Looking for an RME interface

[PepsiFX357]

I currently have two MOTU HD192 interface. They do not work for linux. I hate MOTU now. I am looking for an RME interface that is comparable. 24 channel analog in and out. I don't want to spend over the amount I spent on these two MOTU units. But I want the same thing. I don't need any digital outs ins just analog. This is hooking up to a patchbay and a soundcraft 24 channel mixer.

Thank you,

Ben

P.S. Piss off MOTU! Quit being biased!

[AlexK]

I wouldn't describe myself as a Linux expert, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any drivers for RME interfaces in Linux either.

In fact I don't think there really is any support for the recording side of things in Linux.

I'd happily be proven wrong, but that's just what I'm led to believe.

[diogo_c]

I've came accross this on the RME user forum:

"An Open Source driver would mean sharing technical details we don't wish to share..."

Regards,
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Not a surprise, but still quite disturbing.

Check out the RME section @ ALSA wiki if you want further details, seems like they are making progress on driver development there.

[AlexK]

I'm not sure I'd describe it as disturbing - at the end of the day RME are a business and they have to protect their investments (software and hardware). The RME interfaces are known for their stable drivers, and making them open-source would open much of this up to other manufacturers to 'plagiarise'.

If you really want a usable Unix-based recording environment, you need a Mac. The software just isn't out there for Linux at the moment. It will come, but it's quite a way off...

[diogo_c]

Originally Posted by AlexK

I'm not sure I'd describe it as disturbing - at the end of the day RME are a business and they have to protect their investments (software and hardware). The RME interfaces are known for their stable drivers, and making them open-source would open much of this up to other manufacturers to 'plagiarise'.

If you really want a usable Unix-based recording environment, you need a Mac. The software just isn't out there for Linux at the moment. It will come, but it's quite a way off...

Yes, agree on the software part - they are not on the same league.....but maybe that's because manufacturers don't make the drivers?

One thing carries the other.

Make those drivers open, and sell more interfaces.

[PepsiFX357]

Originally Posted by diogo_c

I've came accross this on the RME user forum:

"An Open Source driver would mean sharing technical details we don't wish to share..."

Regards,
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Not a surprise, but still quite disturbing.

Check out the RME section @ ALSA wiki if you want further details, seems like they are making progress on driver development there.

Thank you for finding that, I have been racking my brain as to why MOTU hates linux, and open source for that matter.

As for Mac and Windows. They are both lacking and falling behind. Neither one of them can come up with a decent 64bit system end to end. However with linux, I can. I plan to have a linux storage server (secure and RELIABLE) and VST server for plugins which will be nice. Windows 7 is promising, but I'm just damn tired of waiting and wasting money!

[AlexK]

Whether the system is truly 64 bit or not is irrelevant, it's how well it works that's the matter, and I can almost guarantee you're going to struggle to get a good recording rig going with Linux. There's a reason none of the big studios use Linux to run DAW systems. No ProTools/Logic/Nuendo/DP support, and hardly any plugins...

[yoink]

Echo Audio has been fantastic about providing support for Linux. All their PCI interfaces (Layla3G, Layla24 etc.) are supported. And while the latter are long discontinued, they're still viable recording interfaces, especially under linux. I also had a quick look and they support some M-Audio interfaces as well.

We used a Layla24 to test some early builds of Ardour. Ardour is fantastic now - works quite well on the Mac as well with support for AU plugins (Mac only.) While there aren't many commercial audio plugins for Linux, there is a vast number of free, open source plugins. (http://www.linux-sound.org/plugins.html)

In the end, if you have an ALSA-capable device with ADAT Optical I/O you can use another set of converters and still feed a linux distro quality audio.

Ubuntu Studio, last time I checked, was quite good.

[SubmerseMusic]

Actually, Snow Leopard on Mac makes programs such as Logic Pro "64-bit". Meaning that Logic can now use more than 4 Gb of RAM.

[PepsiFX357]

Originally Posted by yoink

In the end, if you have an ALSA-capable device with ADAT Optical I/O you can use another set of converters and still feed a linux distro quality audio.
Ubuntu Studio, last time I checked, was quite good.

MADI might be a good route. The reason I need 64 bit is because of RAM and my storage server. I'm going to be using a combination of VMware and/or KVM for virtualizing windows in a 64 bit environment for virtual synths, vst plugins, and samplers. Thats what I need the ram for. I won't be using a ton of plugins, just a few for compression and gating. But I still need a 24 channel D/A to get to my console. And of course I want linux because of it's reliability. The only reason I don't just fork out the dough for protools is because I don't like digidesign. I like to be different.

Ubuntu studio was going to be my choice OS

[PepsiFX357]

So I'm going with an RME HDSP MADI card and an SSL ALPHA MADI AX converter. Hopefully I can get that to run in UBuntu. The drivers seem to support this card and it's MADI capabilities.

[SubmerseMusic]

I wish you luck!

[PepsiFX357]

Oh, it WILL work. I didn't just spend $3,000 for it not to work!

I'll go to a 4 year, programmers school and work for RME just to get the info to write the driver myself if I have to!

[shanabit]

Originally Posted by PepsiFX357

Oh, it WILL work. I didn't just spend $3,000 for it not to work!

I'll go to a 4 year, programmers school and work for RME just to get the info to write the driver myself if I have to!

Maybe I missed something here but everyone is developing for Windows and OSX.
Linux for DAW use seems to be dead.

Good luck on your new 4 year programming degree and subsequent job with RME

[diogo_c]

Originally Posted by shanabit

Linux for DAW use seems to be dead.

Not really, take a look at Ardour.

[shanabit]

Originally Posted by diogo_c

Not really, take a look at Ardour.

Any more than just one??

[brockorama]

Originally Posted by PepsiFX357

I'll go to a 4 year, programmers school and work for RME just to get the info to write the driver myself if I have to!

when are you gonna find time to record

[alehoe]

Originally Posted by SubmerseMusic

Actually, Snow Leopard on Mac makes programs such as Logic Pro "64-bit". Meaning that Logic can now use more than 4 Gb of RAM.

uhhh no logic is still 32-bit

[SubmerseMusic]

Actually with Snow Leopard it is 64-bit. Why do you think they came out with a new operating system? A. to make things faster B. so the big Mac Pros can use more RAM

Look It Up

[Jam]

Originally Posted by SubmerseMusic

Actually with Snow Leopard it is 64-bit. Why do you think they came out with a new operating system? A. to make things faster B. so the big Mac Pros can use more RAM

Look It Up

Snow Leopard is indeed 64 bit capable. Unfortunately Logic is not.

Here's hoping it is soon.

James

[toulcit]

I agree to disagree :D.
Linux is an excellent platform for audio, it's cheap stable and versatile.
Jack let's you route things anywhere you like, and well the best audio card for linux is the RME Hammerfall 9632 or 9652, which even comes with a software mixer!
Sure I'm all outboard on my part, because I think the plugs aren't that great, but I'm anti plug.
But with the new Harrison mixbus, which soon will run on Linux, you get really good plugs for a very low price. Plus the stability and the route naything anywhere approach! I have been working for a long time in Linux now and I like it. The Ardour DAW has been supported by several companies including SSL, SAE, and Harrison to name a few. And Harrison has been helping improving this DAW for years, and years to come.
So Price quality wise, you get a lot for less.

And with Jack you can even transport audio realtime via network to another Ardour DAW anywhere on this planet..

And ont jte plus side, Ardour is cheap, but doesn't look cheap. I'm as comfortable sitting behind Protools as Ardour.

But that's just my 2 cents

[toulcit]

oh and Ardour is 64 bit
And has unlimited audio tracks,
and doesn't require you to bring a dongle everywhere you go.
And runs on every platform which supports linux. (Desktops, laptops, netbooks, even UMPC's)

see specs here:

ardour - the digital audio workstation

[toulcit]

Originally Posted by shanabit

Any more than just one??

There is ofcourse also Rosegarden, which is more like the Cubase under linux.
Ardour is more intended as the Protools under linux

[shanabit]

Originally Posted by toulcit

There is ofcourse also Rosegarden, which is more like the Cubase under linux.
Ardour is more intended as the Protools under linux

Thanks. I was of the impression that Linux had fizzled out somewhat since usually the tweakheads seem to gravitate towards it now and no one seems to be writing DAW or Plugins for it. Im thinking OSX code is based off of Linux???


Thanks man

[toulcit]

And of course there is Harrison Mixbus,
which is ready for Mac but in development for Linux.

harrisonconsoles.com - Mixbus

It gives you anything I explained earlier about Ardour and Jack, but Harrison upgraded the Ardour DAW and integrated their plugins in the mixer channels.
See site for more info on this, and pics!

[toulcit]

Originally Posted by AlexK

Whether the system is truly 64 bit or not is irrelevant, it's how well it works that's the matter, and I can almost guarantee you're going to struggle to get a good recording rig going with Linux. There's a reason none of the big studios use Linux to run DAW systems. No ProTools/Logic/Nuendo/DP support, and hardly any plugins...

The ALSA RME drivers for the hammerfall series are very good, alsa even developed a software mixer to go with it.
http://pd.klingt.org/files/hdspmixer.png

Lately I record and mix everything from classical music to Jazz to hiphop.
And everything is working great! All the time, never any hickups. As for plugs there are hundreds of plugs for linux, just not many commercial, and there are even ways to integrate commercial plugs into ardour, and well there is Harrison.

I wouldn't go back to windows even if there was a gun pointed at my head :D
Here is a link from Sound on Sound on a studio who is using Linux as their DAW.
Linux And Music

Using Linux For Recording & Mastering

Oldies, but goodies

Sorry guys dun mean to be a jerk or anything, but I can't stand it if people b*tch on things they haven't had experience with, just needed to set the record straight.

But my workflow may not apeal to anyone, but simply saying Ardour is not a good DAW, or Linux is not ready for it is a bit naive.
If you prefer to use another DAW because you want to use commercial plugs, or have another workflow or for any reason for that matter, yes sure I can understand. In the beginning the system had some rough edges here and there.
But since the coming of Ubuntu Studio which is specialized for Audio, Video and graphic design things are working very good. Ubuntu music uses a realtime kernel which is optimized for audio, and when installing you can chose to install hundreds of plugs. Plugins For Ardour | ardour

Home | Ubuntu Studio

See here to check if your audio card is supported:
Matrix:Main - AlsaProject

peace,

p.s. If you have more question bring 'em on.

[toulcit]

Originally Posted by shanabit

Thanks. I was of the impression that Linux had fizzled out somewhat since usually the tweakheads seem to gravitate towards it now and no one seems to be writing DAW or Plugins for it. Im thinking OSX code is based off of Linux???


Thanks man

Well that;s the story the marketing people from Apple tell you haha,
the truth is really:

Linux is based on Unix and open source and developed by everyone
BSD is based on Unix and was developed at Berkely and later on also open source

Then at some point there were 2 OS'es Apple could choose from,
BSD and Beos.

Why I dunno, but Apple choosed BSD to use for their OS.
BSD probably configurable as hell
Beos looks remarkebly like Apple and for audio the 3dmix app is really cool http://www.flipcode.com/archives/art...eosintro01.jpg

OpenBSD pic: http://joewing.net/programs/jwm/screenshots/jwm-1.2.png
Beos pic: http://www.student.uib.no/~jri022/huin105/beoshistory/BeOSDesktop.png

I have to admit, I was once in love with BeOS haha.
But Linux is more matured, for anything, if only the linux people could port the 3dmix app :D

But to be honest every Apple owner I know thinks his software can easily work on Linux or visa versa, but nothing could be further from the truth. MacOS and Linux are very diffirent, yet are related in a way. But more like cousins, not like brothers.

[toulcit]

oh and forgot to mention, here you can check if your firewire
cards work in Linux, MOTU for example:

Device support database | ffado.org


If your planning to go the Linux route go RME, altough they don't make opensource drivers, they provide the hardware details to the lads of ALSA to make the perfect drivers (For people who know the same as Nvidia vs ATI discussion). And the peops from alsa made the software mixer to go with. While the likes of MOTU do nothing, they don't make drivers or hand out details. So the people of ALSA have to reverse engineer those drivers to be able to make them. And they do this in their spare time, and they live of donations! Of course nothing would be possible without the help of the community, ALSA is no company but a community. As is the Linux community who financial, and in other ways support those and other projects. Ardour isn't making their money buy selling their products, but live purely from donations, mostly from the community, and certain companies like Harrison, and used to be financially supported by SAE and SSL. And as far as I know the Ardour dev team isn't loaded like the people from Avid :P.
So remember when you get into Linux, you also get yourself into a community and the ubuntu forums are a great place to get all questions answered.

cheers,

p.s. My setup:

Ubuntu Studio 9.04 (have to upgrade it to 9.10)
RME Hamerfall 9652
Yamaha 01V96 (adat)
etc. etc.

[toulcit]

The SSL computers run unix.

[PepsiFX357]

Wow, didn't realize this thread would cause this much attention.

I've recieved my RME HDSP MADI card and it seems to work out of the box. The ALSA HDSP mixer doesn't work for the MADI cards though, only the other RME cards. :(

No big deal though, I really didn't need the mixer as I am running straight out from the card into an SSL Alpha and into my console. Now, I'm just waiting on the SSL to arrive, probably another week and a half, and then I'll know for sure. (I've got a friend who is supplying me with IT industry standard Fiber cable for the MADI) SUPER CHEAP! 100 feet of it for $40.

I've got one of those old MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV units that run through parallel. I'm currently trying to get it to work under linux so I can have a MIDI computer with NET JACK sending the Audio over Ethernet to my DAW.