Need help to decide on an audio interface

[mostapha]

The next step up from the KA6 has a lot of really good cards in it.

[ThinkAboutIt]

230€ is exceeding my budget much though.

[mostapha]

Which is fine. Especially if you're working all in the box, you won't notice a difference if you're looking at this price point because none of the rest of your stuff (monitors; room; treatments; etc.) will be good enough to play what little difference there is.

[ThinkAboutIt]

I guess I'll go with the KA6, but I read that it lacks routing like loopback, what does that mean? I'm just gonna plug in my Maschine and studio monitors

[Ryan Ruel]

I guess I'll go with the KA6, but I read that it lacks routing like loopback, what does that mean? I'm just gonna plug in my Maschine and studio monitors

I have a Komplete Audio 6, I now use it as a secondary sound card, it's fine for that. I'm not sure what they mean by loopback routing. There are a few issues I have with the KA 6:

1. If you use it (at least with a Mac), and set it up as your default audio-interface, to turn up or down system volume you must use the knob on top of the KA6. It's a little inconvenient, not even mute works. I don't know if this happens in Windows, but on the Mac it's like this on all the NI sound cards. Rather dumb, IMO.

2. When you reboot, the soundcard makes a very loud POP in the monitors (if you leave them on). It's really ridiculous. Same thing happens if you plug/unplug the USB. POP! Come on NI, didn't you test? Other's complained about this as well, so it's not just me.

I now use an Apogee Duet 2 as my main sound card. It's fantastic! They are expensive, and have limited IO options, but great gear. I still use the KA6 with my hardware (a Moog and iPad), and it's perfect for that. Just not great as a main soundcard.

[mostapha]

The reason the system volume doesn't work is because the volume control is analog. At least, that's why it's that way on a lot of sound cards. Turning down your system volume is effectively bit-crushing the output……which isn't great for monitoring at low volumes.

As for popping…I've never used a sound card that didn't do that. That's why you turn the speakers on last and off first.

[ksandvik]

Low end FocusRites are really good and very affordable. I have a Saffire Pro 14 that I use in my project studio as I don't need many inputs for EDM production work. Rock-solid.

[ThinkAboutIt]

Low end FocusRites are really good and very affordable. I have a Saffire Pro 14 that I use in my project studio as I don't need many inputs for EDM production work. Rock-solid.

Yeah I wanted to buy that at first but my pc don't have a firewire.

[ksandvik]

Yeah I wanted to buy that at first but my pc don't have a firewire.

There are USB 2.0 FocusRite ones, too. I was skeptical about USB 2.0 and audio but it works just fine with any new PCs and Macs, computers are fast and you only need a fast audio interface for recording if you are looking at tracking 8+ tracks at the same time. And then you maybe need FW800 and a fast disk, too.

PS: My plan was and still is to get an 8+ input track audio interface if I need it for a recording project. So far there has been no need. No live recordings either that I need it for. But if you are into recording a whole band live that's another story.

[calgarc]

the presonus firebox and firewire series have some of the best preamps for a budget interface.. fantastic performers i used to have one... the audio box is ok the preamps are so-so... now the focusrite sapphire series are amazing, i currently own a saffire 6 i use for DJing and on the go production. preamps are excellent.

i can't say much about the scarlett series but i would guess the scarlett series are like the lower end sapphires just like the audio box is a lower end firebox both are good choices and both are built like tanks... if you want inputs on a budget you can always hook up an external mixer or preamp to your interface