Presonus Audiobox USB vs Alesis MultiMix 4 USB

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tzxok

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Hi,

I'm looking into buying a mid to low-end mixer to plug into my laptop for recording vocals and also to plug in my acoustic-electric guitar. Windows 7, Adobe Audition CS5.5 for my software.

Any thoughts on the Presonus Audiobox USB and Alesis MultiMix 4 USB?

Recommendations for other mixers that are sub-$150?

Thanks!
 
tzxok said:
Hi,

I'm looking into buying a mid to low-end mixer to plug into my laptop for recording vocals and also to plug in my acoustic-electric guitar. Windows 7, Adobe Audition CS5.5 for my software.

Any thoughts on the Presonus Audiobox USB and Alesis MultiMix 4 USB?

Recommendations for other mixers that are sub-$150?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Why do you think you need a usb mixer? All the cheap ones are only 16bit AFAIK and many have latency and monitor noise problems.

For mic in and guitar look at the new Steinberg Audio Interface the RU22. The best AI for the money IMHO is the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 but probably out of budget as they are a smell under £200 here...MIGHT find a s/h one but they tend to be keepers!

Dave.
 
Yeah, forget about the USB mixer thing. Never a good thing heard about them around here.
 
And I am a big fan of the Steinberg interfaces now. If the converters are the same as my new UR824's, then that is a great way to go. The D-pre preamps are very clean.
 
jimmys69 said:
And I am a big fan of the Steinberg interfaces now. If the converters are the same as my new UR824's, then that is a great way to go. The D-pre preamps are very clean.
Click to expand...

The UR22 gets a good review in SoS and I might buy one soon, especially as the dumpkofs have at last included MIDI!

All I am waiting for is a report on the latency but surely they wouldn't bork THAT on a new interface...Would they?

Dave.
 
You would think not. I would assume the whole UR series would be similar. I am washed in happiness with the 824's. Bought two of them a couple weeks ago.
 
At buffer size of 64 samples, I'm showing input latency at 4.671. Output at 5.669. Half of what I was getting with the Tascam US1800. Though, that unit does not give exact buffer size.
 
I use a Presonus. It is not a bad machine and it will work, it seems though at lower buffer rates (below 512), it struggles and higher buffer rates will give higher latency. It is a good portable, so for playback it would work well. For recording, you should look at the others.
 
Just based on the specs, it looks like pretty much the same unit. I would say the features are pretty much standard at this price point. Two major points to look for: Its own ISO drivers (don't settle for the ISO4ALL) and research its ability to convert (buffer settings). This seems to be the major points with units at this price. I switched to a PCI just for this reason. You might check and maybe look at other units that can convert faster. I am sure it is a good unit, but recording and listening is going to be important to you.

Others ay be able to provide more insight on different units around this price.
 
Hi Jimmie69, I'm a newbie here. Dutch and living in Amsterdam. Bought a Steinberg UR22, and my mac get's very hot as soon as I connect it. Should I be warned by that? Buy extra external poweradapter, because the UR22 now draws from the Mac?
 
PistolPaul said:
Hi Jimmie69, I'm a newbie here. Dutch and living in Amsterdam. Bought a Steinberg UR22, and my mac get's very hot as soon as I connect it. Should I be warned by that? Buy extra external poweradapter, because the UR22 now draws from the Mac?
Click to expand...
You'll do better starting a new thread rather than replying to one with a completely different subject.
Heat in a laptop is from the processor, you must have some (background?) software cranking when you plug the UR22 in.
 
Hi Paul.
The UR22 could only pull 2.5watts tops and I doubt it does even that.

As been said, you must have something caning the CPU. I know not of macs but I assume they have something akin to Task Manager which will show you where the juice is going?

Dave.
 
PistolPaul said:
Hi Jimmie69, I'm a newbie here. Dutch and living in Amsterdam. Bought a Steinberg UR22, and my mac get's very hot as soon as I connect it. Should I be warned by that?
Click to expand...

What mac? The i5/i7 MBPs get hot if you so much as look at them.

ecc83 said:
I know not of macs but I assume they have something akin to Task Manager which will show you where the juice is going?
Dave.
Click to expand...

shift-apple-U (or go to applications/utilities) then open 'Activity Monitor'.
Click on the heading '% CPU' until it shows a down arrow.

This will list your processes in order of CPU usage, highest first.
It's uncommon, but not impossible, for something to go wrong and hog all your resources.
 
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