Audio Interface Question
I’m currently in the process of picking out monitors and decided on the KRK rokit 5’s. As it is my first pair of actual studio monitors, I have a few questions regarding the best way to hook this up for actual production use. From what I’ve read I’ll need an audio interface, but I’m not sure what I’m actually looking for when picking one out.
I’m not looking for a top end interface, just something of decent quality to get the job done. Anyone willing to shed some light and help me out? The articles I’ve read haven’t given me much of a definitive answer, so any help would be appreciated.
Right now the m-audio fast track pro looks like my best choice, as my goal is to use balanced cables. Im a little confused on the XLR part though, the rokit has an XLR input but the fast track doesnt have an XLR output. Would using an XLR to 1/4inch cable provide the best quality connection?
Yes, that’s fine. There really no difference in sound quality between the two, just the type of connection.
I hate M-Audio cards…nothing but problems with the ones I’ve tried (on OS X…maybe they actually work on Windows). Never doing that again.
If you’re willing to use USB, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a good bargain with a decent monitor volume control and direct hardware monitoring (if you don’t know what that is, don’t worry about it). On Firewire, I think the cheapest half-decent ones are the Echo Audiofire line. The Audiofire 2 would be enough just to do that, but you won’t have an analog volume control.
I plan on using it with OSX, any details on the issues you were having?
And any other opinions on the m-audio?
The most experience was with a FW410, though I’ve seen similar things with other cards.
It just really hated working. My Macbook and my friend’s Macbook (on different OS X versions) would just randomly lose it. Sometimes in the middle of an Ableton set. It had to be re-configured all the time. It gave really inconsistent latency performance…as in, sometimes it’d work great at 32 or 64 samples with a bunch of stuff running and the CPU pegged at 80%…other times, it’d give dropouts at 128 or 256 samples with nothing but Live running……with the same .als file. It didn’t make any sense.
I think it’s sitting somewhere in my buddy’s closet. We haven’t touched it in a couple years. I’m pretty sure that card is the reason I’m really skeptical of any audio interface that requires drivers on OS X.
All current (at the time) drivers and otherwise stable systems. Frankly, that card was what put me off Ableton DJing for so long……until I realized my FS2 interface would work and then eventually bought an NI Audio 2 DJ.
At least it wasn’t as weird as the Tascam interfaces I’ve used.
The Scarlett 2i2 has it’s issues (sometimes, you have to restart to get it to work on Lion…but it always comes back and doesn’t require you to change settings constantly) but for $120 it’s fine. The 410 was like a $500 interface that we never got to work properly. I have better memories of my MBox 2……which is saying something.
From what I’ve seen as far as reviews go, pretty much all the interfaces under $300 have pretty crappy driver issues. Guess it’s just the price to pay for the ‘entry-level’ products though.
My 2i2 works well. When it does fuck up, my computer’s been on for at least 12 hours, usually with a netflix video timed out……It hasn’t happened any other time that I recall, so it might actually be an issue with Silverlight.
And there are cards that don’t require drivers. Presonus makes one or two in that price range that I’d use. Echo makes a couple. There definitely are budget options…more than ever before. And they sound pretty decent and are pretty stable considering the price……unfortunately, people keep buying crap and thinking it’s the price bracket.