Interface

Axe_meister

Well my old MBOX2 is truly coming to the end of it's life. It works most of the time under 8.1 but is the cause of BSODs now and again (took quite a while to track it down to the mbox driver).Will be soon upgrading to Windows 10 so the probability of avid updating the drivers is slim.

So it's time to get a new interface.

Want to spend up to £100 must have two inputs (preferably switchable between line and instrument level), have midi in/out and

be usable as a generic Windows sound card (it took ages for the Mbox to get that functionality).

Any recommendations?

Looking around I see

Lexicon Lamda Studio, Steinberg UR22 

Presonus AudioBox USB

Fosusrite Saffire 6

Presonus AudioBox iTwo

Now for a lot more budget I quite like the idea of the Zoom R16 as you can use it as a control surface for a DAW (use Reaper being my Daw of choice)

But sound quality for Music/Movies is of the highest priority.

digitalscream

Behringer UMC404 - £96 from Thomann, 4 ins and 4 outs, excellent audio quality. Honestly, I'm amazed at how good it is (for a no-frills unit without DSP or clever routing stuff).

Axe_meister

mmmm been reading reviews on the Focusrite 2i4 seems to get some glowing reviews.

rossyamaha

I've used Focusrite for years and never had a problem. Great, solid gear that sounds far better than it has any right to at those prices.

octatonic

Out of those- the Focusrite Saffire.

DLM

I'm in a similar position, but I'd not mind spending more if I'm getting better quality for it.

I bought a Steinberg UR22 but sent it back because the Hi-Z instrument setting doesn't work at all for DI – it clips like crazy. Googling it, that seems a very common problem. The build quality wasn't mega inspiring, but perhaps that's expecting too much for that price. It sounded absolutely fine.

I don't need many inputs/outputs at all, one would probably be enough in all honesty, I'm not going to be recording several mics at once.

I've been looking at the NI Komplete Audio 6. Is it worth shelling out the extra for an RME Babyface or something like that? I'm still a rank beginner, never really got off the ground with recording, no more than basic takes in Cubase LE. Then my PC died and I'm starting again from scratch.

ecc83

If you are REALLY stuck at 100quid the Steinberg UR22 knocks the socks off most things. Look at the audio input speccs and you will see it has almost "pro" headroom. Many budget AIs suffer from clipping especially with hot guitars. I mention no name but said AIs give you a pretty (and once seen, pretty useless) light show.

But! FFS save another £60 and buy the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6. The drivers are made of stone and the AI will run on anything. old XP, W7,W8, macs and Linux. You are never likely to be obseletized by a KA6!

You get 2 great mic/line/high Z inputs, two more balanced line ins (4 tracks overall) S/PDIF and MIDI. 4 balanced outs.

Comes with Cubase LE6. Kontakt player, Traktion (I think) and about 3G of downloadable samples.

Dave.

ecc83

"I bought a Steinberg UR22 but sent it back because the Hi-Z instrument setting doesn't work at all for DI – it clips like crazy. Googling it, that seems a very common problem. "

Not seen any of that DM! I checked the specc' the other day for someone and the HZ inputs maxes out at +5.8dBV (+8dBu). That is about 2 volts rms That is over 5.5V peak to peak! Very few guitars get close to that and in fact that would give many a triode a headache!

I shall look into this as it is the very first problem I have eVer read about the UR22.

Dave.

ecc83

WTF has the edit function gone????

Dave.

Fretwired

For what it's worth I switched from the NI Komplete Audio 6 to a Steinberg UR22 and UR44. I don't have the problems you have with the Hi-Z inputs. I was recording a DI'd bass and electro acoustic guitar at the weekend without an issue.

frank1985

I've had the komplete audio 6 for about 4 years....it does the job.

Axe_meister

Well I'm going to wait until after Windows 10 is released to see which interfaces have issues.

Although I think I've settled on the Fucusrite, may push the boat out to the 8i6 model.

DLM

Hi @ecc83 & @Fretwired

The clipping issues seem very well documented as evidenced by all the google search results. The cheaper Focusrite interfaces (those with no switchable pad) had the same problem when released but were changed to rectify it (according to the bloke from Sound on Sound).

Input 2 on the UR22 is the one with the Hi-Z function. I’ve tried turning that off, but the guitar sounds poor without it, even if there’s then no clipping. This dude explains this and demonstrates the problem with the UR22 very well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI8XAcGSRe4

He also shows a fix he got from here, basically, solder a couple of resistors into a cable to make an attenuator:
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/newb...ery-muddy.html

While that’s cool, none of this should be necessary, as the Hi-Z switch is supposed to take care of all this.

The two DI boxes suggested by the dude on Gearslutz are more expensive than the UR22!

Radial Engineering J 48

Radial Engineering JDI

Though it does seem like cheaper options are also available: Palmer PAN 01

The impression I get is that the interface is supposed to be semi-disposable. I'd like to see more robust controls. I'd be OK spending more money, but it doesn't seem that will buy me much more quality until I'm spending several times the price of the UR22. RME Babyface was recommended in one shop as the next real step up. And that has an odd concept for something I want to use at home.

Fretwired

@DLM .. that's not my experience .. I get great guitar tones via my UR22 and UR44 .. if anything I had a couple of issues with the NI Komplete.

Axe_meister

Anybody tried the Akai EiE USB

http://www.andertons.co.uk/usb-interfaces/pid23340/cid712/akai-eie-usb-audio-interface.asp

4 inputs and 4 outputs looks like good value for money

 

Jalapeno

octatonic said:

Out of those- the Focusrite Saffire.

Another satisfied Focusrite Saffire user here.

OSX/IOS users have Apogee as well - another great range.

Whatever you get, go USB, on-board bus based cards are more pain than they're worth.

digitalscream

Axe_meister said:

Anybody tried the Akai EiE USB

http://www.andertons.co.uk/usb-interfaces/pid23340/cid712/akai-eie-usb-audio-interface.asp

4 inputs and 4 outputs looks like good value for money

 

Our drummer's got the Pro version - bloody nightmare to work with. The drivers are crap and keep crashing on his Mac (and sometimes plain don't work in Windows), and after a year it's suddenly started crapping out with white noise every now and then in the middle of a take.

Heartfeltdawn

DLM said:

I've been looking at the NI Komplete Audio 6. Is it worth shelling out the extra for an RME Babyface or something like that? I'm still a rank beginner, never really got off the ground with recording, no more than basic takes in Cubase LE. Then my PC died and I'm starting again from scratch.

I hated the Babyface. The drivers are great but the Totalmix software is way too much for simple in/out/DI stuff. 

If I didn't already have an SPL Crimson, I would go for this. 

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/recording-studio/detail.asp?stock=15042310002358&gclid=CNPT7-mJq8YCFSvHtAodBYgM-A

The ID14 will be turning up on a lot of people's desktops. 

ecc83

Jalapeno said:

octatonic said:

Out of those- the Focusrite Saffire.

Another satisfied Focusrite Saffire user here.

OSX/IOS users have Apogee as well - another great range.

Whatever you get, go USB, on-board bus based cards are more pain than they're worth.

Yes this AI seems to have been an unmitigated disaster. Shame! I quite fancied one when it debuted at NAMM a few years ago but Akai took SO long getting it to market, never released a decent specc' or handbook and as you say, drivers were all over the shop.

I keep looking for one in Cash Gennies but won't more than a nifty.

Dave.

ecc83

I meant the EIE of course. I have quoted the wr5ong post before here, never do it anywhere else and WTF is the edit button?

Dave.

DLM

@ecc83 mouse over your post and you'll see the cog. If you mouse over that, it says "Options" and you can choose "edit".

@fretwired Are you DIing electric guitars, though? You mentioned a bass and an electro acoustic...