Multichannel Audio Interfaces under Windows for Theater Productions: Which One?

Fred

@michel yes but not on windows

mark

Thank you for this input. Since it seems RME is a powerful, professional system -- and that @Fred and @Maximortal disagree about Scarlett -- I guess I would try to acquire an RME interface. I would like to get the least expensive 8 channel system I can... preferably USB over FireWire (a lot of the RME devices seem to be the latter.)

Given those specs, can you all make a recommendation?

Best Wishes,
Mark

Fred

@mark go for the ucx

DillTheKraut

@fred

Are you saying there is no Dante VS for windows?!

But there is...

https://www.audinate.com/produ...

Fred

@dillthekraut no, I'm saying it is not recognised as a multichannel audio device in windows (that is has 5.1 or 7.1 capabilities), and hence Isadora cannot use it to output multichannel audio in videos. I use Dante on windows all the time, but the way Isadora accesses multichannel audio on windows and the way windows deals with these drivers, means they don't work.

bonemap

@fred said:

go for the ucx

Really? isn't the RME UCX a USB 2.0 / FireWire 400 model?

Fred

@bonemap Whoops, I have the USB 2.0 only so I guess that is the UC, there are USB 3.0 models but it is not about new-ness, just bandwidth, USB 2.0 has enough bandwidth do do the 36 channels offered by this unit. plus it can be recognized by ios devices and older machines and it is rock solid (amazing hardware and drivers), every other make of sound card I have had or used has at some point glitched or failed at least once on me, all the RME stuff I have used has never once - but yes, not pretty USB C connections.

There are other models with more channels like the UFX II and UFX +, still all current.
The only downfall of the UC model is that output 7&8 are shared with the headphones output so unbalanced when used in line mode, but the ADAT gets you an extra port for 8 more channels.
The matrixing and mixer and real time hardware effects on the RME stuff is amazing and the remote capability is awesome. Still I would be leaning toward Dante based stuff, like the rio or tio if it was not for wanting mulitchannel audio output in windows.

mark

@fred

Wow €850 for the RME UCX. Do you really feel the Scarlett won't allow us to do meaningful testing? (You said it was buggy.) I'm going to have to buy mulitple units so the team can test and we need to watch every penny here.

I mean, I have a MOTU Traveller but it's ancient and I don't feel good about testing with it.

In addition, does anyone have feelings about the Roland Octo-Capture. @DusX already has one of these and has used it for multichannel stuff, and it's half the price of the RME. Just curious if anyone else has somethign to say about it.

Best Wishes,
Mark

Fred

@mark it's up to you, try a Scarlet, maybe they have some cooling off period where you are (like in NL) where you can return it if you don't like it. I use RME and have never had a bug since, and there are other features. If you only need 8 CH out and no inputs or other features there are even super cheap class compliant output only interfaces for less than €100 (just look for USB 7.1 sound card). Or other mid range products like th scarlet that others have had good results with (others here also have great experience)

Being able to mix, make submixes, remote re-route channels, eq and compression in hardware, osc control and midi control of ALL functions, the reliability, and the compact size make RME worth it for me (I have even used it as a mixing desk with an old iPad to control it). I buy from a place that has a 3 year warranty on all products and now mine is 6 years old, and I use it regularly, every show I have that has sound and it still gets driver and software updates quite fast (some brands will support a few versions of Mac OS and dump you in legacy land). So now I've paid €3 per week for something that has outdone itself for years and would not hesitate to recommend it.

I don't know about your use case, so maybe it is not a good investment for you. For me it's great.

Edit: Aha, now I see, if it's only for testing multichannel output then grab any class compliant card. For a Soundcard to use for performances and installations as part of a kit, I would go with RME.

sommerdi

I use Motu Ultralite MKIII at MAC and it is running perfect and stable with 8 channel for performances.

But I know there are a lot of trouble with Win for 8 channels (for 2 is is running without an issue) . The solution for Win was RME ....

mark

@sommerdi said:

The solution for Win was RME

OK, that is important to hear. Thank you.

mark

For all: the reason I'm asking this question is because doing a great job with multichannel audio, for both Movie Player and the Sound Player actors, is the next thing on the roadmap in terms of features. Hopefully it will please some of you to hear that this is going to be our next big push.

I've got an implementation working well with macOS, but I need to get a sound device to test what I've programmed on Windows.

@fred said:

I don't know about your use case, so maybe it is not a good investment for you. For me it's great.Edit: Aha, now I see, if it's only for testing multichannel output then grab any class compliant card. For a Soundcard to use for performances and installations as part of a kit, I would go with RME

OK! That also is super helpful @Fred. I mean, I want to work with something "real" in terms of what's out there. But to have to spend 3 x 850€ is a pretty big investment for us. I may still pop for one of these since you and other recommend it. But it would be cool if we could keep the costs down in terms of testing.

kirschkematthias

Hi Mark

we are using Dante Virtual Soundcard, and it works perfectly.

Juriaan

It really depends Mark on what you wish to create. Are you going down the ASIO route I would personally just buy some Scarletts for that.

mark

@juriaan said:

Are you going down the ASIO route I would personally just buy some Scarletts for that.

Whatever we choose, it needs to work with Windows Media Foundation so that Movie Player can get the sound where it needs to go. Routing sound from movie out to ASIO is too big a chunk to chew on in terms of getting this feature finished in a timely manner. Our goal is to allow users to use a standard multichannel audio interface to route any channel of a movie that has sound (or just a sound) to any output, and to do so on the fly interactively if desired. That will be a big step up from what we have now, and should address concerns that came up previously.

Best Wishes,
Mark

DusX

@mark

Mark just a correction. I have the Roland Rubix 24. It is nothing special, but very much competing with the Scarlett 2i4.
My Roland also has 2 inputs and 4 outputs. I got it over the Scarlett because the outputs are all matching 1/4 inch (less adapters) and for recording it has a built in hardware compressor ( I am getting great sound recording for tutorials :)
Again, its in the same ball park as the Scarlett 2i4.. price was exactly the same when I was looking at them.
I have had no trouble setting up Quadraphonic output from Isadora.. it works well, and I have played with Quadraphonic mixing via linking my Daw with Isadora and OSC.

crystalhorizon

My RME Fireface is rock solid, have it now 11 years. A friend of mine has a RME Hammerfall even older, still working. Looking at a higher cost its very good priced when calculating over such a long period of time.

mark_m

@mark

I have a Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 (Mk 1 version) which is at the budget end of things, but its four outputs have worked just fine with Isadora 2.x on a Mac.
It's just a plug-n-play USB audio interface, equivalent to Ryan's Roland Rubix 24 or the Scarlett 2i4, and in the same price range. Designed and engineered in Germany :-)