Audio device - what to get ?

S

sirchick

New member
So i have recently upgraded my PC. But i need to pick the right sound card or audio interface... i don't know which to go for any more.

I need quality and low latency, ignoring price. So with the audio interfaces there is USB and firewire, i don't know the difference between those to. Equally should i go for a card in my PC (i record at home so im not mobile). Or are external audio devices generally better?

I only ever owned a M-Audio Delta 1010lt which is not supported any more on my motherboard as i don't have the slot type.

So with price not being an issue which is right type of purchase i should be going for here ? Internal PCI card or external audio interface (either usb or firewire?).
 
Definitely get USB, not Firewire. I too had to replace a Delta sound card when I got my current computer, and I bought a Focusrite 8i6 for $250 which has been excellent. They have other models for that cost more or less, depending on how many inputs you need.

--Ethan
 
Ethan Winer said:
Definitely get USB, not Firewire. I too had to replace a Delta sound card when I got my current computer, and I bought a Focusrite 8i6 for $250 which has been excellent. They have other models for that cost more or less, depending on how many inputs you need.

--Ethan
Click to expand...

Do you get much latency with external devices?
 
Latency is not caused by being an external device, it is caused by the software path (the AI's drivers). Pick your audio interface based on the number of simultaneous inputs and mic preamps you need (plus any other features such as SPDIF or MIDI).
 
sirchick said:
So i have recently upgraded my PC. But i need to pick the right sound card or audio interface... i don't know which to go for any more.

I need quality and low latency, ignoring price. So with the audio interfaces there is USB and firewire, i don't know the difference between those to. Equally should i go for a card in my PC (i record at home so im not mobile). Or are external audio devices generally better?

I only ever owned a M-Audio Delta 1010lt which is not supported any more on my motherboard as i don't have the slot type.

So with price not being an issue which is right type of purchase i should be going for here ? Internal PCI card or external audio interface (either usb or firewire?).
Click to expand...

Internal PCI card without question. If you still have a PC with PCI slots you're lucky. Most people have been snookered through marketing to jump on the USB bandwagon, which is one of the worst things to ever happen to the recording world. Buss mastering PCI, even standard PCI that you find with PIII and P4 MOBO's is far superior to USB.

I will even go so far as to recommend "downgrading" your PC to something a bit older, so you can get the benefit from some of the best audio interfaces ever made, such as the Echo Layla 24/96. Even the original Echo Layla 20 will have you wondering why people ever fell for this USB/Firewire bullshit.

In the last few years the only people benefiting from trends in recording gear are manufacturers, selling crap at great profit. The quality of digital audio interfaces begin peaking about ten years ago, and have gone downhill quickly from there. But since music forums are sponsored by music vendors and manufacturers trying to sell the latest product you're not going to hear what I'm telling you very often. The fact is their legacy products are generally better quality.

Anyway, if you want to avoid playing with toys, then go with an internal PCI card that connects via cable to an external audio interface like the aforementioned Echo Layla.

As always my advice should be understood in the context that I assume you want to achieve fully professional results that can rival and even surpass the current state of the art. And you can if you know what you're doing and choose your gear wisely, not just trendy.
 
If you were happy with the latency using a 1010lt PCI card you will be able to equal, probably better it with a usb device (but MAYBE not a Focusrite Ethan?).

I have used 2496s in 2 computers but my Native Instruments KA6 usb interface is their equal or better in every parameter. Latency can be set down to 64samples, as low as the 2496 will go but still works on a fairly fast (2x2.7G AMD) W7/64 PC at 32 samples. I have no need of such speed most of the time so both card and AI are usually set at 256 samples. The KA6 is 4dB quieter overall, rec/play returning -101dBFS as against -97dBFS for the PCI cards. The interface is also THE most unfussy bit of computer kit I have ever used. I can plug it into any of 4 computers (the AMD, Asus XP Pro, P4 3G PCWorld clunker, HP i3 W7/64 laptop) and it just bloody works! No fuss no faff. I lent it to a forum friend for a month and he tried it on Linux, fine. He also plugged it into a couple of other PCs and again , like paint....Bloody good IMHO for a sub £200 interface with 4 analogue inputs/outs +MIDI and S/PDIF.

If cost really is not an object OP, look at RME. The UCX would be my choice with ADAT expansion but if you REALLY want a MOBO solution RME have it...But beware! PCI got dropped with nary a care for us audio bods. What is there to say that PCIe will not fall off the inventory in a few year's time? The usb protocol will always be with us in some form for a very long time.
RME again. They are getting into usb 3.0 interfaces and these I think will be the future since the almost double bus power overcomes one of usb 2's few shortcomings.


Dave.
 
PCI sound cards are rapidly on the way to obsolescence and, to say the Echo Layla is vastly superior to modern things like the Focurite range is to listen to the world through rose tinted headphones (or something...can't thing of an audio related cliche).

Downgrading a PC so you can use a 15 year old sound card design doesn't sound like the smartest move to make.
 
Quote Originally Posted by Beck:

"Most people have been snookered through marketing to jump on the USB bandwagon, which is one of the worst things to ever happen to the recording world".

Chili said:
Why prompts you to say this?
Click to expand...

Because he is a bitter user of things that worked well for him and still does. Good for him. :)

Problem is the technology has gone further than what he is willing to take on and accept that is worthy, and he spends his time giving advice that is not relevant in this time for 'home recording' enthusiasts.

Sorry, Beck, you are not helping here and not sure why you even reply in this forum. Advising members to buy old platforms to use what you consider great is asinine at best.

Sorry, but I will not get off your lawn.
 
There IS a place for a PCI sound card (or PCI-e but they are very few and mostly bloody expensive) for the noob. Say he/she has a mixer, might be in a band with powered mixer? Noobs are nearly always hard up. Musician noobs are harder upper and hardest up, skint and owing Mum &Dad are musical noobs with bands...So, buy a 2496 or if the mixer has the outputs/inserts, a 1010lt (if you can find them!) and noob then has a very decent, low latency, MIDI equipped recording setup.

But no, the general rule is, said many times. Decide on number of tracks you want to record, and for a One Man Band two is plenty to start with, then look for usb inyerfaces in budget,NOT forgetting the second hand market.

Dave.
 
Bobbsy said:
PCI sound cards are rapidly on the way to obsolescence and
Click to expand...

Yes, which is exactly why he needs to replace his Delta 1010. :eek:

There are newer slot types, but those too may be replaced with something else in a few years. As for USB latency, I set my Focusrite 8i6 for 10 milliseconds, but it goes as low as 1 ms. Even 10 ms is plenty fast enough to play soft synths with no perceivable delay, and that lets me play 100+ tracks each having several plug-ins. If I set it to 1 ms I'm not sure I could handle that many tracks and plug-ins, though I never tried it.

--Ethan
 
My Steinberg UR824 lowest buffer setting of 64 samples shows a Input latency of 4.671, Output of 5.669. This plays a project with 96 tracks and groups and still able to record new tracks without noticeable latency. 3 instances of IR reverbs, 8 drum VSTi samples, 13 compressors, 18 other VST effects and I am not even going to try to count the number of times I used EQ inserts or other effects on each channel.

All via USB.

Tell me what is wrong with that?
 
i own and have been using a Komplete Audio 6 USB 2.0 interface now for 6 months and am loving it. the A/D converters it has work fantastically
well, and the pre's are pretty damn good, too. RME designed the Komplete Audio 6 because Native primarily being a software company didn't want
to go about building an interface blindly. so while the pre-amps in the Komplete aren't quite as the level of RME, they use the same chip sets. so
the quality is still very very good. also, the Komplete comes with a decent software bundle. Cubase 6 LE, the Komplete 8 Elements sound bank,
and a starter copy of Traktor DJ as well. I got all of that out of the box for $229+tax. I'm not sure if you've already made up your mind and bought
something but if you haven't, I'd take a look at the Komplete Audio 6. You have to make sure you get the appropriate drivers with whatever interface you decide on. that being said, I'm very happy with my purchase. The unit has been very reliable, the pre's sound very clean, and I feel
like I made a great use of my $229+ tax. hope that helps.
 
BudgetBeast said:
i own and have been using a Komplete Audio 6 USB 2.0 interface now for 6 months and am loving it. the A/D converters it has work fantastically
well, and the pre's are pretty damn good, too. RME designed the Komplete Audio 6 because Native primarily being a software company didn't want
to go about building an interface blindly. so while the pre-amps in the Komplete aren't quite as the level of RME, they use the same chip sets. so
the quality is still very very good. also, the Komplete comes with a decent software bundle. Cubase 6 LE, the Komplete 8 Elements sound bank,
and a starter copy of Traktor DJ as well. I got all of that out of the box for $229+tax. I'm not sure if you've already made up your mind and bought
something but if you haven't, I'd take a look at the Komplete Audio 6. You have to make sure you get the appropriate drivers with whatever interface you decide on. that being said, I'm very happy with my purchase. The unit has been very reliable, the pre's sound very clean, and I feel
like I made a great use of my $229+ tax. hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Did not know the KA6 was an RME design, mind you I heard a whisper that they had a hand in the drivers which are brilliant.

The RME involvement might be an answer to a question I have asked myself and had intended to put to NI. Why have NI not capitalized on the KA6 and produced a bigger version? I reckon if they could make something with say 4 mic pres, 4line ins, MIDI and ADAT, AND keep the steam powered, wood burning stove reliability of the KA6 they would sweep the projjy recording board. Price? sub £500 would be vital but sub £400 would be great!

I bet such an AI could be "progressive" in its power options? On its own, usb 2.0 bus powered it could default to the KA6'es capacities. On usb 3.0 all tracks but no ADAT and stick 12volts up its jaxy for full fat operation.

But! If RME were involved maybe they would not like the competition?

Dave.
 
I have a Lexicon Omega, a Tascam 1641 (both USB) and a behringer X32 via firewire. I really have never noticed any difference in reliability between them, and on my brand new build, I've stuck in a firewire card because I have video devices that use firewire too. Never had any issues whatsoever. Blame the computer setup, or poor drivers maybe, but Firewire and USB2 work excellently - UNLESS - you are trying to scrape the last ounce of power out of an underspecified computer. For what it's worth - firewire in and out with 32 channels is transparent with the X32, and the other two interfaces sound good, and just work. The Omega I stick into a macbook pro for location stereo recording - I'd def recommend it for the modest price.
 
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