8 analogue input audio interfaces?

[titser_marco]

Other than the M-Audio 1010LT, what other interfaces which can accomodate 8 simultaneous tracks can you suggest?

[xjepoyx]

alot!

theres presonus, tascam, EMU, focusrite, edirol, MOTU.... etc!

click here

 

[titser_marco]

Onga naman.

I guess what I forgot to put in was the price factor - thinking of choices cheaper than the 1010LT.

[xjepoyx]

M-Audio is the cheapest you can get in the market bro.

[titser_marco]

I see. Was also looking up the Lexicon Omega, but I think that only has 4 simultaneous inputs e. Oh well. Thanks man!

[KitC]

There are very few 8-input interfaces on the market, the 1010LT is probably the most inexpensive you can get right now. Lexicon used to have a pci-based interface called the Lexicon Studio, but it cost in excess of $5000!

[MacoySIN]

i know you are looking for cheaper interfaces than the 1010LT but this one is a really great deal.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alesis-iO26-Portable-26-Input-FireWire-Audio-Interface?sku=246031

[mariuo]

i was considering alesis for awhile but it seemed like people had some problems with it regarding pc-interface connection. i think the new m-audio nova looks nice. though not sure if it has 8 analog ins. or mackie onyx.. haha starting to day dream

[KitC]

Mario! Long time no hear!

Since you started the topic of daydreaming, how about Focusrite's 26i/o? If I had a Mac, I'd certainly go for the Apogee Ensemble, but alas...

[BALDO]

ENSEMBLE!!!! ENSEMBLE!!  oo nga kitC.. muntik na akong mapabili nun..sabi pwede  DAW sa pc hehehe  .. APOGEE rocks!!! the ROSETTA looks yummy  !!!!! works with Windows XP!! hmmmm ... GAS ATTACK?? hehehe..

[MacoySIN]

Uy meron kami Focusrite Saffire Pro 26!

eto mga simpleng pros and cons ko:

-very clear,loud, transparent preamps
-2 headphone outs
-No DSP mixing (i thought i would never need it)
-Sometimes it doesnt boot up properly when powered via firewire (maybe its my firewire chip)
-Preamps are too loud for snare drums, lalo na pag beta 57 ang ginagamit ko (it peaks even if the gain knob is down to zero)

I would have chosen the Presonus Firestudio because of the DSP mixing feature but i hated the idea of having mic cables infront of the interface, magulo sa desk haha! and because the Saffire Pro has 2 headphone outs.

[BALDO]

Macoy ok yung Focusrite  ISA  428 maraming choices sa level ng impedance (low, 110 , med at high) saka me choices din sa gain   me -20 to +10 sa line at 0-30 to 30-60 sa mic napansin ko din yun masyadong malakas ang input kaya ginagamit ko yung trim

[KitC]

-Preamps are too loud for snare drums, lalo na pag beta 57 ang ginagamit ko (it peaks even if the gain knob is down to zero)

Maybe because the beta 57 uses neodymium magnets leading to high gain. Have you tried inline pads?

[MacoySIN]

walang pads yung saffire pro 26, isa pa palang comment dun hehehe. the weird thing is even if the signal clips, i cant here any noticable distortion or whatever. because of high headroom kaya?

[KitC]

Sometimes an input can clip without noticeable artifacts.

There are pads (also called attenuators) that can be inserted inline, i.e., along the mic cable or just after the mic or before the preamp. Here are a few examples:

http://www.fullcompass.com/category/Attenuators-Pads.html

[titser_marco]

Wow, all this info! Thanks!

I just have another question. The Audiophile 2496 says that it has 4x4 I/O. I reckon that two of those inputs are the line inputs, and one would be for MIDI. But what about S/PDIF? Can each jack carry both input and output data? Or does each cable only carry input or output exclusively?

I thought of this because if I'd be using the two analogue inputs and the two SPDIF cables (which means I have to get an A/D converter) - assuming that both can be used for inputs at the same time - I could have 4 simultaneous inputs.

Is my guess correct? Or will 3 simultaneous audio inputs (including one from an SPDIF source) be the limit of the Audiophile 2496?

[abyssinianson]

the Spdif jack is one input and the other is output and this pair counts as one I/O on the unit. the specs of the 2495 indicate that it has 2 analog IO which should be the 2 I/O RCA jacks mounted on the card itself.

you should be ok with using the converters on the card unless you are set on using an external dedicated external A/D unit.

[titser_marco]

Hmm, I see.

Pardon me if this question is a stupid extension of the previous ones I asked. I read in this discussion that it's quite possible to aggregate several Behringer UCA202 units into one Mac-based computer. Now for my questions:

1. Is this possible on a Windows-based system?
2. If so, how do I ensure that all of them are in sync if I'm recording, say from 4 UCA202's?
3. Are there any other issues that might arise from this?

[BAMF]

Naku marco. Christmas bonus time is comin. Pumikit ka na lang and go for the plunge for a 1010LT. Hindi ka magsisisi.

The feeling will suck if you get a smaller card like a 2496, tapos an idea comes up about how to mike some drums differently, tapos you find na wala ka nang inputs...that's really gonna suck.

And it can be the seed for a semi-professional or even professional recording studio. Imagine the Chickens...recording with impunity !!!

Personally the best price per channel + functionality is the Alesis Multi-mix FW16. Imagine mo na lang na Mackie Onyx with Firewire card sya hehehe. But this baby has almost everything you need to get started. Recording mixer, recording interface...just plug in your DAW on one end and your mikes on the other and start recording !

[titser_marco]

Naku marco. Christmas bonus time is comin. Pumikit ka na lang and go for the plunge for a 1010LT. Hindi ka magsisisi.

The feeling will suck if you get a smaller card like a 2496, tapos an idea comes up about how to mike some drums differently, tapos you find na wala ka nang inputs...that's really gonna suck.

And it can be the seed for a semi-professional or even professional recording studio. Imagine the Chickens...recording with impunity !!!

Personally the best price per channel + functionality is the Alesis Multi-mix FW16. Imagine mo na lang na Mackie Onyx with Firewire card sya hehehe. But this baby has almost everything you need to get started. Recording mixer, recording interface...just plug in your DAW on one end and your mikes on the other and start recording !

Hmm, the FW16 can record 16 simultaneous tracks right? Magkano running price nya?

I'm definitely considering that if the Behringer USB soundcard stacking trick won't work, hehe.

[abyssinianson]

Hmm, I see.

Pardon me if this question is a stupid extension of the previous ones I asked. I read in this discussion that it's quite possible to aggregate several Behringer UCA202 units into one Mac-based computer. Now for my questions:

1. Is this possible on a Windows-based system?
2. If so, how do I ensure that all of them are in sync if I'm recording, say from 4 UCA202's?
3. Are there any other issues that might arise from this?

you might be able to run multiple units of the Beri but I doubt you'd stay free of latency issues and timing problems with several units not synced to a master clock. if I were you, i would go with a single interface with as many inputs as you can afford and use that as your main DAW interface. if you need mic pres, you can use something like an M-Audio Octapre and pipe the output via ADAT lightpipe into an interface like a Firewire 410 into the DAW.

[xjepoyx]

Hmm, the FW16 can record 16 simultaneous tracks right? Magkano running price nya?

I'm definitely considering that if the Behringer USB soundcard stacking trick won't work, hehe.

Behringer's USB Mixer doesnt do simultaneous track recordings. The Xenyx Series only records Stereo waves.


Alesis FW 16 retails for only $499 na nga lang ngayon eh. Pero if you have the money... GET THE MACKIE ONYX! hehehe

[BAMF]

Sobra labo yang behri stacking marco. Kung naka 1010 ka na nga me internal reference clock na, sometimes di pa din nagsi-sync yung mga tracks. It happenned na din.

You stack 4 X UCA202, ang isa nun already costs 2.5k, so 10k na. that's just about the price of a 2nd hand 1010LT. Or about half the price of an FW16. Di ka pa sigurado kung gagana. Messy pa. Messy na nga ang 1010LT, mas messy pa lalo ang UCA 202.

Ahhh what dis, me in RANT mode ??

[xjepoyx]

dalaw ka na lang dito saa pimp marco, matagal tagal ka na rin di nakakabisita at ibang ibang na itsura ng studio ngayon. parinig namin mga recorded track ng mga client using an M-Audio 1010LT at yung isang client na mag aalbum launch sa thursday.

[KitC]

I don't recommend 'stacking' the UCA. First of all, you will have to use WDM drivers in order to fully utilize all 4 UCA simultaneously; you cannot do that with ASIO since 'likes' to see only one device at a time. Granted that the UCA are all the same devices, but they are still using individual usb ports which, to asio, may count as one device per port. So, nada on asio with the UCA for simultaneous operation. One problem I have with WDM is that it tends to have higher latency than comparable asio, but this is dependent on the device and it's drivers.

One more thing, usb has a much higher cpu loading than comparable pci or firewire devices. By stacking 4 UCA's, you may be stressing the cpu more than by getting a single multi-input interface. Aside from that, the UCA is usb1.1 - much slower than usb2.0 or firewire. There are several multi-input usb2.0 devices such as edirol's UA-101 or MOTU's 828 usb interface.