Thunderbolt interfaces

[magician]

Hi

Are there any thunderbolt or firewire mixers that work directly through the computer usb with MX8 pro studio?

Any help appreciated.

[GovernmentMule]

Simple answer is no!
I have no experience with Thunderbolt or Firewire. They are three seperate things. Thunderbolt is mainly a MAC (Apple ) communication port I believe and FireWire is like USB but a different protocol. If your computer does not have a FireWire port I believe there are PCI boards that you can install in your PC. But I have never heard of either one working through the USB port directly. Maybe there is some type of adapter though.

[JonInc]

Through the USB port/bus? No. At least, I haven't heard of anyone being successful at it.

In general, it's still early days for Thunderbolt support on PC. There are very specific requirements needed for it to work. Mac users, on the other hand, have built-in support (That's been my observation, anyway).

Firewire has been around a long time and works well on PC. I have two FW devices from different manufacturers working right now. BTW, MC will not be the mystery element in any setup situation. If your interface is recognized by your system, MC should see it as well.

Basic advice is, stick with the protocol you have. There are plenty of decent USB2/3 audio interfaces out there. The USB devices from RME are pricey, but have extremely low latencies that rival Thunderbolt.

If money is no object, and you want one of the newest Thunderbolt interfaces, you should consult a DAW builder (If you are in North America, I can recommend two builders, Studiocat and ADKproaudio) who will happily build you a custom Thunderbolt PC.

[magician]

Thanks for the advice guys. What FW products do you recommend?

[JonInc]

Thanks for the advice guys. What FW products do you recommend?

What's your budget? Do you need something simple (2 in/2 out), or enough ins to record, say, a drum kit or a band all at once?

Why are you leaning toward FW when USB2/3 is easily the most popular protocol nowadays? (Don't get me wrong, like I said before, I use FW myself, but I've had my FW interface for a few years now, so built my current DAW PC around that. If I had to start over today, I'd likely go with a USB2 unit).

For a FW interface, you will need a FW port with a Texas Instrument chipset (It's the chipset most compatible with many audio interfaces. If your PC has a FW port, you'll need to find out what chipset it is. If it's not TI, you'll just have to try it with your audio interface and see if it works. If not, you can always add it via PCIe card for about $40).

Bottom line, FW is trickier to get working right, where as USB2 is much more likely to work "out of the box". Plus you can buy a decent 2in/2out USB2 interface (new) for $100 USD. Not true anymore on the FW side. Of course, there's always the secondhand market, but I don't know if you're comfortable with doing that.

So, first things first... What kind of interface do you need, and why FW over USB?

[magician]

Thanks for all the info, appreciated.

My problem is this.
I am currently using a behringer usb 16/4 mixer. Everything works ok, but, I get an annoying oscillation when recording with a mic. This does record too, even though it's low on playback. No matter how I configure it, I can't get rid of it. I assume it's a "circle" rather like an earth loop? Sorry this explanation is a bit vague, but I don't know any other way of explaining the problem.

So, I thought I might try firewire or thunderbolt, or perhaps more likely another make of mixer that wouldn't oscillate. There's only me so I really don't need a big mixer anyway.

[GovernmentMule]

Give us some more info and maybe some people on this forum can help you figure it out. For instance, what type of mic are you using, condenser or dynamic? Are you using phantom power? Have you tried another mic cable? Have you tried another input channel on the mixer, and did you get the same results? When you record something else through the mixer such as guitar or bass, do you get the same oscillation sound?Have you tried another USB port and cable? Also the model of the mixer might help too. I hate to see you spend money on another piece of equipment and have the same problem.

[magician]

Hi.

No matter what type of mic, dynamic or condenser, phantom power or not. It oscillates with any of the 4 mic channels.

Tried changing all the cables to no avail. I don't record any other instruments through the mixer, I write the dots and there's no problems there at all.

Mixer is Behringer xenyx 1622.

Many thanks for all your assistance.

P.S. Using a mic only with no backing at all it's perfect.

[JonInc]

I've never used that mixer but the specs say it's also a USB interface.

I think this statement is the key: "Using a mic only with no backing at all it's perfect".

It sounds like you're saying the mixer/preamp section works fine, but when you have "backing" (Recorded tracks from Mixcraft playing back) you get the oscillating problem... Is that right?

If so, that suggests a faulty USB connection to your PC. Try connecting the USB cable to a different USB2 port. Avoid any USB3 ports (They have a blue strip inside).

After doing this, check your sound device settings under Preferences to make sure the interface is properly recognized. Finally, make sure you have the latest build of Mixcraft for your version.

[magician]

Thanks once again Joninc.

Mic into an empty programme still ocillates, sorry I got that wrong! Car troubles yesterday!

Changed the leads, different sockets etc, all to no avail. I'm going to try another mixer, just to see if the results the same. I'll keep you informed at a later date.

Cheers, Bob.