First Audio Interface Buy

geetarguy24

New member
I'm looking to buy an interface for putting together my first home recording setup, and was just hoping to get some input (pun intended) and feedback (also pun intended) on which one to go with.

Right now my top picks are looking like the Akai Professional EIE I/O ($200) in the lead, and the Native Instruments KA6 ($200) at a close second. If there's something wonky with these models, please give me a heads up!

I was also looking at the Focusrite Scarlett line, but quite a few people have said that they tend to break easily and often. The PreSonus 44VSL seemed a little underwhelming to be $50 more than all the others. But if there's something I'm missing with these models just let me know.
 
Not sure about the AKAI, but the others are very capable. Right now I am singing the praises of the TASACM 1800. Wonderful little interface with 8 XLR pre-amps, 2 two line level inputs with gain control and instrument switch for direct DI. 4 1/4 inputs (watch the -4/+10 switch) and two SPDIF inputs for 16 channels to record. Nice unitl if you even think you will be working with a band or using microphones for a real drum.

The other are very good, that is just my go to right now and bang for your buck interface. (As low as $199 claimed by some)
 
The EIE (Pro, you don't want the cheaper one anyway) is a bit of a weird one.

Can't seem to get a handle on whether it is the great value for money it seems to be or if there are lurking issues. We certainly have not seen any great enthusiasm for it?

The safest bet of the lot IMHO is the NI KA6. If two mic/line/inst amps and two more balanced line inputs (can take a mixer or pre ) is enough AND you want the most stable drivers and lowest latency of the group, go KA6.

Dave.
 
New to the forum and home recording! Have been in AV business for about 22 years and now dabble lightly in guitar. Always wanted a basic home studio set-up. I have recently picked up some gear on the cheap as you can see in my signature.
I use Reaper a bit at work and recently got a home license...looking for an AudioInterface that will work well with both a Mac and Reaper! Any suggestions? Looking at the Tascam US-16X8.
 
Hi,
How many simultaneous mic preamps do you need, and what model of mac do you have?

I strongly recommend firewire interface above USB.
You may hear suggestions to the contrary from PC guys but, please believe me, the bad name that FW gets on PC should is not merited on apple.
 
Hi,
How many simultaneous mic preamps do you need, and what model of mac do you have?

I strongly recommend firewire interface above USB.
You may hear suggestions to the contrary from PC guys but, please believe me, the bad name that FW gets on PC should is not merited on apple.

First of all I have a couple of computers: Asus ROG laptop and Mac Laptop. Not married to the idea of using the Mac. They both run I7 processors and have 16 gigs of ram. Neither of them support FireWire :-( I use a 42 inch Sony flat screen mounted above my desk my main monitor.
I would prefer something rack mountable.
- right now I will mainly be using a couple mics and a couple instrument inputs. But will eventually doing some friends bands. It's purely a project studio.
 
I doubt you could do better for the money than that Tascam, the earlier US 1800 swept all before it as a multi-input, value AI. Shame they saw fit to drop S/PDIF (and wouldn't ADAT have been the icing on the cake!) but at least you got MIDI.

I agree FWire was not a problem on macs but it WAS on a lot of PCs and in any case now you will not find FW on many PCs so you are rather tied to a mac. tho' not so much a problem I agree if you want a rack mount system....Mind you, I struggle to think of a FW interface anywhere close to the Tascam's facilities for anywhere close to the money?

Dave.
 
I am totally satisfied with Firewire. I have two Presonus firepods, which are now getting along in years, but they have done great service. Despite the conventional wisdom that you must have TI firewire chipsets, that's not the case, and the Firepods are happy on the two pcs and laptop I run, each with VIA chipsets.

I don't know what current offerings there are for firewire, and I suspect that USB interfaces are going to (if they haven't already) take over the market.
 
I am totally satisfied with Firewire. I have two Presonus firepods, which are now getting along in years, but they have done great service. Despite the conventional wisdom that you must have TI firewire chipsets, that's not the case, and the Firepods are happy on the two pcs and laptop I run, each with VIA chipsets.

I don't know what current offerings there are for firewire, and I suspect that USB interfaces are going to (if they haven't already) take over the market.

I totally agree Gecks! There must be many people who are very satisfied with their FW setups but to some extent Apple shot both feet!

They dropped FW on at least one product and now (I think, not a mac person) it is only available via a TB adapter? Then, I don't know about the rest of the world but FW was virtually unknown on the mid priced "office" computers that most of us could afford some 5 years ago. Those few laptops that were FW equipped were both expensive and only had the 4 pin port sans power. In any case, very few laptops had the MOBO grunt for serious FW audio work even if they had the (ALMOST always!) required TI chipset.

Yes, USB has all but taken over and I wait (maybe in vain!) the emergence of USB 3.0 interfaces which will have nearly the power of TB (USB 3.1 already has but where is it?), a decent increase in bus power (900mW) and could surely be backwards compatible with USB 2.0 with a reduced feature set?
For instance some 48V mic amps could be disabled on USB 2.0 but enough capability left for location recording or editing on a laptop?

Dave.
 
I totally agree Gecks! There must be many people who are very satisfied with their FW setups but to some extent Apple shot both feet!

They dropped FW on at least one product and now (I think, not a mac person) it is only available via a TB adapter.

They all have thunderbolt now with the possible exception of the airs. (netbooks).

If you apple has TB, it's fuily FW compatible.
If not, those tascam USB interfaces are hard to beat. :)
 
They all have thunderbolt now with the possible exception of the airs. (netbooks).

If you apple has TB, it's fuily FW compatible.
If not, those tascam USB interfaces are hard to beat. :)

Right, ta for that. Still another dangly bit to go wrong/get snagged and I understand they are not cheap?

Having seen the mess Apple have made I am staggered by the reluctance of the industry to get its at together and inundate us with USB 3.0 interfaces!

Dave.
 
Yeah nothin's cheap from Apple. Go ebay. :)


Which?

Even if "bay cheaper" still an extra, dangly thing to snag/forget/get nicked. Mess? Well, FW then no FW then TB then adaptors then some people need two TB connectors it seems but there is no way to do it.

USB has at least be fairly consistent and "universal" . Sure the early USB interfaces were pretty weak sisters but that was almost entirely the fault of the AI makers rather than the protocol. Once peeps such as RME saw The Writing on The Wall they sorted USB PD bloody Q! MOTU were also big players.

Dave.
 
Even if "bay cheaper" still an extra, dangly thing to snag/forget/get nicked. Mess? Well, FW then no FW then TB then adaptors then some people need two TB connectors it seems but there is no way to do it.

USB has at least be fairly consistent and "universal" . Sure the early USB interfaces were pretty weak sisters but that was almost entirely the fault of the AI makers rather than the protocol. Once peeps such as RME saw The Writing on The Wall they sorted USB PD bloody Q! MOTU were also big players.

Dave.

I guess I just don't see it as a big deal but I am surprised that no one's churning out TB to FW cables.
I'm still on FW to FW but I bought the proper cable (9pin to 6pin) rather than using adapters, so I take your point there.

I'd expect manufacturers to be putting two TB ports on their interfaces, (or two firewire) but, at a glance, it seems not all of them are doing that.
The big players like RME seem to be. The 'bigger' apple machines will have two, but not the more mobile devices.

I guess a lot of TB subscribers will be using a TB hub to break out to FW, GB lan, audio etc. I don't know. Guess is the operative word.
Either that or they're using imacs/pros rather than MacBooks and airs.

There's a trend, though. Apple don't seem to be scared to jump ship and do something else. Understandably they get a lot of fans and a lot of haters for that.
I imagine you are, or would be, up in arms about dropping built in optical drives and PCI-e across the range.
Me? I'm keen to see how that works out, if it does.
 
"I imagine you are, or would be, up in arms about dropping built in optical drives and PCI-e across the range.
Me? I'm keen to see how that works out, if it does. "

Do you mean on macs Steen'? If so, could not care less! Too old and dumb now to learn!
If you mean PCs then the loss of optical drives is no biggy. I bought my grandson a Lenovo "thinkPad" but did not know it was sans a DVD drive as it was on Amazon as a bloody LAPTOP! Still, a USB drive (USB see? Tres versatile) soon sorted that. (ok yes! a "dangly bit" but you don't use an optical drive all the time) .

My last PC was a self build and I had little trouble sourcing a MOBO with 2 PCI slots and enough PCIe for my limited use and to be frank, in my 70th year I can't see me building another...So long as this one runs Win 10!

Oh and a TB "hub" is apparently no good if you need to run both a TB monitor and an interface (via %$%$**! adapter!)

Dave
 
The Rme is great . Sounds really clear . Best bang for your buck

RME IS great gear and if I could justify the cost I would buy a UCX in a heartbeat. But "best bang for buck" it ain't. The vast majority of the users and potential users here at HOME(!) Recording do not need the facilities and build quality of the product.

I would love an M3 Beamer but it would not do the 2 mile round trip to Sainsbury any quicker than my £700 P reg' Proton!

Dave.
 
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