# Audio Interfaces



## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

Not my area of specialty, but the band I am in is looking to buy some format of recording equip. We are looking at a laptop loaded with Sonar and some type of audio interface. It would preferably be USB and we need approx 16 channels. I've looked at a lot of interfaces but I am not clear on whether the usb interface is only stereo or can it be used to interface 16 individual tracks. This is where some one might be able to clear the fog. If anyone has any info they can pass to me or recommendations for interface it would be greatly appreciated. Would also be nice to work in a 64bit Windows 7 enviroment as we have software for both XP 32bit or W7 64bit


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2011)

Something like this will provides for a possible 28 channels of input (each channel is monophonic, so a stereo source requires two channels) and operates via USB. There are 2 built-in microphone preamps and another 8 analog inputs on the back. Then a 2-channel S/PDIF interface. And finally 16 channels of input via the ADAT interface. You'll need outboard mic preamps if you want to run >2 microphones. And you'll need something that converts analog to ADAT if you want to use >10 channels since it only has A/D for 10 channels. You could pair it with something like this inexpensive preamp that outputs to ADAT to expand it to a full 18 channels of analog input.

Honestly, when you're talking 16 channels and up, you're starting to talk FireWire. I'm not sure USB 2.0 can handle the kind of bandwidth and latency you need it to handle for that many channels going in and coming back out at the same time.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

Is there a way to make firewire work with Sonar (ASIO drivers) in the Windows 7 enviroment? We have two firewire interfaces but ran into some real issues when we tried to record or playback.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Like Ian mentioned, if you really need 16 tracks _simultaneously_, you should look at firewire. I just wanted to make sure that you really need them simultaneously. If you're just running 8 tracks at a time and overdubbing other stuff, that's a whole 'nuther ball of yarn and you can get away with something simpler, but 16 tracks at once will require some pretty decent gear.

One thing I do is run my Mackie CR 1604 into my M-Audio 410 so I can record 16 tracks at once, but into stereo. This really limits ovedubbing and editing, but it depends on your application. I use that for recording live off-the-floor demos and such. I could also theoretically run outs from some individual channels into the remaining inputs and have a lead guitar track on its own that I could delete and re-record if I choose, or do the same thing with the vocals if we want to do a retake. If you have something with a few inputs, you can always do that with just a plain old analog mixer and it will likely be cheaper than something nice from MOTU (though their gear is brilliant).


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

PaulS said:


> Is there a way to make firewire work with Sonar (ASIO drivers) in the Windows 7 enviroment? We have two firewire interfaces but ran into some real issues when we tried to record or playback.


Really? I run my M-Audio 410 into my Win 7 PC with Sonar as my DAW, running ASIO4All with no problems at all. Then again, I just have one interface. Maybe the problem is having two? The bus is getting confused? Do the individual interfaces work on their own?


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2011)

PaulS said:


> Is there a way to make firewire work with Sonar (ASIO drivers) in the Windows 7 enviroment? We have two firewire interfaces but ran into some real issues when we tried to record or playback.


No clue. I use a Mac.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

It's a tough question to answer without knowing what your are looking to input. 16 channels of line level source is going to require a different solution than 16 channels of microphones. 

Both USB 2 and FW protocols have easily enough bandwidth to record and playback 16 channels simultaneously, if the device used has stable drivers from a reputable company. As an example, the RME UFX can handle 30 in/ 30 out via USB or FW.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

We are looking to record ourselves, a five piece band. Acoustic guitar,electric Guitar, bass guitar,harmonica/keys, vocals. Figure about 12 channels used. Would like to be able to interface to a laptop using Sonar 8. I'm a player not a recording engineer so I have a hard time trying to figure out the interface. Be it USB or Firewire I'm looking for some help on getting an interface to do the above. If we are recording we could probably get away with 8 as we would do tracks individually, I think...


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2011)

ronmac said:


> It's a tough question to answer without knowing what your are looking to input. 16 channels of line level source is going to require a different solution than 16 channels of microphones.
> 
> Both USB 2 and FW protocols have easily enough bandwidth to record and playback 16 channels simultaneously, if the device used has stable drivers from a reputable company. As an example, the RME UFX can handle 30 in/ 30 out via USB or FW.


There's three sides to that story: the USB chipset in the device, the USB chipset in the computer and the drivers. My experience says most factory-supplied USB I/O chipsets in computers suck and can't keep up with that kind of I/O demand. RME even talks about this in their System Requirements page for the UFX. Can it work? Sure. Plug and play? Wouldn't bet on it. Especially if you're using a laptop -- all kinds of corner cutting goes on their to make them affordable.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I am using this and it seems fine. Not putting any effects on during recording seems to work fine with my older laptop running xp but I am using Reaper not Sonar. 

Product: US-1641 | TASCAM


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> I am using this and it seems fine. Not putting any effects on during recording seems to work fine with my older laptop running xp but I am using Reaper not Sonar.
> 
> Product: US-1641 | TASCAM


+1 for this, great unit. The Tascam US-1800 and US-2000 are basically the same thing.

It has 8 mic pres, 2 line ins with gain, 4 line ins with preset gain to handle -10 or +4 devices, and 2 S/PDIF ins, so you'll need to take that into consideration if you're looking for 16 XLRs in. However, it's considerably more stable than a FireWire device.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

Thanks for the tip Pat, I checked out the US2000 and it looks like what I am asking for.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I do have to watch a bit because it overheats the computer due to the heavy USB usage when it's as hot as it is now. But I am using an older laptop. I managed to pick up mine on Ebay for $300. Tascam even helped my with installation but I never got their version of Cubase working. I then tried Reaper and it worked fine. Why Sonar? 



PaulS said:


> Thanks for the tip Pat, I checked out the US2000 and it looks like what I am asking for.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

It's what I am use to. Will be using a new laptop plenty of processing power and memory. The new US2000 is USB 2 which helps with matters.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

The 1641 is USB 2 as well.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

No longer made, discontinued it said replaced by 1800 and 2000


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

One of the things you can do when you're using a USB interface to avoid latency is to have a separate USB port for the interface by adding a PCI-Express USB card adaptor. This way, you are not sharing the bandwidth used by other devices that use the USB port on your laptop (ie, mouse). Just make sure the laptop you get has a slot for pci-express cards. I also have a Tascam US1641 and that's one of things I learned when I started researching on it.


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

Thanks for the info Chito


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

Well we ended up going with the Pre Sonus 16.0.2 setup. We just got it so now the fun begins. The next step is interfacing it to the computer. I'll keep you posted.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i bought the tascam us-1800 - $300 at l&m - and so far i am thrilled with it.


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