Does the DAW interface I want exist?

[cornsound]

Post edited, and apologies....and thanks for not sounding screechy.

[numberthirty]

^ some of these you guys posted look like they top out at 8 channels max. Unless I'm blind?

most of them have ADAT/SMUX to get you past 8 inputs (and then of course you need a 2nd I/O unit). Most interfaces with USB connectivity do top out at 8 pres, so the Roland is probably the way to go if it works for you. I don't know anyone who has used one so can't comment on the sound quality, drivers, support, etc. Maybe get it from a place you can return it if it doesn't work out? Motu also makes some interfaces with more than 8 I/O.

I have a bunch of 500 series preamps and other outboard preamps so I use a UA Apollo (just I/O, no preamps) but it's the older firewire unit. Working fine for me though. I got it used so I didn't pay the ridiculous UA cost new. If I had to replace it I'd probably look seriously at an Orion 32 with USB which would give me 32 I/O (I actually had one before the UA Apollo but I got rid of it because at the time it didn't fit my workflow - now it would).

A couple of things...

I did what passes for a bit of homework on that Roland unit after it came up. Found this YouTube video -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X92G_7EiBxU


Past that it seems like it sounds ok, there was some "The Tech Room..." tangents in the comments section. Since some of the answers from the guy who made the video were only about a year old, that's about as "Will I Be Able To Trust This Thing Next Week/Month/Year/You Get It..." as these sorts of things get.

Second, I thought about the ADAT thing the same as you. While a few interfaces and a used ADAT HD24 would get Weezy the exact "Can I Just Get Some Line Ins?..." that he(well, I believe it is "He...") wants?

It's just more hoops to jump through to get to what it seems like it could just be one jump through one hoop with the Roland. Never mind that it looks like you can link those Rolands should the day come that you need a few more inputs.

Anyway, hopefully that Roland will get Weezy sorted out.

[cornsound]

I read through the Roland manual the other day to see if there were any red flags that would make it a no-go. It does a lot of things I won't really use, but the driver/software looks comprehensive enough to set it up vs. using the tiny LCD screen. Anyway, I threw an offer at a seller on eBay and I've now got one coming to me. If folks here are interested I can post my subjective arbitrary deep thoughts once I start using it.

[Snarl 12/8]

I read through the Roland manual the other day to see if there were any red flags that would make it a no-go. It does a lot of things I won't really use, but the driver/software looks comprehensive enough to set it up vs. using the tiny LCD screen. Anyway, I threw an offer at a seller on eBay and I've now got one coming to me. If folks here are interested I can post my subjective arbitrary deep thoughts once I start using it.

I'm on the market for a couple interfaces right now, so I'm interested in this discussion. Once I've chosen a box based on the ports I need to see and brand recommendations, then it comes down to the software. Any subscription or cloud involvement is a dealbreaker for me. I'm not finding even lists of the software that comes with some of the interfaces I'm looking at. I feel like buying a car would be an easier process than picking an interface right now.

[drumsound]

I read through the Roland manual the other day to see if there were any red flags that would make it a no-go. It does a lot of things I won't really use, but the driver/software looks comprehensive enough to set it up vs. using the tiny LCD screen. Anyway, I threw an offer at a seller on eBay and I've now got one coming to me. If folks here are interested I can post my subjective arbitrary deep thoughts once I start using it.

Yeah, please do keep us posted on how things go with the Roland.

[Scodiddly]

Post edited, and apologies....and thanks for not sounding screechy.

Hey now, are you making fun of my snare sound? Thanks for making the edit!

I'm kind of curious too about bulk conversion that doesn't have a bunch of bells and whistles, that's the way it used to work. Working in the live sound world I'm a big fan of Dante, but right now there are nasty supply chain issues with anything Dante. But I think it's possible to get Yamaha Tio1608-D boxes, which is a reasonably affordable 16x8 and will last forever.

[numberthirty]

I read through the Roland manual the other day to see if there were any red flags that would make it a no-go. It does a lot of things I won't really use, but the driver/software looks comprehensive enough to set it up vs. using the tiny LCD screen. Anyway, I threw an offer at a seller on eBay and I've now got one coming to me. If folks here are interested I can post my subjective arbitrary deep thoughts once I start using it.

I'm on the market for a couple interfaces right now, so I'm interested in this discussion. Once I've chosen a box based on the ports I need to see and brand recommendations, then it comes down to the software. Any subscription or cloud involvement is a dealbreaker for me. I'm not finding even lists of the software that comes with some of the interfaces I'm looking at. I feel like buying a car would be an easier process than picking an interface right now.

Just out of curiosity...

How much of an issue is the software?

Is there some particular need you have that you're going to have to make sure is covered?

[cornsound]

And we're back. The Roland showed up today, postage due (wtf) and not great packing, bad omens.

I basically wire everything up to it, headphones sound fine, monitors sound noisy as hell. Turns out most of it was coming from a secondary PC just idling, it stopped when it was shut off, 2nd bad omen. The left channel continued to exhibit a similar noise, only quieter but noticeable enough to be a deal breaker. I can usually figure out & solve these kind of issues but nothing I tried made the left channel quiet down. And being super noisy w/ the 2nd PC on is definitely a no go. The power supply looked anemic so that could be a factor too.

Either this thing's badly shielded from the factory or I got a dud. The seller listed it as 'used once' so I guess that settles that. Good thing eBay's return process was easy because it's going back tomorrow. Note to self: hook up/test monitors first.

Not sure if I want to try out another 2nd hand Roland at this point. I'll probably try the ESI once I get my refund.

[Scodiddly]

That's a bummer. Generally Roland stuff is pretty solid.

[cornsound]

Has anyone used an Antelope Zen Studio+ ? This is a discontinued model, it has 12 preamps, and 8 extra inputs on a D-sub. I'm trying to confirm if all 20 inputs can be used at the same time. I'm pretty sure the answer is yes, but I'm not 100% certain, Antelope's site isn't that great at presenting info clearly. Will poke around more.

EDIT: after poking some, looks like the Zen Studio+ has some baggage, some folks having issues right about when they came out ~2017 or so. It looks good on paper, and I think I could use it without their 'connect to the internet to activate your device' shenanigans. I assume you'd have to do this to use their plugins or get the latest drivers/firmware? If I can avoid all that noise then it's a viable option.

EDIT 2: I think that the '+' version was made to support Antelope's plugin scheme, and so the previous non '+' box seems to just need the driver and a separate control panel program to work, so that is somewhat easier to swallow.

[cornsound]

CONCLUSION: I spent a couple of days scoping out the Antelope Zen Studio and Studio+. I went as far as downloading their drivers and software (to see what they did), and I can say with some relative assurance I don't want any part of Antelope's horseshit. If it was just a matter of a using their driver and some sort of basic control panel software, they'd be fine. But the control panel I tested fired up a server(???) as part of the package, wanted to connect to something somewhere, what a total turnoff. I'm not sure what the reasoning is behind using this architecture, but I haven't really paid much attention to technology changes these last few years.

I now have an ESI U168 XT en route to me and we'll see what's what when it gets here.

[numberthirty]

Since this took a complicated turn...

Early on, there were some mentions of "ADAT..." inputs.

This interface has two eight channel "ADAT..." inputs for twenty inputs total. Eight TRS outputs on the back. Two headphone outs on the front(though It seems like they share a volume control...) It's also table top.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -interface

I bought this one because I already had an Alesis HD24 if I ever needed the extra "I Just Need Line In..." inputs. I have not had so much as one grumble about it thus far.

There are probably some more "Future Proof..." options for getting the "Line In..." inputs than the Alesis.

Just pointing it out as a possibility that seems like it could be more promising than what has been happening thus far.

[cornsound]

I like those Tascam boxes, I had an older version for a minute trying to diagnose a problem that ended up being dying USB ports on a former laptop, so I had no reason to keep it at the time.

The ADAT converter angle is definitely plan B or C at this point. There are a couple of stand alone boxes that will do the A/D -- D/A, but there's not a lot to choose from, this one is cheap but going this route is going against my streamlined work ethic:

https://reverb.com/item/66892103-fronti ... el-adat-1u

The good thing about buying the ESI is that it's coming from Thomann and they have ridiculous fast shipping from Germany to the states. Like, it should be here day after tomorrow.

[digitaldrummer]

I would again recommend buying from a reputable dealer (and I think Thomann falls into that category, although I've never used them). Mainly what I'm saying is that if you buy it used, you can't really trust that it is operating properly. So maybe a new Roland interface would have actually worked for you? At least if you got it new and it had a problem you could return or exchange it. if you still had an issue you could probably get support from the vendor. Buying on Reverb and eBay can be a lot cheaper but look anywhere on the internet and there are as many horror stories as successes. I have had things show up damaged or just not working even though they were new, and places like Sweetwater or Musicians Friend (just as a couple examples) will usually take care of you. Buying used on the other hand, is high risk every time I do it (and to be honest every time I sell something just because you never know what happens in shipping and I can't absorb a failure like a bigger store could)

[cornsound]

Thomann is pretty much the Sweetwater of the EU so I'm not too worried.

Anyway, the ESI U168 XT arrived today as promised - preliminary tests sound good. It's quiet and seems clean enough. I have to change over to a 1/4" snake, and I need a longer one (mine isn't long enough, TWSS) plus there are a few other things that I want (new interface, new problems) before I do any real tracking with it. For instance, the power supply works on USA voltage but the plug is EU spec, I only had one of those travel power adapters on hand just to test playback. TL;DR I'm going to keep it and give it a shot.

Part of this whole process has shone a light on some line/CPU noise coming from a secondary PC and the host USB PC. I do have AC conditioning and somewhat okay-ish cable management. My old Lexicon IO-82 was dang near silent, whereas that Roland Studio Capture I bought was practically screaming, and this ESI has just a small touch of CPU/USB noise going on. I've got one of those USB isolators on order (cheap) to test if it helps any.

If anybody cares or is still reading at this point, I'll post some updates in the near future.