Which recording interface do you recommend?

In the budget you stated, Focusrite. Has SPDIF, so you can go digital from Axe if you want. I have a Scarlett 8i6 and it works well. Also have RME UFX is a completely different price range and is better, but for what you need, Focusrite is great for the $.
 
I'm hesitating betwen a Roland Octa and a RME UCX, or a RME Babyface with ADA I/O device...

the news Roland (quad, octa) are now well known for their stability, very good sounding and Q/P ratio.
ON the other hand, RME has its strong reputation in audio, no question, but twice the price of the Roland.

In your budget the quad or and octa (better converters & preamp) are great choice.
 
My RME running from a PCMCIA card on my laptop has always been ROCK SOLID, sounded good (not as good as my Apogee Rosetta but...), and also handles MORE MIDI throughput than any other interface I've ever used (it does audio and MIDI). Their stuff is serious, no-nonsense, and just works, for YEARS.
BillyZeppa said:
Any RME, like RME UCX, or BabyFace. I recommend this because i always had problems with DAW crashing until i retired my 'Tascam' 144 USB interface, and got a RME UCX USB interface - less latency, way fewer crashes and hangs, way better sound.
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I narrowed it down to the steinberg Ur22 and the focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

But when I looked online at reviews it seems a lot of people have issues with them both. From drivers to dropouts etc.

I wonder if they really have issues or if these are just People who have no idea how to use them


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boltrecords said:
I'm trying to record the axe fx into reaper with just the stock audio card for playback. I'm getting a ton of latency. Like about 6-8 seconds of latency. Lol.

Is it just the sound card not being able to handle it or don't have to change some settings around


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My guess is that something is not setup correctly - I would work on it a bit before buying extra stuff.

A new 27" iMac and an Axe is a sweet recording solution, and there should not be any noticeable latency if the system is setup correctly and you are not running a huge amount of tracks with lots of plugins and virtual instruments.

I'm not familiar with Reaper so you have to get somebody else to troubleshot your system/settings.
I will say however that the Axe is a way superior sound card/interface than the ones you consider buying - don't waste your money on them, unless you need something cheap for vocals and live mics.

Have you tried using the Axe to monitor through - does the latency disappear then ?
 
Check cragslist or ebay for an M-Audio ProFire 610. That unit fixed every problem I ever had when I was using USB. I used one for 4 years with a SIIG Firewire card (TI chipset) in my DAW laptop. I've seen them as cheap as $150 and they're build like tanks, rock solid, and reliable.

I'm currently using a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, but only because I could find any used ProFire 2626's when I was looking to upgrade.

Good luck with your decision.
 
Yes I really just need the interface to record my vocal tracks and maybe a live acoustic. That's why i just need something small.

How would I setup the axefx to be able to playback my daw through my studio monitors? Do I just choose the axe as input and output when hooked through USB and then hook monitors to out 1 xlr?


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Thanks for the tip on using the axe. Sounds awesome!!!! I can't believe i didn't think if this sooner.

The only problem i see is that if I want to record vocals I have to switch the input in the daw to the other interface right? And then switch back to the axe when I want to record with that? Or can they both be chosen as an input?


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boltrecords said:
I narrowed it down to the steinberg Ur22 and the focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

But when I looked online at reviews it seems a lot of people have issues with them both. From drivers to dropouts etc.

I wonder if they really have issues or if these are just People who have no idea how to use them


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Check the Native Instrument Komplete Audio 6. Small, sounds great, never a single problem with my various Macs, Separate monitoring for main out and headphones, decent mic preamps. CHEAP!
A real good deal IMO.
 
boltrecords said:
Thanks for the tip on using the axe. Sounds awesome!!!! I can't believe i didn't think if this sooner.

The only problem i see is that if I want to record vocals I have to switch the input in the daw to the other interface right? And then switch back to the axe when I want to record with that? Or can they both be chosen as an input?


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Click to expand...

You can create an aggregate using the Audio Midi set up so both are active at the same time. Very easy.
 
boltrecords said:
Thanks for the tip on using the axe. Sounds awesome!!!! I can't believe i didn't think if this sooner.

The only problem i see is that if I want to record vocals I have to switch the input in the daw to the other interface right? And then switch back to the axe when I want to record with that? Or can they both be chosen as an input?


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Don't know about Reaper, but in Logic you can create an aggregate device and use two interfaces at the same time. I would think that Reaper would have a similar function.

For Interfaces I can't recommend the Metric Halo stuff highly enough. It's a company with many things in common with Fractal, in that they have "a Cliff/genius" his name i BJ, they keep their interfaces upgradeable and future proff and people have 10 year old interfaces taht is still top of the heaps which would be unthinkable with other companies stuff.
The ULN series have great build in preamps.
Their drivers are great and the software that comes with is great, with the DSP versions you get great plugins, I use them on everything that I record.
I have the ULN-8, but for your purpose I'd surgest looking at the ULN-2. More expensive than what you have posted about so far, but also in an entirely different league - and it will stay in that league for years and years to com.
If you can't or won't swing for the MH, I've had good experiences with the Apogee Duet (first version), they can be found dirt cheap used. It's a firewire interface so you'll need the FW to TB adapter cable for that.
 
My focusrite saffire pro 24 had issues with popping etc when I first set it up. However, the tech support was very good and we basically worked out that I needed to change which usb pots other peripherals were plugged into. The wifi adapter is the killer. Once I figured that out, I haven't had an issue.

I used to have a M-audio audiophile 2496. It was a game of russian roulette to record a track without getting pops. Tech support was not as good as Focusrite, just kept referring me to the same tip sheets.
 
JJunkie said:
My focusrite saffire pro 24 had issues with popping etc when I first set it up. However, the tech support was very good and we basically worked out that I needed to change which usb pots other peripherals were plugged into. The wifi adapter is the killer. Once I figured that out, I haven't had an issue.

I used to have a M-audio audiophile 2496. It was a game of russian roulette to record a track without getting pops. Tech support was not as good as Focusrite, just kept referring me to the same tip sheets.
Click to expand...

I had a 2496 back in the day. It wasn't the greatest.


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boltrecords said:
I narrowed it down to the steinberg Ur22 and the focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

But when I looked online at reviews it seems a lot of people have issues with them both. From drivers to dropouts etc.

I wonder if they really have issues or if these are just People who have no idea how to use them


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Click to expand...

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 doesn't have SPDIF I/O for reamping or MIDI I/O, so I recommend the 6i6 which you can get on sale right now from MusiciansFriend.com for $212.49 which includes tax and free shipping. I also bought the 2 year Protection with Accidental Damage Coverage warranty for $29.99 just in case it breaks or I break it. I tried many USB sound cards with SPDIF I/O for under $300 for reamping and the Focusrite Scarlett Series worked the best and haven't had any sync issues just make sure to setup the Scarlett MixControl and your DAW to record at 48K 24bit.
 
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