Crititque this cheap Interface

jimi_t

Mindprint Trio USB has been on special offer on thomann for months (about e150 or so) it purports to be a



"complete USB Audio Interace including Class A mic input (10 kOhms), 48 V phantom power, HiZ instrument input by Hughes&Kettner, Analog Compressor with Adaptive Response, Low Cut Filter for MIC/INSTR, 2 Band EQ for MIC/INSTR, 2 Band EQ for LINE, Analog Insert Send/Return for external processors, 2 powerful headphone amps with separate volume controls, 3 pairs of speakers outputs, dedicated Direct Out, Mono, Dim, Mute and Talkback functions, Simultaneous use of MIC/INSTR., LINE, AUX, DAW analog and DAW digital for a total of 9 channels, Dedicated knobs for all functions: No menues or shift keys! Dynamic Range >105 dB(a)

http://www.thomann.de/ie/mindprint_trio_usbuk.htm

Anyone used one or heard anything about it?

frobisher

It certainly seems to be heavily featured. Is this the answer to all of my interface problems? I doubt it to be honest. Where's the room in that budget for the second most important thing in it, good a/d and d/a converters? That said, it could be fine for a lot of home studios and at that price the conversion and pre-amp would have to be truly awful for it not to be worth the cash. At €150, if you need something like it I'd just get it before they sold out and if it's crap just flog later for near the same money.

jimi_t

frobisher wrote:

It certainly seems to be heavily featured. Is this the answer to all of my interface problems? I doubt it to be honest. Where's the room in that budget for the second most important
thing in it, good a/d and d/a converters?

Thats what I was thinking myself, but you have to understand that this item was genuinely 450 odd euro on release. The soundonsound article for the standalone version seems to think it a great bargain for the release price, for 150 its basically a no-brainer. I just wanted to get some 3rd party input if possible; I'm trying to sort my little set-up out once and for all and want to make the right choices even given my severely limited (read: student) budget.

frobisher

I'm actually really intertesed in this. Unfortunatley I'm also trying to stop buying too many toys that i don't really need. From what you're saying I would suggest just buying it. I'm finding it hard to resist myself! Do it.....

frobisher

I've just had another look and realised that as a USB interface it might be a good little solution for working on my laptop...hhhmmmmm....