PreSonus Firebox FireWire Interface User Reviews at zZounds

"Very nice product." submitted June 3, 2005

By a customer from mac.com

Overall

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Features

Quality

Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Active Musician

Music Style: Jazz, Electronic, Classical, Asian Music, Afro-Cuban, Blues, Modern Country, U.S Southern Blues, Irish Folk songs, Russo-Mongoli

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

Sound: I am a professional song writer in Finland and I am staying in U.S. for learning Audio Engineering in Los Angeles. It is very curious that how this small and cheap audio interface sounds so nice including its pristine Mic. Preamps. Actually, I have never heard about this company in Finland, however, I found that Presonus is famous preamplifier manufacturer in United States. I bought Firebox this week for several bands's vocal and guitar recording. Honestly, before I bought this, I thought that I would return after recording bands, but I will keep this one and bring my country. This is portable and simple look, but presonus put technologies reasonably into this small box. Sounds color are Clean, Crisp, and Clear. Generally High sounds with nice head room. Do not hesitate for buying this one if you are not working for the professional studio works. Save money and enjoy with this one. Feature: There is Cubase LE, this is nice for anyone who are newbie in the computer sequencing programs. Remember, the reason why many people raise presonus hands are that presonus firebox and firepod has pristine mic pre (also Instrumental preamp) with excellent sounds for its price. In my opinion, the sounds of firepod or firebox (Actually same feature except number of mic preamps and in/out puts) are same level as MOTU 828MkII or 2408MKIII. However, this has much nicer mic preamps. Quality: It is well made and sturdy. I hope that there should be rubber holders (like 3M models) in the bottom of firebox. But, overall, it is built well. Value: Firebox or Firepod is one of the Most valuable product for the money, I bet. Manufacturer Support: Presonus answers every my requests. People are very kind and knowledgeable on their products. The Wow Factor: I already have this. Overall: Buy this one if you are interested it. You would not be disappointed with this.

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"The firebox is so sick." submitted December 31, 2005

By a customer from hotmail.com

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The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Musician (guitar, piano, drums). Producer. Lyricist.

Music Style: www.myspace.com/phunnypharm - hip hop, electronic, rock, acoustic

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Sound: I'm running a condenser microphone through a focusrite pre-amp, dbx, comp., then in to my firebox and people can't believe the sound I get out of it. I also have a mid-level synth that I connect both through the additional audio inputs on the back and midi. This totally completed my setup. I have people over to my "studio" after they've heard the tracks and they are taken back by the setup. They can't believe what I'm using. Its a great unit and you can get really good sound out of it. Feature: Lots of features are great. It includes a mic boost which I've found extremely useful, hell we rehearse through this thing because the pre-amps sound much better than run of the mill mixer pre-amps. Lets you power it straight off firewire. Quality: I want to say for the price, its awesome... but I've never used more expensive interfaces. All I know is that it gives me a very near-pro sounding recording and I am an extremely satisfied customer. Value: Unbelievable. It is much better than I thought it was going to be and I had high expectations. Manufacturer Support: 10 for not having to call. The Wow Factor: Its sexy. Overall: Amazing.

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"It's called the FIREbox for a reason..." submitted July 19, 2005

By a customer from gmail.com

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Musical Background: Rapper, Producer, & Mixer.

Music Style: Hip-Hop (Rap), R&B, Acapella, & a little Rock.

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Sound: This definitly has a nice sound to it with ANY mic that i've used with it. I've used the Studio Project C-1 (Condenser), Shure BG 1.1 (Dynamic), Shure SM-58 (Dynamic), Studio Project B-1 (Condenser), and Rode NT-1000 (Condenser). Considering I don't have a sound proof booth/closet it's great for the price. Doesn't pick up much 'air noise' at all, if any. Has a great range for different vocal styles. ** This is a FIREWIRE we're talking about, meaning it's all recording digitaly. Which is the best way to record in a home studio.** Feature: Come's with Cubase LE, firewire cable, and the power adapter. Has a good amount of inputs for additional microphones or instruments. If ANYTHING could be added it would have to be maybe a 2nd headphone input. Quality: It's built "Ford" tough. No plastic parts so no breaking to worry about. Come's with 4 rubber 'things' you stick on the bottom so it doesn't slide. Value: If you're on a budget as I was when I purchased this, it's amazing! The only other thing even close to this at this prise is the ProTools M-Box which is $50 more. The Wow Factor: If you worry about how your equipment looks over how your sound is, die. It's not the most 'cool' looking thing out there but it isn't ugly at all. I must say the other PreSonus PreAMPs do look better but this gets the job done better. Overall: I can't say that it's a 10 because i've only used 1 other PreAMP/Soundcard which I stated in the value section. I would rate the other listed item a 8.5.

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"Good Quality Unit" submitted March 26, 2006

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Sound: The sound on this unit is solid. So far I've used analog in for keyboards and some vocals. The sound is pretty clean and acceptable. Feature: I got this box because it had more than two inputs. It has two combo inputs for line ins or mics (plus phantom power). Then it has two more line ins and spdif and midi and all that. Lots of options compared to other interfaces at the same price. Ease of Use: I was surprise by the ease of this unit. Read the manual, install drivers, install cubase, start recording. Thats what i did and it worked so I'd say it can't get much easier than that. I'm on windows and it works fine btw. I first got this unit to record a song for a school project and I did it over the weekend, so that should tell you I recorded a whole song in two days not having any recording experience ever. This is my first attempt at recording and the firebox is a great starter. Quality: Obviously its not pro gear, but the recording quality is really good. Many people that don't really listen to music intently probably wouldn't guess that the quality comes from a small home unit like the firebox. I've only just started testing vocals with a condenser mic and it seems a little weak, I still have to mess with things though. I guess the preamps the firebox has are suppose to be good, but an external preamp might be better to boost the mic up. Value: Well it's a pretty decent value compared to others. Manufacturer Support: No experience The Wow Factor: well i did want it and so i bought it. I guess i looks fine. Its nice and compact that for sure, they fit a lot of ins and outs and i dont mind the break out cable for midi and spdif. I'd say the front knobs are a bit tight, you'll pretty much hit another knob everytime you go to turn one. Overall: well i plan to keep it and use it for just a hobby type thing and recording with friends. Its my first unit and i'd say im pretty happy with it. Hopefully during summer I'll have time to really get situated with it and record a bunch of stuff. I'd recommend it.

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"A lot of recording power in a cool little box." submitted June 4, 2006

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Sound: I have this hooked up to a Neumann TLM 103 and in my opinion the sound is impeccable. Works well with vocals and accoustic guitar, and was particularly amazing with my alto saxaphone. The sax has been difficult for me to capture in the past. The pre-amp is surprisingly clean. Feature: The features are great for my use, and I look forward for support to daisy-chain another firebox for more mic inputs as I expand my needs. I wish it would have come with a 4 pin firewire cable (as well as the 6 pin), but this was easy enough to purchase. Works well with a midi keyboard as a HALion controller - I have no problems with it. Time to sell my M-Audio midi-sport. Ease of Use: Very easy to use and intuitive. Quality: Quality seems good so far. Seems sturdy. I suppose time will tell . . . Manufacturer Support: N/A. Easy to use. I haven't needed support yet. The Wow Factor: Cool look. I have it and I want it.

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"PreSonus packs a punch" submitted March 26, 2005

By a customer from hotmail.com

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The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Semi-pro

Music Style: Everything except 3 c's country classical crock

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

Sound: Excellent sound quality. Very clear, virtually no noise. Feature: Easy setup within minutes. Use with Cubase LE, but also have Logic Platinum 5.5.1. Great ability to monitor with its own software mixer. Quality: Very well made with excellent feel and durability. No flimsy plastic like other manufacturers external soundcard units. Value: Well worth the selling price. Realize they need to make a profit, but would be nice to have one additional headphone out with volume control. Not a real problem as there are sufficient other outs to use. Also, how do you say, "firewire"? Manufacturer Support: Called tech support to ask a silly question and a person actually answered. Was very patient and polite. A miracle in this day and age. The Wow Factor: It's solid and will fit well in the Presonus rack if I decide to purchase the compressor to compliment the mic pre I have as well. Overall: Fits my needs now. Project studio perfection! Not too much, not too little.

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"Fuego." submitted October 8, 2008

By a customer from yahoo.com

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Features

Ease of Use

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The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Active Musician, Recording Engineer.

Music Style: Metal, Rock.

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Sound: I love the sound quality, mic preamps are quiet and i agree about low gain, but all interfaces which i have in the past have the same symptoms but what you want without comp, eq, etc...? The sound is crisp, bright and rich. Feature: 4/6 in/out, plus midi - s/pdif, plus 2GB DVD with plugins, nice. Ease of Use: Just plug and forget about problems. Quality: What i dislike is it build quality, it's not bad but not great... focusrite saffire, yamaha go46 which i have, are better in build construction quality but this is not so important, more significant are sound and for me firebox more better than mentioned above by mine audio interfaces. But i love the precision knobs of firebox. Value: One of the best in this class of audio interfaces. Manufacturer Support: This is my second firebox, i sold my old which i use three years, i use this box for live and field recordings, so i practically destroy this box during the years, but i loved the sound. So i decided to sell it and buy something new. I want to say i have other interfaces: yamaha go46, konnekt 8, focusrite saffire, etc... So i look to konnekt live, but certainly known about driver problems (konnekt 8). And i buy konnekt live... I can't say bad words about, but i discover some problems with konnekt, i sold konnekt and... of course buy presonus. (I want say one thing, in past years i lost my FireBox MIDI-S/PDIF cable, i try to find everywhere but nothing... So i write to presonus and ask about cable and how much i need to pay for it. They send me it absolutely free! Thanks them. So once again i have firebox. The Wow Factor: Blue LED's and silver, very nice. And beautiful knobs. Overall: This is my fourth year with firebox, and i expect more years with my box.

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PreSonus Firebox Customer Review submitted December 18, 2005

By a customer from comcast,net

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Musical Background: recording and production

Music Style: hiphop rnb trap house

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Sound: Sound better than the m-audio delta 55 i used to have... Feature: Not much but aleast i got the what i pay for the quailty of the sound componet. free cubase se not the best but atleast it get the job done... Quality: built solid and like a tank.. all metal..readdy paddle Value: For the price is defenly worth it for production on or even homestudio i used for my main studio runn ub2222 mixer and event monitor hardwaresampler.. it can also handle most vsti it hadnt let me done yet..love it Manufacturer Support: never used their call support...their website provid alot of help... The Wow Factor: at first i wasnt even gonna look at this item i saw many m-audio Overall: I give it a 8 because the hardware does some have confilet with laptop that running with ati mobilty radeon 9000. something it affect the sound other than it a great solid material and quailty..

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"A great piece of gear if it works like it should" submitted February 8, 2006

By a customer from hotmail.com

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Musical Background: Played in many bands in years past now Im mostly into recording

Music Style: Classic Rock, Blues, Folt some Jazz and more alternative Country

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VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: The sound quality is very good. Nice quiet preamps. Vocals and acoustic instruments recorded with this sounded clear and well defined. Feature: Not sure how to rate this as I was unable to use all the features. My new IMac G5 would recognize the firebox but not it's output. I was able to record with it but I coudn't monitor through it or use the software mixer. It would not power up by firewire alone I had to use the ac adapter. I emailed Presonus and they said they had heard of this problem from several new IMac users. Wished I had known this before I bought it. Quality: I've owned afew other audio interfaces and compared to them this thing is built like a tank. Value: If it worked like it should I would give it a 10. Evan monitoring through the computers audio card there was very little latency. Manufacturer Support: I emailed them several times and got fairly prompt answers, although it did not reslove the problem> I know the device wasn't defective because I hooked it up to a friends PC andd was able to get all the features to work. Of course he has firewire 800 and my imac only has 400, so it was inadequate to power up this device. I plan on getting a new powerbook in the near future with a firewire 800 port so I'll be keeping this unit. The rercording quality is very good. The Wow Factor: It's a very attractive compact well built unit. Doesn't exactly make me lust after it though. Again if I was able to make it work like It should I would rate it higher. Perhaps when I get my Powerbook and use it with that I will right another review. Overall: For the time being I wll stick with it. I own a MAudio mobile pre. This thing a much higher quality and clarity of recording compared to it. It's 24 bit as opposed to 16 bit.

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"Best bang for your buck! Can't lose" submitted October 28, 2005

By a customer from insightbb.com

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The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Active Musician for 8 years

Music Style: Acoustic Rock

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Sound: I would give it a 10 but nothing is perfect. Nice crisp sound comes out though. I love it. I get no pops or clicks, only what I'm playing. Feature: Everything you need comes right out of the box. midi cables, software, even the power supply! All the knobs are right up front, easy to control. Has new XLR inputs for either XLR or regular 1/4 input. Phantom power that really does work either with power supply or not. All metal knobs, no plastic anywhere! 6 in's, 10 out's! Quality: I really don't think it could be built much better. All metal, no pretty visuals here. Just what you need. Value: There is better stuff that is more expensive, There is worse less expensive. I just went with something that I felt was for the money the very best. I wasn't wrong either. Manufacturer Support: I emailed them asking about compatiblity with certain programs, I got an email back the same day. The Wow Factor: Its not pretty, but its not ugly either. Good small design for people that want to take it with them. Overall: I think this will last me for atleast a few years. I don't see any need to move up, it has everything i need. Software comes and goes, this thing will stick with you the whole way.

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"watch out for "no-sync auto routing feature"" submitted September 5, 2007

By a customer from softsynth.com

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Musical Background: audio programmer

Music Style: experimental

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Sound: Sound is fine. Our audio content has a limited spectrum so we are not pushing it. Feature: WARNING - this product has one feature too many. We are using this for a permanent audio installation with high powered amps. We process the mic inputs in software. When we restart the computer the FireBox is powered up but not controlled by the computer for about 10 seconds. During this time it routes the mic inputs directly to the outputs 1 & 2!! This results in a horrendous feedback. We almost did not discover this until it was too late. As a workaround we only use outputs 5&6. They call this feature "no-sync auto routing". I call it a dangerous assumption about how the device is being used that could result in blown ear drums or blown speakers. Other than this design flaw it is a great box. Ease of Use: We plugged it in and it worked. The drivers were already installed on the Mac. It could only be easier if we didn't have to plug it in. Quality: The case feels solid. The knobs feel sturdy but the detents make it a little hard to do fine adjustment. Value: It seems reasonable given the quality of the device. Manufacturer Support: I used the support forum to get help for the "no-syn auto routing feature". They told me I should not have microphones where they can hear the speakers. We use the mics to monitor the speaker outputs and it works fine except when we lose sync. The Wow Factor: It looks attractive but it is just an audio interface. If you are lusting after an audio interface then you have serious problems. Although I must admit the little blue sync light was cute. Overall: If I had known about the "no-sync auto routing feature" I would probably not have bought it. But I don't know of anything better.

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"Love it! Perfect for my home recording set-up." submitted November 14, 2008

By @yahoo.com

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Musical Background: Professional Musician/Songwriter

Music Style: Acoustic/Rock/Folk

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Sound: Very adequate pre-amps on board, but this rating goes up to about a 9.5 when used with an external pre-amp, like the ART Tube unit. Feature: Pretty basic, but as a one-man band, it's just right for me. Ease of Use: If one has a good ear and good engineering skills, this unit is quite easy to use. Having said that, those are *huge* ifs... Quality: I'd say it's built pretty solid. I've worked with plenty of cheap-feeling pieces of gear, and this is clearly not one of them. Value: Worth the money, as long as it lasts for as long as I need to use it. Manufacturer Support: When I've had questions, they've been answered quickly and competently. The Wow Factor: Yes, it feels and looks good.

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"Know your software" submitted November 12, 2007

By a customer from hotmail.com

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Musical Background: Musician, Composer, Engineer

Music Style: Hyperblast Technical Extreme Death Metal

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Sound: fantastic for the price Feature: Hardware: 10 midi spdif breakout cable included, 2 firewire ports are extremely handy, very tidy. Software: 0 came with a woefully outdated driver, had to download the new one and update firmware. came with cubase LE 1.10 which limits you to 2 VST instruments. earlier versions of LE (1.09 > release) will give you more VST. do not rely on the included software if you plan to use VST instruments. Ease of Use: truly heard my guitar for the first time within 10 min of getting this unit home. Quality: metal, has weight, solid, just reefed on it then. no flex. you could probably hit it with a hammer and it would still work. Value: extremely well balanced. this will give great sound for the price. you may prefer similar units with other features but it's easy to use and i bum it. Manufacturer Support: havent needed The Wow Factor: it is small, sleek and shiny. the blue lights are sav. works well, does great sound and it's very cool. Overall: great unit. i will certainly keep it around after the next upgrade. it sounds awesome and is great for the laptop.

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PreSonus Firebox Customer Review submitted March 30, 2006

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Sound: No noise or anything else, but weak preamps. Feature: everything you need is included, even the adaptor which you don't need if you've got a 6-pin firewire connection. Ease of Use: the software hasn't any meters Quality: the quality is very good Value: It's to expensive for the possibility's I think. I won it, but I would never have bought it. Manufacturer Support: good support, but they couldn't solve my midi problems

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"Preamps = VERY NOISY with powered monitors... will not buy it again." submitted December 20, 2006

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Musical Background: 10 year house DJ and producer

Music Style: Housemusic

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Sound: This card has low quality preamps. The headphone jack sounds ok, but when hooking the card up to powered studio monitors, the noise/feedback it puts out is some of the worst I've ever heard. I tried a few different audio cables, tried grounding the monitors to the same ground as my computer, tried plugging in the A/C adapter along with the firewire, and nothing helped at all. I may have got a lemon, but this is a common thing with this card. You can search many forums to see that others are having the same issues with the card. Ease of Use: Piece of cake to set up. Quality: The unit itself feels solid and looks pretty good. Value: Not a solid enough card for the high $300 tag. Manufacturer Support: I never used their support, I went on the Presonus forums and found what I needed to know. But what they say to do to eliminate that noise didn't work at all. The Wow Factor: I'll pass on getting another Firebox. Overall: I'm very unsatisfied with the quality of the Presonus Firebox. When you depend on a good soundcard for DJ gigs and things like that, you can't have a noisy/unreliable card. Other people might have good/working Firebox cards, but this one sure isn't.

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"Little box rocks!!" submitted November 11, 2005

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Sound: Used it to do vocals at home, then took the wave to a pro studio to mix and wow!! The engineer couldn't believe what he was hearing!! That's how professional this little box is. Feature: Straight features. Nothing fancy. Just what you want, where you want it. Quality: Sturdy and hard edge. Would drop on a granite floor and still probably survive! Value: 10 Manufacturer Support: Support is very responsive. Very pateint support. Answer all questions. The Wow Factor: Would buy it again! Overall: I expect this little device to serve me for a long time. I don't see it collapsing on me.

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"Official Pre-sonus Firebox Review" submitted October 29, 2009

By a customer from yahoo.com

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Musical Background: active artist, recording engineer, vocalist

Music Style: Acoustic, pop, rock, indie

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Sound: The sound of the product directly depends on the mic used. When I had my encounter with this box, I was using a RODE NT2-A large diaphragm condenser microphone. That's about a $500 mic. The sound is amazing with a great mic. I'm not too sure about the sound you'd get out of it using a less expensive mic. But, the box itself seems to have a bit of a sound enhancer to it. It might just be my ear, but it seems like using this box with the monitor while recording, your vocals become tuned . . . =0 Overall, this is a GREAT buy for anyone looking for acoustic recordings or just to lay down vocals. Check out my band WWW.MYSPACE.COM/READYATMOST Feature: The product features aren't the best due to it being a "portable" box. My friends and I don't use it portable, we keep it stationary and it works great. If you're looking for features, you need to go with a full fledged mixer. Ease of Use: Piece of cake to use with both Mac and PC. Quality: Pretty much the best I've recorded myself with. Great quality. Value: For a "portable" box, this is a bit expensive. Lowering the price $50 could help the company make more business. I would probably own two if that were the case. Too expensive. Manufacturer Support: I've never had a problem with it, but it seems that there would be a lot of help out there if I were ever in need of support. The Wow Factor: Needs some color! =D Overall: Overall, it's a great product. What lacks in the price and interface areas is made up for when you experience the sound.

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PreSonus Firebox Customer Review submitted November 17, 2006

By a customer from a2hd.com

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Manufacturer Support: MacBook Pro owners take note! The Firebox does *NOT* work in with firewire bus power on the new MacBook Pro (including the Revision A 17" and the Revision B 15" and 17" models). The MBP firewire port features an overcurrent protection circuit which is tripped by the Firebox on power up. In the design of this device Presonus did not comply with IEEE 1394 spec with respect to maximum current draw. As of writing (11/17/2006) they have no plans to fix this flaw in the Firebox. So, you will be forced to use the wall-wart adapter with your Firebox.

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"Mackie Spike or Firebox....go with the firebox" submitted June 15, 2006

By a customer from msn.com

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Sound: I am definetely a beginner in the home recording field but so far it has done everything I wanted it to with ease. Ease of Use: It has a getting started manual and help guide with the software. I haven't had any problems. Quality: It's a rock. Not that i'm throwing it against a wall but I'm using a Ibook to record and mix so it goes different places with me. Just the other day i took it to a church to record the piano so i could get the big room sound. Value: A friend has the Mackie Spike and was having problems with latency which was one thing that I would not tolerate so I went with firewire instead. It works great, all in one package. Manufacturer Support: I've had to call them a few times and let's say they helped me half the time. The other half I just had to figure it out, which wasn't hard. There's alot of documentation for it

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"I would love this unit if it wasn't for the whining sound in input 2" submitted February 17, 2008

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Sound: You will read this in a lot of places...When using a mic with input 2 (only) you will get a whining noise. If the input is loud enough (like a loudly strummed acoustic guitar), you won't notice it too much. Also, I felt the gain could be a little higher when using mics. Feature: All features I needed. I didn't like that the midi inputs were on a breakout cable. Ease of Use: Pretty easy to use Quality: Hardware quality seems very good. Obviously, there's some kind of issue with interference in input 2. Value: On par with the competition Manufacturer Support: Never called support. I'm going to return it though because of the whining noise. The Wow Factor: The unit is not as attractive IMO as other units (e.g. echo audiofire) Overall: I would love this unit if it wasn't for the whining sound in input 2

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"it does what it do" submitted July 11, 2008

By a customer from shaw.ca

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Musical Background: Active Musician

Music Style: Hip-Hop/Rap

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Sound: works for what i'm trying to achieve Feature: only 2 xlr inputs, no power button Ease of Use: plug in go Quality: you pay for what you get. Value: no Manufacturer Support: haven't had to deal with them The Wow Factor: not the most attractive piece of equipment. Overall: overall it does what it does.. i believe this interface is great for novice learners like myself. i plan to upgrade one day soon, maybe to a mackie onyx 1220 because it has more inputs and channels. plus i need talk back to let the artist know if they need to step closer or further back from the mic in the vocal booth. www.myspace.com/nicademusmusic

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"Firebox, not for everyone." submitted December 23, 2006

By a customer from yahoo.com

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Musical Background: Active misician for 35 years.

Music Style: Guitar, piano, percussion, vocals. Classic rock, country.

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Sound: When it works, it sounds pretty good. Sound quailty was better than other USB interfaces I had used previously. Feature: Everything was included to put this unit into full use out of the box. Ease of Use: Not enough trouble shooting guide. Answers for specific problems didn't work and there were no other options for a fix. Quality: The unit itself was nicely built, easy to access knobs, lots of in/outs. Small enough to fit inside a laptop case for road use. Value: Anything that doesn't work, regardless of the price, is worthless. Manufacturer Support: What support? To be fair, it is Christmas week, but I was on hold for 20 minutes before being asked to leave a message, that was not returned. I got no support, so back it goes! Overall: I returned this item. If in this day and age, why should I not be able to take a produce like this out of the box and use it? I don't write computer code, or design programs, but I'm not completely stupid about computers and the usage of products of this nature. Buffers, latency, sample rates, and the like. If I can't make it work, chances are the average guy doesn't have a shot.

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"Presonus Firebox is something that you will not regret owning." submitted March 10, 2005

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Musical Background: Active Musicion

Music Style: Bass

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Sound: I did a lot of research befor shelling out money for a A/D converter into my computer. This thing did not disappoint me in any way. It sounds great. Lots of flexibility. Monitor outs, plus headphones out, both with controls. Feature: Imagine 2 mics with phatom power if needed and 2 guitars/bass recording at the same time. I haven't used the spdif or the midi, but they're there when I need it. Quality: Feels very solid. Controls seem durable. If your curious who the firebox compares to the other presonus firewire boxes, then you'll be happy to know that the same quality pre-amps and circuitry was used from the bigger brother components. If you look at the reviews of other Presonus Firewire components, you'll see a lot of good reviews. Value: For the money, you can't go wrong Manufacturer Support: I didn't need support, but calls to ask questions about the firebox vs. their other firewire boxes and actually got someone on the phone that answered my questions promptly. ( The Wow Factor: I waited a while to get it, and would wait again. Overall: This thing will be part of my home studio for quite sometime. It is not something that you are going to have to feel like you need to upgrade at some point.

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"Macbook pro owners beware!" submitted February 10, 2008

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Sound: Preamps have low gain. Still the sound would be good with a sensitive mic, but there is a very loud whining noise on the channel 2 when (and only when) connected through firewire. This, I heard, is typical when used with a Macbook pro and the firmware update loaded. The first channel has the noise about an octave higher, but it is more quiet and perhaps wouldn't have caught my attention at the early stages of testing this thing. Manufacturer Support: Overall: I will return this gear to the shop. Anyone with a Macbook pro should test it with the latest firmware update before purchase. I learned from the Presonus forums that the company is aware of the problem since September 2007, but no solution has been given.

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"review of an extremely happy user" submitted May 16, 2009

By a customer from gmail.com

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Musical Background: Vocalist, Composer, Recording Engineer, Songwriter

Music Style: Folk-Rock, Rock, Acoustic

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VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: It does what it's supposed to do. I own resonably priced condenser mics, and the preamp that is used usually plays a major role in the overall sound. The firebox does not disappoint me a bit. No noise coming out of the box, so what you record is what you hear. Extremely faithful rendition. Feature: Not that many features, but at the same time I wasn't looking for much. I only wanted to record my voice and acoustic guitar, and it the two ports did the job. Ease of Use: It's very, very hard to get this thing NOT to work. I just plug one of the cables to my computer, the other to a mic, a press the little button that juices up the mic with needed phantom power, adjust the cans' volume and I'm on. Quality: One tough looking little box. Pretty light, but seems strudy. Never made it fall just to see if it'd still work, but I have faith in it haha. No loose parts, very compact. I've had it for a year now, still works like a charm. Value: Honestly, I've checked out the more priced preamps on the market, and I don't see what they could do that this one doesnt, except maybe have more inputs and features. I don't need any, so to me the firebox is so best deal quality/price. Manufacturer Support: Never had to deal with the company, the box haven't failed me so far. The Wow Factor: Nothing out of place. Looks professional, Feels professional, sounds professional. Overall: I'm happy with this thing, and if I ever buy another preamp, it'd be another one of these because the one I have broke. I might buy better quality mics, but this box will definitely stay.

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"Be wary of the included Software..." submitted December 31, 2007

By a customer from yahoo.com

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Musical Background: Active

Music Style: Rock/Bluegrass/Hunkabilly

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VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: It was all the glowing reviews that helped me decide the Firebox was the tool I needed to do the job. But when I tried to install the software, it wouldnt read! So after I beat myself in the head for a while I go to Presonus Tech Sppt FAQ's. Item 1, top of the chart... "SOFTWARE THAT WONT READ?" (Clik here to recieve a new disc) Obviously this has happed before. While the Firebox may be a great interface, and I may be missing out on the chance to work with it and Cubase... Mine is going back whence it came. This is not the way we should start a relationship with a new product. Perhaps they should hunt down and recall all the defective software. Oh yeah, before you say it's my drive thats defect... I have 3 computers here, 1 PC and 2 MACS. It worked on none of them. No matter how well it works, when it works... With regret, I gotta give it a thumbs down. Feature: Dont know, it never worked. Ease of Use: Software defective Value: Great value, got all my $ back. Manufacturer Support: Sppt seems to know about this and had set it up so you can recieve new software easily. But didnt I just buy buy software? The Wow Factor: Not sexy at all... Bad software is like an STD! Overall: Keep lookin...

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"Product and Support-Not Good" submitted October 17, 2008

By a customer from yahoo.com

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Musical Background: Part Time Pro

Music Style: All

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Sound: The sound quiet and clean. The Main Volume Pot is making noise and I haven't used this product very much. Feature: The Firewire is very Short! Ease of Use: It's easy to use right out of the box. Quality: Main Volume Pot is crackling and I'm Displeased with what little time I've used it. Value: If you can't take care of your customers don't sell the product. Manufacturer Support: I called and setup a Return Authorization. I received the form but not a return number. I was told I would receive a Number and I didn't. Bottom Line, I will not buy another PRESONUS Product. They simply did not take care of me as a customer. I was extremely kind and patient. No Excuse! The Wow Factor: Nice looking! Overall: I'm looking now to replace it with another company.

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"Honest review of Presonus Firebox" submitted January 25, 2008

By a customer from fq.co.za

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Musical Background: DJ, Producer, Engineer

Music Style: Electronic

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Sound: Very transparent recordings! I use it to record my Virus B and My Supernova. Feature: Wall wart alert! Well, only if you don't have 6-pin firewire. To use the spdif input I've had trouble, but the spdif output works like a charm! At the time of writing though, the Inspire 1394 is daisy chainable for up to 4 units, the Firepod, or FP10 is daisychainable for up to 3 units, and the Firebox is not daisy chainable at all. Presonus say they are still working on the drivers... I wish they would hurry up so I could just buy another one. One thing I really like about this thing is that it works as a mic pre when its not plugged into a pc. That means I can just switch on my synths and my firebox and start jamming without having to mission with my laptop. It doesn't get a 10 because getting the spdif input to work is a big mission, and although other presonus products support daisy chaining, this one doesn't. Ease of Use: It doesn't get a 10 because there is no on/off switch on the unit, which means when I want to switch it off, I have to do it at the wall. I find this thing easy to use, and easy to achieve decent recordings with. I use it at 44100hz Quality: This thing gets quite hot, which worries me. Value: Its worth it! Manufacturer Support: Not daisy chainable like presonus's other units! The Wow Factor: Steel chasis and knobs with pretty blue lights. Awesome if they bring out daisy chain support, I'd buy another tomorrow! Overall: I want more inputs! Daisy chaining is sorely needed. I'm a bit pissed at myself for not getting the FP10 for that exact reason.

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"Great product, worth every penny." submitted May 23, 2005

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Musical Background: Pro

Music Style: Alt Rock

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Sound: Not the best out there at any price, but among the best. Certainly in the best league at this price point. Feature: Enough features to get the job done professionally. Simple and straightforward... Quality: Solid -- no plastic. Value: Considering the sound and build quality and the right balance of features, this is a 10. Manufacturer Support: Great -- Presonus has been very impressive over the last couple of years. I expect no different with this product. Overall: Right now, the best at this price point. No doubt.

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"Presonus Firebox is something that you will not regret owning." submitted March 10, 2005

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Musical Background: Active Musicion

Music Style: Bass

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

Sound: I did a lot of research befor shelling out money for a A/D converter into my computer. This thing did not disappoint me in any way. It sounds great. Lots of flexibility. Monitor outs, plus headphones out, both with controls. Feature: Imagine 2 mics with phatom power if needed and 2 guitars/bass recording at the same time. I haven't used the spdif or the midi, but they're there when I need it. Quality: Feels very solid. Controls seem durable. If your curious who the firebox compares to the other presonus firewire boxes, then you'll be happy to know that the same quality pre-amps and circuitry was used from the bigger brother components. If you look at the reviews of other Presonus Firewire components, you'll see a lot of good reviews. Value: For the money, you can't go wrong Manufacturer Support: I didn't need support, but calls to ask questions about the firebox vs. their other firewire boxes and actually got someone on the phone that answered my questions promptly. ( The Wow Factor: I waited a while to get it, and would wait again. Overall: This thing will be part of my home studio for quite sometime. It is not something that you are going to have to feel like you need to upgrade at some point.

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"Amazing for the Price" submitted June 12, 2007

By a customer from hotmail.com

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Musical Background: Active musician

Music Style: Acoustic, indie

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Sound: It sounds better then I expected it to. Feature: Features are great for the price, phantom power,headphone volume, and instrument level- its all you need really on the interface. Everything else you just go with software. Ease of Use: Plug in and play, very easy. Quality: Durable and strong Value: amazing for the price Manufacturer Support: never had to deal with them The Wow Factor: For the beginer recording eniginer it is great. Overall: It's amazing, see for yourself how it sounds at my myspace- www.myspace.com/jordanpreisinger

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"This Product is a Winner (the crappy reviews sound like they are from computer illiterate complainers)" submitted May 7, 2006

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Sound: Sound is very good, with +10db set on the software mixer and using about 90% of the gain there is no noticeable distortion. Feature: Would have given this a 10 but the unit did not come with an AC adaptor. Not a problem if you have 6pin firewire. Ease of Use: Simple and sraight forward. The user manual is very well written. I only have two minor gripes about this unit. The gain knobs hide the labels. They label identifiers should have been placed above the gain knobs not below. The gain knobs are also very reflective so it makes seeing the positioning line very difficult. Quality: Built like a tank. No cheapness on this unit. Gain knobs are graduated and work flawlessly. Value: Great value. Manufacturer Support: Great support on there website. Contacted them to find a dealer in Canada, friendly quick service. The Wow Factor: This is a great looking unit. Frosted silver, brilliant metallic blue, and black. Overall: This is enough for me for a long time.

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"No Windows 2000 support" submitted March 16, 2006

By a customer from mail.com

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Sound: The preamp volume control is a little weak even for condenser mics. Feature: Does not support Windows 2000. Demos suck. Cuebase LE is OK. Ease of Use: weak preamps Manufacturer Support: If you want to use a machine with Windows 2000 they tell you to ... off

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"Not as good as it sounds" submitted February 22, 2006

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Music Style: Alt, Country, Jazz, Rock

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VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: Great sounding preamps ("ultra-low noise") combined with a crappy A/D converter made my recordings unusable. Listen for hum and whistling noises introduced by the digital components. Feature: Great features Ease of Use: COuldn't get a usable sound Quality: Good construction, poor design

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PreSonus Firebox Customer Review submitted December 27, 2010

By a customer from gmail.com

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Musical Background: active musician

Music Style: jazz, electro

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Sound: Hard starting. The unit suddenly made a loud pop then fire and smoke.

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"Not worth the money. M-audio much ,much better" submitted June 30, 2006

By a customer from cox.net

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Musical Background: Producer, Engineer, Recording studio service Company

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Sound: Not a 96khz sampling device , horrible dynamic range, Bleed through Feature: sad, sad ,sad. Not a 96kc device Ease of Use: broken right out of the box. bad firmware Quality: no firmware fix!! Value: not worth the money M-audio is far better Manufacturer Support: The worst I have ever seen, They do not care and they will tell you this! The Wow Factor: If it worked Overall: We test pro audio gear for a living.

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PreSonus Firebox 6x10 FireWire Recording Interface

User Ratings

"Very nice product." submitted June 3, 2005

"The firebox is so sick." submitted December 31, 2005

"It's called the FIREbox for a reason..." submitted July 19, 2005

"Good Quality Unit" submitted March 26, 2006

"A lot of recording power in a cool little box." submitted June 4, 2006

"PreSonus packs a punch" submitted March 26, 2005

"Fuego." submitted October 8, 2008

PreSonus Firebox Customer Review submitted December 18, 2005

"A great piece of gear if it works like it should" submitted February 8, 2006

"Best bang for your buck! Can't lose" submitted October 28, 2005

"watch out for "no-sync auto routing feature"" submitted September 5, 2007

"Love it! Perfect for my home recording set-up." submitted November 14, 2008

"Know your software" submitted November 12, 2007

PreSonus Firebox Customer Review submitted March 30, 2006

"Preamps = VERY NOISY with powered monitors... will not buy it again." submitted December 20, 2006

"Little box rocks!!" submitted November 11, 2005

"Official Pre-sonus Firebox Review" submitted October 29, 2009

PreSonus Firebox Customer Review submitted November 17, 2006

"Mackie Spike or Firebox....go with the firebox" submitted June 15, 2006

"I would love this unit if it wasn't for the whining sound in input 2" submitted February 17, 2008

"it does what it do" submitted July 11, 2008

"Firebox, not for everyone." submitted December 23, 2006

"Presonus Firebox is something that you will not regret owning." submitted March 10, 2005

"Macbook pro owners beware!" submitted February 10, 2008

"review of an extremely happy user" submitted May 16, 2009

"Be wary of the included Software..." submitted December 31, 2007

"Product and Support-Not Good" submitted October 17, 2008

"Honest review of Presonus Firebox" submitted January 25, 2008

"Great product, worth every penny." submitted May 23, 2005

"Presonus Firebox is something that you will not regret owning." submitted March 10, 2005

"Amazing for the Price" submitted June 12, 2007

"This Product is a Winner (the crappy reviews sound like they are from computer illiterate complainers)" submitted May 7, 2006

"No Windows 2000 support" submitted March 16, 2006

"Not as good as it sounds" submitted February 22, 2006

PreSonus Firebox Customer Review submitted December 27, 2010

"Not worth the money. M-audio much ,much better" submitted June 30, 2006