Any expereince with M-Audio Fast Track Ultra?

[vintagevibes]

I've heard some people have had trouble with the drivers. Anyone tried this unit? I'm replacing a Mackie Onyx Satellite.

[Anderton]

Jon Chappell tested the Fast Track: http://www.harmonycentral.com/docs/DOC-1791

 

Not sure how similar it is to the Ultra. I will say it seems most of the time, "driver" problems are really "computer" problems (e.g., not a TI FireWire chip set, wireless card enabled, conflict with internal sound card, etc.), at least with Windows.

[Jon Chappell]

Jon Chappell tested the Fast Track: http://www.harmonycentral.com/docs/DOC-1791 Not sure how similar it is to the Ultra. I will say it seems most of the time, "driver" problems are really "computer" problems (e.g., not a TI FireWire chip set, wireless card enabled, conflict with internal sound card, etc.), at least with Windows.

 

I also tested the FT Ultra, the review of which can be found here:

 

http://www.gigscentral.com/articles/reviews/maudio_fasttrack/

 

(Be warned: the article is a vestige from the old site and has been stripped of all its HTML froo-froo; it is one fugly looking page.)

 

I like the Ultra for the following reasons:

 

1. Insert points. So many interfaces in this price range don't have them.

2. Combo jacks on the front, and front/rear input switches on the front too. The switches can be used to mute the input--very handy when you're recording with open mics and you don't want to change your monitoring mode in the software.

3. Gain controls. The 4 rotary knobs have a pull function that kicks in a -20 dB pad. Again, very handy when working with mics.

4. Generous I/O. Front: 2 combis, 2 XLR (with 4 aforementioned front/rear switches that have multiple uses), 2 headphone outs w/separate levels, main out, 4 channel outs (w/4 indiv. pad switches); Back: 2 1/4" inserts, 2 MIDI DIN, 2 RCA S/PDIF, 6 1/4" analog ins, 6 1/4" analog outs, USB, Power, 48V.

5. Direct monitoring with reverb. Patch the headphones into their own channel and you get an extra (albeit limited) f/x output.

 

What I don't like:

1. Preamps are noisy past about 2:00.

2. Jack fittings are loose, and when you have a tight connection, you can feel the whole board flexing within. Not real heavy-duty feeling.

3. Metering. There are gain/OL LEDs, but they're not real confidence-inspiring.

 

Overall:

I like it, and since I don't really do much patching, #s 1-2 of my "don't likes" aren't an issue. I almost never meter from the front panel, either, so #3 isn't a big deal. I use an outboard preamp (a TL Audio tube preamp), so I'm running the inputs at their minimum. Makes the noisy preamp issue moot.

 

Biggest plus: Included inserts, which allows me to patch in my compressor/limiter before the A/D stage (a must when using mics with unpredictable singers--no retakes necessary). Also the direct monitoring w/effects. I use this a lot--more than I thought I would initially.

[Anderton]

I went to the linked article, and found Jon's comments on drivers, compatibility, etc. - but don't let this dissuade you from reading his full reviews.

 

"I had heard that the M-Audio version of Pro Tools can be unstable in Windows, and initially I had some trouble getting Pro Tools to run with the Fast Track Ultra on my system (Windows XP/SP2). Of course Pro Tools and M-Audio are both owned by the same company, so you wonder why this would be so. The further irony is that I got the FTU up and running instantly with Cubase with no problems whatsoever.

 

"At first, it wasn

[Jon Chappell]

Jon, I assume this follows the usual USB Windows installation protocol - install software first, then plug in unit and let Windows find it?

 

Correct.

 

But to the OP, note that my comments in that original review were germane to Windows XP/SP2. I'm now two iterations from that (Win7, after Vista 64-bit), and those initial troubles never materialized on either of the successive platforms. (I realize my numbered lists of turn-ons and turn-offs was off topic, but I hope you found them useful anyway.) Moreover, in the full context of the review, I stated that the driver issue sorted itself out to where I had complete confidence in running PTMP on the FTU.

 

Drivers get updated, and they get better. Reviewers often get gear early in the life cycle, and if memory serves, such was the case here. One reason I like having an online approach to product reviews is that aspects of gear do change over time--especially things as dynamic as drivers and their updates--and I can go in and insert my own update (as an editorial interjection) to the article, once the point is moot. That's warranted here.

 

Manufacturers are allowed to fix their mistakes or release iterative versions of their products that address incomplete or unforeseen scenarios. And that's how I judge a company: not in whether they release a hardware/software package that's perfect and complete from the get-go, but in how they respond to make sure it gets updated to accommodate a (seemingly) near-infinite combination of systems trying to produce glitch-free audio. Digidesign--er, I mean Avid--has done that here. (Gee, I guess I'll have to change that too in my editorial update! ) They've also done this with the Eleven Rack. Certain aspects that some reviewers groused about in print have been addressed and fixed.

 

(Weirdly, one of the high-profile print reviews on the Eleven Rack has been repurposed into online content, but the out-of-date criticism remains. I won't name names, but suffice it to say you must be careful; just because you read something online, even a thoughtful review, doesn't mean it's up to date.)

 

Bottom line: Responding to the OP's initial concern of driver compatibility for the Fast Track Ultra and Windows: I've had no issues with this at all with Vista or W7. Unless you can cite people's specific incompatibilities regarding the drivers, it's probably what Craig says: not a driver issue at all, but something specific to your particular setup. And most times, you can change the relevant aspects of your system enough to get your interface up and running, humming, and happy.

[Jon Chappell]

OK, I just updated my M-Audio Fast Track Ultra review. Here's the link to the new article:

 

http://www.harmonycentral.com/docs/DOC-1755

 

 

What's interesting is that Avid's new generation of Mboxes (dubbed "Mbox 3" by everyone except those at Avid) resemble the M-Audio Fast Tracks. I say "resemble" because the new Mboxes are much more heavy duty. But the look is similar.