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RivensBitch posted:I bolded the Cubase LE feature because I think this is a big deal for an entry level audio interface. Software can be a huge expense, and if you're just starting out even the LE version of Cubase can be VERY useful in helping you learn the ropes and figure out what you might actually want in a DAW. The E-MU interfaces also all come with Cubase LE and Sonar LE, both of which are very featureful for lite versions. (and in general, E-MU interfaces seem very solid for entry level devices) There's also Reaper, which is a very capable DAW for $60, so software really doesn't have to be a big expense at first in any case. That TC interface does look pretty hot, though as you pointed out it only has one mic preamp. This might not seem like a big deal to a beginner, but there are a LOT of times when you'll want to use two mics -- double-micing an acoustic instrument, one mic pointed at a guitar + one to sing through, recording two people simultaneously, etc. Something to think about in any case.
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| # ¿ Mar 15, 2010 19:46 |
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| # ¿ May 22, 2013 23:37 |
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but why would you pay extra for all those surround sound plugins and then get a $150 interface with only two outputs?
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| # ¿ Mar 27, 2010 23:04 |
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Twiin, give DPC Latency Checker a try, it is a free tool that can help you track down badly behaved drivers in your system, which firewire can be especially sensitive to (I was getting dropouts on my Fireface that ended up being because of the lovely generic wireless network card I was using). Though the real answer is that you shouldn't be browsing forums when you are working on music. Your music deserves all the attention you can give it, you don't need distractions. Seriously, don't even have a browser open unless you need to download something.
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| # ¿ Apr 22, 2010 18:43 |
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zincaito posted:I just bought a Focusrite Saffire 6 USB, my first audio interface. I noticed that with Reaper set to use the ASIO driver, I can't seem to find any way to use the Saffire for input, but have all audio output from the computer go through my computer's speakers (e.g. the ones plugged into the 1/8" output on my motherboard, not the Saffire). ASIO does not support multiple devices simultaneously, I do not think there's a way around this (on PC). You can probably use the line outs on your Saffire to drive your computer speakers, the only thing is the 1/4" outputs are monophonic, so you will want to get a 3.5mm stereo splitter, plug your speakers into one end, and then connect a pair of the Saffire's line outs to the other end.
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| # ¿ May 4, 2010 20:57 |
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zincaito posted:Small note: in the OP the Saffire is listed as Firewire instead of USB. There's a Firewire version too.
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| # ¿ May 4, 2010 23:27 |
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Epi Lepi posted:If I was to get a dedicated PC for audio recording could I get away with this comp or is it not worth going so cheap? HP laptops (HP consumer hardware in general) do not have a good reputation for reliability. I'd look at something like a Lenovo Thinkpad http://bit.ly/ehfJNq -- newegg has a bunch of other good laptop deals going on this week.
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| # ¿ Dec 28, 2010 16:36 |
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Get a firewire controller with a TI chipset (it will say in the description); firewire can be sort of finnicky about low-latency communication, and audio interface manufacturers generally recommend the TI chipset on a PC controller.
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| # ¿ Dec 31, 2010 16:54 |
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coolbian57 posted:I was sort of referred to this thread to ask, what would a good option be to replace my lovely sound card on my computer with a nicer, recording oriented device? I am a total newbie to this so I don't even know if I have my lingo correct here. My ideal setup is to have a way I can record my guitar being played through my amp, and into a Shure SM57 microphone. This means that I need a unit that preferably can support 1/4in cables (as would be coming from the SM57). Basically, what are my options for doing this? Preferably below $150 would be nice. From what I've read on this thread and others, the M-Audio units are my best bet. However, from the ones I've investigated they don't support 1/4in cables, only those 3 pronged cables from big microphones. Umm, a couple of things: 1) every SM57 I've ever seen has an XLR (3 pin) connector. 2) M-Audio interfaces aren't that great. 3) The Mackie Onyx Blackjack interface that RivensBitch linked to in the post above yours should suit your needs very nicely (it has two Neutrik combo inputs which can take either 1/4" or XLR plugs).
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| # ¿ May 9, 2011 18:37 |
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dolphins are gay posted:If you have a macbook, make sure you have the appropriate FW cable when ordering your Interface. This SUCKS. Assuming it's a recent model MBP, you need something like this: http://www.amazon.com/FireWire-800-...s/dp/B002JCL76I The interface will have a FW400 6-pin connector, while the Macbook Pro has a 9-pin FW800 connector (boldface because new non-Pro Macbooks don't have firewire). KaosPV posted:I also hate Apple and the whole "cool" vibe associated with them, but I think it's true you don't find that many problems with audio hardware with them (at least from what I've read around the net). The thing I dislike most about "Mac culture" is how that whole pretentious smugscreen of marketing bullshit obscures the fact that Macs really are 99% hassle-free for audio production, especially compared to Windows. h_double fucked around with this message at Jun 4, 2011 around 00:00 |
| # ¿ Jun 3, 2011 23:52 |
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I've had a Fireface 400 for about three years and absolutely love it; I felt a little crazy spending that much on an interface but I wanted something that I could grow into, rather than grow out of, and haven't regretted it for heartbeat.Hogscraper posted:No, the instrument input has a pretty low impedance. You really need 1 Mohm for passive guitars/basses to accurately capture the signal. It's unfortunate too because absolutely everything else in those boxes is perfect. To what extent would this make a difference using a short (6') cable in a home studio situation? I gather there might be some loss of accuracy reproducing high frequencies? I'm pretty happy with the recordings I get through the instrument inputs with about +5dB boost, I'm curious how much of a difference a DI would make. (Also, RME's website says the Fireface instrument input has 470kOhm, not sure if that 8 was a typo or ???)
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| # ¿ Mar 15, 2012 22:39 |
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You will be hard pressed to find converters with this much crunch and sizzle on another interface in this price range. 5/5
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| # ¿ Apr 10, 2012 15:40 |
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No, but USB2 already has more bandwidth (480 Mbit/sec) than Firewire 400, and is perfectly capable of handling a ton of simultaneous tracks (a single 24 bit/44100kHz track requires just over 1 Mbit/sec). RME, Focusrite, TASCAM, and MoTU all make USB2 interfaces that can record 16+ tracks simultaneously with no sweat, I'm sure there are others too. The catch is whether the OS + motherboard drivers are optimized to handle all of this with acceptable latency. I suspect that Thunderbolt, rather than USB3, will be the replacement for Firewire for higher-end interfaces. I think it was wixard who posted a link recently to a demo of RME's new Thunderbolt box pushing 384 channels simultaneously, at something like 16 sample latency, on a plain iMac (that was also driving a second monitor off the same Thunderbolt bus), all with only about 20% CPU. poo poo is fast. h_double fucked around with this message at Apr 18, 2012 around 02:47 |
| # ¿ Apr 18, 2012 02:44 |
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jvilmi posted:I'm about to buy an interface, and can't decide between Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and Akai EIE I/O. Firstly, it's not "guitar mics", it's pickups. If the instrument preamp clips with some guitars, you could get around that by using a direct box to convert the guitar signal to low impedance. quote:EIE: You should absolutely record and monitor at 24 bit. Even if you mix down to a 16 bit wav/mp3, 24 bit gives you more headroom, more dynamic range, and better noise floor. Seriously, don't buy an interface that can't do at least 24 bit / 96kHz, even the Realtek integrated audio on my motherboard can do that. Otherwise it's a good sign that the interface is probably built on old/cheap technology, and the drivers probably aren't that great either. Similarly, don't buy an interface that's not USB2.0, for similar reasons. Also, for its price range, "looks cool and gadgety" is probably a bad sign; they only had so many features they could fit in at that price point, and analog meters and an integrated USB hub don't do anything to help you sound better. h_double fucked around with this message at Jul 8, 2012 around 04:30 |
| # ¿ Jul 8, 2012 04:26 |
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Based on the Amazon thread that jvilmi linked, it sounds like people are having issues with some guitars producing too hot a signal when the inputs have the "instrument" mode enabled via a switch on the front panel. Typically, these circuits raise the impedance and also increase the input sensitivity by a few dB. My hunch is that it's that increased input sensitivity that's causing the clipping (pickups themselves can't clip; clipping only happens in a digital circuit), and a DI box ought to circumvent the need to put the input into instrument mode. I do take your point that a cheap DI could introduce noise, and anyway I am generally a fan of not buying stuff until you're sure you need it. Also, jvilmi, have you looked at the Focusrite 8i6? It's basically the same interface as the 2i2, only with 8in/6out. I've never used one myself, but my buddy really likes his, and Focusrite gear seems pretty solid for the price.
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| # ¿ Jul 8, 2012 16:20 |
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RivensBitch posted:It's still worth buying the MAC so you don't have to worry about this poo poo and can focus on making music. Also CoreAudio + SoundFlower is freaking amazing. Want to set up an aggregate device with your interface pre's, laptop mic, VLC, and youtube all on separate input channels? A minute or two to set up the routing and it works in every DAW ever.
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| # ¿ Aug 24, 2012 07:14 |
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MixMasterMalaria posted:Could anyone give me a quick rundown of the benefits offered by a modern interface like the Focusrite Scarlett over the Numark DJ/IO that I've been using for the past couple of years? Is there a difference in latency/sound quality or is it just midi ports/microphone connections? Generally a better interface will get you better preamps and convertors, which translates to better sound quality, especially if you are recording with microphones of physical instruments. The Scarlett (and other interfaces) also has inputs which are switchable as line level or instrument inputs, which means you can plug a guitar or bass directly into it without needing a DI (direct input) box in between. Better interfaces also tend to have better drivers and firmware, which can translate into better latency and stability. Also many of them have digital (e.g. SPDIF) I/O which lets you interface with other gear. MixMasterMalaria posted:Do interfaces generally include volume controls or amplification for headphones? Do you hook monitor speakers directly to them? Most interfaces have a headphone output with volume control. There are two types of monitor speakers -- active and passive. With passive monitors, they need to be powered by a separate amp, while active monitors have an integrated amp, so you just plug them directly into the interface. In either case, you'd want an interface with balanced outputs (XLR or 1/4" TRS) to connect to the monitors.
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| # ¿ Jan 20, 2013 00:11 |
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The XKCD Larper posted:Just got a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6. I need to record stuff that comes out of MaxMSP. I have Max routed to output on Ch 3/4 and Scarlett MixControl mapped to DAW 1-4 on outputs 1-4. Outs 1/2 are system audio and I can't seem to control that. I don't know anything about Audio Hijack, but Soundflower works like a champ for me. Soundflower will create a virtual device called "Soundflower (2ch)". You can either use the Soundflowerbed utility and set the Soundflower output to echo through the hardware outputs, or else you can go into Audio/MIDI Setup and create an Aggregate Device with both Soundflower and the Focusrite interface checked. An aggregate device lets you access all of the I/O of multiple devices within one virtual driver. You can also use the Audio/MIDI Setup utility to redefine which outputs are used for default system audio. In Max/MSP, go to Options -> DSP Status and you should be able to select Soundflower (2ch) (or the Aggregate Device) as the Output Destination. Then, go into your DAW (or a wav recorder like Audacity), set the track input to Soundflower or the Aggregate Device, and you should be all set.
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| # ¿ Jan 20, 2013 16:59 |
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Hammer Floyd posted:Secondly: I get a shitload of dropouts and instability. What OS are you running? If it's some version of Windows, unfortunately Windows can be pretty finnicky about Firewire audio devices. You can try running the DPC Latency Checker tool to test for conflicts between the firewire device and other hardware. Wireless network adapters are frequent culprits, so if you have a wireless adapter on the machine, try disabling it and see if that helps. Also, the general consensus is that firewire controllers with a TI chipset are the best-behaved for audio.
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| # ¿ Jan 22, 2013 03:08 |
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ashgromnies posted:Soundflower is kinda busted on 64 bit OS X FYI. There's some sort of timing/rounding error or something and after about ten minutes it will start making horrendous screeching and noise. It's a known issue and some dude had a patch but when I ran his build it just crashed. I haven't been able to get Soundflower working for poo poo since upgrading to 64 bit so I've been using Jack. Shame, Soundflower's a lot easier to figure out than Jack. Weird, I'm using Soundflower 1.5.2 on Snow Leopard (10.6.8), which has a 64-bit kernel, and have never run into any glitches like that. I've used it for at least a couple hours at a time, to route the audio from VLC into Ableton Live (so I could use my compressor/EQ/etc. plugins on videos with crappy sound) and it's always worked with no hassle. I'm not denying others might have had problems with it, but in my experience it's been solid. I wonder if it might be a factor of specific sample rates or some configuration thing?
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| # ¿ Jan 26, 2013 00:51 |
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Sizone posted:Looking to pick up an interface in the next few weeks. My biggest requirement is a poo poo-ton of 1/4'' ins as it will be primarily used for recording mah synthesizers. My previous interface was an M-Audio delta 44. I'm looking to get a Delta 1010. Those are discontinued, I'm not -real- sure how good of an idea a used pci card is and, while the delta 44 always performed solidly, everything else M-Audio I've ever used has been utter garbage in terms of reliability. Do I have any other good options in the sub 400$ price range, preferably pci, which will give me a breakout box densely populated with 1/4'' jacks? How about a Focusrite Scarlett 18i6? It's USB, has 8x 1/4" inputs, and sells for around $300. You're going to have a tough time finding much of anything that uses PCI or PCIe, that isn't either super ancient (like the M-Audio Delta cards) or way way outside your stated price range.
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| # ¿ Feb 6, 2013 23:32 |
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Radiapathy posted:Lazlow's post right before yours mentions one of the ones I was just about to recommend. The Tascam US-1800 and Tascam US-2000 are both under $400 and might well offer the highest number of analog ins in that price range. They are USB interfaces, but both pretty well regarded. Do keep in mind that the Tascam interfaces only have 6 1/4" ins, the rest are XLR mic inputs that aren't really useful for connecting line level gear like synths. Also I like that the Focusrite Scarlett 18i6 has an ADAT input, so you could always get more inputs by adding an OctoPre or something as an upgrade. Agreed that Tascam makes solid stuff though, and a used MOTU setup is a good idea too.
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| # ¿ Feb 9, 2013 06:56 |
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A Winner is Jew posted:Trying to setup my home recording studio right now and have narrowed down my interface to the following three choices based on the following criteria. First up is that while 5 pin Midi in/out's would be nice, it's not a requirement at all for me due to having a glut of USB inputs on my computer and all current (or planned on) hardware having USB midi out. Second is I need two dedicated in's for my synths and one dedicated out so I can process anything from my computer thru at least one synth. Third is 1-2 preamp inputs for my guitar and anything acoustic I want to record with a mic. And last, no more than $250. How's about the Scarlett 8i6? $250, 4 balanced 1/4" outputs, 4 balanced inputs (two of them switchable as instrument inputs).
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| # ¿ Apr 20, 2013 16:26 |
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nrr posted:When I asked for a step up in inputs/features, while still being reliable, I was recommended the Akai EIE. Does anyone have any experience with this? For $200 ($250 for the pro model which gives 24bit as opposed to 16bit for the regular) it seems to be a pretty good deal. Anyone got any thoughts on how these two stack up against each other? I know the KA6 only has 2 inputs but aside from that I'm open to any opinions on bang for buck. Reliability/ease of use would be a big plus. Do not buy the basic (non-pro) EIE. The convertors are only 16 bit, which is unsuitable for any kind of serious audio recording. 24 bit audio allows a dramatically better dynamic range, which means you can record at a lower input level (for a lower noise floor and more headroom) without any loss of detail or worrying about clipping. You should be recording audio at 24 bit. Also the Akai interfaces just seem a little gimmicky to me. When you are buying an interface, the important features are: sound quality (noise floor, quality of the convertors and clock), stability (driver quality, quality of the hardware components), latency, preamp quality, and enough inputs/outputs for your workflow and your existing gear. When somebody makes a fairly budget ($200-250) interface and sticks on a bunch of stuff like analog VU meters, a built-in USB hub, and fancy toggle switches, I have to wonder if the build quality and quality of the internal components is as good as it could be?
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2013 18:48 |
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nrr posted:I do have a question though, I've never used anything with only balanced TRS outputs before. Luckily, I also bought myself a pair of monitors, so I have those hooked up to the main output and they're working great. However, I like to run an output to a different room for my stereo as well, and so far the only way I can figure it out is to plug a cable into the headphone output on the Komplete 6, which I'd like to have my headphones in for doing stuff late at night. I've tried using RCA cables from the stereo into the second set of outputs on the K6 but I only ever get sound through one channel, never both at once. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? What kind of cables are you running to the stereo? You "should" be able to get a pair of cables that are 1/4" TS at one end + RCA at the other and run them from the L/R inputs on the stereo to the outputs 3+4 on the interface. Also check to make sure that whatever software you're using is actually sending something on outputs 3 & 4.  Keep in mind that there are two reasons to use TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) cables. In a balanced connection, a TRS cable carries a mono signal on one wire and a phase inverted copy of the same signal on another wire (this is done to eliminate noise/interference). The third wire is ground. TRS cables can also be used to carry an unbalanced stereo connection, where the first two wires carry separate (left & right channel) signals -- this is how stereo headphone connectors work. There are Y- cables that convert from TRS to dual RCA, these will work with headphone connectors but not balanced connections. Also be aware that unbalanced connectors (which includes RCA phono plugs), balanced connectors, and headphone connectors all all three separate versions of line level, and connecting balanced and unbalanced gear together will result in a signal that is either too quiet or potentially distorted. Try not to drive stuff off of headphone voltage if it wasn't designed for such, it won't sound good. Anyway I don't blame you for being a little confused, because NI apparently doesn't know what a TRS cable looks like:  Seriously this is some disgracefully amateur hour poo poo on NI's part. h_double fucked around with this message at May 4, 2013 around 08:38 |
| # ¿ May 4, 2013 08:35 |
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| # ¿ May 22, 2013 23:37 |
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muckswirler posted:That is correct. When interfacing +4 outputs (most balanced connections) with -10 inputs (most unbalanced connections) you want to start with a low output level or you can fry the inputs on the unbalanced device. Just a heads-up, the abbreviation for volts is a capital V, so it's dBV, not dBv. That seems nit-picky, but the abbreviations used to be dBV (for consumer/unbalanced) and dBv (for pro/balanced), but that was (understandably) deemed too confusing and so dBv was changed to dBu (decibels unloaded). wikipedia posted:Expressed in absolute terms, a signal at −10 dBV is equivalent to a sine wave signal with a peak amplitude of approximately 0.447 volts, or any general signal at 0.316 volts root mean square (VRMS). A signal at +4 dBu is equivalent to a sine wave signal with a peak amplitude of approximately 1.737 volts, or any general signal at approximately 1.228 VRMS. The Wikipedia page for nominal level is a good overview without getting into the (considerable) math, but mostly all you need to know is "The difference between consumer and pro equipment revolves around the cost required to create larger power supplies and output higher levels; consumer levels can be generated by battery-powered gear, but pro levels require power supplies that plug into the mains [wall power]."
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| # ¿ May 4, 2013 23:52 |
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