Behringer X32 Series ADAT

[pipelineaudio]

For people running the Behringer X32 series stuff: If you put the ADAT card in, how can you then get into and out of your computer?

If you use it is the X32 no longer a sound card?

[ivansc]

An ADAT card out of your mixer WILL need an ADAT in on your computer. I used to use an Emu 1212m adn the only way to access the ADAT I/O was to buy (in my case) a Behringer ADA8000. And then I bought an RME 9652 HDSP second hand and wound up with (at onwe time 2 ADA8000s and eventually 2Focusrite OctopreLE with the digitan ADAT cards, all of which worked fine. I am now back down to one focusrite (dont record live drums any more ) and sold my second focusrite to my drummer, whio was running out of channels. Wish I hadnt.

Now the only thing I cant help you on is the Behringer desk. I would have thought that assuming you still have the ASIO driver for the desk installed it will function as before but of course if you are using asio outs directly into your computer the only way to use multiple ASIO4ALLs which speaking for myself is a BAD solution.

[pipelineaudio]

Thats what I'm saying, I dont know how the board could get to the computer if you swap the USB card for an adat card. I mean, yeah I could plug the adats into a different soundcard, but the point for me of the adat cards would be so that I can use other converters and other mic preamps

[cyrano]

I haven't got the ADAT expansion board. And I haven't got an X32 next to me.

As the USB used for connection to the computer is on the expansion board, you lose it if you place the ADAT board.

Putting both ADAT and USB on the same card would probably introduce sync problems, as these cards only have one bus to the X32 hardware.

If you have the USB/Firewire expansion board, you can also only use one of the ports at the time, I believe.

[serr]

Originally Posted by pipelineaudio

Thats what I'm saying, I dont know how the board could get to the computer if you swap the USB card for an adat card. I mean, yeah I could plug the adats into a different soundcard, but the point for me of the adat cards would be so that I can use other converters and other mic preamps

What is up with calling USB or firewire audio interfaces "cards"? PCI card interfaces are cards...

Anyway, yes you would need a different audio interface with an ADAT port if you decided to replace the USB card on that x32 interface. Even though the x32 is an interface, it would only be able to be used as a standalone mixer without a USB or firewire connection.

If the goal is to get an audio interface that would let you connect digital devices (like a AD converter unit with an ADAT output), the x32 audio interface isn't necessarily the best fit as it lacks that connectivity.

You can always make an aggregate device of multiple interfaces and use them together of course. You'll still need an audio interface with an ADAT port to connect a AD converter unit if it isn't an interface itself.

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by serr

What is up with calling USB or firewire audio interfaces "cards"? PCI card interfaces are cards...

In this unit, the USB interface is on a card that slides into an expansion slot on the unit just like any computer that might have a USB connection in the form of a PCI or other "card". IIRC to add the ADAT card you have to remove the USB card because there is only 1 expansion slot.

[serr]

Originally Posted by karbomusic

In this unit, the USB interface is on a card that slides into an expansion slot on the unit just like any computer that might have a USB connection in the form of a PCI or other "card". IIRC to add the ADAT card you have to remove the USB card because there is only 1 expansion slot.

THAT is the "card" in question. "If you use it is the X32 no longer a sound card? " Here a USB interface is being called a card.

I see this all the time and it reminds me of people calling their display a "computer" and their computer tower a "hard drive". Then the external hard drive is a "modem" I believe? I've been told before that it's traditional for Windows users to call USB or firewire connections "cards". PCI cards are cards... So I get triggered into offering a correction when I hear that.

Anyway, you'll want an audio interface with an ADAT input for that converter unit with the digital ADAT output.

The USB expansion card accessory for the x32 is required to use the unit as an audio interface. Choosing the ADAT expansion card accessory for the x32 instead forces you to use it only as a stand alone digital mixer (now with ADAT inputs) as you will have no way to connect it to a host computer.

Make an aggregate device of the x32 (with the USB expansion card) + an interface with an ADAT input and then you can run everything together. If that converter unit is ALSO an interface, then you're just a few mouse clicks away with the aggregate device route.

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by serr

THAT is the "card" in question. "If you use it is the X32 no longer a sound card? " Here a USB interface is being called a card.

It is a card, it lives on a card, if you remove the card, the unit can no longer act as a USB soundd card "interface" to a computer. Meaning, anyone can pull a product shot up, look at the rear panel and answer the question.

[ivansc]

Originally Posted by pipelineaudio

Thats what I'm saying, I dont know how the board could get to the computer if you swap the USB card for an adat card. I mean, yeah I could plug the adats into a different soundcard, but the point for me of the adat cards would be so that I can use other converters and other mic preamps

preamps are easy. I do that now. Just plug your "new" preamp into one of the line ins for your desk and you have a different mic pre.

Converters are a whole different ball game. I am left wondering if you would be able to reliably tell the difference with JUST different converters. I understand where you are coming from, but presumably you are basically happy with the Behri converters, so it seems like an awful lot of effort and expense to go to if you want to figure out a way to use different converters WITH the behri. And of course the AD/DAs in most of the available ADAT interfaces arent going to be significantly better than what you have in the Behri.

Have you talked to Black Lion or similar to see if they offer an upgrade for the X32 yet? Might work out cheaper in the long run.

[karbomusic]

Originally Posted by ivansc

preamps are easy. I do that now. Just plug your "new" preamp into one of the line ins for your desk and you have a different mic pre.

Converters are a whole different ball game.

Are we sure he just doesn't have a multi-channel pre with an ADAT out or similar? I have more than one and it's the ADAT inputs I use so I can actually use those extra channels in my UFX that I otherwise would not have access to. Not sure why if he has 32 inputs already but you get the idea.

[pipelineaudio]

I know that a lot of the people who will be using the X32's in question will want to use their own preamps. I see that it actually has 6 line inputs, not sure if you can use those instead of 6 of the mic preamps, I see that in PT people are not able to, but not sure about reaper and other daws.

6 Will probably be enough, but maybe not

Also, has anyone got round trip latency data on these things? Is the 32 I/O really realistic over USB in the real world?

In terms of calling audio interfaces or whatever "sound cards" call the pedant police. We humans create language, and those of us who put the initial time in may be a bit stuck in our ways and so....whatever It would be just as accurate to call them bleebleblorps, but when we say "sound card" it has the added bonus of people having an idea of what we are describing. We could say "audio interface" as well

[pipelineaudio]

Originally Posted by ivansc

Converters are a whole different ball game. I am left wondering if you would be able to reliably tell the difference with JUST different converters. I understand where you are coming from, but presumably you are basically happy with the Behri converters, so it seems like an awful lot of effort and expense to go to if you want to figure out a way to use different converters WITH the behri. And of course the AD/DAs in most of the available ADAT interfaces arent going to be significantly better than what you have in the Behri.

The test data I've seen between the Midas and Behringer versions, were pretty close, the behringer version had some measurable deficiencies, but they were well below the noise and distortion levels of most of the things that you would normally be plugging into it and below the environmental noise of anything generally real world.

In short, this unit would be more than fine with me, there's enough videos of me using the old ADA8000's even though I'm sitting in front of racks and racks of botique mic preamps

BUT

We're dealing with religion here, a lot lot lot lot of these guys will not be happy using the behringer mic pres for faith based reasons, and belief is a HUGE factor in general in this business and far more in the environment of hyperconformity I'm in right now, so I'm just trying to make sure that DJ Scratch n Sniff can plug his Avalon, Yo, preamp into his "soundcard"

[ivansc]

Lord preserve us from clients, eh?

I would have thought you would get away with the 6 line ins unless you have drummers coming in tht want their kits mic'ed through Avalons etc....

Frankly if the Behri has 6 line ins you should be able to use them with mic pres in any DAW.
Plug the output of the pre into the line in and away you go. I dont have much in the way of fancy pres but I run my Gap73 and an older 19" rack Joemeek into a couple of line ins on my focusrite octopre no problems. and of course THAT is ADAT out into my RME 9652 card.

[effitall]

It was mentioned up above a couple of posts...And I wanna know too

For those of you use Behringer digital mixers as audio interfaces...What kind of latency are you getting? Can you get down to 1-2ms for live playing of VSTi's?

[effitall]

Originally Posted by pipelineaudio

Is the 32 I/O really realistic over USB in the real world?

Can't speak for the Behringer, but my Antelope Orion 32 can do that all day long at 96Khz (even 192Khz...but I don't run that high). For better latency performance though I use a RME MADI card.