I need to connect a firewire audio interface to a new laptop. Annoyingly, the laptop only has USB inputs. I’d incorrectly assumed that I’d be able to simply buy a 99p adapter thingybob to hook them up, but apparently this is not possible. I’d really not have to buy another soundcard/laptop, is there any kind of breakout box or other way I can get around this?

Thanks!

Have you tried the 99p adapter? They work for some devices but not all. Failing that has it got any kind of card expansion slot. They aren’t very common these days, though.

E.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Firewire-IEEE-1394-6-Pin-Female-to-USB-Male-Adaptor-Convertor-Converter-/291261800980

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Express-Card-34mm-to-2-Port-FireWire-IEEE-1394A-Expansion-Card-fr-Laptop-SY-/170730497196?pt=UK_Computing_FireWire_Cables_Adapters&hash=item27c054a4ac

No card expansion slots 🙁

Not tried the adapter, reading around seems to indicate they don’t work. But for 99p I may as well try.

Thanks.

Firewire audio to usb will not work – no matter what you try.

Well, that’s. Just. Great 😡

I have the option to swap the laptop for one with something called ‘Mini PCIe’. Would that work?

Nope, sorry.

Have a look here for usb audio interfaces, depending on what level of functionailty or connections/outputs you need they can be picked up rather cheap.

Thanks SF. At least I know there’s no way around it now. Just annoying because I love my current interface (Presonus Firebox). Seriously tempted to swap the laptop instead for an older version (with firewire/PCMCIA).

Which kind of FireWire? 400 or 800? And does it need a powered port (big one).

If you need powered FW800 your only option is a Mac, or an express card and external 12v supply (or desktop PC)

If it’s powered FW400 there are only a few mobile workstations (tend to be the 17″ ones, e,g, dell m6700)

If it’s unpowered fw400 there are more options

If you don’t know what sort, post a pic of the cable or look it up.

(I use FW kit at work a lot)

Oh you can get mini PCIe FireWire interfaces, but that would also need external 12v and drilling a hole in the laptop to get the cables out, so whilst it’d work, you don’t want to do that!

Is there not an expresscard (successor to PCMCIA) slot on the laptop?

http://www.misco.co.uk/productinfo/productinfo?productCode=153647

Job jobbed.

So googled that interface, FW400 and can be bus powered or not.

So there are some laptop options I can think of (I use some myself). All will cost you at least 1k, can recommend if that’d help…

Or as cougar says, go expresscard. Though he’s linked a USB 2 one, they do FireWire ones too (I use them, you’ll need external power for the interface or the card though)

What laptop do you have?

Yeah, Firewire 400, and the device itself is mains-powered.

Cougar: No, I stupidly bought a laptop with sod-all connections on it (3xUSB). It’s new audio interface time I think. Or get an older laptop with an expresscard port.

Thanks for all the help.

Introducing any form of adapter inline with a external sound card may lead to latency issues or degradation in sound quality, and from my understanding of your problem you don’t need usb to pcmia adapter. I can’t see how that would help you in connecting a firewire audio interface to usb.

edit : Ahh…to late…

Though he’s linked a USB 2 one

Whoops, good spot. (-:

Why would it need to be an older laptop with an express card slot? New ones have them too.

Really? Well I guess my budget of ~£500 might put paid to that 🙂

Ideally, I need something ‘business’ like a Thinkpad or a Dell, with enough power for music production and photoshop stuff. It would spend most of the time on my desk plugged into a bigger monitor/keyboard etc. But occasionally chucked in a bag to go for a coffee/round a mate’s/music festival etc…

edit: Oh, and have firewire/expresscard of course 😀

Does this external card need to be portable?

Ie, would a cheap desktop be a better proposition, and keep the existing lapdog for portable purposes?

Cougar – Moderator
Does this external card need to be portable?

Ie, would a cheap desktop be a better proposition, and keep the existing lapdog for portable purposes?

That’s a possibility. I don’t really want throw any more money at it though. And I like the idea of just having one machine.

Well, my thinking was that a desktop would be considerably cheaper than a laptop. But yeah, fair enough.

deally, I need something ‘business’ like a Thinkpad or a Dell,

Keep an eye on the dell business outlet store for a cheap precision M4700 then, you might get a poverty-spec (relatively) one for near your budget. They have both an express card slot and a 4 pin FW400 port – you could use a 4 pin to 6 pin cable then external power for the audio interface. Or you might get a cheap M6700 which is bigger and has a full size powered 6 pin port so would be ideal. Cheapest I’ve seen them is about £800, but they’re the old model now (replaced by the 4800/6800).

(FWIW my work machine is a M4700, so I recommend from a position of knowledge. Albeit I have mine for different reasons – exceptionally powerful CPU, 32Gb ram and a decent GPU mattered to me)

Some of the latitudes have express card slots as well (check the dell biz outlet not the home one), we have some of those at work too. Can’t name models on them off the top of my head though, they’ll be cheaper than a precision though.

That’s great advice IA. Thanks 🙂