Best Audio Interface with 8 ins/outs for Under $1,000

[remixthewar]

Hi,

I am looking for the best audio interface for under $1,000 with 8 ins/outs, midi, word clock, and low latency for VSTI's for mac/pc. Focusrite, Echo Audio, TC, MOTU, M-audio, etc...

any thoughts?

peace,
-a

[jproc]

If you don't need pre-amps, then take a look at the Echo AudioFire12

12 balanced in / 12 balanced out, up to 192kHz on all channels simultaneously, very low latency (I get 6ms on my vista laptop), midi IO, wordclock, firewire, great driver support, led metering on all channels...

generally around $500...

[gaberamos615]

Echo, RME are at the top of the list.

Don't go with a "consumer" brand, get a pro.

[remixthewar]

thanks fellas...and sorry for the double post

regarding the RME and ECHO- I've heard good things about both but I really like the idea of 12 ins/outs with metering...any suggestions on preamps? The RME stuff is great just not sure if I want to pay for a lifeless pre when I could buy something separate...

I know that echo has just released the audiofirepre8 but I cant find a retailer or price on it. I imagine GC will have it eventually...

the audiofire12 looks to be solid- but I am not sure that I like the idea of using software to control levels, I'd rather turn a knob. has anybody used this with some sort of monitor control?

to all audiofire12 users...how do you have yours set up and what type of latency do you have? I use a pos firebox on a sony vaio at the moment and can get as low as 4ms without pops.

peace,
-a

[IBE]

AudioFire 12>Presonus Monitor Station>Adam A7, KRK Rokit 8 and 10 sub thumbsup

[bmdaugherty]

MOTU is solid. They have some great interfaces in that price range. The traveler comes to mind.

[KeithMoonwannabe]

Originally Posted by bmdaugherty

MOTU is solid. They have some great interfaces in that price range. The traveler comes to mind.

traveller is great but does the OP need something with built in preamps???

if so the traveller might not be the most practical option.

I will add the Yamaha N12 and Steinberg MR816 are both excellent for the money.

Echo and RME are definitely excellent pieces as well. Really everything you listed can work it just depends on your budget, what you like in workflow and what DAW you prefer. I'd search for anything you're considering on the forum and on google to get a feel for how owners of them like them that way you can see real world pros and cons so you know what you can live with and what you can't. Some workarounds or cons might not be a big deal for you while others may be a deal breaker.

[Janesaid2me]

Audiofire12 user here....love it...someday will eventually get another to be able to run 24 inputs. Anyways...ive had no issues with it, software runs excellent and is easy to use...has a onscreen mixing board which works nicely...but i also run the main outputs to a mackie 8bus board where i route it to all my different speakers and headphones and such...so i really dont use the computer mixing board that much...but there are times where i do...i dont think its a big factor of something you need to worry about as most newer things probably run with a similar program. The LEDs are definitely nice...big selling point for me...converters are excellent and have won alot of blind tests with higher end stuff....so its almost a no brainer here!

[tabiggs]

I've had my Echo AudioFire8 for nearly 2 years (home studio) and I'm happy with the results I get. I may eventually add a BLA Auteur Pre for another flavor, but the AF8 has very useable pre's, stable drivers (XP and Vista) and latency has never been a problem at all. Although I'm still pretty much a novice and don't do a lot of recording, I mainly record acoustic guitar/voice.

[skatmatt]

If you want to use PT then 2626

otherwise RME

[batflash]

I'm liking my Focusrite Liquid 56. I've got my 8 pres plus another 8 from my Mackie 800r Pre via ADAT.

Running it live for the past few months without any issues and very little to no latency on my MacBook Pro 15. Past session was 6 hours 20 minutes solid of 16 tracks with not a single hiccup.

It's been good to me so far.

-Bats

[remixthewar]

Bats- how do you like the pres in the focusrite?

peace,
-a

[ears2thesky]

I've got a Saffire 56 light-piped to a Platinum Octopre for 16 channels @88.2k. I am very pleased with the pres. The Liquid pres give it incredible flexibility for the money. The sound quality of the non-Liquid pres is superb, and the Liquids sound really good even with the processing bypassed.
I run the 10 line outs through a passive summer run back into the Liquid pres for mixdown. I can monitor the stems coming out of the DAW or the Liquid inputs through the S/PDIF out when mixing. It's pretty interesting hearing versions of the same mix with different preamp flavors for comparison.
The only issue I have with the LS56 is the monitoring section. The amps on the headphone outs aren't loud enough for tracking. All you need is a headphone amp and you're good to go.
This definitely the best home studio rig I've owned so far and I highly recommend the LS56.

[jproc]

Originally Posted by remixthewar

thanks fellas...and sorry for the double post

regarding the RME and ECHO- I've heard good things about both but I really like the idea of 12 ins/outs with metering...any suggestions on preamps? The RME stuff is great just not sure if I want to pay for a lifeless pre when I could buy something separate...

I know that echo has just released the audiofirepre8 but I cant find a retailer or price on it. I imagine GC will have it eventually...

the audiofire12 looks to be solid- but I am not sure that I like the idea of using software to control levels, I'd rather turn a knob. has anybody used this with some sort of monitor control?

to all audiofire12 users...how do you have yours set up and what type of latency do you have? I use a pos firebox on a sony vaio at the moment and can get as low as 4ms without pops.

peace,
-a

I have my audioFire 12 connected a Dell laptop running Vista, and I get a solid 6ms latency without any problem... with a better system the latency could be better...

I have my preamps connected to several of the inputs, and outputs 1&2 connected to a monitor controller... i use 9/10 and 11/12 as stereo effects loops for external fx... and if I needed to, I guess I could use outputs 3-8 as aux sends/cue mixes, etc... but I havent really needed to yet....

I've never needed to use the software audio mixer to change levels...they all just stay at 0db in the control panel...
my input levels I control with the output stage from the preamps... and my playback volume gets controlled with the external monitor controller.... anything else is getting changed by the mix levels inside of cubase....

Its basically 12 line level ins & 12 line level outs...only time i ever use the "audio mixer" control panel is to ocassionally switch an input from +4 to -10

[batflash]

Originally Posted by remixthewar

Bats- how do you like the pres in the focusrite?

peace,
-a

I find the pres in the "FLAT" setting to work out for about everything I do. I starting getting around to using the different emulations that come on the first two channels, and there are subtle, yet desirable, tasteful differences. When I get around to doing more critical vocal work, I will definitely be dialing in on some of the emulations the 56 has to offer.

There is plenty of gain for the assortment of mics I use. I do not own any ribbons, so I am not sure that they would hold up for ribbon mic use. I wish there were pads on every channel making channel management easier and less time consuming. However, for the few things I use pads on, it's not a big deal.

To get back to your question, I like em a lot. More than the pre's on my Akai DPS24. More than the pres on my M-Audio 1814. I can't really compare em to my Mackie 800r Pres just yet because I just got the unit and haven't really put it through its paces.

-Bats

[batflash]

Here's a quote for something I wrote recently about how I'm currently using my setup:

I've been doing live mixing twice a month for 6 or 7 months now through Logic Pro 8 for our open mic/open jam style sessions and have gotten great results. At first there was a bit of learning to do as live sound isn't something I'm all too used to.

Everything has been rock solid stable. Flexability with I/O has be great. The ability to use in-the-box processing has been a real aid to some sound issues including feedback. Lately I've been using apEQ when ringing out my monitors with great results. I can recall all tweaks and settings through saved templates. And to top it off, it's all being done on an Intel MacBook Pro 15, so the setup has a fairly small footprint.

Here's my setup and how I use it:

MacBook Pro running Logic Pro 8.
Focusrite Liquid 56
Mackie 800r pre's going into ADAT
4 Mains powered by QSC 1200w Amp
2 mics on the Drumkit
4 micsfor vocals
3 mics for electric gtrs
3 DIs for Acoustics
1 DI for Bass

Reason Slaved in Logic running Reason Pianos 24bit recording to it's own audio track.

So far we're talking 18 tracks of audio off the top of my head.

Through the monitors/mains I run the 4 vocals, 3 acoustics, 2 electrics, keys, and little kick. The vocals tracks each have their own EQ and Gate and then are bussed to a track running apEQ(for feedback) and reverb. Acoustics are bussed to another track running a compressor, verb, and eq. Electrics routed directly to the outs with compression and eq to them add a little fullness. Some of the woof of the kick is also run through the monitors, but only to add a little low-end presence the the kit. Keys are running from Reason Slaved in an Aux Track compressed and verbed. Again, all of the aforementioned tracks are monitored live. Everything that is bussed is being bussed to share plugs so I can save CPU power.

The DI'd bass and the overheads go silent.

Everything is being recorded to it's own track to an external hard drive via and eSATA expansion card on the Express34 port.

Last Friday we did 6 hours and 20 minutes of 16 tracks FLAWLESSLY.

About a month ago, I ran a 28 track stress test for an hour and 45 minutes flawlessly. The only reason I stopped was cause I didn't think I needed to test any longer.

BTW, Latency: Not an issue at all. I get near zero latency even with all the processing. I don't know how, but I do. We've got 9 players going on all at once at some times and we've not had a complaint yet. This is because I try to keep things tidy and minimalistic.... and the bussing helps.

Anyway, hope this little bit of info on my setup helps. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. If you have any suggestions, feel free to give them. Thanks!

[dickiefunk]

I was speaking to a well respected reviewer a while back and in terms of conversion quality and he rated these in this order :-

1/ Steinberg MR816
2/ TC Konnekt
3/ Focusrite Saffire
4/ Echo Audiofire 12.

He hasn't reviewed the RME, Profire 2626 or Motu interfaces yet though.

[mutilatedlip]

+1 on the Steinberg.

I wasn't quite expecting this quality at this price. Converters and preamps are top notch. Not far off anything at any price, IMO.

[Cameron Johnson]

If you have a spare PCI slot in your computer, I've been using M-Audio Delta 1010s for years and have never had any problems. Apparently, some other people have, though I've seen no evidence of quality control issues on my end. The conversion is quite good, and I run 2 of them all out with little to no latency on my system. Really quite a good steal.

The RME, Steinberg, and other suggestions are also all quite good choices, and I know I'd go with any of them in a heartbeat. I've heard MOTU have been having some QC issues, but I've rarely used any of their products, so I can't say for sure...

Cheers,
Cam

[Quantumphysics]

Originally Posted by remixthewar

Hi,

I am looking for the best audio interface for under $1,000 with 8 ins/outs, midi, word clock, and low latency for VSTI's for mac/pc. Focusrite, Echo Audio, TC, MOTU, M-audio, etc...

any thoughts?

peace,
-a

For a home rig? For your own music? The 1010's are fine - been using them for years (RME ADI-2 as well)
The 1010's at 96K and +4 out sound fine - solid drivers!
For a pro rig -
if you have good rooms/ears/source/monitors - after mastering few could tell the difference.

[MrCrowbar]

If you don't need the mic preamps, I highly recommend the Echo AudioFire line. The ADC (analogue to digital conversion) on those boxes is excellent for the price (no mushy or exaggerated bass, hi-hats sound like hi-hats, etc.) and even the Mac driver on Snow Leopard works flawlessly.

If you want something with 8 preamps, go for the M-Audio ProFire 2626. I have to agree with the opinions of many people in these forums, the preamps are clean, not noisy, something you can really work with and the ADC (analogue to digital conversion) is adequate too.

If you already own a "money channel" (a good preamp or channel strip), I'd get the ECHO Audiofire 8 (or 12) and get an SM PRO AUDIO PR 8 E (or EP84). These SM Pro preamps are dirt cheap and you're probably going to tear of a knob eventually, but they sound very transparent and are easy to repair (easy to open, big solder points and cables instead of circuit boards).

[remixthewar]

word...

my primary needs are for ins/outs to use with ableton live for live performances...but I also want the ability to record/mix on a professional level (at least as pro as I can get for the money). My buddy and I plan to start tracking drums using his api lunchbox mixed with a couple of other choice preamps (in a nice tight sounding room) we need as much i/o as we can get to do it right. at the moment I am leaning towards the audiofire 12 but now a part of me is conisdering uping the budget to get a better interface...RME or Ensemble...not certain how much the converison is going to help if we already have some badass pres (api). I think m-audio is totally out of the question (quality/feature wise) - and Im not a fan of pro-tools and will most certainly be mixing in Logic with UAD plugs. Does anyone have any solid sound examples of the echo/vs rme/vs apogee?

peace,
-a

[Shawn D]

+1 for the M-audio Profire 26

I got one and Im very happy with it.... its really configurable and the software is easy to use. I also have the focusrite saffire pro 26 adat';d to it... i like the focusrite's preamps but no the incl. software.

[MrCrowbar]

Originally Posted by remixthewar

word...

my primary needs are for ins/outs to use with ableton live for live performances...but I also want the ability to record/mix on a professional level (at least as pro as I can get for the money). My buddy and I plan to start tracking drums using his api lunchbox mixed with a couple of other choice preamps (in a nice tight sounding room) we need as much i/o as we can get to do it right. at the moment I am leaning towards the audiofire 12 but now a part of me is conisdering uping the budget to get a better interface...RME or Ensemble...not certain how much the converison is going to help if we already have some badass pres (api). I think m-audio is totally out of the question (quality/feature wise) - and Im not a fan of pro-tools and will most certainly be mixing in Logic with UAD plugs. Does anyone have any solid sound examples of the echo/vs rme/vs apogee?

peace,
-a

ECHO and RME aren't that far apart in terms of ADC. I can imagine they both use the same components (ECHO lists their components on the website very nicely). If you want a noticeable sound upgrade, get an external clock. A good clock makes a difference in higher kHz, but I think that's not in the Low End domain anymore.

The ECHO AudioFire line has very solid drivers for Mac. Even on Snow Leopard it works without hickups and you can stack up plenty of tracks with Logic's minimum buffer. I still hear some latency when doing vocals and the monitoring goes through Logic (Macbook Pro), so I'd recommend some outboard gear if you absolutely need effects on the artist headphones. The TC M350 works nicely for that, basic compression, nice reverbs, and no annoying clicking and menu navigation. Just some rotary selectors and knobs.

[redroom]

Steinberg MR816 sounds wonderfull and holds its own against the major league boys

[JoFo]

Originally Posted by redroom

Steinberg MR816 sounds wonderfull and holds its own against the major league boys

what is the difference between the MR816 X and the MR816 CSX?

[lobsty]

Another vote for MOTU - I still swear by my 828mkII. Never given me any grief... 8 line ins and two (reasonable) pres, and 8 outs (plus main L/R outs)
... seems like it'll cover everything you need for what you're doing and still give you plenty of options should your needs change/grow/evolve.

[rolo95]

Originally Posted by redroom

Steinberg MR816 sounds wonderfull and holds its own against the major league boys

Havent heard it but many good reviews

btw
is a yamaha box... with the steinberg name stamped

[out-of-bed]

Audiofire 12 and Adam A7's are some of the most hyped pieces of gear in Gearslutz. I bought both of them without being able to hear them first in Helsinki. I took the risk because so many ppl here seemed to be really happy with them.

I couldn't be happier myself. I spent less than 1000 euros (bought the AF used) for two central pieces of gear in my studio. For a noticeable upgrade I would probably have to spend four or five times that much.

The AF software console is great. You can route any input to any output - i.e. much more versatile than any inteface with knobs. It's zero latency. The only downside is having to adjust the volume with a mouse. But just get a (passive) volume knob like the one from TC electronic's.

Btw, Echo has the best customer service I've ever encountered.