It is a DB25 connector and you would need something like this to plug in:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DA88BQ5

vladasyn
Downloading manuals for the products I don't have sounds like a great idea, also I have very limited time. Full time day job, mastering of my album on top of moving from one computer to another and installing hundreds of plugins. It is very time consuming.

You always seem to think others have all the time in the world to answer your endless repetitive questions, the answer to which is often a look at the manual or a google search away though. What makes you think others have the time to hold your bad-tempered hand through the most basic stuff only to be rewarded by being rudely dismissed.

You're blocked. Gooodbye.

tlw, answering is optional. I appreciate you taking time to answer my question or post your opinion. It was noted. Also if somebody already knows the answer, they may as well share it with me and save me some time.
 
The Patchbay does not feel right. It never did. Spending $3k does not feel right either, but I have a day job for something! Improving my studio is what makes me happy. So I may be waiting for the Thunderbolt card drivers and buy MOTU or for Presonus driver update. Thank you for the tip on DB25. This is very helpful. I would not know how to search for it without definition. Thanks.

Before jumping into something new, why not trying to install the Unsigned drivers from Presonus?
 
There are several places that detail how to do this online.  Here is one:
https://en.code-bude.net/2015/08/19/how-to-install-unsigned-drivers-in-windows-10/
 
I personally got rid of an old Presonus Firepod because the driver did not work in Windows 10.  It WOULD install, then only let me see two channels.  I ended up with 18in x 18out Behringer XR-18.  If you need more I/O there is the X32.
I am OK with 18 channels in/out.  It works well with me.
 
Just my 2 cents.

Patm300e, I appreciate the link. This was done over and over (installing the unsigned drivers attempts). I had to reinstall Windows 12 times over this. The only thing I did not do at the end was to install earlier version of Windows 10, which I regret because I got the disk with early version, but then I gave up. It was 2 weeks fight. I am actually not 100% sure that it is drivers signing issue, because it does not work with "Unsigned" mode using your method. Presonus wants to believe it is drivers signing but they don't care much and did not really try to solve it. I had strangers on Toms Hardware and KVR Audio helping me much more than Presonus who is responsible for the drivers. They were sounding frustrated that I wanted to fix it, did not reply to e-mails with reports of what we have tried and were just not interested. They did not even tell- they will personally let me know if they release updated drivers- just told me to check the news section of their web site. The problem is that the driver gets installed, computer sees the Mixer, it even forced it to update Firmware on the mixer, and installed new firmware, but Audio is not going through. Just dead. Somebody suggested that it may be Bandwidth of motherboard. Contacted Asus, their supervisor was supposed to report it to Engineers and get back with me, but they never did. People just disappear when I report this problem.
 
I heard several RME recommendations. It must be good. It just looks boring. And expansive. How is it compared to Universal Audio and MOTU? (wondering). Thank you.

I also ditched my Presonus for the X32 Rack. I was so impressed with the X32 I got for my PA, I bought a second one with a S16 for my studio setup. :-)

I invested many many hours and days into assisting Vlada with her issues with her Presonus Fire Wire interface, and after an absolutely insane number of attempts to get it working in Sonar, ended up at an impasse because the technical support folks at Presonus adopted the position that the issues were with Windows 10 and they essentially refused to budge on that point - providing ZERO additional support for the issue, DESPITE the Presonus web site clearly indicating that they provided support for that interface and set of drivers for Windows 10.
 
If Presonus had cared to participate further in the investigative process it might have ended up being some simple kind of thing to fix - Vlada may well never know now, one way or the other, but for CERTAIN seems to now have a useless 'anchor' that cost at least a couple of thousand dollars - maybe closer to 3k (can't recall how much the interface cost).
 
I truly wish I knew of a way to help Vlada further with her Presonus issues, but unless Presonus were to decide to actually invest some effort into analysis and resolution, I think her likely only viable option is to have to dump a ton more cash into somebody ELSE's mixer/interface.
 
I myself still have a Presonus AudioBox 1818VSL (well, my son is using it these days), and have had good support experiences with their technical support, but after seeing how they punted on her SUPPORTED device, I don't know that I would end up choosing their hardware for future purchases.
 
Bob Bone
 

I would recommend a Digico SD7 with MADI and an Antelope Goliath on the computer side. This because it
1. Is very expensive
2. Is very professional
3. Is not boring looking
4. Has Thunderbolt
5. Doesn't say Behringer OR RME on it anywhere
6. Is a lot more gear than is actually necessary for the stated purpose
7. Will impress the studio partner

vladasyn
 
I watched few videos on RME. When I say it is boring...
1. The RME Fireface UFX+ is pricey and not meeting my needs, because...
2. It has 4 ports TRS/XLR on front and 8 on the back, but does it sum to 12 or does it sum to 8?I don't understand why manufacturers like to play games and not say things straight. Can all 12 inputs work together or not? Or is it only front OR back at a time? It classifies as "Boring" for me because anyone can make 8 inputs interface in one rack space. But if I want to pay $2700, it must be at least 12 inputs. Not sure if it is or not.

The rear inputs are numbered 1 thru 8 and are balanced TRS. The front inputs are numbered 9 thru 12 and are mic pre/TRS combos. All 12 can used at the same time.
 

3. I don't see any ability to connect multiple units. Looks like what you got is what you will have to keep for long time. It does not say that I can chain connect 2 or more units via Thunderbolt. MOTU and AUD offer that option and they have 16 In/outs TRS unit to add on to main interface.  

There are two sets of adat ins/outs via toslink. This allows expansion via the use of two separate 8 channel mic pre to adat converters. That's 16 additional channels right there. Plus the 12 on-board analog inputs gives you 24 input channels which can all be used at once. The AES/EBU gives you two more digital inputs if you've got a device that speaks that language. It also has MADI in and out which would give you access to 32 more inputs and 32 more outputs via a MADI device. That gives you the ability to have just shy of 60 inputs available at once. 
 

4. No Plugins

It has on-board effects that can be used on all inputs channels.

5. Looks like Presonus- are they connected?

No idea.

vladasyn
 
Zargg, I just searched for MOTU 828 and came across Sweetwater forum thread dealing with drivers issues all the way back on Vista and XP- it was like a flashback to the XP days. Ugh. What a nightmare. So folks were commenting that MOTU is better for Mac users while RME- for PC. Probably generalization. I have MOTU MIDI interface, looks like it working ok. I hope MOTU improved from times of 828.
 What did you not like about UAD (Twin Solo)? Thank you.
 
3. I don't see any ability to connect multiple units. Looks like what you got is what you will have to keep for long time. It does not say that I can chain connect 2 or more units via Thunderbolt. MOTU and AUD offer that option and they have 16 In/outs TRS unit to add on to main interface.  
 

It was not that I didn't like the UAD Twin, I just liked the RME better.
I use external preamps, by the way.
 
You can connect multiple RME's, however you like (USB, FW, TB, Pcie (and even mix and match, I believe)).
They (separate AI's) will (if I am not totally misunderstanding) get their own TotalMix Window.
I have not heard of any "horror stories" with RME and Mac (or pc) for as long as I have been reading audio forums, so I guess they are more or less equally stable on both platforms.

Hence my last post.

Well, trying to follow this thread and it seems to me a good way to go (with all the external synth inputs) is a separate, analog mixer (even line mixer) fed into a garden variety interface with several inputs.  You are making life hard by trying to find a 24 input interface with effects and little latency and that runs out of the box and is cheap.  I guess so, but you are really stacking up the qualifiers. And one thing I've learned, every piece of hardware added to a system is a potential source of problems. 
 
My old TC 48 interface might match your qualifications, although you would need an ADAT AD to get up to the 22 inputs.  It has 12 AD inputs including 4 mic pres, 1 x ADAT and Spdif each.   The latency was down below 4 ms via FW.  And it has great, usable effects.  And it should be stackable with other TC stuff, tho I've never tried that.
 
Re:  RME hardware.  Their early stuff used to be modular - you bought a pci card with various analog/digital connectors on it and daughter cards, then added ADDA.  Now they are mostly MADI and USB which plug into your computer and their hardware units come with digital in/outs for further expansion (or via MADI, Dante).
 
Re: Presonus.  A long time ago I had their original FireStation unit.  It was great - the first affordable 8 track digital interface, but Yamaha built it (I think) and definitely wrote the FireWire (mLan) drivers.  After a year or so they updated the Station and bricked my unit (and others) with a firmware upgrade for it.  I ended up kicking up a fuss about the time of one of the major trade shows, writing online about both companies products (as well as to the Presidents of both companies).  The next week I was contacted by both.  And fortunately, both companies were coming out with new units and so they tried to make me happy (and shut me up) and I got the better deal on a new Firepod from Presonus.  So I don't have anything bad to say about them, since as far as I could tell their hardware got shafted by Yamaha mLAN drivers.

Re: an analog mixer - that was basically my idea of a patchbay. While a mixer may be more convenient because you can leave its output plugged into your interface, it adds, as you say, a potential source of problems and at the very least will add a slight amount of noise and coloration.

Regardless, I feel Vladasyn has basically made up her mind to do whatever she wants, which is completely within her rights of course.

With RME you need to consider the long-term costs vs other platforms.  I had a hammerfall for ages.  They supported new drivers long after the Hammerfall was not in their current  product offering.  I now have 2 FF800s.  Those have long been discontinued, but new drivers come out constantly.  
 
I  had used MOTU before upgrading to RME.  while my issues were few, it was at a time when MOTU was principally a mac platform and the windows stuff seemed to lag as far as updates were concerned.  
 
RME has a variety of products that work off USB, Firewire (400 and 800) and Thunderbolt.  They also have MADI stuff but I have no experience with MADI so I cannot fairly comment.  
 
Maybe RME is boring, but it is rock solid and well supported.  There are few interfaces with lower latency than the RME equipment.  In my opinion, they have excelled in low latency drivers.  
 
I cannot comment on the UAD interfaces.  I do have a couple of PCI cards (2 quads) and was a big user of the UAD 1 platform when it came out.  In my opinion, their plugins are amongst the best out there.  Then again, I am biased.  

Check this one out" This is new Antelope Goliath audio interface that will be released this summer. This is full package, but out of my price range. Supposed to be 6-7k retail. But looks so awesome! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUdavtR7hq0
 
And then there will be old Goliath option to consider- may be the price will go down some. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Goliath
 
New Orion Studio will be shipping in May: http://www.sonicstate.com...refreshed/