Why doesn't the FireStudio Project have VSL like the AudioBox 1818VSL?

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 02/08/2012 21:33:04

As far as I understand from reading The Truth About Digital Audio Latency, if PreSonus just changed the driver for the FireStudio Project by making the USB Bus clock buffer (or whatever the equivalent for firewire is) lower and then adding effects after the bus clock buffer but before the ASIO buffer, it would be essentially the same as what they do with the Audiobox VSL series, and they would achieve the same low latency. What's the difference with the FireStudio series? Are the D/A / A/D converters slower than the those in the AudioBox? Why doesn't PreSonus add VSL capabilities to the FireStudio series? Especially since the FireStudio Project is daisy chainable and the AudioBox is not, it would be awesome if PreSonus could add this feature.

The difference between the AudioBox and FireStudio series is that the FS has a DSP chip onboard which will do all the routing/mixing stuff. The UniversalControl software is only acting as a controller for the hardware chip. The AudioBox hasn't such a chip and all routing/mixing work has to be done with the VSL software.

To get a similar functionality like the VSL software with FX and mastering tools, the FS series hardware has to be updated with a newer DSP chip, either in addition or as a replacement. Just adding the VSL software (even with some patches for the Firewire clocking) in the chain would eliminate the advantage of having mixing power already in the hardware.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 03/08/2012 01:16:04

vaikl wrote:To get a similar functionality like the VSL software with FX and mastering tools, the FS series hardware has to be updated with a newer DSP chip, either in addition or as a replacement. Just adding the VSL software (even with some patches for the Firewire clocking) in the chain would eliminate the advantage of having mixing power already in the hardware.

There could be an option to either use VSL or hardware mixing. The hardware DSP doesn't get in the way of implementing the VSL technology. I think if there was that option, most people would choose VSL because of its FX capabilities.

akhenig wrote:I think if there was that option, most people would choose VSL because of its FX capabilities.

Don't know, for me it's important to have a fast Firewire interface with software-independent routing options. I like to use my own analogue FX gear and DAW plugin stuff to place them where I need them.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 03/08/2012 05:32:05

I have an 1818VSL and, quite frankly, I wish it the same architecture as the Firestudio.
Had I known what I know now before I bought it I would have bought a used Firestudio 26x26.

Anyone have an idea why Presonus doesn't implement this?

Different dsp setups. With the AudioBoxes it's in the computer so the power of the machine can be leveraged to keep latency low and add functionality. It would take a much more powerful processor in the FS Project to make this doable. And it would increase the cost.

Monolithent wrote:Different dsp setups. With the AudioBoxes it's in the computer so the power of the machine can be leveraged to keep latency low and add functionality. It would take a much more powerful processor in the FS Project to make this doable. And it would increase the cost.

I'm not sure this is correct. As far as I understand from that article I read, the only latency from the actual interface is the time the A/D and D/A converters take to do their thing. And they say that that latency in most interfaces only takes between 0.2 and 1.5 ms.

I can say for certain that all audio on the 1818 goes through the computer. It doesn't do that on the Firestudio.

Monolithent wrote:I can say for certain that all audio on the 1818 goes through the computer. It doesn't do that on the Firestudio.

Yeah, but I think PreSonus could change that by re-writing the driver for the FireStudio.

That is a definite possibility. I see where you're going with it now. I don't think they're going to do that anytime soon though.

But ya never know.