ADAT interface hosts, high SQ but cheaper than RME Digiface USB?

[john61ct]

I am looking for an interface "hub" based on multiple ADAT, clean and transparent. I'm not recording / mixing, just for recreational home DSP - crossovers timing delays / phase alignment tuning

Happy to buy secondhand to save money, vintage discontinued no problem.

24-bit, 44.1 / 48kHz is fine, higher NP

must accept at least 3x ADAT 8ch A/D line-level analog I/O converters like Behringer Ultragain ADA8200 (or better?)

I am ultimately looking for 20+ I/O analog channels altogether, 4+ in, 16 out, Combo bal / SE 1/4" ports, ideally Neutrik accepting XLR as well. possibility of growing to 30+ FFR as RME Digiface offers, would be ideal

Must act as master word clock

1-2 mic preamps in the interface hub would be a plus, in case the ADAT I/O converters are "pure line-level" only.

USB preferred or modern PCIe is OK

not PCI nor firewire (unless can be one-time programmable to work standalone, routing preserved after power cycling)

Any constructive feedback, corrections of my misconceptions would be most welcome.

Relevant

As good value for PC I/O as Echo Audiofire 12 ?

Total interface noob here, please ELI5 I don't need to record or mix music in the creative sense, just looking to get multi-channel analog in and out of HTPC type hardware. Primary use case is DIY convolving, loudness contour, bass management, room correction PEQ. The Echo Audiofire 12 unit...

www.audiosciencereview.com

ISO ECHO Darla, Mona, Gina or Layla-24 host adapter cards & cables

From the interface vendor ECHO, specifically the PCI bus (or Cardbus!) cards shipped with the above 24-bit interfaces, also the DB-9 cables Anyone have one or more of these? not those compatible with the OG previous 20-bit versions, nor the later "3G" models. The breakout boxen are commonly...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[john61ct]

relevant breakout box, still looking for cheapish ADAT interface, ideally Linux / RPi5 compatible

Yamaha AD824 Converter AD input only

Looking for, with the MY8-TD ADAT version 8-port Mini-YGDAI Expansion Card what I've gathered not an interface, just "breakout box" converter, in my case I'll need an interface with ADAT inputs, e.g. RME Digiface USB zero digital outputs on its own Usually the included Mini-YGDAI Expansion...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[john61ct]

Still thinking of using RME Digiface USB as master interface, USB makes things so much better than PCIe, much less Firewire, PCMCIA / Cardbus or PCI (pre PCIe).

If only they turned up cheaper on eBay!

Rather than a separate thead for ADAT "analog breakout" hardware expansion converter boxen, figured I'll start comparing them here, all feedback welcome!

Looking for units that are cheap per port, secondhand discontinued NP.

No interface to PC / RPi required, but OK, even legacy connection types.

However they must feature "standalone converter mode", I suppose requiring a one-time setup session is OK, so long as they are CHEAP and the configuration survives power cycling.

44.1/48 kHz is fine, I do want 8-port bandwidth per ADAT line.

No preamps at all is preferred. BNC word clocking in/out master/slave is a must.

More ports supported per converter box the better, 24 is ideal for outputs

If inputs only (e.g. Yamaha AD824 is AD-only) then 8-port is plenty.

Support per port for consumer RCA voltages would be ideal, don't mind buying physical adapters. Don't mind "Euro" terminator blocks either even DB-25 if cheap enough.

As a base standard for comparison, Behringer 8200, although it only supports 8-ports in & out and is notorious for (audibly?) low SQ

goes for under $10/port so buy cheap enough maybe just to get by while waiting for better SQ units to show up on eBay.

 

[john61ct]

Units suggested by Google, to be investigated, comments welcome.

Note that 1/4" TRS can accept SE natively via RCA to TS bullet adapter jacks


MOTU 2408 Mk1 but 20-bit max, MkII is 24-bit, outputs balanced

Fostex VC-8

Creamware A16 Ultra – 16 analog I/O, great high SQ rep

Alesis HD24 – 24 analog I/O

Alesis AI3, 8ch

Alesis io|26, 8ch, selectable line-level bypass

Alesis ADAT LX20, only 8ch but 3U!


Frontier Design Tango24, 8ch

Swissonic ADAT24 / DA24, 8ch


M-Audio Profire Lightbridge

...

Google reco'd Echo AudioFire 12 for great high SQ rep

but my understanding is, connection to Firewire host is required every bootup to load firmware + routing config.

As good value for PC I/O as Echo Audiofire 12 ?

Total interface noob here, please ELI5 I don't need to record or mix music in the creative sense, just looking to get multi-channel analog in and out of HTPC type hardware. Primary use case is DIY convolving, loudness contour, bass management, room correction PEQ. The Echo Audiofire 12 unit...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[john61ct]

MOTU 8pre USB looked promising

apparently Linux driver issues, requires kernel futzing

 

[john61ct]

must accept at least 3x ADAT 8ch A/D line-level analog I/O converters like Behringer Ultragain ADA8200 (or better?)

I am ultimately looking for 20+ I/O analog channels altogether, 4+ in, 16 out

Edit: 6+ inputs not less

Note RME Digiface has zero analog - adds $400+ to cost just for a great USB I/O as primary

And I'd even settle for 1-2 ADAT expansion banks, really liking the Motu AVB units both for expansion (16ao) and testing direct interface over LAN from host(s)

But as good ol' USB, the affordable ones have Linux driver issues so no good as primary

 

[Lujiez]

This might be wildly wrong but I’m currently looking for the cheapest way to get a single ADAT interface so I can by an expansion for 8 dc coupled cv I/o (which is heaps cheaper than usb) so I came across the “mch streamer kit” from minidsp which is an interface that has virtually every digital connection and is $105!! I use bitwig so I can combine multiple interfaces which again is cheaper than buying some multi thousand dollar setup for my very specific purposes. From memory minidsp had a bunch of different stuff that could be decently flexible if you get creative. I will also use some of my bitwig connect 4/12 non cv outs for my main speakers 1 sub and 3 daisy chained perlisten subs which I can transcribe the dsp parameters into the hardware saving an extra 2 outputs while high passing my mains and manually dsping my 4th sub and I still have 4 outputs left. I’m already thinking about buying more adat interfaces but for normal duties to have a Frankenstein setup where I can expand as I go

 

[john61ct]

I have no clue about mixing or music production, dunno from DC coupling and CV, never heard of these various DAWs before, no interest either at this point.

For my home listening DSP needs, it is important that all the I/O is clocked together, so I'm only looking at BNC Word Clock on the (secondary) actual converters - if the primary interface has no analog ports, then no BNC needed there, they can be slaved to the ADAT signal inputs. But direction is important, USB as source input is not clocked.

So MCHstreamer indeed looks great as a single ADAT interface, but if you need multiple multiport converters, they need synchronization, to be clocked together in the hardware domain, separate from any software.

You will see some report that MCHstreamer always wants to be Master clock.

Apparently that restriction only applies to the I2S/headed pins - the ADAT ports can be set to clock slave, the converter acting as Master.

Personally, RME Digiface USB really seems the way to go as primary for multiple ADAT per host, sometimes as cheap as $400-450 secondhand, rock solid drivers.

But that only pays off if your secondary ADAT converters are cheap enough.

TBH I suspect Behringer 8200 units are "good enough", use that as your pricing baseline looking at used legacy units.

Beware legacy interface/converters that only work "standalone" after being programmed through their primary, especially Firewire.

If you can get Firewire working, that really should be the cheapest path to get lotsa ports cheaply on eBay, the PCIe / PCMCIA based stuff they've apparently all lost the cards.

Note I'm a noob on all this, still figuring it out.

Corrective feedback most welcome.

I use bitwig so I can combine multiple interfaces which again is cheaper than buying some multi thousand dollar setup for my very specific purposes.

 

[john61ct]

At least on Linux, Google says PipeWIre can aggregate multiple USB interfaces into a single unified 16/24/32-channel playback target, aka a "Combined Sink"

each needs a unique aliases via udev rule file

> PipeWire will monitor the drift between MCH1 and MCH2 etc in real-time, applying an adaptive sub-sample resampler to ensure they stay phase-aligned

Not quite as precise as each converter being BNC clocked and all driven by the same multi-ADATVprimary interface, but may be good enough for your use case.