The Hardware Megathread

#2616

I admit to being a little shocked they’re still using hardware with Firewire 800 and require adapters :eyes:

#2617

I’ve been interested in trying out one of those Kyma systems. From what I’ve heard they’re an amazing tool, and it seems amazing the stuff you can do with them.

Cost really has been the main limiting factor for me trying one out. That, and I have to wonder what I could do in Kyma that I couldn’t do in Max/MSP, which I already own. I’ve been reading books though on audio analysis and the ways they algorithmically detect things like tempo, pitch, key, style, song structure, things like that, and it’s really interesting, they have formulas for figuring out all different aspects of sound, and I dig that. I known an acquaintance from college that uses Kyma, and apparently he was working with some famous musician at some convention on a track using that, which sounded pretty awesome, other than that I don’t hear about many people using it. It’s really fascinating though.

I did recently get a new “adult” job though, so I may revisit this topic… of acquiring a Kyma system…

#2618

Yes and Rob Keeble is the man behind the behringer 2600, he’s the man behind all the AMSynth eurorack modules.

#2619

not hardware but just a little heads up.

izotope are selling “stutter edit 2” for $49 this weekend only, its usually $199.

As i watch sonictalk regular i tried out their SONIC10 code at checkout and got an extra 10% off :heart_eyes:

#2620

Soooooo I’m in the market for a new audio interface. I have been using a Tascam 16x08, which is ok enough for what I do and I like the amount of I/O it has, but I’ve been trying to streamline my setup and simplify it a bit, as realistically I rarely record any more than two instruments at a time, and I’m thinking of trying to avoid using rack gear and instead focusing on a smaller set up.

I was using an old Mbox2, but the USB interface just recently died on me, so I no longer can use it with my computer. So, I am in the market for a new USB interface! As I was shopping around, I was seeing if anyone had any recommendations for an interface as far as good quality pre’s (as much so without for a USB interface), good (not buggy) drivers with good (low) latency, and at least two XLR in’s (for mics) and two out, but willing to go for something like a 4 in, 4 out.

My budget, I’d like to keep below $200, but for some good equipment I’d be willing to go up to $300.

So, seeing what interfaces people know about. I’ve seen the Focusrite Scarlett series are really popular and I’ve heard they sound alright, but then I have heard a few say it’s no good. I’ve liked MOTU stuff in the past, and there was one I was looking at from them, but really any intrerface with at least a couple XLR in’s and monitor outs that will sit on my desk nicely would do.

#2621

I used a Scarlett 2i2 1st gen back when my brother and I were considering doing let’s plays. That didn’t take off because after a day of doing spreadsheets for my job and mixing audio for my hobby, it turns out that I don’t enjoy throwing video editing on top of that. I would not, however, call the Scarlett a limiting factor in my experience with it. I also use an 18i20 for my synths, and I find that I’m too lazy to track them most of the time, but they sound absolutely fine when I do. I got both units used, and the 2i2 I think I got for like $50, so really impossible for me to complain about either given the prices I paid for them.

#2622

I have owned a lot of interfaces - Avid, Digidesign, M-Audio, Antelope, MOTU, Audient, Focusrite, RME, and possibly some others I’m forgetting. I’ve used even more (Metric, Apogee. UA), but they’ve either been loaners or at someone else’s studio, so I can’t speak to anything long term.

I will preface everything that follows with the disclaimer that you can’t really buy a bad interface these days, unless it’s one of those sad Chinese jobs built into a cable. Technology has gotten to the point that even the bargain basement stuff sounds pretty good and has decent features. Even one of the little $99 jobbies will do the trick if you’re not too picky.

The ones that are pertinent to your search:

MOTU - I’ve had several of their products, and they’ve all been solid. I’ve still got a 828mk3 that’s functioning and sounds good. The drivers are frustrating, likely due to not having been updated since before Win10 came out. I came home one day and it had released its magic blue smoke - one call to MOTU and $100 + shipping later and they sent me a new refurb to replace it. Great customer service.

I was never in love with the mixing software, the drivers have never been amazing, the clock had more jitter than I would have liked, and the preamps aren’t the best (muddy lows compared to some offerings - pretty common at a middle price point), but all in all some seriously solid units.

Focusrite - I’m not hot on these until you get to the Clarett line. All of the Scarlett line seems plagued with QC issues and really mediocre drivers with lackluster latency. For every one you see that “just works”, there’s one that doesn’t. That’s not to say they’re bad, they just seem to be a crap shoot as to whether you’ll have a good experience. On the upside, they offer a lot of bang for the buck and they’ve got pretty crisp pres for the money you spend. Honestly, they seem on par with all the other interfaces in the price category (Presonus, Steinberg, Behringer, etc). The 4i4 I had was pretty middle of the road - I struggled with the drivers and latency a lot until I got it dialed in, and even then it was just serviceable.

I will say the Clarett line is a totally different experience - really solid preamps, up-to-date drivers and good latency.

Audient - The id14 is a wonder. It packs amazing preamps (same ones they use in their multi-thousand dollar consoles), good software, solid drivers (now, after a couple of early updates) and a ton of i/o expansion features into an attractive package with competitive latency. Really, really solid unit for the money. It’s easy to get tempted by the id4, but don’t get fooled: it’s got a lot less going on under the hood than the 14 and larger units.

RME - a Babyface Pro is my daily driver. It’s as good as everyone says. The real wonder here is the driver support from RME - they keep putting out updates for 10 year old hardware, so amortized over the life of the unit, it’s actually not all that expensive. Ridiculously low latency, crystal clear preamps, expandable if needed, Totalmix is amazing for routing, it’s the whole package. I know it’s out of your stated price range, but right now it’s the standard I hold pretty much all interfaces up to until you get into the really pricy stuff.

From my experience, everything under the $600-800 range is about features vs drivers - you get the best drivers you can in the package that provides the features and I/O you need. Over that, drivers and latency are pretty much a solved problem and it’s about features, quality (noise floor, RTL, preamp ‘color’, etc) and what fits in your workflow.

Happy to answer any specific questions you have.

tl;dr - if it were me, I’d get an Audient id14 and be done with it. I think it’s the sweet spot for “budget” interfaces these days.

#2623

In that budget I would look at Behringer or Native Instruments

#2624

In my experience MOTU drivers for Mac are better.

Thanks for the write up! I’ve heard great things about Audient, but I’ve not used them. +1 for RME, their interfaces are fantastic.

UAD guy here, MOTU 828mk3 as my ADAT AD/DA.

#2625

I’ve heard that from several people and online, but for better or worse, I’m a PC guy. Still, I think the MOTU stuff provides a lot of value for people needing more I/O than you get out of the usual 2/4 interfaces.

I’ve used a UAD Apollo several times and it’s always struck me as a really great interface. I think it’s one of those things where you either take the plunge of buying into the plugin ecosystem (which are really, really nice ime), or you don’t. As my post probably suggests, I tend to hop interfaces more than I probably should, so it didn’t really make sense for me. Everyone I know that has UAD swears by them, and my experience has been good.

I think UAD DSP is a perfect example of starting to look at workflow instead of basic “does it get audio into my computer” after you break the $600-800 barrier.

#2626

Thanks so much for that, Artificer, and other’s comments, that is exactly what I was looking to know, this helps a lot!

So, do you use those plugin ecosystems a lot in your workflow? I’ve never actually had an interface that did that kind of stuff. My TASCAM 16x08 driver comes with this mixer interface, and I think I might be able to EQ incoming signals, but that’s about all. I never really mess with it, as I prefer to do everything in my DAW, but as I’ve been looking over different interfaces, I’ve been noticing those that come with plugin packages.

#2627

@IO_Madness fwiw, if I ever got much more of a hardware setup going than I do now I’d invest in a MOTU again for sure. I’ve also heard what Chase says about the drivers, however, I had a MOTU 828 MKII for years and years that worked across Windows XP, 7 and 10. MIDI stopped working with Windows 10 but I’ve never diagnosed whether that was hardware or software.

#2628

I don’t, because I don’t have a UAD. There are some other DSP-enabled interfaces out there, but UAD is the big one. I like my hardware stand alone and my software agnostic, and I have lots of non-hardware specific plugins to do what I need, so I never felt the need to use the onboard stuff.

Do note that most modern interfaces have some kind of DSP happening. RME, MOTU, etc. It’s mostly relegated to baked in effects like EQ and reverb. That DSP offloads the processing of that effect onto the hardware, freeing up CPU for other things. That’s great in theory, but it’s really a relic of times when CPUs were slower and processing was more precious. Nowadays, you just buy a better CPU. There’s probably some edge case where you want a different reverb on a bunch of tracks where it might save you, but I’ve never come across it.

What UAD is doing is a bit different. They’re developing DAW integrated plugs that do the same thing as the EQ and reverb and whatever, but they’re usually full blown software reproductions of popular (and expensive) hardware. So you buy a UAD Apollo, then you buy a Neve channel strip emulation or a UA-2A emulation and load that up, and that plugin runs through the Apollo DSP instead of your computer. Most of their plugins are actually licensed from those companies and they work directly with them to get the most accurate representation of that hardware. As a result, they’re very, very good. Good enough to pay top dollar and lock yourself into specific hardware? For some people, yeah, totally worth it.

What UAD’s doing isn’t really hardware specific. They could likely release their plugins as hardware agnostic version without a problem. The DSP offload is icing on the cake, but it’s not make or break. They keep them linked to their hardware to box in their brand and keep you coming back. If you plan on being a long term UAD customer, that’s fine. But you can’t drop $1000 on their plugins and then use them on a MOTU or RME, which is a deal breaker for me.

#2629

Can support the RME thing. I have nothing but love for German engineering.

#2630

I had a MOTU once, the 24io, which actually was an expansion interface, so, a little weird to use as a primary interface (no dedicated monitor or headphone jacks), but I was able to make it work. I found it on eBay used for a really good deal ($500, new for $1200), with the PCI card and all (this was back in 2012). I actually did really like that interface, but unfortunately one day it just wouldn’t turn on anymore. I feel like I remember something about the drivers that maybe wasn’t all ideal.

#2631

The Germans seem to have their engineering locked down. I think my dream job would be working in an R&D lab for audio equipment over there.

#2632

I don’t use same as you but my experience with RME is the same.

#2633

https://www.reddit.com/r/synthesizers/comments/jewn5e/modded_my_bass_station_ii_into_an_afx_station/

:joy:

#2634

nice, so basically the afx bass station is just a bass station with all updates and a facelift, which means you should be able to get a regular bass station for cheap and upgrade it to the afx mode bass station.

#2635

I do. I track through them as well as utilize them in my mixes.