M-Audio Fast Track opinions?

[86barettaguy]

Just hoping for some opinions on the Fast Track USB. It's part of the M-Audio Pro Tools Recording Studio which is offered at a pretty good price at one of the big chains around here. I thought it would be a good way of getting started with recording, but then I read a review that wasn't overly positive. According to the review, the mic input was noisy and there were some issues with the software as well (though that's less of an issue). So, have any of you guys tried the FT? What do/did you use it for and is it any good?

[Twitch]

Theres different options too. There are two other variations, one with a midi keyboard and the other with an AKG USB mic. If youre just gonna lay down tracks with a guitar for notes or something Id go with the AKG package instead of the interface or keyboard.

You dont need the interface. If you have a small mixer board, like say a 4 or 8 channel, you could get a cable that goes from RCA male to 1/8 stereo male and plug it in to your line in on the computer and pan to sources for left and right. All you would need then is software, and Audacity is free and quite useful. Ive recorded numerous things in this manner.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

There are several models. I have the Ultra 8R and I like it well enough. Windows 7 64-bit support is there, and aside from an occasional quirk or two I don't have anything bad to say. You don't really need the keyboard or drum pads or anything.

I don't sing, so I don't use the mic inputs, though. I record everything direct from the slave out on my amp into a software cab simulator.

Twitch is correct as far as if you just want to record one or two channels at once you can do it with your sound card- your mileage may vary on the quality and how buggy it is for you.

[86barettaguy]

Theres different options too. There are two other variations, one with a midi keyboard and the other with an AKG USB mic. If youre just gonna lay down tracks with a guitar for notes or something Id go with the AKG package instead of the interface or keyboard.

You dont need the interface. If you have a small mixer board, like say a 4 or 8 channel, you could get a cable that goes from RCA male to 1/8 stereo male and plug it in to your line in on the computer and pan to sources for left and right. All you would need then is software, and Audacity is free and quite useful. Ive recorded numerous things in this manner.

a mixer board is out of reach for me, economically. However, I should be able to go directly from my amp to the line in jack on the computer. If my computer doesn't start doing weird things the moment I start using the jacks...

looking through the manual for my multi-fx I sort of get the impression that I could connect it directly to the pc as well (and I quote the text from the manual regarding the amp simulator): "this effect simulates the characteristics of a guitar, and is especially suitable for direct line recording.". Would I then connect a cable from the headphone jack on the unit to the line in?

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Headphone to line-in should be fine.

Yeah, you can use the amp simulator to do direct recording.

I used the onboard sound chip on my motherboard and I was able to do two or three tracks easy with some freebie thing I downloaded, so you might be in business.

[Twitch]

a mixer board is out of reach for me

You can get a mixer board for the same price if not less than the ProTools bundle.

[86barettaguy]

You can get a mixer board for the same price if not less than the ProTools bundle.

Twitch: thank you for pointing this out. I always used to think of the large professional mixers costing about as much as half my guitar collection of more as soon as someone mentioned "mixer board". So the Behringer Xenyx 502 is almost perfectly priced, but the 802 is one step up and easily within reach. With one of these, and the proper cable to connect it to my soundcard (RCA to 3.5mm for now, RCA to RCA whenever I decide to upgrade. I'd have to check with Behringer to make sure though) I would have a nice set of convenient inputs for guitars, (electric) pianos, microphones... Very tempting...