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Hammer Floyd posted:That's all fascinating. I'm just starting out though. What would you recommend? ShaneB posted:I snagged a Komplete Audio 6 today and ran into an issue. Seems like USB audio interfaces don't necessarily play nice with USB wifi adapters. I get bad latency issues if I have a lot of network traffic. I tried moving the USB wifi adapter to different ports, but no dice. I'll probably just get one of those passive volume knobs that go in between the audio interface and the monitors and live with the 1616m, which really does have exemplary sound quality and a ton of i/o's, saving some cash along the way. Do you have a free Ethernet port? A wireless bridge might be a good solution that frees up your USB for music gear. (Not practical if you're on a laptop though.) As for "passive volume knobs" I've been super pleased with my SM Pro M Patch V2. It sits between my interface and monitors. (Also acts as a headphone amp if you plug in the included power adapter, but the path to the monitors is always passive.)
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Jan 3, 2014 09:19
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Hammer Floyd posted:That's the main reason why I'd never suggest a Steinberg for a first interface. You have to rely on internet nerds helping you instead of the company that made it. I don't have sweeping opinions on any vendor. My position is based on actual experience with specific interfaces. I own the 2i2 and UR22 (and 6 or 7 other current models) and have tested and worked with them pretty extensively. The 2i2 is not the value that some people think it is. If you've got some kind of general beef with Steinberg there are still several viable alternatives to the low end Scarletts.
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Jan 3, 2014 18:12
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Hammer Floyd posted:By the way, did anybody grab a Universal Audio Apollo? Those things were going to "change everything". On a somewhat related note, MOTU just announced its first Thunderbolt/USB interface: http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/828x Now that's more my speed.
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Jan 21, 2014 21:17
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polynominal-c posted:Any recommendations for a quality USB 2.0 home-recording audio interface with a single (hi-Z) guitar input and low latency for use with Amplitube? A mic preamp is not required. The 2i2 has terrible latency and a high noise floor. I'd recommend Roland Duo Capture EX. Has a Hi-Z input and everything else the 2i2 does, plus iPad compatibility and MIDI I/O.
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Jan 24, 2014 22:40
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Lead out in cuffs posted:Do you have some links to people who have tested this? "2ms/4ms" at what sample rate and buffer size? Input/output or round-trip? I own the 2i2 and the Roland, and several other current models. Below are benchmark tests I did a few months ago using the RTL Utility (the tool used for raw performance testing in the DAWBench tests). This tests true round-trip latency.  Tested on the same computer with the same cables where possible, at the same sample rate and buffer settings. I actually hear plenty of complaints about both the 2i2's poor latency and its relatively high noise floor.  Likewise there are plenty of positive reviews out there on the Roland; my "throwaway statement" doesn't exist in a vacuum. I was only mentioning it as a price-competitive alternative to the 2i2. The Steinberg UR22 is actually better overall in terms of specs (capable of very high sample rates), and I love mine- however there was a manufacturing defect in some of Steinberg's batches that resulted in some noise issues. Steinberg is replacing the units for free as people call in to report them, but who wants to deal with that. Radiapathy fucked around with this message at 10:10 on Jan 25, 2014 |
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Jan 25, 2014 09:58
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Lead out in cuffs posted:OK, you've made me go and work out how to measure RTL latency in Linux. That figure is Jack's latency, which the jack_iodelay tool I used to measure RTL latency seems to hint is only capture latency, with RTL DSP latency being three times that or something? I don't know how it works in Linux, but on Windows, most DAWs display input latency and output latency reported by your interface's driver at the current sample rate and buffer size. The true combined/rount-trip latency is usually within a couple ms of the reported i/o values, and the actual results you get will differ depending on your PC, your USB bus, your driver version, and interface configuration. quote:This is pretty useful, although those noise floor readings for the 2i2 seem to disagree with the results some quick Googling brought up:
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Jan 27, 2014 19:31
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Also, just read about this over the weekend. Zoom has apparently released the first Thunderbolt powered interface. https://www.zoom-na.com/products/studio-recording/audio-interfaces/zoom-tac-2-thunderbolt-audio-converter If I ever get a TB-capable computer I'm eager to take a look at this thing. Zoom makes some interesting (and crazy affordable) stuff.
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Jan 27, 2014 21:24
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Butt Bidness posted:Incredibly silly newbie question: so if I'm looking at picking up an entry level interface like a Scarlett 2i4 or a Komplete Audio 6, I kind of understand how I'd hook a microphone into the interface and connect the interface to my PC, but I don't understand which cables I'd need to hook my analog synths directly into the interface. They've got a 1/4" line out, but I'm not sure how I'd get from there to XLR. Also, to build off what FW said, yes almost all entry-level interfaces have XLR/TRS combo jacks that will accept either kind of cable. The Komplete Audio 6 also has two TRS input jacks on the back which are intended to be used for synths or effects units, leaving you the front jacks for mics or guitars. One thing to keep in mind is that you should use the right kind of cable for your synth. Most synths have unbalanced/TS outputs, so it's best to use that kind of cable when connecting to your interface. Some synths (and a lot of pro effects units) have balanced/TRS outs, and you should use TRS cables with those. If you use a TRS cable to connect a synth that only has unbalanced outs you can lose a signinficant amount of db when connecting up to your interface, requiring you to crank up the input gain on your interface, cutting into your headroom.
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Jan 28, 2014 06:24
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Schlieren posted:I've used an M-Audio 1010LT forever but the card isn't built for my (non-ancient) computer's expansion slots. What sorts of solutions are available for someone nowadays in need of, say, 10 simultaneous inputs? Do you need 10 preamps?
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Feb 5, 2014 00:31
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I’ve been wanting to rip my old cassette tapes of original songs for a long time, so I picked up a Roland Tri-Capture because I knew it was designed with that kind of activity in mind. It’s a compact, odd-looking little device- it actually looks like a miniature Atari 400 computer with a photo-negative color scheme. It has an XLR-only jack for a mic, a TRS-only jack for guitar or line, and a pair of unbalanced RCA aux inputs, as well as stereo TRS outputs and a 1/4" headphone jack. Tri-Capture close-up:  It offers three input modes: “Mic/Guitar,” where only the first two inputs are recorded, “All inputs,” where all inputs are recorded in a 2-channel stereo mix, and “Loop back” which records all inputs like “All inputs” mode, but also routes your computer’s system audio into the interface so you can, for example, sing along to the soundtrack from a game or a YouTube video. In “Mic/Guitar” mode, the two inputs are delivered to the interface on separate channels (L/R stereo or dual mono), but in the other two modes, both the Mic and Guitar inputs are panned across both channels. Some notes about “Loop back” mode: In order for this to work, I had to go into the Sound control panel of Windows and set the Tri-Capture as my default device on the playback tab. When you do this, Windows routes the audio of any application that doesn’t offer audio device selection to the device of your choice. DAWs and other apps that are ASIO or DirectSound aware aren’t affected. Once I made the Tri-Capture my default playback device, I was able to record everything (mic, guitar, aux, and PC audio) all at once. Each of the three input channels (Mic, Guitar, and Aux) have their own input gain controls; if you only need to record on your aux inputs, for example, you can just turn down the other two channels all the way. The Tri-Capture does not appear to offer a way to adjust the level of incoming PC audio in Loop Back mode, unfortunately. I’m not sure whether there’s a way to adjust this at the Windows control panel level; you might have to just hope your source application offers a way to manage the signal volume. The interface supports full duplex 44.1 and 48kHz operation and half duplex 96kHz (you can either play or record in 96k; you can’t do both). The sample rate controls are little switches on the bottom of the device; all other controls are buttons or pots on the top of the unit. It also supports both hardware and ASIO direct monitoring. Like most interfaces in its price range, the Tri-Capture is fully USB bus powered (so no battery operation or iPad compatibility) In terms of audio latency, the Tri-Capture performs surprisingly well. I normally record at 44.1kHz/24-bit with a 256 sample buffer (that’s my “set-it-and-forget-it” configuration), and I compared the combined input and output latencies reported by Ableton Live on my laptop to those of three other interfaces I’ve got sitting around: The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, Zoom R8, and the Roland Duo-Capture EX. Below are the results, from best to worst. Note that in every case I had to pick “as close to 256 samples as possible” because all of these interfaces have jacked-up control panels that either don’t let you specify “powers of two” buffer sizes, or don’t accurately pass your selected buffer size to the driver (my screenshots will show what I mean). I list the sample buffer sizes after the interface name. Note that the performance gaps between the interfaces are way beyond any effect of the buffer size deltas. (In other words, if you normalize the numbers to a 256 sample buffer size, the performance gaps are still obvious, especially when you consider that the faster Roland interfaces had larger buffers than the slower 2i2.) 1. Zoom R8 (252 samples): 15.19ms (6.39 in/8.80 out) 2. Roland Tri-Capture (288 samples): 23.10ms (11.60 in/11.50 out) 3. Roland Duo-Capture EX (288 samples): 28ms (10.50 in/17.50 out) 4. Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (265 samples): 36.30ms (15.10 in/21.20 out) My test machine is an Alienware M14x laptop with an Intel Core i7 2670QM processor (2.2GHz) with 6GB of RAM, running on 64-bit Windows 7 Pro SP-1. What I like about the Tri-Capture: It’s small, super-affordable, and does exactly what I needed for my tape-ripping needs. Also, the loopback feature is pretty handy to have in such an affordable little device. Minor complaints: The input selector is a digital toggle switch, rather than a physical switch, which means that when the interface defaults to Guitar/Mic mode whenever you plug it in, or it wakes up from sleep. I’ve forgotten to toggle it into “All Inputs” mode a couple of times as a result. Also, the “peak” indicators on the device are more like “kinda loud” indicators; they go red well before your input signal risks being clipped, which makes adjusting an optimal input level a little more of a pain than it needs to be. Also, I don’t think it’s possible to adjust the incoming PC volume at the interface in Loop Back mode. At only $100 USD this thing’s a pretty good value for someone with a mic/guitar setup, or people who simply need cheap, reliable AD/DA. Due to the very specific input configuration, folks with external stereo synths or grooveboxes might be able to use the aux inputs with the right cables and adapters, since many synths tend to have unbalanced outputs anyway, but the Tri-Capture’s more aimed at singers, guitarists, and home audio users. SCREENSHOTS Tri-Capture and other interfaces mentioned in this post:  Janky Tri-Capture control panel. Yes those are “O”s used to represent the performance/stability ratio:  Janky 2i2 control panel. The buffer slider is sorta confusing in its use of “ms” as a configuration metric. Using samples instead would help users mentally separate the buffer concept from actual ASIO latency:  Janky R8 control panel. It lets you select buffer sizes in traditional “powers of two” increments, but as you can see in the Ableton Live settings, what you pick in the control panel doesn’t necessarily translate to the interface: 
Radiapathy fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Feb 25, 2014 |
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Feb 25, 2014 16:28
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Filthy Monkey posted:I appreciate the information Radiapathy. Got a good deal on a quad capture, which will hopefully fill my interface needs. Don't really need that many inputs, but when it is the same price as the duo capture, I figure "why not".
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Feb 25, 2014 22:08
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Schlieren posted:I mentioned both because obviously USB would be brainless, whereas FW would have the potential for less latency, but would require finagling a card... the mobo is an ASRock H77 Pro4-M. But as you mentioned, if you can work with direct monitoring (which all MOTUs support), latency's not really that much of a concern anyway, at least not when singing and playing live HW instruments. I routinely just set my buffer size to 256 samples and direct monitor all live signals. But then I'm not the type who needs to hear live reverb or whatever while I'm singing/playing.
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Mar 25, 2014 04:47
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Mutant John posted:I've got a fairly dumb question here, it seems. Nearly everyone has a 1/4"-to-1/8" stereo headphone adapter laying around. Instead of using the UR22's main outs, plug one of those adapters into the UR22's headphone jack, and plug your speakers' input cable into that. (Assuming they're typical PC speakers that have a single 1/8" stereo input connection.) Next (assuming you're on Windows), you open up the Sound control panel, and on the Playback tab, select the UR22, right-click it, and then click Set As Default Device. This will basically bypass your computer's internal soundcard for everything, including your browser and system sounds, etc. Pretty sure the UR22 has a separate headphone level control. So you get the high-quality inputs, high sample rates, and low latency of the UR22 while recording without having to run out and get some studio monitors. When you do feel like upgrading your speaker situation, look for active/powered studio monitors. There are plenty of affordable models.
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May 11, 2014 22:02
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Flipperwaldt posted:Wow. Do they even still sell passive pc speakers of the type that would have a 3.5mm plug? Haven't seen any of those anywhere since the last millennium. Right. All non USB PC speakers I've ever seen were active/ powered , so had a power adapter, but nearly all of them have a single stereo 1/8th inch male connector for plugging into PC audio out. Just plug it into interface headphone out instead... it's just a line level unbalanced stereo out like a PC has. Note that I was assuming a PC desktop setup with typical external non USB PC speakers. If a laptop or a desktop with USB speakers my solution won't work. Radiapathy fucked around with this message at 00:45 on May 12, 2014 |
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May 12, 2014 00:42
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Flipperwaldt posted:Headphone outs are amplified to some degree and might supply voltages higher than what something normally receiving line level expects, resulting in distortion. Even had that with something low power as an iPod because the receiving end wasn't tolerant of a large degree of deviation. Depending on the quality of the inbuilt amplifier, you also might end up with a noisier signal. Don't forget that the UR22 outs are balanced and pretty hot anyway, whereas the headphone jack is at least wired exactly the same way as one's computer speakers would be expecting. Since you have independent control of headphone volume at the interface, distortion's not really a concern. I have two PCs in my room with audio interfaces connected to them. My main DAW PC's interface runs into the balanced main ins of my monitor controller (SM PRO M-Patch V2), and my laptop's interface (Roland Tri-Capture) runs into the M-Patch's unbalanced RCA inputs. The M-Patch lets you toggle between sending the signal from the balanced main ins or the unbalanced aux ins to your monitors. The laptop's signal goes from the interface's headphone out through a 1/4"-to-1/8" jack adapter to a 1/8"-to-RCA cable, to the M-Patch. Sounds great, no noise, no distortion problems. In any case, Mutant John, you've got several options.
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May 12, 2014 05:12
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iostream.h posted:I'm looking for the highest quality PRE's I can possibly get (without tossing money out the window in search of diminishing returns of course) so I'm not interested in a lot of the entry level prosumer stuff. For what it's worth, I did a comparison of all my interfaces that had preamps last year. Most of them are entry-level 2-in-2-out USB, but I included RME's best USB/FW interface in the mix. (My MOTU 24I/O didn't have pres; was all line I/O.) https://soundcloud.com/ultimateoutsider/sets/access-virus-ti2-preamp https://soundcloud.com/ultimateoutsider/sets/yamaha-sy85-preamp-comparison Anyway, the Zoom TAC-2 is tiny, and runs on Thunderbolt bus power. No experience with this one although their low-end R8 interface was better than I expected, and that device's latency was the lowest I'd ever seen in its price range, so reckon this one will at least perform like a champ: https://www.zoom-na.com/products/studio-recording/audio-interfaces/zoom-tac-2-thunderbolt-audio-converter The RME Babyface is tiny and sturdy (designed to be portable), although the I/O is all on a breakout cable- but it's pretty short and probably won't tangle. I can confirm that RME's USB drivers are unparalleled for performance and stability. (And their routing software rules hard once you understand how it works.) http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_babyface.php As I'm a Windows person, no personal experience with Apogee, but like you I've heard LOTS of reports from people who have significant stability/reliability issues with the Duets. No idea why they still get recommended so often. It's not like the unimpressive Focusrite Scarletts everyone recommends all the time- because while those are really only mediocre, at least they're cheap. Radiapathy fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Jun 3, 2014 |
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Jun 3, 2014 17:51
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Flanky posted:Is playing horribly with USB3 just a Komplete Audio 6 thing, or an audio interface thing in general? It hadn't crossed my mind when buying one that USB2 devices could have compatibility issues, but it's apparently the source of a bunch of BSODs I've been getting since I bought the KA6. (My laptop only has USB3 ports.) NI seems to claim that it's impossible to fix due to something inherent with USB3, as well, so I'm not holding my breath for an update. I now notice someone on the first page mentioning the issue but I want to make sure I'm not running into the same situation with another card. I really don't want to spend even more money right now, ugh I tested some of my USB interfaces last year, comparing how well they performed on USB 2 vs 3. Here's the worksheet with the results (and here's a worksheet which explains what the columns indicate). Some of the interfaces behaved identically between USB 2 and 3, but on some I had to increase the buffer size in order to keep the audio reliable on USB 3. I had already sold my KA 6 by this point, but it literally never worked reliably on USB 3, and it's the only interface I've seen so far that was that bad. Now, someone else with a different computer and a different USB 3 chipset might have different results. That's the thing- USB 3 is a crapshoot (particularly with USB 2 backward support). So anyway, just about any USB 2 interface can potentially have issues on USB 3, but the KA 6 seems to have more problems than most. I've noticed on one of NI's new Traktor interfaces they added a note saying they simply don't support USB 3.
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Jun 12, 2014 19:14
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Flipperwaldt posted:Didn't know all that might have been related to usb 3 poo poo, so thanks. My laptop has a single usb 2 port; I should give that a shot to see if it makes a difference.
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Jun 13, 2014 01:46
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CaptainViolence posted:Basically: is there any other interface with a bunch of XLR inputs I should check out?
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Jun 21, 2014 19:57
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Holy wow, MOTU just added a whole new category of Thunderbolt/AVB interfaces to their product line. See the AVB category here: http://www.motu.com/products Each model is $1495 at Sweetwater (preorder, not sure on release date). I have zero knowledge/experience with this Ethernet stuff, but nice to see MOTU forging ahead.
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Jul 22, 2014 22:56
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Haledjian posted:Edit: Having read this page now it seems like it could be a USB 3.0 issue. I will look into that While that's an older interface, it's apparently still supported on modern Windows (they even released a Windows 8 driver for it), so *should* still work fine for you. Have you checked that you're recording at the right sample rate? (Physical switch on the back of the unit, like with the UA-22.) Also, I don't know what some of the other switches on the back are for, but make sure they're where you're expecting. One other thing about bus-powered interfaces is sometimes they draw more current when Phantom power is enabled than the USB bus can support. It results in different audible problems from the standard USB 3 issue. You can rule this out by connecting the interface directly to a USB port on the computer and attempting to record with phantom enabled (if your mic needs phantom). Or switch phantom off and see if line-level recordings work okay.
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Aug 10, 2014 22:57
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Woah, Roland just announced a really rad looking little mobile interface. I absolutely don't need it, but I think I'm gonna get one when they come out. http://www.rolandus.com/products/details/1338 From the announcement: quote:What is DSD?
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Sep 2, 2014 23:12
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fallenturtle posted:Like most folks I first was looking at the Scarlett 2i2 but after reading through this thread and elsewhere I'm concerned about the latency. It also seems like the NI Komplete Audio 6 is popular but it seems like its overkill for what I need. In that category my choices in that price range are still Roland Duo-Capture EX, Avid Fast Track Duo, and Steinberg UR22. The first two offer additional iPad/tablet compatibility and the last one offers very high sample rates and the best performance of all five interfaces I've mentioned. NOTE: The UR22 has had a couple acknowledged manufacturing defects which Steinberg will fix/replace for free if you end up with one of the affected units, but if you buy one new from a store (vs. buying used) you're less likely to get one of the problem units to begin with. If you do end up with an audio interface that has no MIDI, the cheapest USB-to-MIDI interface I can recommend is the MOTU USB FastLane. There are all sorts of sub-$50 "usb to midi cables" which I wouldn't touch with a hundred foot pole. They're notoriously unreliable in a number of ways. EDIT: I have owned, used, and tested all of the above audio interfaces. I resold all but the Duo-Capture (which I kept for its feature set), although I use a different interface for my primary DAW PC. Kept the Roland mainly for tablet use and for traveling. Radiapathy fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Sep 14, 2014 |
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Sep 14, 2014 18:53
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fallenturtle posted:Are there any other reasons besides the USB3 issue that you prefer the UR22 to the Komplete Audio? It seems like the Komplete according to your chart a few pages back has superior stats. I also mentioned the direct monitoring thing. Not being able to direct monitor inputs 3/4 makes those inputs useless for my purposes. If not for the USB weirdness I experienced (and which I am definitely not alone in experiencing if you check the NI forums), I'd actually say it's one of the best interfaces you can get in its price range, because it is low latency and comes with some good bundled software too. But just based on my own experience I can't recommend it. I'd love to know if NI's recent firmware and driver updates improved things, but I sold mine a while back, so...
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Sep 15, 2014 19:05
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Earwicker posted:anyone here using a Behringer FCA1616? it seems pretty good for the price and so far in terms of recording into the computer it has been great, very clean, no problems. but I was also using the main analog outs and they seem to have randomly died, like they are recognized on the computer just no sound comes from them. Anyway, most interfaces with more than 4 ins/outs come with some kind of mixing/routing software- I presume this is the case with Behringer as well? All manufacturers have their own solutions, but in my experience it usually boils down to this: Each of the interface's hardware outputs (including headphone jacks) has its own submix that you can control within the mixing software. If you're not hearing anything out the main outs, it could be that some of the software routings got messed up, and you just have to re-route, say, your "software outputs" or "DAW outputs" to your interface's hardware outputs.
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Nov 6, 2014 00:23
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HollisBrown posted:They're just all over the place, that's what I mean, some stuff is great, some is just terrible. Their new line of interfaces (US-2x2, US-4x4) also look very nice for the price, in terms of features and stated specs. Almost tempted to pick up the 2x2 just to see if it's a good option to recommend for entry-level use. All of the more common entry-level devices (even ones that I like) have at least one or two issues that may or may not be a showstopper for some folks.
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Jan 16, 2015 20:55
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All right, this new Roland interface is enticing. http://www.rolandus.com/products/super_ua/ Muuuch better idea than the weird Mobile UA thing they did a few months ago, which was really just a DAC with 1/8" outputs. And in case you missed it, Arturia finally spilled the beans on their new interface, and it does look pretty good: http://www.arturia.com/audiointerface So, I plan to get the Roland, Arturia, and the Zoom one Flipper mentioned a few months ago and do a round-up.
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Jan 23, 2015 20:17
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Flipperwaldt posted:So if there's a catch, it's this: a very high advertised number of inputs runs out quicker than you think if you start scratching away all the digital inputs and need the analog ones for stereo pairs. good jovi posted:Pickings seem to get a little slim for interfaces with more than 4 inputs, though. The idea of actually having to unplug things and plug other things in is disgusting to me, so I'd like to try and get something with more flexibility. I'm looking at the Focusrite Scarlett 18i8, and it seems to fit the bill nicely. I can just plug everything into that, hear everything through my headphones, and the DAW will see them as separate tracks? What's the catch? Here's my thing, though: I'm of the camp that doesn't think you need an interface input for every synth output in your studio. If I counted up all the synth outs in my rig it would probably be in the 40s, and there will never, ever be a time when I need to record 40 channels of synth. Hell I almost never need more than 2. So all of my synth outs run to a patch bay. My most commonly used synths are normalled to my interface ins, and the rest of 'em I can patch in as needed. Some guys prefer to use analog mixers for this and then just use the mixer's master our aux outs to track one synth part at a time. Same general idea though; maximum routing flexibility, minimum number of actual interface inputs. It makes things on the DAW side simpler too. Only need to worry about a couple of buses versus dozens.
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Jan 25, 2015 04:34
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toadee posted:So, why is it that I can't seem to find any audio interfaces that aren't in a mixer format that provide more than 8 analog ins? I don't really need a mixer, I just need a ton of analog ins for all my synths. I can do all my level adjusting and per channel fx in my PC and in fact I'd prefer to do that. So why is it to get something with somewhere between 12-16 analog ins I seem to HAVE to buy a mixer with a USB interface. Is there any option Im missing here? My own guess about the rarity of low-cost/high-input interfaces is that it's more of a demographics thing. I think there are simply a whole lot more people in the consumer/non-pro market who only need 1-4 inputs than need more than that. When you get into the pro realm, there are a lot more studio techs and live recordists, proportionally, who need lots of I/O, so they have a lot more choices. The new MOTU interfaces (16a and 24ai) have tons of analog inputs, but they are $1500, $1000, respectively.
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Jan 30, 2015 16:31
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Luna posted:The ASIO driver that ships with it is great. Really not latency to speak of.
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Feb 4, 2015 06:34
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Declan MacManus posted:I'd also be interested in hearing about this if anyone knows I've added this one to my list of interfaces to check out in my next shoot-out. Aesthetically it looks a hell of a lot like the roland duo-capture ex.
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Feb 14, 2015 09:47
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Oh nice, MOTU's releasing a new UltraLite. http://www.motu.com/products/avb/ultralite-avb/body.html It looks pretty great, but seriously- what is with MOTU's sick obsession with power buttons you have to hold down to turn their devices on and off? The only thing preventing the Track 16 from being my ultimate desktop interface is that damned power button (you literally have to hold it down for 5 seconds to shut the thing off), and the number one physical issue with the previous model UltraLites was the multi-function power button/knob snapping off.
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Feb 19, 2015 00:54
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Pimp Cauldron posted:I am upgrading my many-year-old computer, which currently has installed in it an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 sound card that I like. I really only use it for its RCA I/Os and MIDI port. I will no longer be able to use this card because it is PCI, and nothing uses PCI any more. M-Audio apparently no longer offers sound cards. The only current device I know of that meets your requirements (connections for MIDI, turntable, and a Mic/XLR) would be the Arturia Audiofuse: http://www.arturia.com/audiofuse/details It's not out yet, but I will be getting one this summer. As for something you can get right now, You might be better off finding an inexpensive standalone phono preamp that you can run into any interface that has line inputs. Then you could get just about any interface with 3-4 line inputs and MIDI ports and you'll be set. Steinberg's new interface, the UR242 is one example.
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Apr 22, 2015 00:03
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peter gabriel posted:Akai are basically all 'welp sucks to be you' about this, and it's a common issue: I had been looking at the new Akai keyboard controllers, but my experience with the buggy software that came with my Alesis V-25, and the laughably bad support I got when looking for answers/workarounds made me wary of anything they produce. If the EIEs were reliable (I have heard complaints about driver stability elsewhere) they would be one of the best values on the market, so it is a shame.
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May 27, 2015 07:39
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After The War posted:I'm willing to put up with a lot to get those four inputs.
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May 29, 2015 03:58
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Here's a brand new video overview of the new RME Babyface Pro. The interface just went into production this week, but these guys either got a pre-production or manufacturing test run model to film for their video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hVDevYFRU4 I'm still not sold on its design, but if it fixes any of the problems I've got with my MOTU Track 16 (like the eternal power on/shut down phases) it MIGHT find a place on my desk. Haven't heard a peep about Arturia's challenger to the RME and MOTU desktop models.
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Aug 7, 2015 15:03
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Wengy posted:Yeah, I've been looking at the Track 16 as a possible alternative but it came out like three years ago, has a huge breakout cable and isn't significantly less expensive than the brand new BF Pro. I guess no competitor has an answer to it ready, which sucks for me because it means I can't use my coupons - To turn it on, you need to hold the power button down for a few seconds, and it takes another 10-15 seconds for the interface to boot up. - To turn it off, you need to hold the power button down for a full five seconds, which may not sound like a long time, but it gets old pretty fast. - The routing software, CueMix FX, does what it's supposed to and works fine- but it is a lot harder to get used to than RME's TotalMix stuff. Whenever I need to do something in CueMix, it takes me a long time because I have to keep experimenting with different tabs and faders, whereas I can navigate TotalMix pretty effortlessly. But performance, I/O options, and recording/playback quality are top-shelf. No problems there.
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Aug 7, 2015 18:58
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wizkid posted:I'm currently using this setup for vocals: SM57 -> M-Audio Fast Track -> Reaper. As the other guys have mentioned, you get the qualities you're looking for by using careful mic placement (this sometimes means multiple mics, with M/S processing, if you're brave), room treatment, the size/shape of the room, and the mic/preamp- as well as your voice itself. Not all mics work for all voices. Recording techs sometimes spend hours having vocalists audition mics the day before a serious session. The SM57 is kind of an all-purpose mic. There are people who've gotten magic out of them. But again, along with the specific mic, all the other variables I mentioned play a bigger part in your vocal sound than what interface you've got.
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Aug 13, 2015 22:52
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Smithereens posted:For my budget, which is about 150USD, it's either the Scarlett 2i4 or Steinberg U22 . I'm open to suggestions, since some of the info in the thread might be outdated. The Steinberg interfaces offer stronger preamps (good for vocal and mic recordings) than the entry-level focusrites. Also, if you're running Windows, the Steinbergs have literally half the latency of the Focusrites. If you use direct monitoring (which both manufacturers support), latency can be a moot point- but if you're the kind of vocalist/guitarists who likes to hear effects on the incoming signal while recording, low-latency performance is essential. The Scarletts are basically unusable for that kind of recording. I use both Cubase and Live. Live's biggest strengths are its alternative "session view" workflow, easy audio/MIDI routing, and and Max For Live integration (only in the Suite version, or when M4L is purchased separately). I prefer Cubase for its unparalleled MIDI support and much deeper audio editing tools. If you're basically just going to be using the DAW like a multi-track tape recorder, though, the "intro" versions of Live and Cubase that come with the respective interfaces will get you there. Both DAWs are strong, professional tools, and again for just basic audio recording and rendering, I can't make a strong argument for one over the other.
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Sep 9, 2015 22:25
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Smithereens posted:So what you're saying, is that if I want effects from things like plugins to be played through the monitor, I should go for low latency? This wouldn't be a problem if I mic'd an amp with an effect pedal or something, correct? This is all terribly confusing to me because I've never recorded anything through my computer. Should you worry about bit depth and sample rate when you're just starting out? I would say no. 44.1kHz/24-bit will go a long, long way. Higher sample rates require more horsepower (and bigger sample buffers) and the benefits they yield vary from subtle to unnoticeable, depending on your ears, your equipment/plugins, and your mixing/recording skills and workflow. And if you're thinking about this in terms of comparing interfaces, while there are very subtle differences in the sound between various models/manufacturers due to different DAC/ADC and preamps, which one sounds best to you is completely a matter of taste and not objective quality. There is no discernible dollars-to-quality correlation in the prosumer audio range. All modern interfaces sound pretty good. Where they differ the most is performance, features, reliability, and I/O options.
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Sep 9, 2015 23:53
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