M-Audio Fast Track Pro Review

The Fast Track Pro audio recording interface from M-Audio makes for a great entry into the world of home recording. M-Audio has made its name by delivering bang for your buck devices to the consumer audio production market and the Fast Track Pro is no different. Are there better audio interfaces out there? You bet there are, but they’re going to cost you. Clocking in at around $150.00-$175.00 you will be hard pressed to find a better audio interface for under $200.00.

Check the latest Amazon pricing on the Fast Track Pro.

M-Audio Fast Track Pro Features

Inputs and Outputs

With the Fast Track Pro you’ll get 2 mic/line inputs with 48v phantom power included. That is essential if you want to use quality condenser microphones, and I highly suggest you do. You will also find 2 balanced and unbalanced analog insert jacks for outboard effects, S/PDIF digital I/O, MIDI ports, and RCA auxiliary jacks. All this I/O links up to your favorite DAW(digital audio workstation) via a single USB connection.

Monitoring

Using the front access headphone amp you can use hardware direct monitoring for zero latency while recording. M-Audio has also equipped the Fast Track Pro with the time tested low latency ASIO monitoring, for listening to your track complete with effects. The two sets of analogue outputs can be used to send signal to outboard devices to use as inserts. These outs are also great for DJ’s who need to run signal to a DJ mixer. The A/B source switch on the front panel works great for auditioning cues.

Bundled Software

The Fast Track Pro comes complete with a light version of the popular Abelton Live production software. Abelton Live has become widely used in professional environments for its ability to easily integrate analog audio with MIDI in a simple interface. Using recorded acoustic instruments, virtual instruments, loops, and electronic sounds to record, arrange, and mix with ease.

Abelton is a great piece of bundled software but because it is just a Lite version it is limited to 8 tracks therefore I recommend using the Fast Track Pro with a complete DAW like Pro-Tools M-Powered, Cubase, or Logic 7.

System Requirements

Minimum System Requirements (Mac)

· Any G4 or faster, (Intel Mac recommended)

· 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)

· Mac OS X 10.3.9 (10.4 or later recommended)

· QuickTime 6.5 or higher

· DVD-ROM drive

Minimum System Requirements (PC)

· 1.5 GHz CPU or faster

· 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)

· Windows XP or Windows Vista

· Windows compatible sound card (ASIO driver support recommended)

· QuickTime 6.5 or higher

· DVD-ROM drive

My Personal Take on the Fast Track Pro

Like I said in the opening paragraph of this review the M-Audio Fast Track Pro is a great entry into home recording in fact it’s probably a small step up from the real entry level, but…….it does have its limitations. For a price around $170.00 though I am not complaining about this interface. As a songwriter the Fast Track Pro gives me two great sounding 48v phantom powered pre-amps to use for my acoustic guitar and vocal tracks. The I/O features and clean front panel design make this a great external portable unit that I can carry around with my laptop.

As I said though it does have its limitations and I want to be sure I point those out to you here. First thing you will notice is that the Fast Track is a bit of a CPU hog and it can really bog down your machine if it is not properly equipped RAM and processor wise. Also the Fast Track is a USB 1.1 device and does not utilize the faster USB 2.0 protocol. If you are only using 1 or 2 inputs at a time you should be fine but it is something to note.

Another thing that took a bit getting used to was the low headroom you have on the inputs. You really have to make sure you get your gain staging set before you record or you will clip the inputs.

Now some people complain that it only has 44.1Khz sampling rate and think it should go up to 96k, but you are just not going to see a 96k device in this price range anytime soon.

Again with the Fast Track Pro we're talking about ‘bang for your buck’ home recording, if you have songs in your head and a guitar in your hand you need to get those ideas out now! This is a great feature rich audio recording interface that can capture those ideas for the world to hear.

If you want to see what others are saying about the M-Audio Fast Track Pro use the read some of the reviews on Amazon.com here.