Audio Interfaces

[BobbyS]

In reviews of $200-$400 audio interfaces it seems quite a few people have problems with crackling and popping. Is this user/equipment problems or are interfaces in this price range a crap-shoot?

[alex1073]

Hi!

You actually provided no useful info except the price range. How many inputs? Mic pres? You can get a really good or a crappy interface for that money.

Cheers, Alex

[BobbyS]

I will use it for home. I don't mind getting one with more in/out for later if it is maybe a better unit than the 2in2out type. I was looking at these Focusrite Saffire Pro 24, Focusrite 2in2out, 2in4out,NI Komplete audio 6

For the most part they all get pretty good reviews. They also get reviews that say some get popping and crackling.

So are some people just getting the luck of the draw bad ones or do some not work well with different software?

[g8torcliff]

I think there are a lot of factors that contribute to crackles and pops.

For example, my system is pretty solid. However, just the other night I was re-doing a vocal track and suddenly I had a bunch of stutters, crackles and pops. Turns out I forgot to turn off the active FX on that track as well as on the Master vocal track. Once I did that the sound was smooth as silk.

Its the same if you are trying to run some MIDI and the latency in the software is set too low.

In either case, its not really an interface thing. More a software or system (PC) related thing.


I'm no expert....




cliff

[ivansc]

The best advice I can offer is likely to be useless to you.
DONT use a laptop.
Desktop interface with either pci or pci-e is pretty much always going to out-perform anything else on a PC.
Dont know about Macs.

I have been through no less than three USB interfaces on my laptop and had crp result with every one. Decent spec laptop, too.

The Emu 1212m and the RME 9653 HDSP I have used, and am still using in the case of the RME, are stellar.

I have tried two different USB1.1 and USB2 interfaces from focusrite, a Novation USB1.1 interface, a Tascam USB1.1, also an M-audio USB1.1.
The performance was awful with every one of them, even using very little in the way of VSTs and VST instruments.

I am saving up for a RME babyfce which is the ONE USB2.0 interface that is consistently recommended for low latency and good audio performance.
And their support is typically abrupt (German company) but really excellent.
Do not expect to get your hand held, but they DO sort problems out thoroughly and usually quite quickly.

If you are tuck with a laptop, I would recommend the Babyface unless you do not use a lot of plugins.
Then the N.I. Komplete6 and the Steinberg UR series are supposedly good.
In conclusion, you ARE going to have to do a little learning about how to set your machine up to get the best performance out of it.

Even with a powerful i7 laptop with lots of memory and a fast hard disk you are always going to be bordering on having issues with pops and crackles due to several factors.
Your best bet is to search on optimising your PC for audio multi-track recording. There is a ton of stuff out there, including (amazingly) a decent overview from Focusrite on their website.

[serr]

Originally Posted by BobbyS

In reviews of $200-$400 audio interfaces it seems quite a few people have problems with crackling and popping. Is this user/equipment problems or are interfaces in this price range a crap-shoot?

Behringer unit? Maybe blame the unit... (source: just a cheap shot )

Otherwise my guess is operator error.

Select your interface (Maybe you have more than one. Maybe you have multiple aggregate configurations).
Choose your system sample rate.
Set your input buffer appropriately for what you're about to work on.


All simple first 3 min of setup work stuff... and reads like a foreign language to an inexperienced DAW user.

Of course some people only ever use a single interface, at the same sample rate, with the same setup and workflow. So then the DAW makers put these settings in Preferences thinking they should be out of sight or something. And then the new user comes along, hits record right out of the box having never done any basic setup.

Some computer setup is required too, even on a Mac. You need a fast hard drive system for DAW work. Then add trying to run a DAW app in Windows (for those trying that since Reaper offers it) and all the OS setup required there. Inexperienced computer users truly don't understand that it's a system where you can pick and choose your components. So you see comments like "the hard drive that this computer comes with" or "you can't use a laptop, you need a computer".

[BobbyS]

thanks, lots of great info. Yeah I typically take a lot of time researching out components and software. I try not to get stuck with something I will not be happy with.

I skulked around here long before I signed up to decide if I wanted to give it a go or not. I can see that any DAW is not just fire it up and go; so I'm still skulking lol.

I am using a pc that should work. Quad-core running about 3ghz with 8gigs of ram. Pretty quick hdd and I may get a ssd if necessary.

[Geo524]

I just placed an order for the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 last night. It just shipped out so I do not have it yet but my Cakewalk FA66 has done an outstanding job for me. I reached the point where I need more inputs/outputs and had to upgrade. If it wasn't for that I would've remained a happy FA66 user. This interface has been discontinued but new it cost me $400.00 and gave me 3+ years of rock-solid performance so I think it's a matter of really researching the crap out of the market. I beat myself up pretty good this last time doing a lot of research and for what I need the Saffire fits the bill. A friend of mine also recommended the Steinberg/Yamaha MR816x. Sweet interface. One of the features that really caught my eye is this interface has individual phantom power for each channel. It's a little more expensive than the Saffire but probably well worth it if you're looking.

[BobbyS]

Originally Posted by Geo524

I just placed an order for the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 last night. It just shipped out so I do not have it yet but my Cakewalk FA66 has done an outstanding job for me. I reached the point where I need more inputs/outputs and had to upgrade. If it wasn't for that I would've remained a happy FA66 user. This interface has been discontinued but new it cost me $400.00 and gave me 3+ years of rock-solid performance so I think it's a matter of really researching the crap out of the market. I beat myself up pretty good this last time doing a lot of research and for what I need the Saffire fits the bill. A friend of mine also recommended the Steinberg/Yamaha MR816x. Sweet interface. One of the features that really caught my eye is this interface has individual phantom power for each channel. It's a little more expensive than the Saffire but probably well worth it if you're looking.

Thanks for the update!

[Geo524]

Originally Posted by BobbyS

Thanks for the update!

You're welcome. I had a good run with the Saffire Pro 40 and the more I use it the more I am liking it. The mic pres are very transparent, converters are good and the drivers are rock-solid on my rig. The install process was smooth as silk. Both Sonar and Reaper found the drivers before I even knew what was happening. Lol. Big bang for the bux IMHO. I'm very happy with this purchase.