Avid Fast Track Solo with Pro Tools Express -Channel Audio Interface

The best purchase I ever made. Great quality. Easy set up. If you just getting started I would definitely recommend easy set up great sound quality. With all the functions of protocols without the protocols price.

We needed to get a home voice-over studio up and running and this seemed to be a very good way of getting the USB interface with phantom power plus a copy of protools express. Running it with a Rode NT1 mic and Sony studio headphones and am very very happy with the quality. This small box only has one voice input and one instrument, so is fine for voice over or for adding in a guitar etc, but for anything more you'd want the bigger box.I see a lot of reviews complaining about setup. To be honest there was about an hour of downloading various files and jumping back and forth from Avid and ILok (the company that makes the usb key), but it wasn't difficult. It would have been a problem if I'd been expecting to be up and running instantly (plug and play style). The biggest time suck was downloading the protools software but even that only took about half an hour and I'm on the slowest broadband speed that comcast offers.We have been running the home studio with a basic (cheap) laptop for about a week and have discovered a glitch in that protools doesn't like writing to the system drive so after about 5 mins of recording you get drop-out then a system error. I've ordered a 7200rpm external drive and will report back on whether using that fixes the error.UPDATE - using the external hard drive (USB 3.0) went a long way towards solving the audio glitches. Also used settings to ensure the buffer was as large as possible and unchecked the box that said 'ignore errors during playback'. Now it all works fine. have just completed a 13 hour audiobook that sounds great.

I bought this to use narrating audiobooks and it has made the work so much easier! The set up is a little tricky because of the iLock licenseing system, and downloading the protools express software, but once your passed that everything just gets easier. The clarity of the signal through this device is so much better than my previous audio interface, and protools is a much more precise software app than Audacity. The only downsides for me are that because iLock is a usb drive with your software license key, the Avid Fastrack actually needs 2 usb ports to function, and I have a laptop with only 2 ports, so I need a usb hub to attach anything else like a mouse or external hard drive. And Protools only launches if the Avid Fastrack and iLock are connected, so while the Fast Track solo is a nice portable size I'd like it if I could take just the laptop when I am only editing tracks and not recording. Still these are minor downsides at most!

I still use this since I can't afford something different. The reoccurring problem I keep having is the dredded blue screen of death while plugged in. I have this either every day I use or close to it. I use it in USB since the transfer and latency is ideal. I used in win7 and the problem was worse come to find out USB 3 is not supported with this and windows 7. Fine okay so I move to windows 8.1 now same problem just less frequent. This is my first interface and I specifically bought this because it came with protools express which I was stoked about when I received and ran program. Protools is a very good digital audio workstation. I was upset that the express version did not allow more than 16 tracks even though I have yet to hit that marker I don't like that limitation. The install was pretty scientific lol its overcomplicated too much. Another bummer is that protools does not support vst plugins which if you don't know about plugins you should know that not being able to use vst is a huge deal breaker for me. Unless your into spending thousands or hundreds more on aax plugins then get a different daw. There are thousands of VST's that are free so keep that in mind and protools can't use it. I'd assume that most people who are planning to buy this are songwriters or musicians etc. If you buy you will realise that everything is bottlenecked into milking your for money with endless plugins that you require. Wellto end the rrant with advice: buy a USB 3.0 audio interface with the inputs you need and functions etc. Also pay close attention to latency fund that out the lower the better. Then get reaper I got my copy for 60$ its lightweight easy on CPU able to use unlimited tracks and thousands of vst plugins. Trust me learn from my mistake and have a good day.

I returned this. It's outdated and overly complicated, difficult to install, and incompatible with a microphone that I already bought (and love). The mic problem may be my fault, but it was difficult to wade through the poorly organized product description to see if my mic would work. Luckily, I have a 16-year-old tech nerd in my home who did all the heavy lifting. Without him I would have been out of luck. A side note: Avid ProTools 10 no longer uses the cumbersome (and silly) "mbox," which is why this outdated product was sold at a discount. Lesson learned.

I am a guitar player. I don't do much in the way of vocals (yet) but, I have plenty of experience tracking guitar, bass, and creating percussion loops. That being said, that's what I'm basing portions of this review on.Here are a few key points I wish I would have known/researched before this purchase:1. Unlike the significantly less expensive Guitar link USB adapter from Beheringer, this product will not allow you to monitor your sound through your computer speakers when using Pro tools. So, keep in mind you will need either separate speakers or head phones to hear yourself.2. It took about an hour to set up all the different accounts in order to activate pro tools. If you do purchase this product, do NOT plug anything into your computer before reading the directions. They are very specific.The ilok USB thing HAS to be in one of your USB slots to use pro tools at any given time.3. Pro Tools express IS NOT a simplified version of regular PT as far as been easier to use. It just has less features. If you're new to DAWs, and you have a Mac, use garage band. If you're like my self and you have Windows, shop around and try out the trial versions of Fruity Loops, ableton, or DL audacity for free.4. (I'm writing this review on my phone in a car so, I will have to come back and revise some of it later). Overall, the solo does what its supposed to do just fine. BUT there are a lot of USB links out there that do the same for less money. It comes with a version of pro tools that will work fine for most recording work BUT, there are better choices for people new to recording software out there...

Love iT! Yea setting up the ilok and avid accounts is a pain, but otherwise I am totally happy! There are lots of recording software out there, but Pro Tools is the industry standard and for good reason. MY Advice to setting it up is watch this instruction video as you do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ6YPC_NT1I Also don't hesitate to call AVID customer service for help. Because I have Windows 8 and not Windows 7 I needed their help. So AVID customer service went into my computer (via the internet) while I was on the phone with them and renamed a folder and my problem was solved. As for learning how to use pro tools there are millions of tutorials out there to show you everything you need to know. I love this product!

So far so good with this unit. It was very frustrating in terms of licensing and downloading the software just like pertty much everyone else has said in reviews. And phone customer support forget it...But, that being said, once I got it up and running I was able to record a couple of tracks that rival any professional studio sound I have heard, and I am submitting music to major studios that have accepted everything I have done so far. Enough said, especially at this price point. After 2 weeks I love it..in the long run we will see...

Superbe finition mais alors le logiciel cela fait deux jours que je veut l'intaler je n'y arrive pas. S'adapte partout petit legé

Aunque lo indique la descripción, no viene con Pro Tools 11. Es una Fast Track Solo con la versión Pro Tools Express 10.3 la cual no es compatible con Os X Yosemite. Para mi decepción ni siquiera traía una tarjeta de actualización a la versión anunciada en la descripción del producto. Timo o errata?

1 of the RCA output ports is not functioning...

La costruzione è abbastanza solida, le funzionalità che offre sono minimali ma sufficienti per fare quasi tutto quello che serve.La qualità del convertitore è buona e, anche dove è richiesto molto gain, il rumore di fondo rimane abbastanza contenuto (ovviamente al livelli sensati e non tutto a manetta).L'ho presa come seconda scheda da usare per fare delle registrazioni con portatile o iPad senza troppe pretese (la mia scheda audio principale è una RME FF400 che sta fissa nel rack e smontarla tutte le volte che mi serviva era una rottura di scatole).Molto comodo il bottoncino per il direct monitoring, un pò meno la phantom con switch sul retro.Compreso nel prezzo vi danno anche la chiave iLok2 e la licenza di Protools Express 10.Che altro dire? A questo prezzo non credo si possa pretendere di più.

Pro tools is great software, but there are serious bugs worth knowing about. The main one is a widespread problem - just check the discussion boards - with the hardware not being recognised, or not located, by the software. The suggested fixes for this include not using wifi, emptying your login menu and much else besides. Applies to both mac and pc. Avid is not an especially useful source of help. You can flounder seriously and permanently trying to get the thing to run. It's a shame to give bad reviews for an otherwise good product, but if it won't run, it's as good as useless, and Avid needs persuading to do something more serious about it than simply telling you to make sure the hardware is properly connected, so that it runs dependably without the need to shut down half your computer and dump half your other applications.