Sir Les
 
828x hybrid works ..WHEN WINDOWS IS ALLOWING IT TO...And works well in DAWs so far, When Windows 10 allows the system to... and sounds very good....
 

interesting to hear that about the 828x hybrid - so this seems to be more of a general MOTU problem on win10 (because I do have occasions where the ASIO drivers for the 1248 AVB simply don't register in Sonar although the device appears in windows / MOTU connection GUI)

AT
As to the Firewire interface, I'd say no.  USB is the way to go, since Thunderbolt doesn't seem to be catching on in the PC world.  If you are switching to mac, you would want to look at TB. 
 
  The 20x20 is good hardware and has a bunch of "pro" features you don't usually find on $400, 10X10 ADDA systems - word clock, ADAT, Spdif (which gives the 20 in the name) and a good software mixer etc. once you figure it out (and easier, in my opinion, than the Teutonic RME total mix).  The sound is good, close enough to the premium TASCAM UH-7000 that I switch between them without worry.  It is cheaper than the other units we are talking about and, in theory, should be well-tested with Cake software.  The new TASCAM hardware beats my old TC hardware, esp. the pres (and the TC hardware was better than the Presonus it replaced).
  

 
I'm glad to read this, as I have just bought a US 20x20 myself last week (but have not yet installed it because i'm having a hard time configuring a Motor 49 keyboard controller)...
 
Just for the record, I bought this unit for the following reasons:
 
- Our good friend's ANDERTON review...
- Could integrate with my actual setup via ADAT (in PREs mode) AND could be used as a future-proof USB2 / USB 3 audio interface with SONAR when i'll be ready to finally upgrade my DELL STUDIO 1747 laptop.
- Mic Pres are being reviewed as being far better than the ones from previous TASCAM series
- ... AND... i had not seen MOTU'S latest drivers release for their M series (finally adding Thunderbolt support for windows....) For the "future-proof" aspect of my needs, this is major. I would have gone for and Ultralight AVB without question if I had checked that out before my purchase.
 
Not saying that I regret it... ok just a little... but I am willing to give the 20x20 a go... (I'm still in the "refund with no questions asked" period....)
 
So, since this thread is about the quality of the units and the quality of drivers, I do not feel like I am hacking this thread by asking...
 
... Are there other users of the newest TASCAM interface reading this thread? How good are they VS motu's / rme's / focusrite ones?
 
I'm not that good at in-depth drivers/buffer configurations, but i'll post back here the numbers i'll get with most of the "out of the box" configs soon, hopefully

Ok, well I just did some quick testing with previous projects and I must admit that I am impressed so far by the US 20x20.
 
I'm not yet able to be more thorough, but I can say this: I've been able to play projects with a 64 samples buffer settings with the Us 20x20 without a glitch. (According to SONAR, latencies are: 2.3 msec input / 6.6 msec output / 8.9 MS Total round trip).
 
Previously, at this buffer setting, my previous M-Audio profire lightbridge was failing. So, USB out-performed Firewire here! First time I could ever witness that! 
 
Heck, I can even track guitars at 64 samples... before, I settled for 256 samples buffers...
 
So, performance-wise I am pleased! Sometimes during next week i'll connect some average condenser mics to test the PREs.

.

Caa2
Are people actually able to track 16 to 24 analog inputs at once, without glicthes, at 44.1kHz with a 64 sample buffer over USB?

as said in the other thread: recording that number of inputs is not a problem - yet, maybe you can explain why you need buffers that low when tracking a band playing live? I would use the DAW only as a "tape machine" so that buffers do not matter at all. Monitor mixes etc I would do via direct mixer of the interface or even a separate mixer.

re:  the US 20x20.
 
Be sure and check the sync with whatever you plan on using.  TASCAM can be finicky between the choices for sync you have.  "Automatic" can be anything but.

RME Babyface Pro
 
 
just bought one about a month ago.
 
i was going to get the motu avb,
but i got a deal on this one, and just went with it.
 
it sounds amazing to me.
 
 
and the thing that really blew my mind,
was that i hooked it up to my old win xp machine, without any software installed,
and it worked fine.
 
LOL
 
no sh!t.
 
it only has 2 analog preamp inputs, which is fine for me,
but has a ton of other connectivity.
 
the preamps are super neutral and true.
 
the control of the thing is complete, using the totalmix panel, that's really sweet.
 
the latency is just about nil.
 
the internal fx (delay and reverb) sound good enough to print.
 
i'm really impressed with it,
and the tracks i'm recording with it now, are easier to mix, easier to hear the freqs, i don't know, the captures are just so much more 'true' to my ears, it makes me realize just how much color my older interfaces were adding that i did not want.
 
YMMV

Caa2
Yes, I can explain.
 
I have been round tripping monitor mixes through SONAR using the actual FX I use in the final mix for nearly a decade. I will consider it a step backwards to revert to proxy mixing the monitor sends while tracking an ensemble.
 
In addition, I haven't had to set my buffer above 64bit for the past 4 years while using SONAR, which was the last time I upgraded my DAW CPU system. This makes monitoring while overdubbing seem just as familiar, so it will seem like a step backwards if I find I have to bump up the buffer size to get the newest gear to work well.
 
This is why I am asking if people actually do get to use all the throughput that the hardware, and its driver, purports to offer or if there is some sort of compromise that people are accepting and simply not speaking about.
 
Maybe you can explain; Do you actually track 16 to 24 channels of analog to digital conversion at the 64 sample buffer setting or is your first hand experience based upon using buffers that do not matter at all?
 
Thank you

OK. I understand. so far my experience from using relatively safe mid to large size buffers.
 
I could give it a try as it would make an interesting "load" test of my system now that I have just switched to the MOTUs, but I would need more info regarding what you usually do:
 
What sort of FX do you use during tracking (which kind? which brand? how many tracks?) how many submixes from these tracks? ...
 
but let's maybe stick the discussion to the thread that you opened on that subject ...
http://forum.cakewalk.com/MOTU-16A-on-a-Win7-x64-Machine-m3492494.aspx#3493114

Caa2
 I was tempted by the MOTU 16A from the moment it was announced but have been disappointed that Thunderbolt has taken so long to be adopted for Windows.
 I have been wondering if the USB option will provide me with the same performance I currently have with my 896HD set up.
 

MOTU is currently the only company to have true "PCIe via Thunderbolt" drivers currently available for Windows.
If you have all the following in place, you're good-to-go:

• Z170x or X99p motherboard that supports Thunderbolt-3 via USB-C port
• You need a Thunderbolt-3 (USC-C) to Thunderbolt adapter (~$84)
• You have to be running Win10

 
MOTU AVB's performance when connected via USB-2 is excellent (sub 5ms).
Thunderbolt performance in this case is PCIe level... so it'll allow slightly lower round-trip latency.
 
 

.

Jim Roseberry
Make sure to checkout the MOTU AVB series.
The Ultralite AVB is an excellent audio interface.

I saw some gearslutz forums mention about issues with AVB driver on Windows. I got a bit skeptical about the AVB after reading this.

Jim Roseberry

RishiS
 
I saw some gearslutz forums mention about issues with AVB driver on Windows. I got a bit skeptical about the AVB after reading this.

There's no blanket problem with the AVB drivers under Windows.  
Who's the source of this "enlightenment"?
If you try to run it on a 3rd-party USB-3 controller, you may run into issues.
If you run it on an Intel USB-2 or USB-3 controller (with a well configured DAW), the AVB series is excellent.

not the source, not on gearslutz, either
but talking to MOTU support on occasional issues where the AVB drivers just dont show up in Sonar as ASIO drivers.
they are currently suspecting something OS specific, but what can that be given that it connects fine at least 9 out of 10 times and when connected runs brilliantly stable?? that'll be the needle in the haystack ...

I just scored a Lynx L22 for $130. I think no one mentions lynx because it's so ridiculously expensive.  There is a pci-e model called the e22.  It's specs look frighteningly good.

I currently have the older Focusrite Scarlett 2i4. What do you guys suggest if I'm looking for something with better latency and better overall quality... But I don't need any more features. I do everything within Sonar. I don't touch anything on the interface itself or in its software that it comes with. Just the volume knob on the box, and that's it. So most of these big huge interfaces with screens and knobs and 20 inputs and outputs... I wouldn't even touch any of it. I just have an In for my Guitar, an In for my Mic, and 2 outs for my two monitors, and a pair of headphones.
 
As of now I'm probably just gonna go to the new 2nd gen Scarlett 2i4 to get the lower latency, but maybe if there's something that's truly better, but not like $2000 with tons of features I don't need, I'd consider it...

shush now there