What audio interface do you use?

dcoscina · Post by **dcoscina** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 4:41 am

I'm currently on a Duet and One by Apogee. Nice clean sound but I'm interested in the RME line. They look killer. Tried the Mbox3. Not bad. Good build quality but not much better sound than the Apogee if at all. Heard good things about the 828 from Motu and I used to own an UltraLite but it was kinda finicky.

Phil O · Post by **Phil O** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:51 am

I've been using an Apogee Rosetta for a number of years now (8 channels). On the rare occasion that I need more than 8, I can extend that number with an original MOTU 828 that I have via lightpipe, or an additional 16 using two 828s via firewire and/or lightpipe. I've found that I get excellent results with the Apogee unit, and I think once you get to a certain level, the differences between converters is splitting hairs (although this is a topic of much debate). I haven't tried the RME stuff but some folks here are having good luck with it. Hopefully, they'll chime in.

Phil

Prime Mover · Post by **Prime Mover** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 10:36 am

I have an 8pre, but I can't really recommend it. After 18 months, it developed a short in a few of the channels, and I had to send it back for repairs. Every time you touched the box, the mic would die. Now, my first channel has died in a similar fashion, just 1.5 years after I "got it back" (they likely replaced the first). 828s only have 2 mic pres, which is fine if you have a bank of external pres, but I don't. Since I rarely need all my pres, I'll be fine with my 7pre as it is.

Radiogal · Post by **Radiogal** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:37 am

My signature tells it all. I´m totally Motufied

VitcoMusic · Post by **VitcoMusic** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 1:28 pm

Using the TC Konnect 24D. Great sounding interface, but unfortunately has been discontinued.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 1:43 pm

Hello,
At the home studio I have motu 24i, 24 I/O, 2408 Mk1 and a Digirack 002. In unofficial, uncontrolled sonic tests I like the 24i the best.

At work we have Digi 96 IO, motu 24 I/O and a Panasonic Da7 console light piped through a 2408 Mk2. With those same unofficial tests, the Da7 came out on top.

YMMV

Michael Canavan · Post by **Michael Canavan** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:23 pm

I use a combination of the NI Kore 1 and Rig Kontrol audio cards live, and an RME Fireface 800 in the studio. The Fireface and RME in general have a great solid sound, if you mainly use line in though it's not as important. Mainly a decent converter is a decent converter, it's the preamps in higher end gear that make a difference, and if you're using off board preamps it's not that much of an issue.
Best things about the RME are 10 audio in, 10 out, 16 ADAT in/out, SPDIF in/out, MIDI, Four clean, but colorless preamps, and solid build. with a few ADAT converters it's 28 in/out and set up to work with two more 800's for some ridiculous count. No problems with it in the four years I've owned it.

BobK · Post by **BobK** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:34 pm

Metric Halo. The 2882 has outstanding conversion. In a comparison test posted here by pcm a few years ago, it was at the top of the heap, beating MOTU boxes and a Digi 192 i/o. The mic pres are excellent as long as you don't need lots of gain (that's by design, not a defect of the unit), and are remote-controlled via software. The 2d-expanded units have high-quality built-in processing (and even more if you add the optional +DSP license). Lots of people like using them for summing too.

The mixer is completely configurable, and every parameter in the box can be saved along with your DP project. These boxes are quite deep, and the company's support is great (the chief engineer/designer participates in the email list). They're higher-end, but worth the investment, not just because of sound quality and features, but because Metric Halo has followed through in making them upgradeable. I'm not aware of any other company that makes audio interfaces that can be upgraded.

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:35 pm

MOTU 1296
MOTU 896 (not the HD model, but the one right before it)
MOTU 2408 mkII

The 896 is my "mobil rig." I like its sound, but it puts pops and crackles in now and then. Not sure why. I do multiple takes and use DP's comping tool to get rid of the pops.

sdfalk · Post by **sdfalk** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:05 pm

Konnekt 48 and soon..an Ensemble

malditoyanki · Post by **malditoyanki** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:42 pm

Apogee Symphony I/O with 8 in/out analog and 8 out AES

donreynolds · Post by **donreynolds** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:52 pm

I used to use a Motu 1224 but now I have two 896HD's. Been very happy with them. I also have a Tascam FW-1082 I use for the tranport and faders sometime, but it is a good back up if needed

kassonica · Post by **kassonica** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 7:08 pm

RME Fireface 800. Just wonderful.

Drivers are completely solid as well.

Best Mid priced converter for the $$$ IMHO.

Armageddon · Post by **Armageddon** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:03 am

VitcoMusic wrote:Using the TC Konnect 24D. Great sounding interface, but unfortunately has been discontinued.

I'm in the same boat, but they're at least continuing to upgrade the drivers/firmware (for now). I recently had a technical question for TC Electronics about my interface -- nothing bad, just an inquiry about the usage of "Safe Modes" -- and they suggested that I not bother with the 24D anymore and buy an IMPACT TWIN. Not exactly something to inspire confidence, especially considering the interface is only three years old. Still, it sounds awesome. I haven't given the pres a workout yet, and the built-in effects sound okay (unlike MOTU's mkIII interfaces, the Konnekt's built-in reverb and compressor can actually be used as powered AU plugs up to 96 kHz sample rates) but would probably get last call from me after my slew of better-sounding native plugs. If you're shopping, either look around for a music store dumping their stock of old 24Ds cheap or snag a new IMPACT TWIN, which I think is essentially the same thing as a Konnekt 24D, but with TC's next-gen pre-amps, and is about $100 less than what I paid for my 24D new.

Dan Worley · Post by **Dan Worley** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:00 am

kassonica wrote:RME Fireface 800. Just wonderful.

Drivers are completely solid as well.

Best Mid priced converter for the $$$ IMHO.

Big RME fan here. Solid. I've never had a single care or worry.

c-ya,

Dan Worley

MOTUnation.com