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Echo Audiofire 2
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Echo Audiofire 2

FireWire audio interface from Echo belonging to the Audiofire series

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Bidibulo Bidibulo
Published on 01/27/07 at 00:06
Value For Money : Excellent
I was looking for a card easily portable with good converters in order to make a few singles, mix MP3 (so you had a headphone jack and separate routable), and use real-time effects for my guitar and a microphone.

UTILIZATION

First day, I install, I connect, it works on the second attempt in 5 minutes, nickel, top quality ... J'éteinds the computer, the next day I turn back and there ... Card not detected. Reinstalling drivers, multiple tests, nothing. Let me state in all modesty that I am computer technician, a former vendor of such products ... After a long search on the site of Echo, I came across this page:

http://www.echoaudio.com/Support/PC/AMD.php

I quote:

"AMD Athlon processors work well with Echo Digital Audio hardware. You Will need a motherboard with one of the Following chipsets"

Below is a list of a dozen chipsets (while there may be 50). Other than that, Echo says its products work well with chipsets for AMD cpu ....

Further, it states: "MSI (Micro Star International) and ABIT boards not work well May, and are not recommended at this time."

Guess what ... I have an Abit motherboard with an nForce2 chipset ... I do not want the dealer who is a friend and was such a salesman I know stuff that you can not know all the intricacies of compatibility on all the cards on sale. Echo should be indicated on the box or the manual.

I tested the card on a laptop, it works well and has a very good sound out of this problem of compatibility.

GETTING STARTED

The drivers appear to be stable. I recently so I can not say for the frequency of update.
I use Nuendo, and Traktor PlogueBidule to use VST effects in a simple and fast. Was very low latency (<10ms) during the first use on my machine (it has more then market, see paragraph above).
Failed to operate the monitoring of Traktor to send a single track on the headphones ...

OVERALL OPINION

Good quality / price ratio, exemplary finish, great converters, low latency ... It could be a very good card if it was not risky these compatibility issues. Even if it works on your PC, there is much to be disgusted by the day or you'll make a recording or a mix of evening and the card does not work on the computer now ... Big red card on it.

Indeed it heats a lot, now is it the sign of a good heat conduction through the aluminum case or a sign of poor design, hard to say.