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

[john61ct]

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 is based on Firewire which can apparently still works fine converted via PCIe card in a TB3 enclosure or certain docking stations

Apparently very high quality DAC/ADCs despite its age.

I REALLY like being able to go balanced/SE, both input and output individually switchable +4dBu/-10dBV input sensitivity / output level

Two Audiofire 12 units can daisy chain through just one port to the PC

The possible sticking point is Win11 drivers, apparently hardware designed for Win10 has broader compatibility.

I'm OK with this sort of futzing around, but do NOT want to get maybe forced into going over to Mac 8-O !

so I thought I'd ask for simpler modern alternatives - budget say $300 which is double the above.

Is TB required to get bandwidth / multiplexing for 12/24 channels? Or S/PDIF ?

Plain USB or maybe USB4 would be cheaper / more flexible on the host side, I'd prefer NUC style boxen

also the option to play with Linux, and/or rPi compatibility would be a plus.

Thanks in advance...

 

[ppataki]

Up to 300 USD, not many options to be honest

Thomann Buy USB Audio Interfaces at Thomann

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www.thomann.co.uk

The cheapest I would consider buying from the above list is the Tascam US-16x08 and it can do +24dBu

 

[john61ct]

Thanks, and 2nd hand ones are reasonable for apples to peaches. Fewer I/O but USB certainly easy to deal with, will look further into it.

 

[john61ct]

Thought I'd try here before starting a new thread

looking for a good value measurement XLR mic + pre-amp to use with REW*, into AudioFire 12 via TRS

Accurate transparency, good calibration a must, but I hope budget maybe $200-250

I understand that the AF12 word clock will be master, the only clock involved for both input and output, A Good Thing for accuracy, avoiding drift in correcting phase / time domain issues - REW can use a loopback input as "Acoustic Timing Reference"

please give ELI5 feedback if any of this is off base, noob here and I distrust Google results.

? Dayton Audio EMM-6 ?

for preamp, Rolls MP13 looks ok, but phantom power does not hit +48V

the 4-ch mixer Mackie 402-VLZ4 was reco, includes 2x Onyx (good?) preamps with gain control + LED level meters and proper +48V phantom power

plus 2x further line level inputs, I don't think I need the mixer function for this use case? But as bidirectional converter, the AudioFire 12 will still handle all the clocking (right?)

I'd prefer a smaller simple singleton dedicated pre-amp if both cheaper and better SQ, but not only-battery powered, USB power-in would be ideal

...

* + maybe Acourate but not yet settled ?

@Keith_W will this setup work well for the other DSP EQ programs too? Time-domain measurement looking like the toughest nut to crack? I realize the actual live processing ("convolving"?) can / should be a separate box, I don't think I want a PC tied up as part of my audio stack full time...

Q2 Has Acourate gotten easier to use since you wrote that review years ago?

...

So far list of learning resources, Q3 additions please

Mitchco's eBook

Scientists and Engineers Guide to DSP: http://www.dspguide.com

JOS Home Page

DSPGuru https://dspguru.com/dsp/books/favorites

Is Uli still on Yahoo Groups, or what are the better forums now?

 

[john61ct]

Discussion here, clarifying what the AudioFire12 is

Crossover Software for Windows, Linux, macOS.

Cantabile as VST host. Fine piece of Software Free version: Cantabile Lite - which does pretty much everything we need her Also a paid version.

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[john61ct]

Trying to answer some of my own questions here

good value measurement XLR mic

ASR Acourate users

So bass management is the function category for all that. With "phase / delay issues" mostly a part of that as opposed to "Custom designing speakers from separately driven drivers" ? aka "bi- or tri-amping" which I expressed not a current goal for me. So, add speaker / room compensation EQ...

www.audiosciencereview.com

pre-amp maybe a cheap Mackie mixer, see thread cited above

...

I understand that the AF12 word clock will be master, the only clock involved for both input and output, A Good Thing for accuracy, avoiding drift in correcting phase / time domain issues - REW can use a loopback input as "Acoustic Timing Reference"...
as bidirectional converter, the AudioFire 12 will still handle all the clocking

I've seen nothing contradicting this is the case.

> I'd prefer a smaller simple singleton dedicated pre-amp if both cheaper and better SQ, but not only-battery powered, USB power-in would be ideal

Still stands if exists at say $150

...

Will add more learning resources @Keith_W has given, other Q's above as yet outstanding...