Affordable/Quality Logic Hardware:

[hauntedapples]

I've posted a couple times on this forum already about this, but I still haven't received the feedback I'm looking for...

I'm looking into purchasing Logic9, and I want to know the most affordable hardware to go along with it without losing any quality.

I have a new 27" iMac (2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5) and I'm looking for hardware that offers 2 line inputs and a mic preamp for my condenser mic.

I own the original MBox - but *please note* i'm not looking to even attempt hooking this up to Logic9, as I've heard nothing but horror stories from others.

I looked at the Apogee Duet (it seems to be the only hardware Logic promotes to go with their software), but the $600 seems a bit high to me , and I feel i'd be paying for the portability and slick design above all else (i don't care about either).

Can anyone suggest a hardware setup to go with Logic 9 that's in the $300-400 range? If I go for something in this range, am I losing overall quality?

Thanks for your help! It is greatly appreciated

 

[Peter Ostry]

I'm looking for hardware that offers 2 line inputs and a mic preamp for my condenser mic.
...
$300-400

In this price range I can recommend the Focusrite Saffire series. Solid devices with good sound, several models with Firewire or USB connection are available.

Be aware that the smaller interfaces have only two inputs, designed as combo jacks. If you need the line inputs additionaly, you need a bigger interface.

 

[Eddie Sullivan]

I'd also suggest MOTU - they have very good high quality interfaces at a very good price, and their audio drivers are probably the most stable in the industry, especially on a Mac running Logic. Here are two suggestions:

http://imsproav.com/main/MOTU839128005389.html

http://imsproav.com/main/MOTU8469.html

No matter what quality, price point you look at- if the audio drivers are not well written and stable, you wasted your money and you might as well keep your MBox...

 

[JansV]

I'm very happy with a TC Electronic Konnekt 6 that I bought just before Christmas. Like you, I considered an Apogee Duet but was put off largely by its reliance on messy breakout cables to work around that oh-so-pretty design and, yes, the price too.

The only common complaint about the TC was "great hardware, bad drivers", but so far I've had no problems at all, software or otherwise and, besides, many of the complaints seemed to come from Windows users... and I'll be damned if I've ever known anything work properly on Windows. ;-)

I'm running it with an older iMac than yours, a 2.16GHz C2D, with Snow Leopard and Logic 9, though the current drivers are designed to work with Lion, too.

 

[hauntedapples]

No one has mentioned M-Audio. They seem to have affordable devices.

I see they're owned by Avid -- does M-Audio even hook up to Logic easily?

 

[Doug Zangar]

My guess is most if not all the two I/O devices are considered portable rather than a rack mount, but I could be wrong.

I did have the original Duet and I think the sound was very good, I only got rid of it recently as it wasn't being used. The new ones supposedly have better converters. Apogee is blowing out the original Duet for $349.00 on their site - might want to check it out.

I also have an Mbox 3 - and I have to say the sound is markedly better than the previous generations of Mboxes.