cheapest multi-input solution

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callmecheez

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Hi all,

Just wondered what is the cheapest solution to get multiple inputs recording on a computer simultaneously (and on independent tracks).

Are one of the Alesis products something to go for or am I missing another cheaper solution?

Thanks in advance
 
The cheapest I've come across is Lexicon Omega USB (6x4x2) with MIDI I/O $250US
The one downside to Alesis MultiMix 8 2.0 (8x10x2) is No MIDI I/O, but it does have onboard FX $400US
Another is Tascam US1641 USB 2.0 (16x16x2) 8 mic, 6 line in. SPDIF stereo in + MIDI I/O, but no onboard FX $400US
 
dualflip said:
Delta 1010
Click to expand...

Thanks for reply-

For a sound card like this with phono sockets - would I be able to connect many microphones to the phono sockets to, lets say, record a drum kit?

Thanks!
 
johnnymegabyte said:
The cheapest I've come across is Lexicon Omega USB (6x4x2) with MIDI I/O $250US
The one downside to Alesis MultiMix 8 2.0 (8x10x2) is No MIDI I/O, but it does have onboard FX $400US
Another is Tascam US1641 USB 2.0 (16x16x2) 8 mic, 6 line in. SPDIF stereo in + MIDI I/O, but no onboard FX $400US
Click to expand...

Thanks for those! I'm just after mic inputs really; so midi isn't an issue. Will do some googling on them :)

thanks again
 
I got a Phonic Helix 18 mkii mixer for $400 shipped brand new. 16 channel mixer with 18 channel firewire interface. (16 tracks + 2 main mix L/R). You can tap the signal pre or post fader. Has inserts, 2 sub groups, 2 aux's, FX, a lota features for the $.
 
I've got 2 daisychained PreSonus Inspires, and they work great to give me 8 total channels of input. I was able to get them on a closeout, though, so somewhere around $150 apiece.
 
Wow...that tascam unit looks spectacular for the price. Has anyone used/owned one and can they share experiences with it?
 
callmecheez said:
For a sound card like this with phono sockets - would I be able to connect many microphones to the phono sockets to, lets say, record a drum kit?
Click to expand...

No. The Delta 1010 has no preamps. It is line-level only.

How many inputs do you need? I can recommend lots of hardware, but without knowing how many mic inputs you need, it's a little hard. If you're doing drums, I'm guessing eight. That about right? MOTU 8Pre would be my first choice there. The FIREPOD is cheaper, but for good reason; the hardware reliability is quite a bit lower. You don't want the FireStudio or any variant thereof.

The Alesis FireWire mixers are all (AFAIK) DICE II devices, so you're just asking for problems with those. I would avoid the Mackie 400F and 1200F for the same reason; the older Onyx mixers with the add-on card were BeBoB, IIRC, though, so those were solid. If you want a mixer, AFAIK, the entire Phonic Helix series is BeBoB-based, so that should be reasonably solid assuming the hardware is decent. (I've never used it.)
 
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solaris1982 said:
Wow...that tascam unit looks spectacular for the price. Has anyone used/owned one and can they share experiences with it?
Click to expand...

Not with that one, no. In general, USB either works or it doesn't. It's probably a good idea to find someone with your particular machine who owns that unit if you decide to go that way. USB has this nasty tendency to share IRQs with 75% of the devices on the motherboard because manufacturers assume you aren't going to do anything remotely real-time off the USB bus. The result is that you can't do anything remotely real-time off the bus.... :D

If your computer is prone to such problems, no USB device is going to work well, and as the number of inputs increases, you get progressively screwed harder by the problem. I generally don't suggest USB over about four inputs, USB 2.0 included. Most of the screams I hear about pops and clicks in audio come from USB devices (well at least up until those DICE II FireWire chipsets came out and ruined FireWire's quality record in a single suckfest).

Maybe the Tascam will work for you. Look through the reviews, though, and you'll see a fair number of folks for whom it doesn't work well at all. It's one of those YMMV deals. USB hardware is cheap, but you quite frequently get precisely what you pay for. :)
 
These driver lists sometimes make my head spin.

Somebody should start a thread listing all devices they can think of based on certain chipsets to make decisions like this easier...

Thanks for the advice dgatwood, I figured Firewire would be better, but never really knew the specifics of why it's (generally speaking) better.

So like I said...someone start a thread of all DICE II based interfaces!
 
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