most STABLE audio interface

[Harmonic Canon]

I'm looking upgrade my audio interface to either a motu828mk3 or Steinberg MR816 CSX for the quality (and multiple I/O which has been a real limitation on my Audio Kontrol 1)

Anyone have experience of the steinberg MR816?

[Macrostructure]

Yep, I have the 828Mkii and it is very, very solid.

To summarize:

USB2 bad.

Firewire better.

Firewire has lots of performance advantages over USB2 but to say that USB2 is bad is simply misleading and unhelpful to the OP. At the intensity suggested by their post they could almost use USB1.1 with no difficulty! I note that the key point of the OP i.e. STABILITY - is NOT one of the key differences!

There is a good technical summary of those differences here:
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/pdf/Arc ... g00790.pdf

I myself have used a lot of different interfaces over the years and have had more stability problems with the Firewire ones than anything else. OK they weren't high end, but they were Firewire.

Manufacturers: There's no doubt that RME and MOTU make good interfaces, but so do lots of other companies e.g. Focusrite, Echo and Edirol. There was a thread on here recently in which Ableton tech support described having extensive problems with faults in RME drivers that took ages to resolve. So even the mighty RME can mess up.

My most stable interfaces have been Echo Indigo (PCMCIA) and Edirol UA101 (USB2). The latter I can run at rediculously low latencies, 6ms, without dropout, on a 1.7Ghz single core Vaio (a PC!) with 1Gb RAM. Just goes to show.

Here is how to run a mid-price soundcard at super low latency without problems: don't spend $1000 on a new interface, spend less replacing all your cracked plugs and instruments with legitimate versions. Then stand back and listen to how all those stability problems, clicks and pops simply disappear and your latency goes down and down. It really is quite a revelation. And it doesn't matter a damn if it's Firewire or USB2.

[Chang]

Rule of thumb from what I've seen for rock solid stability is
MOTU - Mac
RME - PC

[j2j]

Here is how to run a mid-price soundcard at super low latency without problems: don't spend $1000 on a new interface, spend less replacing all your cracked plugs and instruments with legitimate versions. Then stand back and listen to how all those stability problems, clicks and pops simply disappear and your latency goes down and down. It really is quite a revelation. And it doesn't matter a damn if it's Firewire or USB2.

Erm...

I'm using 100% legal software. I get clicks, and pops. There is something to be said for high priced interfaces. I'd really like to spend a grand this year, on a new interface...

[ResonanceMan]

i have a motu 828 original. SOLID. never an error. smooth as glass.

plus, $200 is cheap, you can get 2 - 3 of them and daisy chain them.

[xh9o]

Here is how to run a mid-price soundcard at super low latency without problems: replacing all your cracked plugs and instruments with legitimate versions. clicks and pops simply disappear and your latency goes down and down.

what a silly bull of shite.

[FORMAT]

The Motu Traveler is the most stable piece of hardware I've used so far. Simply works all the time. I used to have a 828, also very good and reliable.

[aqua_tek]

Rule of thumb from what I've seen for rock solid stability is
MOTU - Mac
RME - PC

Never heard of stability problems between RME and Macs. I have a Fireface 800 and it's always worked perfectly fine.

MOTU however was notoriously bad with PC's. at least a few years ago. Don't know about now.


Oh... and my ONLY gripe with the Fireface is the lack of a control room volume knob. Why?

[Chang]

Rule of thumb from what I've seen for rock solid stability is
MOTU - Mac
RME - PC

Never heard of stability problems between RME and Macs. I have a Fireface 800 and it's always worked perfectly fine.

MOTU however was notoriously bad with PC's. at least a few years ago. Don't know about now.


Oh... and my ONLY gripe with the Fireface is the lack of a control room volume knob. Why?

Yes, I think those stability issues with RME and Mac was older and was the RME HDSP series, not Fireface series. I've never heard of 800 problem with Mac either.

[Macrostructure]

Here is how to run a mid-price soundcard at super low latency without problems: don't spend $1000 on a new interface, spend less replacing all your cracked plugs and instruments with legitimate versions. Then stand back and listen to how all those stability problems, clicks and pops simply disappear and your latency goes down and down. It really is quite a revelation. And it doesn't matter a damn if it's Firewire or USB2.

Erm...

I'm using 100% legal software. I get clicks, and pops. There is something to be said for high priced interfaces. I'd really like to spend a grand this year, on a new interface...

there is something to be said for good interfaces for sure

[ekwipt]

Rule of thumb from what I've seen for rock solid stability is
MOTU - Mac
RME - PC

RME - mac/PC (I have a pc laptop and macpro and i've tried with a friends MBP as well)

[Macrostructure]

Here is how to run a mid-price soundcard at super low latency without problems: replacing all your cracked plugs and instruments with legitimate versions. clicks and pops simply disappear and your latency goes down and down.

what a silly bull of shite.

I think you may have taken me a little too literally

Getting rid of illegal software from your system reduces instability and audio dropouts, generally enabling lower latencies and better audio performance, including on cheaper interfaces.

Happy?

[adventurepants_]

Here is how to run a mid-price soundcard at super low latency without problems: replacing all your cracked plugs and instruments with legitimate versions. clicks and pops simply disappear and your latency goes down and down.

what a silly bull of shite.

I think you may have taken me a little too literally

Getting rid of illegal software from your system reduces instability and audio dropouts, generally enabling lower latencies and better audio performance, including on cheaper interfaces.

Happy?

now its just better written bull of shite.

[Macrostructure]

what a silly bull of shite.

I think you may have taken me a little too literally

Getting rid of illegal software from your system reduces instability and audio dropouts, generally enabling lower latencies and better audio performance, including on cheaper interfaces.

Happy?

now its just better written bull of shite.

xh9o, Adventurepants

My own direct experience was otherwise. I followed the advice of another poster on this forum, Ewistrand, on this subject and did as I have described above in this thread. I was surprised to find the results are also as I have described - greater stability and better system performance. These are the facts.

I take it you use cracked software, have system stability/performance problems, tried removing all your cracked programs but in contrast to me still had exactly the same issues afterwards? That's a shame. Perhaps your computer has become sentient in some way and is expressing an objection to your bad manners?

[xh9o]

Getting rid of illegal software from your system reduces instability and audio dropouts, generally enabling lower latencies and better audio performance, including on cheaper interfaces.

god....

i used 100% stolen software while ago when starting that music thing and never had any more issues than i have now with a nearly completely legal setup (means: none). most pirate releases just enter a serial same way like you do when you buy the product, there is no difference in the code at all. just go with the reliable cracks and you will be "happy".

Perhaps your computer has become sentient in some way and is expressing an objection to your bad manners?

yeah its a filthy little bastard which should live up from some decent punishment. tbh you sound like a pervert television advertisment priest.