Selecting an interface

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frankdoodles

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Newbie here - Ok, I'm going to buy a new audio interface. The soundblaster audigy crap's going out the window.

Can someone suggest a way to thin out the field of possibilities? It's seems a litttle dizzying.

I'd like to stay under $500. I'm recording some acoustic guitar, vocals, elec guitar, midi keyboard, running cubase sx + work w/ reason 2.5.

someone suggested an edirol DA 2496 - I saw it for about 450 bucks. What do you guys think of this?

M audio?
Audiophile?

Right now I'm recording either alone or with one other person simultaneouly, but I'd like to be able work with at least four people at a time, later on.

This is a great board, I've been getting great help.
Thanks!
 
well if you are only recording yourself and one other person at one time (at the most) it doesn't sound like you need a lot of inputs. Also a 500 dollar budget is quite generous, you will certainly get someting with quality.

Although i've never used them, i would second the Delta. the only thing is that it may not have preamps ( i can't remember). I would like to try M-Audio omnistudio as well. I believe it has midi in/out as well which may help you out.

Right now i use a tascam us-122. A lot cheaper than 500 bucks but it has 2 preamps, 2 1/4 ins, 2 line ins and midi. All the things i need.
 
forgot to ask: do you want PCI, USB, firewire etc...? I use USB and it works fine for 2 tracks of recording at once. If you want a lot of tracks at once, you may want to check out firewire (M audio firewire 410 looks kewl), or PCI.
 
I sure like the Aardvark DirectPro 2496. The preamps are nice, and it's a simple setup.
 
Been looking around and thinking this:

INstead of buying an interface and a seperate anologue mixer, I get-

Tascom 428-
which has a bunch of ins/out/ midi/ digital i/o usb connected, so it's portable,
and is a midi tactile controller, w/ 8 faders.

for $500 bucks.
it seems too good of a deal-
am I missing something?

does anyone know anything about this item?
 
Ummm, read up on USB interfaces. USB CANNOT handle recording 4 24bit tracks succesfully. There is not enough bandwidth in the USB interface. I have yet to successfully record 2 tracks of 16bit audio on a USB device.

Unless you are on a laptop and don't have Firewire ports, USB devices should be avioded at all costs. They are more expensive and have less bandwidth than their PCI or Firewire counterparts.
 
brzilian said:
Ummm, read up on USB interfaces. USB CANNOT handle recording 4 24bit tracks succesfully. There is not enough bandwidth in the USB interface. I have yet to successfully record 2 tracks of 16bit audio on a USB device.

Unless you are on a laptop and don't have Firewire ports, USB devices should be avioded at all costs. They are more expensive and have less bandwidth than their PCI or Firewire counterparts.
Click to expand...


I see. Looking that way, I see tascom has fw 1884. A lot more dough, but I've read some thread here on it, and it's getting good remarks.

I'm still trying to figure which route to go:
getting an interface like delta 66, a mixer board for a few hundred more
or going w/ the 1884, $1,400 for a significant jump , but getting all the DAW moterized faders, etc, for the money.


any opinions?
 
Terratec Phase 88 Rack.....

....balanced I/O, rackmountable breakout box, rocksteady drivers plus optional firewire being released soon, which again opens up to portability.

or used Echo Gina, Mona or Layla (here you have the option to go laptop on the Mona or the Layla)

or Aardvark, pick a model. LX6 if you got preamps, the other more expensive models if you want preamps in the box.

Edirol 24/96: dunno, then I'd rather get the newer FA-101, which is firewire. The 24/96 compares to the M Audio Delta 1010, and you lose the two last analog ins when using the s/pdif in.

Another option could be an RME 96/8PAD (can be found on ebay), along with external ADAT interface, as Behringer ADA8000 or the new Octane from M Audio. I think Studio Project is soon coming with a new, similar product.

Personally I like better having outboard preamps, so whenever I need to upgrade the audio interface I can keep my preamps of choice.
 
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