USB Interface Recommendations

Support and feedback for Acoustica's Mixcraft audio mixing software.

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mixyguy2
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by mixyguy2 »

PS it would appear the iD14 doesn't have MIDI either. Seriously? Sorry but IMO $300+ AI without MIDI is a joke, I don't care what else it has.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... dient-id14
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Thomas
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by Thomas »

mixyguy2 wrote:PS it would appear the iD14 doesn't have MIDI either.
I did a quick check and found no midi support on any Audient product I could find on Amazon. They must feel it's not important for whatever reason. Question: What harm is there in just running a midi board separately to the PC via USB? Would there be timing errors?
-Tom
Mixcraft 10 Pro Studio 64-Bit
Windows 10 64-Bit
AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1 GHz 10GB Ram
2TB SSD
Behringer UMC404HD v5.57.0 interface
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dpaterson
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by dpaterson »

Hello.

Wow. You sure are spoiled for choice it would seem (both in advice and hardware)!!! LOL!!!
I did a quick check and found no midi support on any Audient product I could find on Amazon. They must feel it's not important for whatever reason. Question: What harm is there in just running a midi board separately to the PC via USB? Would there be timing errors?
Not sure about the first part. But I can tell you that I've not noticed any difference whatsoever (when it comes to latency or buffering or "timing" as you put it) between running my MIDI keyboard direct to the PC via USB MIDI or via a 25-foot 5-pin DIN MIDI cable to my audio device and I use them interchangeably often.

My main reason for interjecting here though is that I saw some talk re: the M-Audio 2x2M. Don't (is all I can say)!!! These are the two devices that I referred to in my previous post (that I "hated"). I gave one away and the other is gathering dust (to be used in an emergency only). I had gone into the gory details as to why I say "don't" in this post but then the post got too long so I revised it (but if the gory details are required then no problem i.e. ask and ye shall receive).

And yeh (this is a hint as to why my comments re: M-Audio above): product support is important too. It doesn't matter how great a product is (within reason of course): if you cannot get support for it when things go wrong (and they will) well, then, is it worth having it. Rich coming from me I (unfortunately) have to disclose i.e. I'm sitting on some time bombs myself. Not a day goes by when I'm not in absolute awe of my Alto Pro PA system. But I do know that "a special kind of hell awaits me" (Mark??? LOL!!!) if (when???) something goes wrong with it!!! Same with my Marshall amps. Focusrite support: on a par with Acoustica Mixcraft support!!!

Anyway Thomas. WILL YOU BUY ALREADY!!! LOL!!! I for one am dying to hear how you get on (and, as I sort of noted previously, we're not even discussing plugins yet i.e. only then do "the REAL games begin"!!! LOL!!!).

Regards,

Dale.
starise
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by starise »

For those on a budget the Behringer interfaces get good reviews. This hasn't always been the case. Things have gotten much better since Behringer bought Midas awhile back. What this means is the pre amp tech from Midas is in a lot of Behringer gear. Midas preamps are highly rated.

I mainly use a Presonus Firetube Studio. It however, it a firewire interface. My other interface is a Focusrite 8i8 2nd generation usb. I thought I was buying a Focusrite Clarett when I bought it lol. Even so, the Scarlett has been a nice interface and is priced better than the Clarett which is supposed to be a little better than the Scarlett, so keep this in mind if looking at these interfaces. Scarlett 1st gen, 2nd gen are the older ones 2nd gen is better and Clarett is the new one out.
Intel 5820K O.C. 4.4ghz,
3 x Samsung SATA III 500gb SSD,Win 10 64bit, Presonus Firetube Studio
Laptop HP Omen i7 16gb 2/sdd with Focusrite interface.
CbB, Studio One, Mixcraft 8 Pro, Ableton Live 10
https://soundcloud.com/starise
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Thomas
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by Thomas »

I wanted to thank all the contributors to this thread for all the excellent suggestions. It seems almost difficult to make a bad choice these days on choice of AI. All the suggestions were good ones, but my inner Scrooge won out :D when I chose the Behringer UMC404HD.

It seemed easily sufficient and a good value imo. Very stable so far. Now I'm realizing I may need better cans to be able to discern the sometimes subtle effects from some of these plugins. I will probably be again looking for a best value sort of thing. Maybe $100 and under if that is possible.
-Tom
Mixcraft 10 Pro Studio 64-Bit
Windows 10 64-Bit
AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1 GHz 10GB Ram
2TB SSD
Behringer UMC404HD v5.57.0 interface
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dpaterson
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by dpaterson »

Hello.

Very nice. Just took a look at the unit. External power. Four inputs. And the rest. Very very nice. Well done.

Welcome!!! LOL!!!

Cannot give you any advice on SPECIFIC headphones. I've got a set of Sennheiser HD 820 pro's and have had them for many many years. HOWEVER (oh here we go with the plugins i.e. consider yourself warned!!!): be careful when mixing with headphones. I know for a fact that my headphones add bass (sounds great when a bit "under the weather" on "those" nights but not good for mixing!!! LOL!!!). Take a look here: https://www.sonarworks.com/reference. Works well. Depending on how far you want to go with this you can even order a set of individually calibrated headphones from them.

Regards,

Dale.
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Thomas
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by Thomas »

dpaterson wrote: be careful when mixing with headphones. I know for a fact that my headphones add bass...
Thanks, yeah I've been hearing the same thing and that's one of the reasons why I've been considering new headphones. I've got the Sony MDR-V600 right now and they are known to have a bass boost. I also had a buzzing with very low frequencies on the left side but I think I fixed that. Thanks for the plugin link, I'll have to look into that.
-Tom
Mixcraft 10 Pro Studio 64-Bit
Windows 10 64-Bit
AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1 GHz 10GB Ram
2TB SSD
Behringer UMC404HD v5.57.0 interface
mixyguy2
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by mixyguy2 »

Props on the 404. I might go that route myself when it's time to buy.

Headphones merit their own thread; I'll start one.
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Mark Bliss
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by Mark Bliss »

dpaterson wrote:Take a look here: https://www.sonarworks.com/reference. Works well. Depending on how far you want to go with this you can even order a set of individually calibrated headphones from them.
Good stuff, but kind of busts the described budget doesn't it! 8)

Hey Thomas, I can only add that I have lately been using four different models of headphones, two of which fall into the mentioned price range, one a little over. Shure, KRK and a set Ian recently mentioned here from Superlux. ( https://forums.acoustica.com/bbs/viewto ... t=superlux -notice, you have to be careful to order the intended model, they have some very similar models that have the undesirable "bass boost" we want to avoid.)

Some were chosen for monitoring while recording, but I find myself mixing or using them as an alternate check from time to time anyway.

Personally, I think the critical point is to "get to know" your monitoring solutions, whatever they may be, primarily by referencing well known material heavily. As well as checking on multiple monitoring solutions.

More tips and thoughts on the subject that may be helpful:
https://youtu.be/V1cyEm6TRZ0

FWIW, I found the KRK's to be a pretty good economy priced/entry level option too.
Stay in tune, Mark

My SOUNDCLOUD Page
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Thomas
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by Thomas »

Mark Bliss wrote:...Shure, KRK and a set Ian recently mentioned here from Superlux. https://forums.acoustica.com/bbs/viewto ... t=superlux
Thanks for the list, it's good to know, especially since I haven't done much headphone shopping over the years. I guess I didn't need to until recently.

Mark Bliss wrote:More tips and thoughts on the subject that may be helpful:
https://youtu.be/V1cyEm6TRZ0

FWIW, I found the KRK's to be a pretty good economy priced/entry level option too.
Helpful video. I've watched a handful of his mixing videos over the last few weeks. Haven't bought the package, but seeing what I can glean.
-Tom
Mixcraft 10 Pro Studio 64-Bit
Windows 10 64-Bit
AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1 GHz 10GB Ram
2TB SSD
Behringer UMC404HD v5.57.0 interface
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dpaterson
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by dpaterson »

Hi.

I just thought it prudent to update this thread, started by Thomas some time back, with some little bit of further advice.

Before you buy an interface make sure you check the manufacturers specifications and if you are not sure about something THEN ASK!!! Sounds obvious right??? Well: not so I don't think. I may be new around these parts and to this digital recording age but I'm certainly not new to the world of electronics and recording and computers and software and hardware and gizmos etc. and yet, after all these years, I managed to get caught out!!!

I just bought a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 because I needed two additional mic. inputs. Based on the fact that I've been happily using a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 up until now: I just ASSUMED that what I was getting in the 18i8 was just "bigger and better". Well. My mistake. And to make matters worse: I actually DID check the online specs. and, to my mind, they're misleading. My 2i4 has no less than THREE stereo or SIX mono analogue outputs (in addition to the stereo headphone ouput). The 18i8 ALSO has THREE stereo or SIX mono analogue outputs. But here's the catch: on the 18i8 TWO stereo or FOUR mono analogue outputs comprise THE HEADPHONE OUTPUTS (there's two of them)!!! In other words and strictly speaking: the 18i8 has precisely ONE stereo or TWO mono analogue outputs!!! But the specs. say THREE stereo or SIX mono analogue ouputs!!! Where does Focusrite get off including the HEADPHONE outputs as additional and seperate analogue outputs I ask you with tears in my eyes!!! And I can tell you that if I didn't run everything through a mixer (studio monitors and PA etc. come off the mixer) then I would have been ROYALLY stuffed!!! Now one could argue that the 18i8 has loads of OTHER outputs and can be expanded but at a ROYAL cost I might add!!! To add input and output ports to the 18i8 a Scarlett OctoPre is required. That's another $460!!! Or there's the Clarett 4Pre USB which is $290 more expensive than the 18i8 (and I'm already paying too much just for two extra mic. inputs!!!). So CHECK YOUR SPECS.!!! Anyways. Fortunately both interfaces use the same driver (although you cannot use both at the same time) so I'm at least able to swap them on an as needed basis (I have a different application for the 2i4 that requires the seperate analog outputs).

Now in spite of the above: I would have returned the darn thing BUT the upshot is that the audio is NOTICEABLY of superior quality to the 2i4 and I personally believe that is has to do with two things i.e. the preamps. and, the more probable, the fact that it is not bus powered (and if the latter is the reason then you indeed made the right choice, Thomas, in selecting an interface that is not bus powered).

So yeh. Just a little bit of advice.

Regards,

Dale.

P.S.

For those of you who do not know and may end up with, or have, a "situation" such as this: there is a solution that will get you at least one additional analogue out (and in is also possible). There are S/PDIF to Analogue converters i.e. basically take the digital out and convert to analogue and split to stereo out. Have not tried one as yet i.e. way many on the Internet and all very cheap (like in the $20 range). Not sure if there are conversion qualities at stake i.e. not sure if conversion quality is directly proportional to price paid (guess I'm gonna have to find out the hard way unless somebody else around these parts has tried one of them).
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Thomas
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by Thomas »

Just a quick update and PSA: No regrets on getting the Behringer UMC404HD. Yesterday I noticed that after checking a few online sites that Behringer recently had a $30US price increase. Personally, I think they're worth far more than they're asking, but if anyone's on the fence or in the market for a new AI, Adorama still has a smokin' deal on a 404HD bundle for $110US. It comes with a nice boom mic stand, 25ft XLR cable and cleaning cloth. I think they're pre-bundled and once gone, so is that price. They're actually selling the AI separately for more than the bundle, so it's a no brainer.
https://www.adorama.com/beumc404hda.html
-Tom
Mixcraft 10 Pro Studio 64-Bit
Windows 10 64-Bit
AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1 GHz 10GB Ram
2TB SSD
Behringer UMC404HD v5.57.0 interface
starise
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by starise »

Just a quick FYI. The Behringer ADA8200 can work with the 18i8 for expansion of channels.. About half the cost of similar Focusrite gear.

No TOSLINK on the Behringer UMC404HD
Intel 5820K O.C. 4.4ghz,
3 x Samsung SATA III 500gb SSD,Win 10 64bit, Presonus Firetube Studio
Laptop HP Omen i7 16gb 2/sdd with Focusrite interface.
CbB, Studio One, Mixcraft 8 Pro, Ableton Live 10
https://soundcloud.com/starise
skarabee
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by skarabee »

+1 on the ADA8200. Midas preamps, 8 line or mic inputs, 8 outs via Adat.
Used it with a Scarlett 18i6 (yes, you know, only 1 stereo jack out...) and now with a Motu Ultralite Mk4. No hiccups, clear sound. Great unit for the price.
mixyguy2
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Re: USB Interface Recommendations

Post by mixyguy2 »

Thomas wrote:Just a quick update and PSA: No regrets on getting the Behringer UMC404HD. Yesterday I noticed that after checking a few online sites that Behringer recently had a $30US price increase. Personally, I think they're worth far more than they're asking, but if anyone's on the fence or in the market for a new AI, Adorama still has a smokin' deal on a 404HD bundle for $110US. It comes with a nice boom mic stand, 25ft XLR cable and cleaning cloth. I think they're pre-bundled and once gone, so is that price. They're actually selling the AI separately for more than the bundle, so it's a no brainer.
https://www.adorama.com/beumc404hda.html
Yeah, the 204 now costs what the 404 did just a bit ago. Poop.
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