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Hello, The Forum,
I've been away from computers since about 2y now (health issues). Since I'd like to buy a new soundboard (mine's M-audio fasttracks ultra USB), I could use some valuable input.
PS: I don't intend to launch a techy debate, just "for dummies" info would be great.
System is win7 64b, budget depends (as always), activity is about playing guitar along my BiaB home-made jazz backing tracks.
Above all, Thanx in advance.
Last edited by Moshe13us; 04/11/22 03:24 PM.
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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Focusrite and Presonus are commonly recommended, though most USB sound modules should be fine. Some have dedicated ASIO drivers.
Most or all should have a Direct Monitor output; some larger ones will have a built-in mixer; often simple.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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Moshe13us Whats your budget ? Heres a list of interfaces that pg users find work well. https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=635707#Post635707The biggest tip i can give you is to RENT an interface for 30 days…i have a friendly local music store that offers this. Reason being a buddy might tell you a interface works on his rig but that Doesnt necessarily mean it will work for YOU. 30 days rental will give you plenty of time to try it out. Personally if were me i would try out the following… Ssl2+, motu m4 ...and audient that i use…but there lots of others. You will hear a zillion recommends. Particularly focus on the latency figures and mic preamp quality, as well as the stats on the outputs. One reason i like audient is the quality of the mic pre’s/the quality of the audio output…and the low latency. As i said RUN TESTS. A very good reviewer of audio interfaces i rate highly is you tube julian krause Who does very deep analysis. https://www.youtube.com/c/JulianKrause/videosIf you have a big budget , check out RME Best om
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 04/12/22 01:29 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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Joined: Jul 2011
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Thanx for support.
As for budget, I honestly can't tell since it depends upon markets involved (new or secondary), opportunities or technology involved.
I'd begin with a shortlist I'll submit to forum members.
Mo.
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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I would definitely pick something that comes with their own ASIO drivers if you're using it with a Windows computer, and not one that uses generic ASIO drivers like ASIO4ALL or FlexASIO. There's a lot of really great makes and models out there, but sometimes when you go with something a bit on the cheaper side you do get what you pay for quality wise, so that is something to be wary of. Just make sure whatever you pick will work with your operating system. Some devices will need drivers to be installed which may or may not work with Win 7 as it is no longer a supported operating system by many companies including Microsoft themselves (Windows 7 support ended on January 14, 2020).
Cheers,
Ember
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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@Ember.
Concerning drivers problem, I can't find support for my M-audio Fasttracks Ultra, since they stopped developing after Win7.
Focusrite and Presonus seem to appear frequently in shortlists but I'd like to get the input from a previous M-audio owner (like MarioD)...
Mo.
Last edited by Moshe13us; 04/18/22 05:39 PM.
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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I'm a previous M-Audio owner too, and I went with Focusrite
Worked fine on W7 for me, but I have retired that machine in recent months so can't check now
Which Focusrite to get depends on how many ins/outs you need
In your situation a 2i2 may do the job, but if you had more ins/outs previously maybe a model or two up would work
One thing I'd point out with Focusrite is the 2i2 level does not have a software mixer app, which is helpful in certain settings, just about any model above that would .. far as I know
I have a 2i2 that I keep around because it is handy sometimes (USB powered and portable) and does the job nicely
but mainly we use the 18i20's which is likely overkill for you
Presonus has also proved to be a nice one for your situation from what I have observed, so your research seems to be accurate in my experience anyway
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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Focusrite seem remarkably coy about which units have internal mixers. From this: Does my bus powered Scarlett (Solo, 2i2, 2i4, 4i4) require Scarlett MixControl or Focusrite Control?and also this: Saffire/Scarlett MixControl Tutorial Part I: Creating Mixes I think the 3rd (current) generation units all have a mixer, but the earlier 1st and 2nd generation Solo, 2i2 and 4i4 do not. I can confirm that only so far fro personal knowledge ... my 1st generation Solo and 2i2 do not have a mixer, my 3rd generation 8i6 does. I'm pretty confident these are all simply mixers, with no processing whatsoever ... no EQ, no compression, no gate, etc.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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I bought a 2i2 3rd generation Focusrite Scarlett for a church two years ago, and to my knowledge that model does NOT have the Focusrite Control software.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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I bought a 2i2 3rd generation Focusrite Scarlett for a church two years ago, and to my knowledge that model does NOT have the Focusrite Control software.
And yet their own page as linked says: 3rd Gen: Scarlett Solo | Scarlett 2i2 | Scarlett 4i4
Yes, Focusrite Control is required for these devices. Focusrite are doing themselves no favours by being this opaque and/or misleading. Their current documentation about this seems a bit scattergun and inconsistent. I am now inclined to believe Matt's statement rather than Focusrite's documentation. I have some opinions now why their documentation may be thus as I've recently noticed other reductions in their technical knowledge.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
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I only know what was the case two years ago. They may well have changed since.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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I only know what was the case two years ago. They may well have changed since. What Focusrite don't say is whether the 2i2 has a mixer. They do now say Focusrite Control "is required", though I think also that may not be correct. A concern I have is that I do know for sure that Focusrite have changed things "silently" in the past, so they may have done similar now. One likes to think that USB sound modules will be class compliant. As a mostly Linux user, I'm used to checking if a device really works OK with Linux, as very occasionally things don't. I was very lucky with my Saffire Pro40 that when I bought it, it was one of the earlier models. The later model, known to ffado as the Pro40.1, appears essentially the same except it has all the logical channels, not the few gaps as the original pro40 had. That was because they changed the chipset from (IIRC) DICE II to DICE III, which makes a huge difference under the surface to how the unit is driven. But Focusrite stayed quiet about the change, initially asked for help getting new Linux drivers, then they went totally cold (maybe TCHelicon had an NDA or something) and stonewalled me. I tried for about a year before giving up. By the end of that year, they also said the developer had left. In their defence, I believe TCHelicon discontinued the DICE II, so Focusrite had no choice but to change, but that doesn't excuse them from not at least saying what was the issue. I would not expect problems working on Windows or Mac as Focusrite sell explicitly for those platforms. I must add that whilst i know some things about Focusrite, I've long liked their products, and I don't have any experience with other manufacturers' modules, so do not know if they have had similar issues (DICE chips are common to many larger modules, so that may be widespread). The smaller units, e.g., Solo, 2i2, 4i4, almost certainly don't use DICE.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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Ember,
What would be your better buys for a usage involving recording a nylon guitar along BiaB Backing tracks?
According to the first advices I could get here, Focusrite, Prosonus and Roland come on top of shortlists.
Thanks
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Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic)
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<< " ... activity is about playing guitar along my BiaB home-made jazz backing tracks." >>
<< "Concerning drivers problem, I can't find support for my M-audio Fasttracks Ultra, since they stopped developing after Win7." >>
<< " What would be your better buys for a usage involving recording a nylon guitar along BiaB Backing tracks?" >>
Welcome to the world of PC obsolescence...
It appears from your remarks your only issue with your current audio interface is lack of support to upgrade your PC or OS.
If your goal is to continue playing guitar along with BIAB backing tracks and you were completely satisfied with the M-Audio interface capturing your guitar accurately, why make an interface change?
You can still use your same recording chain through the M-audio simply by rerouting to bypass the USB output. The M-Audio isn't USB powered so it will operate with its own power connection. Take L-R line-outs from the M-Audio to any SD recorder and transfer the SD to your PC.
This will work on any PC, OS new or old and any future system as long as it accepts SD or USB.
I recommend the Tascam DP-006 for your setup. This is the best buy to provide the most versatility and portability. You'll be able to record your guitar anytime, anywhere and easily transfer tracks to whatever PC and DAW you use.
. No PC required to record your instrument
. Portable - It will operate for hours on batteries
. Has built in mics for non-critical recording, capturing and discovering new ideas or just practice.
. BIAB tracks can be transferred to the DP-006
. The M-Audio doesn't have to be discarded and is saved from obsoletion.
. Choosing a Home Recording Studio Device provides you with audio editing without connecting to a DAW.
. This audio recorder has punch-in capability to easily correct mistakes on the fly.
. No drivers or configuration required. Ever...
. Your recording chain remains intact.
. No technical expertise required. Works great "for dummies"
. Currently on sale for $149 and sale includes headphones, mic and 16 GB Card. That's quite a deal.
. It's a very rugged unit and should last you for decades. Mine has...
Just thinking out loud.
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 04/30/22 01:52 AM.
BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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@Charlie Fogle
Thank you for support and expertise. Since I'd like to benefit from your info, I'll be sure to understand the implications for my basic needs.
I think I can consider the topic as resolved...
Mo
Last edited by Moshe13us; 05/14/22 07:18 AM.
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