bapu
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/10/30 11:21:14
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For $99 I'd probably go w/ the Cake/Roland USB unit. I mean, it should work w/ SONAR, right. +1 Yes, it does.
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ACE STOKES 2.0
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/10/30 13:25:23
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thomasabarnes
Hi Ace:
Some of us have had certain brand gear and read alot here about what gear works from user reports. At the price range you're mentioning ($100 or $99), I strongly recomend going with the M-Audio choices.
If you could manage to spend $200, you will be wise to go with AT recomendation above of the TC Konnekt 6.
We've had and have gear that works wih SONAR, so I assert: it wouldn't be a bad idea to seriously consider our recomendations.
If low latency and stable operation is what you are looking for, M-Audio is probably more likely the less troublesome and better performer at your price range of $100.
I have a Mackie Onyx Satellite, and the Mackie drivers are not better than M-Audio drivers. They're somewhat problematic. The Satellite cost me $200. It's sound quality was better, but the drivers for my M-Audio Delta 1010LT made the 1010LT the better performer.
There are alaways variables with different PC configurations, so who knows precisely how things will go for you. So the choice of what audio interface to get it's your resposibility. With that said, I recommend the M-Audio product, at the price range you mention.
Cya around, and let us know how it goes, whatever you end up getting? :)
Hey Thomas, Yeah price range M-Audio is gonna be the one-I'm sure. I'm using GTP3-I should have posted that in the beggining-I've never tried Sonar. I was reading Harmony Central reviews on the M-Audio Fast Track-some Dudes were just down right mean/mad about this thing!! But some gave it GREAT reviews. I'll get what I can afford. Thanks for the post!
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thomasabarnes
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/10/30 14:25:04
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Hi Ace: Ah I see, you're using Guitar Tracks Pro 3. Well, it's still a Cakewalk product, maybe that means something. I don't know if it's running with the same sound engine as SONAR. However, Cubase users also have good reports about the PCI M-Audio products listed here (the 2496 and the Audiophile 192). If these products run well with other software, I don't see any serious reason for them not to run well, with GTP3. Does GTP3 have support for ASIO? I'm no way meaning to downplay the Cakewalk new USB audio interfaces, it's just that they are new and I haven't read many real world user reports about any except, the V Studio 700, which is way out of your price range. Are you referring to the M Audio Fast Track MKII USB? Let me be clear that I'm referring to the PCI M Audio products mentioned in this thread. As for an M-Audio USB unit, the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra USB has good reports by users and experienced folk in music production circles, but that's out of your price range, yet it's a good unit which is going for $280 on Amazon. Although, you might find it at a less expensive price on EBay. Anyway, goodluck with whatever you choose, and keep us updated.
post edited by thomasabarnes - 2010/10/30 14:28:30
 "It's not a song till it touches your heart. It's not a song till it tears you apart!" Lyrics of Amy Grant. SONAR Platinum X64 (jBridge), Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit, Core i7 990X Extreme Edition Processor 3.46 GHz 6 Cores, Gigabyte EX58-UD5, Crucial Ballistix 24GB 1333MHz DDR3 @1333 MHz, TASCAM UH-7000, Behringer X-Touch, EVGA GTX 980TI Superclocked 6GB, 1TB Samsung EVO 850 SSD, 150GB, 320GB, 1TB 7200rpm HDDs
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Fog
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/10/30 15:05:58
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I have an ozone (an m-audio unit) keyboard + usb asio interface all in one.. but the drivers in win7-64 aren't cutting it (I blame bapu partly  ) .. can't buy em new anyway.. it's extremely limited to what is out there .. there is a behringer one , red keyboard.. BUT I'm not 100% about the drivers.. BUT it's totally USB and now power source... problem 16 bit.. hhhmm cake do their usb audio which i was tempted to get BUT what for the keyboard....
post edited by Fog - 2010/10/30 15:15:17
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bapu
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/10/30 15:30:01
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(I blame bapu partly ) If it were me, I'd blame him all the way and then add a +1. But that's just me.
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Karyn
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/10/30 16:00:24
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Mekashi Futo. Get 10% off all Waves plugins.Current DAW. i7-950, Gigabyte EX58-UD5, 12Gb RAM, 1Tb SSD, 2x2Tb HDD, nVidia GTX 260, Antec 1000W psu, Win7 64bit, Studio 192, Digimax FS, KRK RP8G2, Sonar Platinum
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ACE STOKES 2.0
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/10/30 17:47:08
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ACE STOKES 2.0
After years of hating my sound-re doing the guitar wiring "a few times"-and spending the afternoon reading Audio Interface posts-It seems that I should have been using an audio interface all along. Guitar-cable-PC Line In AIN'T CUTTIN' IT!!!! I had a POD and a V-Amp-got rid of them. I was using a GuitarPort for a while but it taxed the CPU. So now using guitar-cable-PC Line In to Simulanalog Marshall with Red Wires IR'S. Still using GTP3. UA-1G??? Something different?? Anything better than nothing??
UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know that I did end up on ebay getting an M-audio Fast track USB unit. I wanted to thank everyone for their time-help-advice-knowledge-humor-patience!! I will be following the gear advice from here as money allows. I have a Wife and a Daughter and their needs ALWAYS come first!!!! So I'll act like a kid at Christmas when the mail gets here!! Thanks again everyone!! God Bless!! 
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ACE STOKES 2.0
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/07 14:37:57
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Hey Y'all!! I FINALLY got the M-Audio Fast Track Saturday-waiting sux!! I still don't know why a few on this MB and another one trashed this thing?? It IS what it is!! installation was easy-pop the cd in and install what you need from left to right!! The wording of the instructions were a little off-but if I can get it working-ANYBODY can!! Except for the Pro tools thing. It gave me an error message and wouldn't open. I d/led new drivers-so I'll see if that fixes it! I bought this used (of course) so there was no USB "key". The GT software which I call Dsounds was really very good!! It even had some bass presets that I fine tuned. I recorded some heavy and clean scratch tracks and it worked great!! It handled the VST plugs I like. After a string change tonight it'll be time to put the last wasted 7 years behind me!!
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johnnyV
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/09 16:58:07
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If that's a Fast Track Pro, I have the same and it's fine for what your doing. It's been going steady for a year now. The pre amps are kinda weak so I use the digital ins via a Yamaha mixer. If Your using a line in from a guitar so it will work just fine, It works good enough for the price point. The Round trip Latency is not very good but will not matter if you don't use real time efx.
post edited by johnnyV - 2010/11/09 16:59:38
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Lanceindastudio
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/09 17:21:44
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unit is fine as stated unless you want lower latency like highly multiple softsynth users like myself.
gratz on a great unit! Make some music!
Asus P8Z77-V LE PLUS Motherboard i7 3770k CPU 32 gigs RAM Presonus AudioBox iTwo Windows 10 64 bit, SONAR PLATINUM 64 bit Lots of plugins and softsynths and one shot samples, loops Gauge ECM-87, MCA SP-1, Alesis AM51 Presonus Eureka Mackie HR824's and matching subwoofer
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ACE STOKES 2.0
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/10 03:33:35
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johnnyV
If that's a Fast Track Pro, I have the same and it's fine for what your doing. It's been going steady for a year now. The pre amps are kinda weak so I use the digital ins via a Yamaha mixer. If Your using a line in from a guitar so it will work just fine, It works good enough for the price point. The Round trip Latency is not very good but will not matter if you don't use real time efx.
No-it's not the Pro-maybe one day!! Latency has been pretty good. I use ASIO-it was a little off at install but it's great now! The driver update worked for Pro Tools-DEMO-all that-so I could check out a DEMO-bummer!!-Can't save-can't export-no biggie-I dig GTP3!! I was going to check out how "the other half live"-but nope!!
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ACE STOKES 2.0
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/10 03:40:40
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Lanceindastudio
unit is fine as stated unless you want lower latency like highly multiple softsynth users like myself.
gratz on a great unit! Make some music!
Lower? IDK?? This thing is pretty low to none!! Thanks!! Oh yes I'm workin' on it -just ask the people next door!!
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Cactus Music
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/10 13:26:06
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There is sort of two types of latency we deal with. The first type your software will adjust automatically and you will not notice anything. Can't remember what it called but it what you get when you listen while recording through the headphones and then when overdubbing tracks. The other is called "round trip Latency" or RTL and it's the one that will allow you to monitor efxs in real time or use your computer as a live rig for efx's or soft synths. You can test them both buy patching a cable from your out put to the input of your interface. The first test all you need is a track with lots of transients like a snare drum. Re- record the track and compare the transients. See if they line up. Zoom way in as far as your dare. The second test for RTL you download a tool from http://centrance.com/down...ent_instructions.shtml This is the one that will show you the true quallity of your interface. When I tested my FTpro it was very high so unusable for real time efx's.
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FastBikerBoy
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/10 14:13:09
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Cactus Music
There is sort of two types of latency we deal with. The first type your software will adjust automatically and you will not notice anything.
Can't remember what it called but it what you get when you listen while recording through the headphones and then when overdubbing tracks. It's called direct monitoring and the reason there is no latency is because you are monitoring "outside of the box". Latency is the delay between the conversion process of converting audio to digital (AD) processing that audio & then converting it back again (DA). When you are direct monitoring there is no latency because there is no conversion going on on the input. You are listening directly to the audio before it goes through the AD process. The audio coming out though the DA although technically delayed (from first being converted to you hearing it) you never notice because you are playing along to it when recording, hence the term zero latency.
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Cactus Music
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/10 16:56:36
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Thanks, Yes it's the output that Sonar will adjust automatically for you so all should be good, So my first test will verify that this is working properly. And also there's a slider somewhere to mess with this if it's not to your liking "recording offset" ?? me thinks it's called?
The main point is that a interface can have bad latency and Sonar will fix this for you to a point. The bad latency will only show when you get into certain situations like trying to monitor though headphones using VST efxs. Or trying to use Guitar4 rig live.
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FastBikerBoy
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/10 18:27:22
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In my experience recording offset adjustment is handled fairly well automatically by Sonar. It's there to help when recording the audio from external synths etc.
For example I mainly use a couple of external drum machines for my drums. The manual "offset" allows me to fine tune any timing discrepancy between the MIDI note playing and the audio recording that isn't offset enough automatically.
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ACE STOKES 2.0
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Re:Good CHEAP Audio Interface??
2010/11/11 03:17:58
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Cactus Music
The second test for RTL you download a tool from
http://centrance.com/down...ent_instructions.shtml
This is the one that will show you the true quallity of your interface. When I tested my FTpro it was very high so unusable for real time efx's.
That Centrance test sounds interesting!! I'm using VST effects some in channel some Aux bused and an amp sim and a cab impulse and it doesn't crash or drop-the disk meter % gets up there but it plays back and records right where i want it! But hey -a brand new 'puter would be a Godsend!!
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