Product: Focusrite Liquid Mix
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
07/07/2009
at
09:45am
by
Bob BOlesky
General
:
9
desktop
Connectivity
:
5
Firewire. Needs dedicated FW adapter. Problematic....
internal FW blown twice
I/O
:
No Opinion
no audio I/Os
Power
:
5
buss powered via 6Pin fw. External PSU with 4 pin
Technical specs
:
10
Other
:
1
Overall
:
1
Spent 10 times more time to fix issues with this crap than actually mixing with it.
It sounds really good - when it works. Never made it to really use it on all 32 channels... Horrible clicks and droputs even used on dedicated expensive Fw adapter with Texas Instruments chipset.
It stopped working after 1 year - second unit even sooner.
Problematic tech support. Haven't really helped. Friend of mine had same problems with dropouts with almost exactly same email answers from Tech support.
As stated above. Great idea, very good sound but poor HW quality.
Only fr guys with very strong nerves. Forget about creativity with this
Product: Focusrite Liquid Mix
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
04/08/2009
at
10:57am
by
tugito
General
:
10
This is a desktop unit, easy to take with you, small but big enough as needed.
Connectivity
:
8
Firewire connection, works amazing when you dedicate it to a firewire card by itself alone.
I/O
:
10
It's compressors and eq quality is beyond imagination. You really start to believe you OWN all these analog equipment right inside this small box.. It's quality is way better than waves and other software products and about 99% of the real analog systems it emulates.
Has many buttons where you can work your mixes, everything can be done from the device or the plugins. It's your choice.
Power
:
10
It works with firewire power, nothing more is needed, the previous review is a lie, the guy obviously has problem with his firewire pins. It is stated really clear in manual that in case you have less pins than needed you should use the power adapter.
Technical specs
:
10
Drivers now are 2.0 version and works perfect. I have no latency at all even with all the fx on, no problem if I work n 2ms or 5ms or whatever. Everything sounds great and in realtime. Never crashed anything at all.
Once again the previous guy who did a review has problems with his pc.
Other
:
8
Just a dvd with the basic programms and drivers, great box, nice art, works only through computer as plugin.
Overall
:
10
The product is outstanding.
Stable, amazing analog sound that really drives the music up.
Amazing drivers, easy to work.
Great display unit and great options.
Product: Focusrite Liquid Mix
Price Paid: USD 799
Submitted
09/10/2008
at
10:11am
by
CJS
General
:
10
This is a desktop DSP.
It's got input and output meters
The DSP is essential to the running of the software,
Heavy duty plastic case but I would not tour with it.
Firewire connection.
Emulations of 40 compressors and 20 EQs with a FireWire Hardware controller.
You can have up to 32 mono or 16 stereo channels of vintage or modern compression and EQ.
Connectivity
:
10
Firewire.
Cannot daisy-chain.
Firewire hog, uses up all the bandwidth so be careful what else you need to record with in the firewire domain when you add this to the mix.
I/O
:
No Opinion
Firewire controller, no inputs or outputs.
Pops up in your DAW.
Power
:
1
It's Firewire powered but mine ever worked until I plugged in my wall wart.
The manual says it should work without external power but that is not true.
Mine never worked without external power.
Technical specs
:
No Opinion
Other
:
No Opinion
Overall
:
1
It worked for a while on my iMac,
it contributed to some beautiful mixes.
After the software update it started to drop out to the point where it crashes Cubase 4 everytime I use it. I went back a version and lived with it's quirks (which the update was supposed to fix but was really unusable.)
I wrote to Focusrite but they told me it should work.
After I asked them to pls check on a new iMac if this is true they never got back to me.
The focusrite tech guy replying kept telling me it works on his laptop and implied I'm the problem not the unit. I suggested since the imac is marketed to musicians would he mind trying it on one, he never got back.
The Cubase forum is filled with user who sold the Liquid Mix because it doesn't perform as advertised.
My producer uses Protools with the suggested TI card for his LM and it crashes for him too.
Conclusion: It's an expensive interface running beautiful emulations using cheap driver software that makes it unreliable. A great idea that's not been thought out.
Plus the burden of arrogant tech assistance. Native Instruments they're not.
Focusrite are only licensing the technology from Sintefex Audio. Focusrite are not equipped to handle complaints, it's just cut and paste replies.
The bottom line: I spent more time emailing Focusrite for help than actually using it.
I have stopped using it and have progressed in my work significantly without it.
If it was stolen I would definitely spend the insurance money on UAD hardware or URS. I would never replace this thing, it's a waste of money and time.
Maybe in a few years when they get it right. By then who'll really care?
They'll have to give it away like they did to all the guys in the ads (who never mention a LM in their interviews by the way).
Come to think of it, I've never read a producer using a LM in Sound on Sound interviews.
Just read the forums and notice the pattern of focusrite denials from users.
