Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

USB Audio Interfaces??

Options
  • 08-11-2010 1:16am
    #1
    mill89
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭


    I'm going to buy an USB audio interface in the near future and at the moment I'm looking at the alesis iO2 and the Tascam US122 MKII. Basically I'm looking for something that you can record 2 mics simultaneously (with phantom power). I'm using an acer laptop so theres no point recommending the mbox (as far as I know they only work with macs). I heard that the alesis has relatively weak preamps but I'm not so sure, but if anyone could recommend a decent interface with good preamps that would be a big help? If anyone has used either of the above would they let me know what they think - pros, cons, comparisons etc and where to buy online. (I'll be recording bass, guitar, vox).

    If anyone has any recommendations of other brands and models, please let me know.

    Thanks in advance!
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    DamagedTrax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,277 ✭✭✭DamagedTrax


    what kind of price range are you talking?

    ...and the mbox works on PC aswell as mac.


  • Options
    #3
    PMI
    Registered Users Posts: 801 ✭✭✭PMI


    RME Babyface :D


  • Options
    #4
    mill89
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭mill89


    DamagedTrax wrote: »
    what kind of price range are you talking?

    In and around €200. Maybe €250 at a stretch.


  • Options
    #5
    GTE
    Registered Users Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭GTE


    PMI wrote: »
    RME Babyface :D

    That is one savage piece of equipment!

    EDIT:
    The USB version of the Focusrite Saffire is nice also. The pres are good. I have the Pro40 which shares the same preamps and I dont have a problem with quality.
    EDIT 2:
    I am getting a Mackie Onyx Blackjack soon for use as a portable set of DAC's so I can mix in any of the uni mixing rooms. Mackie Onyx are always bulletproof and from using a number of their larger mixers I have always thought they are a quality product.

    I know I just recommended the Focusrite and now said I am getting some competing product to that but the reason is, for better or worse, having a small bit variety in what preamps I own.


  • Options
    #6
    mill89
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭mill89


    Haven't got the funds for an RME babyface but thanks anyways. Any other ideas within my price range, roughly €200-€250.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    mill89
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭mill89


    bbk wrote: »
    That is one savage piece of equipment!

    The USB version of the Focusrite Saffire is nice also. The pres are good..

    Looks like a pretty decent interface. Could you compare it to any other models (in terms of the preamps) or have you just worked with sapphire interfaces?

    Thanks


  • Options
    #8
    GTE
    Registered Users Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭GTE


    mill89 wrote: »
    Looks like a pretty decent interface. Could you compare it to any other models (in terms of the preamps) or have you just worked with sapphire interfaces?

    Thanks

    I have worked with the Saffires nearly every day but over the past two years I have used the Onyx mixers in college and I believe the Blackjack would share those preamps.

    Perfectly fine. I cant think of anything negative about them.

    Considering the general quality of Mackie and Focusrite I dont think there is a real winner out of the two. For the money they are both very good interfaces.


  • Options
    #9
    mill89
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭mill89


    Hey thanks for all the feedback so far. I was just doing some research on the net and I think it would be preferable to have a direct in for recording bass aswell as 2 xlr inputs so I could record three tracks simultaneosly.
    Anyone know any interfaces which would match these needs along with good quality mic preamps?

    Thanks again!


  • Options
    #10
    GTE
    Registered Users Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭GTE


    Have a look on Thomann.

    Usually the two inputs on interfaces double up as DI's, though I dont know of two XLR/TRS plus a third input that can be used for DI.


  • Options
    #11
    eoin5
    Registered Users Posts: 2,141 ✭✭✭eoin5


    Protools has opened up in the last version so theres less to think about if thats a factor.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    krd
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭krd


    Don't buy an alesis iO2

    I have one - the latency is terrible. It's useless for a lot of purposes. if you want to sing - or play guitar along to a track, you need as low as possible latency.


  • Options
    #13
    DamagedTrax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,277 ✭✭✭DamagedTrax


    krd wrote: »
    Don't buy an alesis iO2

    I have one - the latency is terrible. It's useless for a lot of purposes. if you want to sing - or play guitar along to a track, you need as low as possible latency.

    the alesis has direct monitoring. zero latency is possible with it.


  • Options
    #14
    krd
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭krd


    DamagedTrax wrote: »
    the alesis has direct monitoring. zero latency is possible with it.

    Yeah, but then the track you're hearing on your daw is out of sync.

    There's a monitor mix dial - that splits between direct and USB. Anything that comes back through the direct has a noticeable latency. You wouldn't be able to play guitar that's being treated through an effects plugin. Any monitoring from the PC is has a latency.

    Do you know any work around - so I could match the latency of my input to the DAW - I use ableton. I'd like to record live audio from other sources - but I've never overcome the latency problem.

    I've seen people use M-Audio interfaces with the Mac and get great results.


  • Options
    #15
    DamagedTrax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,277 ✭✭✭DamagedTrax


    krd wrote: »
    Yeah, but then the track you're hearing on your daw is out of sync.

    There's a monitor mix dial - that splits between direct and USB. Anything that comes back through the direct has a noticeable latency. You wouldn't be able to play guitar that's being treated through an effects plugin. Any monitoring from the PC is has a latency.

    Do you know any work around - so I could match the latency of my input to the DAW - I use ableton. I'd like to record live audio from other sources - but I've never overcome the latency problem.

    I've seen people use M-Audio interfaces with the Mac and get great results.

    no idea about ableton mate, but the way it generally should work is that when you turn on direct monitoring you turn of input monitor on the track you're recording to so all that you hear is the direct signal. that way it doesnt matter about latency in the track, you just play along to what you hear and then (if you need to) nudge the track you've just recorded back by as many samples as your latency is.


    i presume ableton has seperate input monitor from record enable?


  • Options
    #16
    krd
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭krd


    DamagedTrax wrote: »
    no idea about ableton mate, but the way it generally should work is that when you turn on direct monitoring you turn of input monitor on the track you're recording to so all that you hear is the direct signal. that way it doesnt matter about latency in the track, you just play along to what you hear and then (if you need to) nudge the track you've just recorded back by as many samples as your latency is.


    i presume ableton has separate input monitor from record enable?

    Actually I think I've figured out how to do it now - i'm kind of stupid. One major drawback with the IO - if you record a vocal you have to monitor it dry. Some interfaces on some setups - let you use whatever plugin you like - at least let you have some reverb.


  • Options
    #17
    DamagedTrax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,277 ✭✭✭DamagedTrax


    krd wrote: »
    Actually I think I've figured out how to do it now - i'm kind of stupid. One major drawback with the IO - if you record a vocal you have to monitor it dry. Some interfaces on some setups - let you use whatever plugin you like - at least let you have some reverb.

    yeah you'd need one of those dsp processing ones. can you not track at 64 samples anyway? thats what i do, very easy to set up a zero latency reverb return.. and no one is going to notice a latency of 64.


  • Options
    #18
    krd
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭krd


    DamagedTrax wrote: »
    yeah you'd need one of those dsp processing ones. can you not track at 64 samples anyway? thats what i do, very easy to set up a zero latency reverb return.. and no one is going to notice a latency of 64.

    The latency on an IO is not 64 samples. it's much higher. Alesis just assembled the IO from a bog standard off the shelf USB sound chip. I'm sore about the price I paid for it. There's very little electronics to it. It's better than a bog standard sound card but not much better.

    I got onto to the Alesis support and they stopped responding to me very quickly - telling me to reinstall the driver - all the driver is, is the Alesis logo. It's driven by the generic windows USB driver.

    The shop in Dublin wouldn't take it as return so I was stuck with it. The ****er - who owns a greasy little music shop in the city centre even threatened me on the phone- he'd sort me out if I came back into his shop. I'm stuck with it. Zero latency my arse - that's what i bought it for and it's nowhere near zero latency.


  • Options
    #19
    teekayd25
    Closed Accounts Posts: 252 ✭✭teekayd25


    Fairly good deal on a Focusrite Saffire 6 at the moment . . .

    http://www.xmusic.ie/Focusrite-Saffire-6-Usb-Interface-p-30776.html

    Picked one up myself last week, good piece of kit so far, latency not a problem.


  • Options
    #20
    DamagedTrax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,277 ✭✭✭DamagedTrax


    krd wrote: »
    The latency on an IO is not 64 samples. it's much higher. Alesis just assembled the IO from a bog standard off the shelf USB sound chip. I'm sore about the price I paid for it. There's very little electronics to it. It's better than a bog standard sound card but not much better.

    I got onto to the Alesis support and they stopped responding to me very quickly - telling me to reinstall the driver - all the driver is, is the Alesis logo. It's driven by the generic windows USB driver.

    The shop in Dublin wouldn't take it as return so I was stuck with it. The ****er - who owns a greasy little music shop in the city centre even threatened me on the phone- he'd sort me out if I came back into his shop. I'm stuck with it. Zero latency my arse - that's what i bought it for and it's nowhere near zero latency.

    have you tried ASIO4ALL drivers with it?


  • Options
    #21
    Doge
    Registered Users Posts: 8,964 ✭✭✭Doge


    Its a shame only the non-usb E-mu audio interfaces have zero latency dsp effects on the chip, as they would be a nice affordable option.

    Has anyone here ever tried using Vst effects live, on an audio input, and achieved a fairly un-noitceable latency?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    DamagedTrax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,277 ✭✭✭DamagedTrax


    waveform wrote: »

    Has anyone here ever tried using Vst effects live, on an audio input, and achieved a fairly un-noitceable latency?

    yes. i can track thru my UAD compressors (1176, la2a, 33609) with zero latency "live track" turned on at 64 samples in the DAW with no issues at all.


Advertisement