Audio Interface - running 2?

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danyoung1994

New member
ive got a tascam us1800, and want to run 2 maybe? or another interface at the same time using logic on a mac.
Aggregate Device is not supported with the us1800, is there a way around this?
Thanks
 
danyoung1994 said:
Aggregate Device is not supported with the us1800, is there a way around this?
Thanks
Click to expand...

I had a similar thing a while back with a presonus firestudio mobile (which does support aggregate device) and an Maudio Firewire Audiophile (which doesn't support aggregate device). I managed to get the computer to set up the aggregate device and work but it did drop out every time i loaded a new project in logic and, every now and then, the sample rate would change for no reason.

In the end, the most i could do (without buying another firestudio) was to buy an SPDIF D/A and make the most of the SPDIF in's and out's which gave me another 2 in's and 2 outs (well, only the outs, i had enough in's)

How many in's/outs do you need?

The other, but unfortunately more costly, alternative may be to look for an 8 input audio interface with ADAT in's and out's which could then attach another 8 in's and outs via something like the behringer ADA8000 or focusrite octopre
 
I have heard, but not personally tested, that devices using ASIO drivers are limited to one per computer. In the Tracking Room here, I have an M-Audio Profire 2626 connected to the main computer, with two Behringer ADA-8000's connected via ADAT ports, and an M-Audio Fast Track Ultra on the supporting computer, connected to the 2626 via SPDIF stereo, for a total of 32x32 I/O, or depending on how you look at it, 26x26 I/O.
 
Jay Tee 4303 said:
I have heard, but not personally tested, that devices using ASIO drivers are limited to one per computer.
Click to expand...

For PC's this may be totally true (i've not used a PC for audio in about 8 years), but on Mac's you can set up an "aggregate device" with which you can connect several interfaces together to utilise all or the selected in's and out's and the computer essentially sees the aggregate device as the audio interface.

Also, and again it may just be on mac's but i don't think it is, on the Presonus "firestudio" series (mobile, project and the other one) you can daisy chain several of the same units together and manage them through presonus' "Universal Control". I also used to be able to do the same thing with my old Maudio firewire audiophile through their own control software (although in this case the inputs on the second unit did become very noisy)

In the Tracking Room here, I have an M-Audio Profire 2626 connected to the main computer, with two Behringer ADA-8000's connected via ADAT ports, and an M-Audio Fast Track Ultra on the supporting computer, connected to the 2626 via SPDIF stereo, for a total of 32x32 I/O, or depending on how you look at it, 26x26 I/O.
Click to expand...

Nice setup man :thumbs up: We did a similar thing but with a Focusrite Saffire pro40 and one Behringer ADA8000. One of the few bits of Behringer gear that is truly awesome!
 
I was one of the lucky ones who bought the 2626 just before M-Audio cut the price 70%. That said, I love the dual ADAT ports and the extra inputs the 8000s give me, last thing I wanna do when ideas hit is play with wires. The 2626 also has another firewire port too, but I was advised against daisy chaining those for additional inputs. I don't need that many inputs for simultaneous recording, but it sure is handy to have everything wired up and ready when its their turn. I wish the siftware DSP mixer was bigger, but being able to save snapshots is a functional workaround. I had to return a Focusrite 8i6 interface I was using with my remote rig, it just wouldn't stay linked with my laptop and was bluescreening Sonar every 5 minutes. M-Audio's C600 linked up first time and every time since. I picked up an ISA-2 for the tracking room so I still have the Focusrite pre option, and a little more flexibility with the impedance selections on the Two.

The ADA-8000s fill a critical niche, but decided to go with quarter inch TRS ports on my patchbay, and ended up spending a pretty penny to get from the 8000s XLR outputs to TRS. I could also do without the front panel ports clogging my clean racks with cables and shadows, but a few cable ties manage the snakes and I generally don't have to set in levels much once I've got it set up. And I have to admit, the front face ports come in handy for unusual setups or testing.
 
Are you MOTU devices connected to the PCI-424 card? That card has some proprietary mojo going on that let's it happen.

Otherwise, yes, for 99% of ASIO interfaces it is [almost] impossible to run more than one of them concurrently. I say almost because there are certain exceptions when using ASIO4all to wrap the WDM drivers to ASIO. WDM supports multiple interfaces but the latency is terrible so you need to use ASIO4all to bypass its shortcomings. The only caveat is that you have to clock everything externally but it is indeed possible.

Believe me, I've tried.

Cheers :)
 
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