PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production Review of a new Mini Pc i just got for b'day thats got me cranked up.

By the way, nothing from Audent has those specifications, which is why I can't suggest them. Last I looked, M-Audio, Focusrite, MOTU, and 25 other companies did.

William.

huh ??

heres audients awards....

https://audient.com/tag/award/

note the namm tec award.

i'm happy with my evo..works great in bb/rb/reaper.
very low latency.

maybe thousands of people who are useing audient are wrong ?? just google 'audient reviews and awards'.

happiness.

om

William,
don't even try.
This is a thread of sophistry based avoidance of buyer's remorse.
Gordon & Mike run with the tech knowledge & experience but neither is a match for "...yeah, but...".

I wouldn't worry. William just created a forum account to post that.

Oh dear...

Those are participation trophies. Everybody who wants one and advertises with NAMM gets one in some category or another. They think of enough categories till everyone is satisfied. Then these non-awards are touted by Marketing departments everywhere—which is the point of having them at all.

I am not being cynical, That really is how it works—says a co-recipient of the Jolt Cola Tech Award for something or other 25 years ago (Software Development, I think). In honor of that award, I drank my first and last can. The company kept the fridge stocked with Jolt and V8, my work beverage of choice.

Oh yes, besides being a member, I have had a direct relationship with NAMM over the years.

[img:left]https://photos.app.goo.gl/keCB8vPdVbYs6xTE9[/img]

True.

FWIW, I banned, with a grin, just one phrase for my teams "yeah but".
The rule was that if you had a different case, you had to explain it and why and be prepared to debate it. Some of those "yeah, b.., Yeah b..., umm..." moments turned int changes of direction.

I've listened to high-end hi-fi enthusiasts who will swear blind that cables are directional despite that it's easy to prove that they're not. If they're happy to part with their money, that's their choice. Maybe there are evil spirits in cables that are the wrong way round.

Yes, to both the usurping and the uninitiated. Definitely.

ALL..

(ps Steve i figured that out mate…kudos to you.)

ADDENDUM.

heres a interface shootout with real audio examples i posted awhile back.

my audient is on the list. personally the only one that i felt was better than the others..and it was very subtle to my ears was the UAD APOLLO.

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/best-audio-interfaces-shootout/

i forgot to mention the above was done by Lynn Fuston..
read his in depth music ptoduction bio at the bottom of the article. below where he comments on each interface includeing my audient.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

believe it or not i have a pretty good trak record when it comes to choosing gear.

so lets have a bit of fun in the spirit of transparency etc…like they do on some gear sites using live examples of gear for comparison.

Gordon…you use a scarlett interface right ? i KNOW this is a good interface.

Mike……..i believe MAUDIO ? correct ? model ?
(btw thanks for the namm info…i wasnt aware of that. jeesh.)

Ray…whats your interface ? (no buyers remorse here.)

SO…heres what i'll do for s's n' giggles. cos i'm all about having fun with this stuff..

i'll go to my fav gear store and rent the 3 interfaces you all own. then WITHOUT any post recording tarting up//conditioning….ie DRY. record vocs through each..and fourthly with my audient evo.

then i'll post the four examples on pg here (with links)...and throw it out for all pg users to participate and choose if they can tell the diff…and their fav interface. (each interface will be anon for fairness.)

thats about as fair as i can be….cos this cockney lad enjoys a good challenge.

this has been done on other user gear sites with fun interesting results. eg gearspace has a fun thread dealing with mic pre's//examples.

how about it ?

only prob is a ryder (and its not a get out !!) youll have to be patient as my doctors have scared the heck out of me/wife re covid and a medical thing i wont bore you with….(all is good right now..)
so i gotta be v careful with going to the busy gear store..and can only do this when my docs say its safe…if thats not acceptable…i dont have a good alternative as i dont wanna muck up my health.

as i said at the beginning ive a pretty good trak record in choosing gear.
as examples…yonks ago..

…was chastised by hi end studio blokes for suggesting people try pg powertraks..who then said. ('what ?? it can do that ??'..lol.)
…biab …same…('oh its just for elevator music !' )
…reaper version 1 ('oh it'll never go anywhere !')

debate on //differences re gear isnt new for me. as one example in industry a client didnt listen to me.

note…i'm not the only audient user here on pg ..ive noticed on occasion other people posting.
i just dont enjoy my integrity being questioned.

for anyone else in the market for an audio interface i recommend this site hosted by julian krause who uses test n' measurement equipment etc on interfaces.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0HrD4cTsQpAZ8KK9jPzzGg

happiness

om

Hmm, well, it depends on the system on which I'm working.
This system has a Gen1 Scarlett 2i2.
My notepad has a Gen3 Scarlett 8i6.
The PC my wife uses has a Scarlett Solo (Gen1 IIRC),
My studio PC has a Saffire Pro 40 and a Ui24R.

Those are all good interfaces, chosen as much as anything else that I knew they would work with Linux, though the newer Saffire Pro 40 does not.

Personally I think there isn't so much to choose between any studio-quality kit sound modules, whether by Focusrite, Audient, Presonus, M-Audio, MOTU, UA or whomever. And I think that's especially true once the sounds have gone through the mixing mill and has had compression, reverb, chorus, EQ, Melodyne and what have you.

Transducers have a bigger effect on sound that most good I/O modules will and we struggle to identify a 1/2dB change in volume, but can be swayed by it. Moving a microphone a few inches will do that and will also effect the spectrum of the signal.

For my money, if one is happy with one's choices, that's pretty much an end of it.

Years ago I used to be asked for advice about what Hi-Fi to buy. My answer tended to be "if you're happy spending an absolute fortune chasing that little iota of improvement, then go for it. For most of us, set yourself a budget, pick the best, matching, kit you can within that budget, try it, buy it and stick with it."

I know people who've spent many thousands chasing things like "directional cables". That way lies madness, IMHO. There are things that matter and things that are evil spirits. Be pragmatic. IMHO, YMMV

These are great. The Scarlett gen3 is one of many that uses the new (in 2019) CL chip with the same great performance the others have.

The only reason i didn’t care for it is that the Scarletts do not have an Output/Input mix/blend control for monitoring like most of the others (again, since October 2019). All this means is that you have to set it up in your DAW — but I really like the convenience of adjusting the blend between the Talent (“more me, please”) and the backing tracks (can I have the band a bit louder In the cans?”) with the twist of a single knob while tracking. I am officially spoiled by that feature. Otherwise, there’s nothing to dislike.

Gordon.

i agree 100 % with your whole post including hifi comments//cable silliness…kudos.

i used to try and rescue pals from spending big quids//buy a small car money on hifi gear..
some listen, some dont.

re… one of your comments… i agree i couldnt hear much diff tween lynn fustons audio examples…cept a minor smidge with the uad interface..
i particularly found the piano was interesting in each example viz the low notes…hence i felt the uad beat the others by a tiny margin.

heres what lynn says on the sweetwater shootout link i posted re my audient…

'The innovative audient evo is tiny if space in your workspace is at a premium. The sleek and simple operating surface belies the power within this USB-powered box that offers dual mic inputs, a JFET instrument DI, phantom power, 24-bit/96kHz sampling, and Mac/Windows/iOS compatibility. Add in loopback functionality and the Smartgain automatic level-setting feature, and this minimalist-looking interface offers amazing power and sound at an affordable price.'

even tho' a pro like lynn with decades of experience provides comment on a piece of gear or a julian krause with his fancy test gear i always still do my own testing.

all i can say is, contrary to what some might think…i have no gear biases…

i am going on what the audient has done for me in practice over a year of loads of traks…
(and use with biab/rb/reaper.)...married to the fact i havent even had the most minor hiccup/frustration with it. (ymmv as all our pc rigs are different.).
given also the low latency drivers i like muchly…(and the fact i asked audient support a minor question and they responded pdq)...i have zero complaints.

as ive said before more than once…originally the evo was a 'stop gap' still something else floated my boat even better//major tech breakthru' etc etc…cos the tech re interfaces moves fast. then…what i'll prolly do is keep evo as a backup on a second pc.

anyway gordon i'm a happy lad cos my team west ham beat everton 2-0 phew..lol.got us out of the relegation zone.

happiness.

om

I’ve posted this before (or near enough). I’ve over a dozen interfaces but will list the ones I’ve been using for the last 3 years.

MOTU 828mkII FireWire. I bought one of the very last units made 16 years ago. Like any FW interface, it’s old, slow and obsolete. Fortunately, Thunderbolt supports most of the FW spec and through a couple of Apple adapters and knowing which MOTU drivers to download, it works as new. RTL is horrible but CueMix and being able to run a 32 buffer without breaking a sweat, if I need 20 extra inputs and another MIDI interface or have to hook up an ADAT etc., it’s there for me.

MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV USB. Has the 2.0.1 firmware chip and 1.32 USB chip. 8 !/O over USB 1.1. I know which drivers to use. Again, if I need it, I have it.

Both of the above work great on my iMac Pro and my M1.

The following are all built on the same CL chip family. The mic pres, all other inputs, headphone outs, DAC, MIDI are all on the same chip.

MOTU M2 (2 I/O + MIDI) Loopback enabled with drivers. No In/Out Mix/Blend knob. This goes in my briefcase when needed — unless it’s the 6 channel Mackie.

MOTU M4 — 4 I/O + MIDI version of the M2 but has the Mix knob for I/O monitoring.

Mackie FxPro6v3, FxPro10v3, FxPro12v3. The 6 and 10 fit into a briefcase, the 12’s a bit big but I use if for live gigs only. Different analog I/O/Effects/Aux routing depending on the model. All are 2Out/4In over USB — even the 33 Analog channel version. All have the Mix knob for I/O Monitor blending.

Day to day:

I’m using the M•Audio AIR 192|14. 8 Out 4 In over Fast USB 2 (4 Out 8 In analog but who’s doing that?). 4 Mic/line/instrument combi-jacks + 2 DIs + 2 Line Ins + MIDI + 2 independent headphone outs. In/Out Mix/Blend control. Core Audio only (no drivers) on the Mac. $329 at Sweetwater, can be found $300 or a little less if you shop around. Can also be found used.
[url= https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AIR192x14--m-audio-air-192x14-usb-audio-interface] https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AIR192x14--m-audio-air-192x14-usb-audio-interface[/url]

Upside for me: Top mounted controls on a desktop style interface (what a concept!) except headphone trim pots on front. Actual DIs with trim pots and both jacks on front. No mixer (typical for all inexpensive interfaces). USB outs are hard panned 1, 3, 5, 7 L; 2, 4, 6, 8 R. You have the option to monitor the Outs Mono or Stereo. Ins from your DAW are always Stereo. Mic pres can handle a Shure SM7B without a Cloudlifter — I use CL-Z anyway since it gives me a bit more headroom and works nicely on my ribbons.

Downside— Combi-jacks and Line Ins are on the back; MIDI is on a dongle–really? 3-segment meters aren’t enough.

I have other interfaces but this one is my day to day. I was hoping that, when MOTU introduced the M6, they would have also introduced an M8 along the lines of the AIR 192|14. Those twin DIs are the feature that sold me.

Is the AIR 192|14 The best possible? Specs say so but that doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t suit my needs.

Had I known that we’d be three years into lockdown, I would have ordered a sample of that chip used in my AIR and breadboarded my own interface. I’d have done the Mic Pre gainstaging differently and used meters with more segments 6–8 if I could find the right ones and would have MIDI on proper DIN5 instead of a dongle.

As more noise is being generated about 32 bit float, I’m hoping to see a new interface chip this year that supports it, seeing that there are a number of field recorders that do. Remote recording pays some of the bills around here and I’m already doing field recording at that bit depth. I made the switch in my DAWs a few years ago which simplified my life a lot.


I take music merchant “reviews” with a pillar of salt and you should to. Listening tests are useless when a) all of it is pretty good and b) the reviewer’s job is to sell product.

Mike.

i agree with you particularly re you said 'all of it is pretty good'.
no argument there from moi.… and thats what i found by listening to lynn Fustons' audio examples of various interfaces on sweetwater. cept 'for me' i felt the uad had a slight edge…nothing i can put my finger on…
i just liked it.

thanks for your gear list…thus..

in the spirit of transparency and my curiosity , once my docs tell me its safe (re covid) to go to my fav gear store which is always busy (lots of people) i'll try out/rent your maudio air.
(i obviously cant try all on your list. would cost too much to rent all that you have.)

does the maudio air have multi client drivers ? cos thats a lovely feature for me on win.

one statement of yours i found very surprising was the comment bout no blend control on motu m2..
but its there on the m4. i assumed this was 'de rigeur' these days.
i'm aware obviously lots of people like the motu M range plus good reviews. its a popular interface.

i must say i trust lynn fustons reviews on the sweetwater link i posted up thread….lynn having worked on gold n' platinum records according to his bio with some notable christian (and other) artists.
so i was pleased with his positive review of my audient.

frankly i dont want to spend big money on an interface particularly cos most songwriters are only earning miniscule buks out of streaming and due to rapid obsolescence.

probably one thing we can agree on is , with the release of the m2 macs.. this is very very exciting imho.

have a good one.

happiness.

om

The Ui24R is nice for that ... each musician can have their on mix and each can connect via WiFi with a 'phone or tablet and access the "More Me" function.
I don't know if other mixers offer that or similar.

I'm not sure whether the 8i6's mixer can be controlled from Linux, which for me may be a downside. Sometime I must try.

I don't know what you mean by "multi-client drivers" and only pay attention to Windows when I am paid (that ended 2020). I found the manual less than complete but here it is.
AIR 192|14 User Guide

There's only one downloadable driver and it's Windows
Air 192|14 windows driver v1.0.3



I know, right?. I was surprised by that omission. In fact, I'm still surprised that none of the Scarletts have it.

Although the M2 has better meters, the Mackie FxPro6v3 costs $10 less, has 4 more analog Ins, the monitor blend knob, built in hardware FX and a number of other features. It is now what I recommend when users need only 2 out over USB. For Mac users, no drivers needed for 4 In over USB unlike the M2 (Win drivers support 2 Out/4 In for both).
ProFX6v3

Mackie and MOTU have interfaces with that kind of functionality but each implements it differently. Neither use the 24 channel desk mixer form of the Ui24R.

Mike..

heres the definition of multi-client drivers…

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/multi-client/

basically on win it means for example i can have biab and other music production apps running at the same time. ie multiple production apps sharing the same driver. its very convenient; some interfaces dont have such MC support.

the pricing of the maudio and mackie products is good value. but i'll have to check if the drivers are multi client …. i looked on the net tons but didnt find info on asio MC support on either products. i'll have to talk to my fav gear shop or the manufacturer's support cos currently all is copacetic as to drivers…things are different for you re drivers on mac obviously.


Happy 2023.

om

UPDATE//MIKE.

btw I understand it is a special mac day today.congrats.

apparently on mac the core multi client feature is built in i understand. but not in win. its up to the interface driver. its not built in like on mac.

i just talked to mackie support…thankfully easily accessible via a 1-800 number. impressed.
sadly on windows the pro fx v3 mixers drivers are not multi client.sigh.
you lucky ducks on mac re this MClient plug n' play feature.


best.

om

UPDATE MORE ASIO MULTICLIENT ON WINDOWS.

https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=718708#Post718708

ie motu m.4
and ssl 2/2++ driver mc info on their web site.

SO i updated the above pg link.which lists other asio mclient interfaces for win.

ps mike.
impressed with motu turnaround response by support.
in spirit of transparency ive also been looking interfaces with high gain mic pre's eg 72 db.
ie sm7b thus saveing an in line preamp booster front end.

Reminds me of
MoreMe Tracking Headphones.