Audio Interface for REW and Laptop

[SimpleTheater]

I'm hoping to use REW to test my stereo and other non-HDMI audio systems.

It doesn't appear I can do this with just a UMIK1 and a laptop as I did with my Home Theater AVR using the HDMI connection. Since my stereo gear is either rca or balanced inputs, I believe (I could be wrong) I need some type of audio interface.

Recommendations under $300 would be appreciated. I'm not in need of professional quality as I'm most interested in doing RT60 measurements.

 

[GDK]

Can you not connect your laptop to your DAC via USB? That's how I have normally done it.

 

[SimpleTheater]

Can you not connect your laptop to your DAC via USB? That's how I have normally done it.

I have an RME ADI2 DAC. It has a USB input.

Should I use standard USB cable or get a USB-C to USB cable (my laptop has both USB-C and regular USB).

 

[GDK]

I have an RME ADI2 DAC. It has a USB input.

Should I use standard USB cable or get a USB-C to USB cable (my laptop has both USB-C and regular USB).

So that is exactly the same as my setup. Yes, just use a USB-C to USB-B cable to connect your laptop to the RME and REW should work fine. No need for another interface.

 

[rdenney]

My measurement microphone has a standard microphone balanced analog input, and I needed an interface with a mic preamp and phantom power to run it. I use a cheap Presonus Studio 24C. One advantage of REW is that you can do a loop back test of the interface and make a calibration file for it. Mine was within a fraction of a dB across the spectrum.

Rick “whose Benchmark ADC had insufficient gain for microphone levels and no phantom power” Denney

 

[SimpleTheater]

So that is exactly the same as my setup. Yes, just use a USB-C to USB-B cable to connect your laptop to the RME and REW should work fine. No need for another interface.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but that is so awesome. It took me forever to hook up REW with my AVR, I just assumed it would be just as big of a hassle for something else. But I just plugged the RME into my laptop, set it as the default output, and everything worked perfectly. Just took a quick measurement.

Thanks a lot!