Which audio interface?
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Posted on Jul 23, 2009 10:25 am
solipsism
Member Since: Nov 28, 2004
I'm planning to start recording with a computer (at last) and need some advice.
I would really want more than 8 mic preamps, about 12 would be enough, but I was looking at the Alesis multimix 16 and thought I could use the stereo line inputs with external preamps...? And what's the difference between the Multimix 16 Firewire and USB 2,0?
Or can someone recommend an audio interface with more than 8 mic preamps?
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HuePinnipedal Czar (: 3= Member
Since: Apr 11, 2004
Jul 23, 2009 11:02 am Most interfaces go up to 8... you may have to link a couple of 'em together. OR, if you need exactly 12, and no midi, you could go with 3 M-Audio Delta44s.(going pretty cheaply these days) That would give you 12 ins and outs... no pre amps, or midi, though.
Jul 25, 2009 05:10 am Ok, thanks... not the answer to my question(s), though.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Jul 25, 2009 11:14 am I think what Hue was saying, that no, i can't think of an interface that has more than 8 preamps. That's why he said you may have to link up 2 or more together. So, he kinda was answering the Q, but could have been more direct.
Anyway, mackie makes a firewire interface:
www.mackie.com/products/1200f/index.html
And I think Mackie also lets you put firewire into a mixer:
www.mackie.com/products/onyx1640/index.html
But I doubt either of those options will be cheap.
But I bet they would very nice to work with.
Otherwise, I'd say the doubling up of interfaces (or tripling, as Hue mentioned) may be the way to go. Probably lots cheaper, anyway.
You could get 2 of the multimix, though I don't know if I'd want to push the FW bus that hard.
You could get 2 delta 1010s. That has 8 preamps in each. Or, like Hue said, 3 Delta 44s, for 12 inputs. Though you'll need a preamp bank (mixer would work) to make it fly.
* edit * oops, no, the 1010 does not have preamps in them. My mistake.
HuePinnipedal Czar (: 3= Member
Since: Apr 11, 2004
Jul 25, 2009 11:31 am Sorry 'bout that...
Yes, you could use external pres, plugged into the line inputs.
As far as the difference between the Fireiwre, and USB models, I really haven't a clue as to what the differences are. I would guess, they'd be negligible as far as performance goes. Although, fireiwre has been around longer, so it prolly has more of the bugs worked out.
Perhaps someone else could comment on that?
GeoffSM7b the Chuck Noris of Mic'sContributor
Since: Jun 20, 2002
Jul 25, 2009 12:13 pm as far as a 12 in echo makes a firewire interface.
www.echoaudio.com/Product...ire12/index.php
the tricky thing is you need external pre's so a mixer with direct out's would work . or you can do what i did and get something like the M-audio Profire 2626 and use ADAT lightpipe with a digital pre-amp ( PreSonus digi max) and that give you 16 tracks at once (plus if you have a good pc, you could add a 2nd one and have 24) now with that much it you may not be able to record at high sample rates . I can record all channels at 24/48 and that works alright. now I don't need to have alll thoughs channels most of the time unless i'm recording a live show or a bands "scratch" track
Jul 29, 2009 09:54 am So it is possible to have several interfaces going to a computer? Maybe i'll get a 8-preamp interface then, and later invest in another one. The souncard options are out of the question, because i'd want to be able to work with a laptop. And it seems as though they have stopped making the firewire version of the multimix 16, and the USB 2.0 version costs 200€ more. So I don't know...
Thanks for the help, anyway!
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Jul 29, 2009 10:27 am Normally, to use ASIO with > 1 interface would require the manufacturer to build that functionality into the drivers: maudio did this, so you can have 2 deltas running ASIO in same PC.
ASIO4ALL may step over this obstacle, research needed.
Otherwise, I'm not sure how robust software will be to accept inputs from separate interfaces. I think I tried this in Reaper, using WDM and it didn't work.
More testing may be required, but I'd not say that it's a done deal that different interfaces will work simultaneously.
But, using an interface that has the ADAT input, you can add an 8 channel preamp, that outputs ADAT, and then have 16 live inputs.
