Cheapest Audio interface you'll class as pro?

[dobz]

I'm looking for a Audio interface that you would feel has the ability ( with the right gear around it) to produce Cd quality audio?

At the moment i'm looking at 3 or 4

1. Yamaha i88x - Most people that use these claim they are a hidden gem and from what i hear i agree. It is most likely the one i will purchase at the moment and the best priced. $379.99


2. Konnekt 24d - People are starting to rave about these as well short some inputs on the i88x but is expandable. What worries me is the drivers are a bit unstable at the moment. $500.00

3. Second hand 002 rack - looking at this because people love pro tools when they are looking for somewhere to record. But its not really my cup of tea, most people here call them overrated.. $750.00

4. Second hand Fireface 400 - most people here like these but the price is starting to get a bit steep for me and i don't know if the quality is better than the i88x which is under half the price? $800.00

Which ever unit i choose i will expand on with some nice pre amps (looking at great river) and also a nice 8 channel preamp (when i find a nice one round $800). Pretty much i don't want the AD/DA to be my weak link in the chain.

Any advice and other suggestions would be great.

Cheers

[warhead]

As far as "pro" goes I'd be willing to bet each of those devices could produce a very decent sound for anybody with skill. I still lean towards PCI based devices, although when doing remote gigs I've never really been burned by Firewire.

I'm not so sure the question you pose makes any real difference, I'm sorry to say. "Pro" is usually in the person, not necessarily the gear if you have decent tools.

You would likely find 50:1 "pros" using a 002 vs. all of those other interfaces combined, if you look around at working studios.

War

[bobwarren]

I'm a MOTU man. PCI and firewire; no problems here!

[DSD_Mastering]

I'd also look into the LynxTWO cards. You can get them in a few configurations and the converters are decent. RME is good too.

Regards,
Bruce

[jonmatifa]

I jumped on the Layla 24 its awesome

[Acoustic Cloud]

I would word that as "Least amount of mixing ability to be considered pro"

That really is the bottom line.

(Runs quickly behind flame barrier)

[Janesaid2me]

Never used any of the units but i agree with War...pro is mostly in the person not the equipment...sure you dont want to use cr@ppy stuff...but experience can out weigh the junk in most showdowns.

[uncle duncan]

A Motu piece that's been modded by Black Lion is probably going to beat anything in its price range. Without the mod....my clients are asking me why the stuff we're recording these days sounds so much better than the stuff from last year. The BL mod is the answer. But I've been making CD's with stock Motu gear for years, and people have been buying them. When you consider people were making CD's using 16bit ADATs a few years ago, todays gear is more than adequate.

[soultrane]

don't forget echo audiofire 8 or 12... i have the 12, perfect interface for someone with a proper desk....

(no spdif or aes/ebu on the 12, though...)

[Jaguar Dreams]

Besides my own gear, I also have some slutty friends on budgets so I've gotten to hear a number of converter units. I really like the RME line. The Hammerfall series is great. There's another thread here on gearslutz where someone did a blind comparison between RME and Apogee and it seemed to be a pretty even split among those who voted. After doing my own blind listening, I went out and bought an RME and I am very glad that I did.

I personally do not like the sound of the Digi002 converters. Their high-end converters sound great. The 002 has the Digi name, but that's about it. I know several people who own it and they all use other converter units and run the digital outs into the 002.

To my ears, I hear huge differences between 48KHz and 96Khz. Whatever you choose, make sure it can handle 24bit/96KHz.

-Jaguar

[Spectacle]

The Alesis iO/26 is an option you should consider:

http://www.alesis.com/product.php?id=96

[dobz]

The alesis looks ok...but i dont really see it's converters being up to the spec of the i88x or the Fireface. Plus it's not rack mountable which is a downside see i'm starting up a little studio. If you can convince me that it's sound quality is above the 002 and the i88x i will probably get it.

[Spectacle]

Originally Posted by dobz

The alesis looks ok...but i dont really see it's converters being up to the spec of the i88x or the Fireface.

Why? Is this a brand reputation thing? For my needs, it has been much better than OK. Rock solid, and fantastic, really. I've been very happy so far.

Originally Posted by dobz

Plus it's not rack mountable which is a downside see i'm starting up a little studio.

I understand the concern about rackmountability, but you always need something on top, right?.

Originally Posted by dobz

If you can convince me that it's sound quality is above the 002 and the i88x i will probably get it.

I have not heard the i88x, so I cannot comment on relative sound quality, beyond saying how much I like the iO/26. But I should point out that the Alesis does have quite a bit more to offer than the Yamaha, feature-wise: 8 pres vs. 2, 8 xlr inputs vs. 2, 8 more input channels total, records up to 192kHz (vs. 96kHz on the i88x), phono i/o, 2 headphone jacks vs. 1. Also, the iO/26 is really solidly built -- makes the ore portable (and more expensive) MOTU stuff feel like toys in comparison. These features may or may not matter to you, but you should know what they are, so you can make the choice that is right for you.

I can't speak to comparisons with the 002 at all, but they are in totally different realms pricewise (the rackmount 002 new is three times the price), and at $399 the Alesis iO/26 is a real stunner.

[bobwarren]

Originally Posted by uncle duncan

A Motu piece that's been modded by Black Lion is probably going to beat anything in its price range. Without the mod....my clients are asking me why the stuff we're recording these days sounds so much better than the stuff from last year. The BL mod is the answer. But I've been making CD's with stock Motu gear for years, and people have been buying them. When you consider people were making CD's using 16bit ADATs a few years ago, todays gear is more than adequate.

Can you expound on the type of mod and post maybe a link to BL? Thanks

[bobwarren]

Beat you to it. I'm definately interested!

Motu Modifications

[jeronimo]

I might be wrong but I would go Yamaha before going Alesis...