USB 2.0 vs Firewire Audio Interfaces

[articles]

Is Firewire really superior to USB 2.0?

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[jjb]

If you look at the specs for USB and IEEE 1394, you have to be clear on which versions of each you're talking about. Taking the most common, USB 2.0 runs at about 450mb/s (million bits per second). IEEE 1394b runs at about 3 times that speed. However, upcoming USB 3.0 will run about 3 times faster than 1394b. (See a trend here?). BTW: Firewire is Apple's brand name for IEEE 1394. Bottom line, I think the designer's prowess is more important that the data transfer method he/she chooses in the implementation of an audio interface. But that's only one man's opinion.

jjb

[garageband]

I've have had much better stability with my FW devices than my USB ones - which sometimes need to be "woken up" by being hot-uncoupled and re-coupled.

[whomper]

Originally Posted by articles

Is Firewire really superior to USB 2.0?

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NO
that is mac propaganda

they are different not better or worse

usb is a lot more convenient for PCs
and works quite well since usb2.0

*if* firewire were built in at the factory
i might consider using it on a pc
not going to open the case
add a card for firewire
install drivers
and hope that it works better (if at all)
than the existing usb2.0 which works quite well already

[irawan gani]

Originally Posted by whomper

NO
that is mac propaganda

they are different not better or worse

usb is a lot more convenient for PCs
and works quite well since usb2.0

*if* firewire were built in at the factory
i might consider using it on a pc
not going to open the case
add a card for firewire
install drivers
and hope that it works better (if at all)
than the existing usb2.0 which works quite well already

nope firewire is better.

[jagcmos]

Go out to any major on-line store that sells multi-channel (8 or more) recording interfaces and count how many firewire vs usb 2.0 interfaces that are available.

[Bournio]

Originally Posted by whomper

NO
that is mac propaganda

they are different not better or worse

usb is a lot more convenient for PCs
and works quite well since usb2.0

*if* firewire were built in at the factory
i might consider using it on a pc
not going to open the case
add a card for firewire
install drivers
and hope that it works better (if at all)
than the existing usb2.0 which works quite well already

Yes whomper. *nods and smiles*

My PC has Firewire ports. As does my old one which is ~2003-2004ish.