AKAI Audio Interface

[BroKen_H]

Don't know how I missed this one, but I've just fallen in love with a new interface (glad I haven't ordered my new one yet)
Other than the CHEESY name, the AKAI EIE I/O Pro looks like everything I want.
Anybody have any dealings/opinions?

 

[ecc83]

Don't know how I missed this one, but I've just fallen in love with a new interface (glad I haven't ordered my new one yet)
Other than the CHEESY name, the AKAI EIE I/O Pro looks like everything I want.
Anybody have any dealings/opinions?

They seem to have gone into hiding a bit! There was a review (have alook inamo) in SoS a year or so ago but it was a bit basic and did not really give tekkheads like me any solid information (e.g. latency levels).

The fact that nothing bad has cropped up about it on the Web means little since the device itself hardly figures. The KA6, 2i2, UR22 and US1800 are always being mentioned and if there was a serious problem with any of them "we" would surely know by now?

Like you I like the looks of it! I keep a weather eye on my local Cash Generators hoping to grab one for less than 100quid just to give one a do!

I would also like to know...Since the AI is also a USB 2.0 hub, can you daisy chain two or more EIEs?

Dave.

 

[BroKen_H]

Read the Amazon 1 and 2 star reviews and they are mostly because of bad drivers for Maverick.
But, based on their own support website, the thing is junk. The only response you get from their own tech answers are "We have new drivers" and "We've updated the firmware" BS.
(Apparently) Will only record two tracks at a time even though it has 4 inputs.
It is remarkably similar to the M-AUdio MTrack as well (including lousy Maverick support), but it gets the nice meters.

 

[MrWrenchey]

Had a friend buy one and I don't believe they work with Pro Tools. Like, even though PT 9+ is supposed to work with any interface, I think the drivers were just the worst. He called their team and asked why it wasn't working with his Pro Tools 10 rig and they said it wasn't supported for Pro Tools.

 

[ecc83]

IMHO Akai shot foot when they decided to make two different models, basic and "pro".

I understand the basic model will only run 2 inputs at a time * but nothing in the SoS review suggested any such limitation for the "pro" version and SURELY they would have said?

If the unit is as bad as it seems to be it is a very great shame. Talk about ha'poth of tar!

 

[ecc83]

Something weird happened then and locked me out so I posted so far....

Tar, Yes! There are VERY few decent, affordable 4 mic input interfaces on the market, this could have been a hot cakes giant killer. The meters are nice but their inclusion must be costly compared to say 4 LEDs per chan' and in any case I cannot see then as very useful? I can't get my head around their calibration point?

*The old M-A fastrack pro could run all of its inputs so long as you stayed at 16bits but you had to defeat at least one pair of ins or outs to run 24 bits. I suspect they have done something similar with the bog S EIE?

Dave.

 

[Strryder]

I bought the pro version a while back, tried it with two different Win 7 laptops and had major driver issues, so I returned it and tried the basic one with the red faceplate, it works just fine on both of my laptops.

The Box is plug and play on Windows 7.. BUT as you guys have read it is only usable as a 2x2 I/O, this may or may not actually be a windows problem, however, if you use the ASIO for All driver then all 4 in and outs show up and are usable.

The EIE I/O sounds fine to me, for reference I also have and use a Mackie Onyx Blackjack, an M-Audio FastTrack Ultra 8R, and also a couple of MOTU 828 MKII's in my main rig.

The ASIO for All driver does have to have the buffer size up at about 256 samples to be stable, I use 512 samples on my machine to lower the CPU needs a little more, I direct monitor off of the EIE, and setup my recording software to get a little reverb added back into the monitor mix.

The EIE I/O does look cool, and when using it with Samplitude Pro-X Silver with it's 8 to 12 tracks and 2 Aux limitations it all somehow reminds me of using an old 4 or 8 track tape setup.