Old 01-27-2017, 08:42 PM   #1
jmorel33
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Default Combining Audio Interfaces

Hey there,

Was contemplating my current limit of 8 analog audio inputs on an RME Multiface 2, while also contemplating the other 8 analog audio inputs of a Delta 1010 as well as the other analog inputs of an E-MU 1212m....

Combined, they could give me basically 20 channels of analog inputs, is that possible to combine any of those 3 together? Say the RME and the EMU ? Just those two combined would be a great deal of help for me. Anyone tried combining two cards and does that work in Reaper with the ASIO specs?
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Old 01-28-2017, 12:51 AM   #2
uncleswede
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Your RME interface has an 8-channel ADAT connection and it looks like the EMU 1212 has an in/out ADAT connection too. So, hopefully, someone will be along shortly to advise on how you set them up (ADAT is not my strong suit, I'm afraid)
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Old 01-28-2017, 04:33 AM   #3
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You need to try that out yourself, I think, unless somebody has this exact combination of interfaces. Aggregating interfaces is not easy, but it can work on Windows. It always depends on the ability of the OS to sync interfaces together.

How are you connecting the RME Multiface 2 to your computer now?

The E-MU 1212m and the Delta 1010 both are PCI cards, are they both installed in the computer?
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Old 01-28-2017, 12:12 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cyrano View Post
You need to try that out yourself, I think, unless somebody has this exact combination of interfaces. Aggregating interfaces is not easy, but it can work on Windows. It always depends on the ability of the OS to sync interfaces together.

How are you connecting the RME Multiface 2 to your computer now?

The E-MU 1212m and the Delta 1010 both are PCI cards, are they both installed in the computer?
For now, The only sound card connected is the HDSP with a Multiface 2 interface through it's firewire cable. BTW I also have a Multiface 1 but for sale. I'm positive the Multiface 1's HDSP and the other would combine well, but for some reason I was deceived with the 16-bit type of headroom of the Multiface 1 compared to the multiface 2 (!).

The Delta 1010 thrilled me but the drivers are very unstable as what I noticed with the various crashes I had. That one has it's own PCI card with it's cable.

The EMU is mostly a PCI card with a piggyback card with additionnal ADAT and so forth I/O.

I'm really not sure yet of the first step I should perform. Maybe just start with connecting the EMU PCI card while the RME HDSP is also there, and boot the thing up, install the EMU drivers (?). Really not convinced yet that this would not harm the well being of the RME ... !
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Old 01-28-2017, 12:27 PM   #5
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Something I was trying and failed with the Multiface 2 is connecting a Lexicon Effect through fiberoptic/ADAT. I just couldn't get any sound.
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Old 01-28-2017, 12:40 PM   #6
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I don't think putting 2 PCI audio cards in your computer would blow anything up

Try it. It depends a lot on the computer. I'd forget about the Delta 1010 if drivers aren't stable. Most users seem to have abandoned these, unless they're still on XP.

And aggregating these will require some experimentation. TBH, I've never done it with PCI cards. Could be easier than USB or FW, tho. Look upon it as an adventure
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Old 01-28-2017, 06:48 PM   #7
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The delta 1010 is stable in windows 10. I have one. Excellent low latency performance.

The problem is newer chipsets that don't have native pci support, and use bridge chips. It's a hardware problem.

And, from the other thread asking a very similar question:

Quote:
In windows you'd have to use ASIO4ALL, which allows you to aggregate devices, so long as they have a wordclock link between them to keep them in sync. But then you are adding a layer that talks to the WDM drivers for the cards, and not the asio drivers, so performance is often negatively effected.

Technically you can make it work, but it can be a pain in the rear end to get it all working, and you probably are going to have worse latency and stability than just using one card with it's native ASIO driver.
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Old 01-28-2017, 10:16 PM   #8
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The delta 1010 is stable in windows 10. I have one. Excellent low latency performance.

The problem is newer chipsets that don't have native pci support, and use bridge chips. It's a hardware problem.

And, from the other thread asking a very similar question:
Well, I did find out that I had a memory stability issue at one point and had to remove a stick, then bought a new set of 16 gigs. Then had more memory stability issues and had to get the timings right on this dreaded ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 motherboard.... A nightmare platform if you ask me.

Anyhow, the RME Multiface 2 works wonders on it's own, but the thought I could use the Delta 1010 stable with that through ASIO4all makes me skeptic. Honestly my latency is horrible. I have a hard time getting 256 samples working without any crackles with all of the sound engineering I have to do through the plugins and I'm just doing that on 5 stereo lines...

So if I do set up the Delta 1010 once more and with the RME and through ASIO4all, do I still need the M-Audio drivers? I believe I would. And do you expect 512 samples to be enough?

I had to work on 512 samples once because for some reason Reaper was suckling up all of the CPU, but that's been fixed now, I'm mostly just 10% cpu use in this software out of the 6-core i7.
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Old 01-28-2017, 11:40 PM   #9
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I'd just forget the whole thing. The delta card obviously doesn't like your motherboard. Mine runs at 64 samples, high system load, with no problems.

At 512 samples latency real time monitoring is going to be basically useless, and at such high latency relative to what the RME will achieve, the audio from each card will be out of time with the audio of the other.

Just get a behringer ada8200 for a couple of hundred bucks.
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Old 03-10-2017, 05:15 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmorel33 View Post
Hey there,

Was contemplating my current limit of 8 analog audio inputs on an RME Multiface 2, while also contemplating the other 8 analog audio inputs of a Delta 1010 as well as the other analog inputs of an E-MU 1212m....

Combined, they could give me basically 20 channels of analog inputs, is that possible to combine any of those 3 together? Say the RME and the EMU ? Just those two combined would be a great deal of help for me. Anyone tried combining two cards and does that work in Reaper with the ASIO specs?
You might wanna try Dante Via (audinate.com) to aggregate the in/outs of every audio hardware connected to your computer. Simultaneously, Dante Via aggregates all software in/outs and lets you route audio between any of all these sources. You can aggregate the DAW, Skype, two different usb interfaces, a laptop's mic input, etc. Above this, all sources aggregated by Dante Via can be shared as sources and destinations in a Dante network.

The free trial version of Dante Via works for 30 days.
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