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Hello there friend and Welcome aboard!!

Before we get into the M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB Audio Interface review, grab a snack, sit back and relax because..

You’ve come to the right place!!

Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!!

Ratings/Price

Check eBay!

Key Specifications

4-In / 4-Out USB Audio Interface
24-bit / 96kHz Recording
Dual XLR/TRS Combo Inputs
48V Phantom Power
MIDI Input / Output
S/PDIF Digital I/O
Hardware Direct Monitoring
Headphone Output with Independent Volume Control
Balanced TRS Outputs
RCA Outputs
USB Bus Powered
Mac & Windows Compatible

Introduction

The M-Audio Fast Track Pro was the first interface that I purchased back in 2007. At that time I didn’t really understand anything about home studio equipment, but I knew that I needed it for something important. Lol.

I had asked my former Electronic Music teacher in college what I would need to start recording guitars, and he pointed me in the direction of the Fast Track Pro.

I never bothered to ask him the logistics behind its function, how it sends and receives information, etc. All I knew was that I wanted to record music as easily as possible.

For more info on how your PC processes the sound from your interface: Bit depth vs. Sample Rate

Summary

After seemingly forever getting it set up, I wasn’t too impressed. Back then, using it with Ableton Live Lite was a huge headache, but of course, keep in mind I was a relative noob. Still, I would suggest experimenting with the free Audacity if you’re a beginner. You could also opt for something like Reaper, where you can try it before you buy it. Both are very user-friendly and work great.

The main problem I had with the FTP is that I had to turn the gain all the way up to even hear anything. This is a common complaint among reviewers, and I remember someone asking me once if I had turned the phantom power switch on before I started recording. I truly would hope so, lol.

Honestly though, you wouldn’t hear any sound at all with it not turned on, so we can disregard that.

I remember recording a few raps and having to literally yell the lyrics into the mic with the gain turned all the way up. That to me is a major internal flaw. The fact that I could hear myself clearly but the sound was very low suggests that the phantom power was turned on, but the preamps were poor. Another common complaint from people online.

All in all, the interface was a piece of shit.

Common complaints people had:

flaky drivers
latency issues
noisy operation
unreliable behavior
dated converters
occasional connection headaches

I ended up selling it a couple of years ago and eventually purchased the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. It’s a great interface, but keep in mind that they have not updated the drivers since I bought it (12/2014). Because I haven’t really updated my PC, it still works perfectly. But for new users with newer equipment, you may run into issues.

For newer PCs, I would suggest the second generation Scarlett 2i2. More on that at the end!

Pros

Good build.
Easy to use with Garage Band.
The sound, despite being too quiet, did come out clear.
Good for recording MIDI instruments. What is MIDI?

Cons

Latency issues. What is Latency?
Bad customer service.
Distorted sound.
Gain must be turned all the way up to get a halfway decent audio level.
The built-in preamps aren’t very good.
Unit inexplicably cuts off.

Video Review

As you can tell in the video, he was having issues with the preamps as well. It’s just a bad unit all around and not recommended.

Who does this interface benefit?

Pretty much no one who wants to record properly.

Thoughts from Stu’s notepad

Make sure all WIFI-enabled devices are disabled. I read that this could cause issues with the unit. You must disable all other devices that might interfere with the Fast Track Pro.
The good news is that the drivers were updated on January 16th, 2016. They had not been updated previously since 2013. I’m actually kind of shocked and impressed that they even bothered because, in my estimation, this unit has kind of faded into obscurity over the last few years. Keep in mind that it will be the last update per their website.
This new update is compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 8.1. It is not compatible with Windows 10.
The last and final Mac update came on December 16th, 2014. Compatible with: Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10, 10.10.1. Not compatible with: OS X 10.11 El Capitan (or later).
This unit does better with a Cloud lifter or separate mic preamp to improve the sound. Preamp vs. Interface.
By default, the FTP will record in stereo. Just make sure you split the signal into mono (left & right), or your sound will only come out of one side.

To do this in audacity after recording:

Press the Audio Track button.
Then scroll down and click Split Stereo to Mono.

I pressed record but didn’t actually record anything because I’m not in my studio at the moment. The idea is the same though.

Consensus/Conclusion

Better options out there for the money. I would not recommend this unit anymore.

Final Word

If you’re looking for the best budget audio interface, click here:

NEXT: THE BEST BUDGET AUDIO INTERFACES

Well that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on the Shitty M Audio Fast Track Pro USB Audio Interface.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please Contact me!!

What do you think of the Fast Track Pro? What about the others? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…

All the best and God bless,

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

Be sure to check out my Reviews and Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!

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