desirability:
I honestly really like the look of this unit but SEXY??? Give me a freak'n break!!! I like the tops graphic and really love the blue led.
Sound:
I have been in the Pro Sound profession for 20+ years now and have used several other M-Audio and competitive products and this ranks up there with ANY of them! MUST have FAST drives preferably Sata 300. And good cpu power (I am using AMD Athlon 64X2 5000+) I use XP and have ZERO problems, NEVER had a pop or a crackle in 2+ years!!!
Ease of Use:
NOT plug and Play but simple to figure out, I say this but I have used several other M Audio products so I am accustomed to this, Some may have a problem innitially.
Support:
Never have had to use them since I have a lot of experiance with both Audio and PCs. But have heard from a few colleages that they SUCK!!!
Overall:
I HIGHLY reccomend this unit!!! BUT as I stated earlier if you have so so drives and a run of the mill pc...LOOK ELSEWHERE....
"Great interface if you are patient."
Feature:
Though I could have done with more inputs, as long as you have a mixer you are set. This has merged my dj skills, with my sequencing skills. It also allows me to play all of my vsts, with my dj sets. It is very very very configurable, and that is why I highly recommend it. The software it comes with is unbeatable in terms of features. Two outputs makes this great if you want to play live and record your sets at the same time from an external source, or you can ghetto rig 4 speakers.
Quality:
Again the firewire is a slight problem here, but the interface itself has metal casing, and is extremely sturdy. If you are going to be a mobile laptop dj, Highly recommended. ANything mobile has the audiophiles name written all over it. The knobs are plastic, but other than that the things a rock.
Value:
This is a huge bang for your bucks. I bought it slightly used off a guy for 120, Worth every penny and then some. The range of features and customability of the audiophile is well worth its price tag.
Desirability:
HAHAHA, this is a joke category. I mean its not a freaking Moog synthesizer, or a gold plated Technics turntable, its just a silver box with plug-ins and knobs.
Sound:
You must have a decent computer for the sound to sound good! I have a brand new dual processor and at the 96khz sampling rate it sometimes crackles (but that could just be the vinyl). But it does produce very high quality sound, especially for its price! Its all about how well you configure your inputs and how high quality those inputs are.
Ease of Use:
I complain about this because it does not start when you plug it in. This is not like a USB plug and play. It can get very confusing. I always have to play around with it in order to make it register with my computer as a drive. The software interface is simple to use if you know what you're doing, and where you want the sound to go. Otherwise its just simple trial and error for beginners.
Support:
I havent had problems with this product, but I have dealt with M-audio before (Radium 49 keyboard). Their customer service was great. As long as you keep your receipt, then you will be fine with the warranty. They will fix it for you, they are patient, and want to help you.
Overall:
I highly recommend this if you have a pretty good computer, and the right software (like Project 5 or Fruity Loops or Wavelab). Its a lot of fun to play around with different configurations, I have owned it for a year, and I am still finding new ways to play with it.
Though I could have done with more inputs, as long as you have a mixer you are set. This has merged my dj skills, with my sequencing skills. It also allows me to play all of my vsts, with my dj sets. It is very very very configurable, and that is why I highly recommend it. The software it comes with is unbeatable in terms of features. Two outputs makes this great if you want to play live and record your sets at the same time from an external source, or you can ghetto rig 4 speakers.
Quality:
Again the firewire is a slight problem here, but the interface itself has metal casing, and is extremely sturdy. If you are going to be a mobile laptop dj, Highly recommended. ANything mobile has the audiophiles name written all over it. The knobs are plastic, but other than that the things a rock.
Value:
This is a huge bang for your bucks. I bought it slightly used off a guy for 120, Worth every penny and then some. The range of features and customability of the audiophile is well worth its price tag.
Desirability:
HAHAHA, this is a joke category. I mean its not a freaking Moog synthesizer, or a gold plated Technics turntable, its just a silver box with plug-ins and knobs.
Sound:
You must have a decent computer for the sound to sound good! I have a brand new dual processor and at the 96khz sampling rate it sometimes crackles (but that could just be the vinyl). But it does produce very high quality sound, especially for its price! Its all about how well you configure your inputs and how high quality those inputs are.
Ease of Use:
I complain about this because it does not start when you plug it in. This is not like a USB plug and play. It can get very confusing. I always have to play around with it in order to make it register with my computer as a drive. The software interface is simple to use if you know what you're doing, and where you want the sound to go. Otherwise its just simple trial and error for beginners.
Support:
I havent had problems with this product, but I have dealt with M-audio before (Radium 49 keyboard). Their customer service was great. As long as you keep your receipt, then you will be fine with the warranty. They will fix it for you, they are patient, and want to help you.
Overall:
I highly recommend this if you have a pretty good computer, and the right software (like Project 5 or Fruity Loops or Wavelab). Its a lot of fun to play around with different configurations, I have owned it for a year, and I am still finding new ways to play with it.
"Excellent value in a firewire audio interface!"
Feature:
This comes with a software mixer that makes the ins/outs highly configurable.
Quality:
Full metal jacket. solid buttons, and knobs. Solid machine. I don't travel with it, but it sits nicely on my desk.
Value:
2 analog in/ 4 anoalog out..,$170. Say no more.
Desirability:
"Sex appeal"?? What have you been smokin'? It's just an audio interface! I dunno....maybe if I had a couple of beers...
Sound:
I find the sound to be quite good. Delivers 24/96 as promised. Have recorded to digital with it, brought the tracks back out to analog to mixdown, then recorded the final back on digital -- still great sound.
Support:
I called M-Audio for pre-sale and post-sale technical support. The reps are very friendly, and knowledgeable.
Overall:
I expect to get a good two years out of this unit before I upgrade to more ins/outs. By then, firewire interfaces will be much cheaper.
This comes with a software mixer that makes the ins/outs highly configurable.
Quality:
Full metal jacket. solid buttons, and knobs. Solid machine. I don't travel with it, but it sits nicely on my desk.
Value:
2 analog in/ 4 anoalog out..,$170. Say no more.
Desirability:
"Sex appeal"?? What have you been smokin'? It's just an audio interface! I dunno....maybe if I had a couple of beers...
Sound:
I find the sound to be quite good. Delivers 24/96 as promised. Have recorded to digital with it, brought the tracks back out to analog to mixdown, then recorded the final back on digital -- still great sound.
Support:
I called M-Audio for pre-sale and post-sale technical support. The reps are very friendly, and knowledgeable.
Overall:
I expect to get a good two years out of this unit before I upgrade to more ins/outs. By then, firewire interfaces will be much cheaper.
"Don't do crack!"
Feature:
Pretty basic, but I only wanted a basic recording unit. It is what it is. People who want extra features will look elsewhere, but if you want a simple setup this is not bad.
Quality:
A little on the cheap and flimsy side, especially the knobs. Would most likely be fine if you take care of it.
Value:
I may have had a bad box, but it just didn't give me a clean recording. Ever.
Desirability:
looks nice enough. Doesn't take up much space.
Sound:
Sound was good, just had alot of snap crackle pop in it...and I mean alot. I might get a 30 second recording with only one or two blips on it, but most of the time it was all over the place.
Ease of Use:
Was pretty much plug and play for me with my laptop.
Support:
Returned it. Couldn't handle the constant crackling.
Overall:
IF the popping issue were taken care of I would have loved this little box. It was exactly what I was looking for. The sound was actually quite nice, but it was not to be. I will be looking elsewhere for something similar.
Pretty basic, but I only wanted a basic recording unit. It is what it is. People who want extra features will look elsewhere, but if you want a simple setup this is not bad.
Quality:
A little on the cheap and flimsy side, especially the knobs. Would most likely be fine if you take care of it.
Value:
I may have had a bad box, but it just didn't give me a clean recording. Ever.
Desirability:
looks nice enough. Doesn't take up much space.
Sound:
Sound was good, just had alot of snap crackle pop in it...and I mean alot. I might get a 30 second recording with only one or two blips on it, but most of the time it was all over the place.
Ease of Use:
Was pretty much plug and play for me with my laptop.
Support:
Returned it. Couldn't handle the constant crackling.
Overall:
IF the popping issue were taken care of I would have loved this little box. It was exactly what I was looking for. The sound was actually quite nice, but it was not to be. I will be looking elsewhere for something similar.
"it's great..when it works"
Feature:
it is a bit basic, but for the money it is ok,
Quality:
cheapo plastic knobs and cos they economised on having less knobs it takes a while to figure out what is going on with the channels etc software makes up for it tho
Value:
i didnt expect to have to replace this so i am disapointed with the value, if i had got thee years out of it then i would be happy
Sound:
for the money the sound quality is good enough, i get it very clean and no crackles or pops. after 6 months it has developed a problem tho, i get both stereo channels in the phones, which proves the signal is getting to the unit, but only one channel goes out to the monitors.
Ease of Use:
wire it up, good to go.
Support:
the support people were helpful eventually, but though i quite specifically oputlined the problem their first two opinions on what the problem was were utterly ridiculous and proved they werent listening
Overall:
i was quite happy till it went wrong, now i curse the damn thing daily.
it is a bit basic, but for the money it is ok,
Quality:
cheapo plastic knobs and cos they economised on having less knobs it takes a while to figure out what is going on with the channels etc software makes up for it tho
Value:
i didnt expect to have to replace this so i am disapointed with the value, if i had got thee years out of it then i would be happy
Sound:
for the money the sound quality is good enough, i get it very clean and no crackles or pops. after 6 months it has developed a problem tho, i get both stereo channels in the phones, which proves the signal is getting to the unit, but only one channel goes out to the monitors.
Ease of Use:
wire it up, good to go.
Support:
the support people were helpful eventually, but though i quite specifically oputlined the problem their first two opinions on what the problem was were utterly ridiculous and proved they werent listening
Overall:
i was quite happy till it went wrong, now i curse the damn thing daily.
"3 native serious bugs in one box!"
Feature:
the main feature I noticed is the low standard design
Quality:
when you have got everything on the best possible PC guess what-I can't plug-in my MIDI board because it crashes every three minutes while I play MIDI! This is a crash from the box itself! It can't handle really fast MIDI signals.all the programs I tried while playing midi crash.I spent about 15 hours troubleshooting this bastard to make sure I knew all its quirks but then it has this new one which is completely stuck. Also-the drivers are awful, the last release was about two years ago, while troubleshooting it I found about five complaints of the same problem on lots of different forums, but when I mentioned this obvious problem to the guy he had never heard of it. I had to get turned down all the video acceleration for my graphics card to even make the volume sliders work from their soundcard mixing interface because it's written with a graphics overlay which is showy and completely dysfunctional and different from the traditional early audiophile native Windows-it's glittery trash I am very disappointed
Value:
disappointing
Sound:
high-quality but it cuts out, the direct sound drivers are written so that there is all kinds of interference from different parts of the computer that cut the sound out, but there is worse to come.
Ease of Use:
everything plugs in okay, except it comes with a warning of not plugging in powered FireWire lines without switching off the computer because you might fry your ports.
Support:
nice bloke,he told me to get an add-on card for my FireWire port because it only runs well with Texas instruments FireWire chips. basically if you buy it for anything slightly advanced involving advancer MIDI then you probably will send it back pretty fast if you are wise.
Overall:
is aboard might be okay for some kinds of straightforward use but it is dreadfully unstable and they have misleadingly named it audiophile, just done a single driver update and the driver has fundamental problems of stability. It doesn't have any crash recovery, it interferes with other directxthreads. It is absolutely pathetic
the main feature I noticed is the low standard design
Quality:
when you have got everything on the best possible PC guess what-I can't plug-in my MIDI board because it crashes every three minutes while I play MIDI! This is a crash from the box itself! It can't handle really fast MIDI signals.all the programs I tried while playing midi crash.I spent about 15 hours troubleshooting this bastard to make sure I knew all its quirks but then it has this new one which is completely stuck. Also-the drivers are awful, the last release was about two years ago, while troubleshooting it I found about five complaints of the same problem on lots of different forums, but when I mentioned this obvious problem to the guy he had never heard of it. I had to get turned down all the video acceleration for my graphics card to even make the volume sliders work from their soundcard mixing interface because it's written with a graphics overlay which is showy and completely dysfunctional and different from the traditional early audiophile native Windows-it's glittery trash I am very disappointed
Value:
disappointing
Sound:
high-quality but it cuts out, the direct sound drivers are written so that there is all kinds of interference from different parts of the computer that cut the sound out, but there is worse to come.
Ease of Use:
everything plugs in okay, except it comes with a warning of not plugging in powered FireWire lines without switching off the computer because you might fry your ports.
Support:
nice bloke,he told me to get an add-on card for my FireWire port because it only runs well with Texas instruments FireWire chips. basically if you buy it for anything slightly advanced involving advancer MIDI then you probably will send it back pretty fast if you are wise.
Overall:
is aboard might be okay for some kinds of straightforward use but it is dreadfully unstable and they have misleadingly named it audiophile, just done a single driver update and the driver has fundamental problems of stability. It doesn't have any crash recovery, it interferes with other directxthreads. It is absolutely pathetic
"If your computer is accelerated, don't buy this."
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Overall:I wish I never bought this, but mainly because my computer wasn't supported and I didn't realize it. I have an accelerated G4 Cube, and when this was plugged in, it didn't work properly at all, caused crashes, and screwed up the whole Firewire chain. M-Audio won't take it back either, because my configuration is not supported. DO NOT BUY if you are using an accelerated Mac, they will tell you that you're stuck with it if you have problems like I did. I got an Edirol UA-25, and I'm VERY happy with it.
"BIG DISSAPOINTMENT"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:came with the neccessary cables, and all the PERIPHERALS you could need. in terms of "features" though, it's massively lacking in some fundamental areas. like, say, ability to turn the thing on when your computer is on without "risking damaging your firewire port or the audiophile or both" according to M-Audio. Pragmatically speaking this won't really happen, but it does NOT work the majority of the time if you just plug it in. while your machine is on.
Quality:
absolutely terrible. I am angry and feel suckered into buying this based on M-Audio's reliable 2496 card (which has served me well) - never again. This thing turns on and off intermittently. Also, the neccesary external adaptor if you have a 4 pin firewire input (if you have a small firewire port you need to keep the AC adaptor plugged in) is very inconvenient when compared to pcmcia cards like the indigo dj.
Value:
looks nice, sounds OK, for home use as part of a desktop system maybe it would work. even at home it still takes me a few tries to get it working some times. As a card for live sets/on the go it is HORRIBLE, and I would not recommend it to anyone.
Desirability:
guess it looks pretty nice, will probably look significantly less nice to you when it cuts out at the worst possible moment.
Sound:
as with the 2496, sound on the audiophile firewire is perfectly fine... when it's not cutting out.
Support:
engineers were nice when I inititally had problems due to the fact that the specs listed on the box are not accurate (they don't take into account significantly slower laptop hard drive speeds in the listed specs- gee, who woulda thought maybe people might use these external sound cards on laptops??) Ergo, I had a machine that far surpassed the listed requirements but still got bad clicking when I played back multiple channels of audio). one $300 hard drive upgrade later , this piece of crap STILL Cuts out at inopportune moments. After one particularly dissapointing experience I decided to write them a real letter, still have not heard back from them.
Overall:
I am through with this POS. I am currently looking for a replacement, will probably go with an indigo DJ. I am very unsatisfied with the quality of this card and feel let down by m-audio, a company I previously trusted.
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