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Multiple-input audio interface


Jakester
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Does anyone have any recommendations for a half-decent and reasonably affordable audio interface that will do more than 8 inputs at once?

 

Theres loads of great ones up to 8 channels but it seems once you go past that you’re getting into £000’s territory!

 

I do have an XR18 which currently does the job but it’s also my main live mixer so it becomes a bit frustrating having to tear down the mic setup etc every time I have a gig, and I confess I haven’t ruled out just buying another one, but wondered what other recommendations people might have. 
 

Setup is an old MacBook Pro so FireWire is entirely feasible if there’s old bargains to be had. 

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Are you after 8+ analogue channels, or 8 analogue + extra digital channels?
Check the Focusrite Scarlett range for a more affordable one, or the Clarett range for better preamps.
BTW USB is still the way to go in my eyes. I would avoid Firewire as it is not really used anymore (think about your next PC/laptop upgrade).

Edited by mario_buoninfante
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32 minutes ago, mario_buoninfante said:

Are you after 8+ analogue channels, or 8 analogue + extra digital channels?
Check the Focusrite Scarlett range for a more affordable one, or the Clarett range for better preamps.
BTW USB is still the way to go in my eyes. I would avoid Firewire as it is not really used anymore (think about your next PC/laptop upgrade).

 

The former, ideally - I have a fairly large drum kit set up - kick, snare, four toms, overheads, and I would also like to add in a beater and near field resonant head mic (as well as the one inside) and also a couple of spot mics for ride, HH and secondary snare, and possibly a stereo pair of room mics too. 

 

ATM if I want to capture the varied BD sounds I end up going kick, snare/s, overheads and extra kick mics, or one mic for two toms etc. Plus it means having to reconfigure things if I want to record aux percussion stuff too. 

 

Entirely happy with USB but struggling to find anything affordable with 8+ mic inputs. I've looked at the Scarlett/Clarett stuff and I could use their OctoPre via ADAT but it seems a fairly expensive way of doing it. I could use the Behringer equivalents for around half the price but XR18 aside, I always find their mic preamps REALLY noisy. 

 

ESI appear to do a 10-input interface for around £300 but I've never heard of the company before. 

 

I don't really mind Firewire - at worst if I find a 'cheap' MOTU or Focusrite/whatever but want to upgrade my laptop I can just use the old FW one for studio-only recording use and then use the newer one for mixing etc. 

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yeah, I would go for an ADAT converter. you can use an Octopre like you said, but also any old audio interface that works standalone too.
you configure it once so that it does AN IN->ADAT OUT and ADAT IN-> AN OUT, and then use it with Scarlett, Clarett, etc..
I did it years ago when I had a PCIe RME that only had ADAT ins/outs. I bought a second end MOTU MK2 and an Octopre and used them as AD/DA converters. Both came at less than 500 euros.

Edited by mario_buoninfante
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On 10/08/2022 at 06:39, Beedster said:

I added 8 channels using my Digidesign 002 essentially as a submixer via ADAT into my UAD, so much easier than I thought it would be 👍

 

In fact you can have it if you need one, I listed it for sale here before realising that I could double my live inputs, but I now have an 8-channel UAD which is more than enough for me 👍

 

 

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I used to have a Digidesign 002 and OctoPre connected via ADAT, back in the day, and sold them when I stopped drumming. After I started drumming again, I went with  Behringer UMC 1820 and Ultragain Digital at very reasonable money from Thomann, again, connected via ADAT. I'm running 5 toms, kick, snare top and bottom, two overheads and dedicated hi-hat and ride mics for the kit, with channels to spare for stringed instruments too. I can't fault them.

64C71653-F1A8-4774-B194-38F0211CB60B.jpeg

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