Does a Mac audio interface exists with 16 or more analog inputs?

[Keoki]

It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
I'll start using ADATs *now*...

Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?

[geoff]

Keoki wrote:
> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
> I'll start using ADATs *now*...
>
> Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
> analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
> audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?

I don't know about 'Mac' but MOTU do (did) a model 24i, with 24 ins and 2
outs. I use one daily, on a PC. You need an IDE slot for the host interface
card..

geoff

[Phil W]

"geoff":
> Keoki wrote:
>> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
>> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
>> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
>> I'll start using ADATs *now*...

It´s less about using ADAT recorders themselves, than the connection
standard also called "ADAT" - if you find that to be "esoterica", you ought
to read up on that subject. There are many interfaces using ADAT
connections...

>> Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
>> analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
>> audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?
>
> I don't know about 'Mac' but MOTU do (did) a model 24i, with 24 ins and 2
> outs. I use one daily, on a PC. You need an IDE slot for the host
> interface card..

Really an IDE drive slot? Not rather a PCI or PCIexpress card slot? ;-)
To the OP: yes, even Macs have PCI or PCIexpress card slots - these are not
"esoteric" as well.

[Mike Rivers]

On 1/7/2011 10:16 PM, Keoki wrote:
> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
> I'll start using ADATs *now*...

This is the way they can make one box fit more users. Most people these
days only need more than a couple of inputs when they're tracking a band
playing with drums. That's why most of the I/O boxes you see nowadays
have only 8 analog inputs. The ADAT ports that you see on them are a way
of expanding the number of inputs that you can shove through the
Firewire pipe if you have an external A/D converter with ADAT optical
outputs. Still, a lot of vendors are kind of skittish about trying to
run more than 16 channels through Firewire. RME can do it because they
have good driver developers, but not many others can provide good
reliability or trouble-resistant setup.

The way to get 16 or more analog inputs is to get a console with
Firewire output. The Mackie 1640i will get you 16. The PreSonus
StudioLive 24.4.2 will get you 24 (actually a few more if you count the
stereo tape and auxiliary returns). The reason why it works out like
that is because live sound people need a lot of analog inputs (which are
expensive) and it's relatively cheap, if they have the working drivers,
to throw those down the Firewire path.

Probab.y the best approach for you would be to build your own out of
available components. An M-Audio Lightbridge will give you 32 channels
of ADAT optical input (at standard sample rate (half as many at 2x
sample rate). Combine that with two or more 8-channel A/D converters of
your choice with ADAT output and you'll have what you need. That will
give you an opportunity to hae some "better" analog (mic) inputs, and/or
some "better" converters. You can go with the cheap-as-dirt Behringer
ADA-8000 (I think that's it) or Focusrite, or PreSonus, or RME or
whatever converters you like.



--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be operated without
a passing knowledge of computing, although it seems that it can be
operated without a passing knowledge of audio" - John Watkinson

Drop by http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com now and then

[[email protected][_2_]]

On Jan 7, 8:16*pm, Keoki > wrote:
> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
> I'll start using ADATs *now*...
>
> Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
> analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
> audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?

You can daisy-chain two of them. Possibly three, I haven't ever tried
it, but as I remember MOTU's sales literature says you can :-)

And the Mackie 1640i is not a bad solution. The only reason I didn't
get Mackie's card in my mixer is because I already had a MOTU 8-
channel unit that also does MIDI, which I also need.

[Scott Dorsey]

Keoki > wrote:
>
>Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
>analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
>audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?

Well, Studer might still be able to sell you a D19 rack with a MADI card
and then you get a MADI interface for the Mac.

I think your best bet might be something that can be daisy-chained in
blocks of eight, though.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

Phil W > wrote:
>"geoff":
>> Keoki wrote:
>>> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
>>> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
>>> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
>>> I'll start using ADATs *now*...
>
>It´s less about using ADAT recorders themselves, than the connection
>standard also called "ADAT" - if you find that to be "esoterica", you ought
>to read up on that subject. There are many interfaces using ADAT
>connections...

Actually, the connection standard is called "Alesis Lightpipe" but everybody
calls it ADAT....
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Ty Ford]

On Fri, 7 Jan 2011 22:16:29 -0500, Keoki wrote
(in article
>):

> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
> I'll start using ADATs *now*...
>
> Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
> analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
> audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?

Maybe not in one box but with BoomRecorder software you can chain (aggregate)
I/O additional boxes.

Here's a list of compatible hardware.

http://www.vosgames.nl/products/BoomRecorder/compatibility/

Regards,

Ty Ford

--Audio Equipment Reviews Audio Production Services
Acting and Voiceover Demos http://www.tyford.com
Guitar player?:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWaPRHMGhGA

[Keoki]

Thank you for the answers, I'm getting smarter by the day.

My original quest was for *something* streamlined that can replace my
conked-out Behringer MX3242X keyboard mixer which routed my roomful o'
layered keyboards into Ableton Live until a week ago. I wasn't sure if
it should be a multi-channel interface, or another mixer, or a cheapo
multitrack... (some older units now cost less than the digital mixers
built in them)...

I actually tried the Presonus mentioned earlier in a music store
yesterday. It looks drop-dead gorgeous but it has the most horrible,
plasticky, toyish-feeling faders I ever tried. A pinball machine has
more tactile resistance than that. But hey, I'm sure the audio is
great. (There was too much environmental noise for a true sonic
check.)

If I need to tie together several interfaces with 8 inputs, the
processing burden will fall on the Mac. My favorite Mac workhorse is
an old G5. (I have an i7 Mac too, but I got a decade's worth of
software on the G5, so I still find myself working on it
predominantly...path of least resistance.) Having multitrack audio
pouring in from 2-3 separate units might be more than the G5 can
handle, I'd rather the signal from all the keyboards mixed down to
stereo before it hits the G5.

Maybe I should get a used digi multitrack then, for this, they seem to
be the cheapest solution... is there a consensus if Akai or Yamaha
ones sound better for roaring (digital) piano tracks full of pedalling?

[hank alrich]

Keoki > wrote:

> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
> I'll start using ADATs *now*...

That's a Lightpipe connedtion, a digital link capable of 8 channels of
24/48 or 4 of 24/96 if SMUX capable. It's an Alesis spec that has become
common on recent audio machinery.

> Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
> analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
> audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?

Clearly you've not dug very deeply into the well of info about this.

How many inputs do you need and what will you spend?

There are many ways to handle plenty of inputs to a Mac or most any
other computer.

--
shut up and play your guitar * http://hankalrich.com/
http://armadillomusicproductions.com/who'slistening.html
http://www.sonicbids.com/HankandShaidriAlrichwithDougHarman

[Keoki]

Hello Hank,

On the keyboard mixer that died, I had 24 channels filled.
However, the most I layer at a time for a take is 4 keyboards (=8
channels)

[Trevor]

"Mike Rivers" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/7/2011 10:16 PM, Keoki wrote:
>> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
>> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
>> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
>> I'll start using ADATs *now*...
>
> This is the way they can make one box fit more users. Most people these
> days only need more than a couple of inputs when they're tracking a band
> playing with drums. That's why most of the I/O boxes you see nowadays have
> only 8 analog inputs. The ADAT ports that you see on them are a way of
> expanding the number of inputs that you can shove through the Firewire
> pipe if you have an external A/D converter with ADAT optical outputs.
> Still, a lot of vendors are kind of skittish about trying to run more than
> 16 channels through Firewire. RME can do it because they have good driver
> developers, but not many others can provide good reliability or
> trouble-resistant setup.
>
> The way to get 16 or more analog inputs is to get a console with Firewire
> output. The Mackie 1640i will get you 16. The PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2
> will get you 24 (actually a few more if you count the stereo tape and
> auxiliary returns). The reason why it works out like that is because live
> sound people need a lot of analog inputs (which are expensive) and it's
> relatively cheap, if they have the working drivers, to throw those down
> the Firewire path.
>
> Probab.y the best approach for you would be to build your own out of
> available components. An M-Audio Lightbridge will give you 32 channels of
> ADAT optical input (at standard sample rate (half as many at 2x sample
> rate). Combine that with two or more 8-channel A/D converters of your
> choice with ADAT output and you'll have what you need. That will give you
> an opportunity to hae some "better" analog (mic) inputs, and/or some
> "better" converters. You can go with the cheap-as-dirt Behringer ADA-8000
> (I think that's it) or Focusrite, or PreSonus, or RME or whatever
> converters you like.


Right the ADA-8000 is a cheap way to use the ADAT input for another 8 analog
channels. I have no idea about Mac's, but another alternative that (usually)
works on the PC is to simply gang two or three 8 channel interfaces. You
simply choose those that are designed to do that, not all are. M-Audio does
for one. I know there are others.

Trevor.

[Trevor]

"Ty Ford" > wrote in message
al.NET...
> On Fri, 7 Jan 2011 22:16:29 -0500, Keoki wrote
> (in article
> >):
>
>> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
>> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
>> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
>> I'll start using ADATs *now*...
>>
>> Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
>> analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
>> audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?
>
> Maybe not in one box but with BoomRecorder software you can chain
> (aggregate)
> I/O additional boxes.
>
> Here's a list of compatible hardware.
>
> http://www.vosgames.nl/products/BoomRecorder/compatibility/
>

Of course remembering that you will need to be able to run all interfaces
from the one master clock. Many manufacturers allow you to do that with
multiple interfaces, and no need for any additional software.

Or am I missing the reason you suggest Boom Recorder? I admit I didn't
bother to look.

Trevor.

[Scott Dorsey]

Keoki > wrote:
>Hello Hank,
>
>On the keyboard mixer that died, I had 24 channels filled.
>However, the most I layer at a time for a take is 4 keyboards (=8
>channels)

Hmm... considered a patcbay?
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Danny T]

On Jan 8, 4:12*pm, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
> Keoki > wrote:
> >Hello Hank,
>
> >On the keyboard mixer that died, I had 24 channels filled.
> >However, the most I layer at a time for a take is 4 keyboards (=8
> >channels)
>
> Hmm... considered a patcbay?
> --scott
>
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

sounds like what he needs is a tascam m164uf It will do 16 at once
but you have to use some strange inputs on a few, like RCA on one of
the stereo ins. It has 6 actual mic pres and the rest are line in of
sorts. I saw it on sale a few weeks back for $200 I think.

[geoff]

Phil W wrote:
> "geoff":
>> Keoki wrote:
>>> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
>>> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are
>>> only 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica.
>>> Great, like, I'll start using ADATs *now*...
>
> It´s less about using ADAT recorders themselves, than the connection
> standard also called "ADAT" - if you find that to be "esoterica", you
> ought to read up on that subject. There are many interfaces using ADAT
> connections...
>
>>> Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
>>> analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
>>> audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?
>>
>> I don't know about 'Mac' but MOTU do (did) a model 24i, with 24 ins
>> and 2 outs. I use one daily, on a PC. You need an IDE slot for the
>> host interface card..
>
> Really an IDE drive slot? Not rather a PCI or PCIexpress card slot?
> ;-)
IDE - PCI same thing ;-) (ooops)

geoff

[Keoki]

On Jan 8, 7:42*pm, Keoki > wrote:
> Given that the
> most characteristic track in the album I work on is of a roaring,
> pedalled piano (picture Rhapsody in Blue on steroids), shouldn't I aim
> for the Akai, then, to capture the piano soundcloud the best? Then,
> with a DPS24, I wouldn't need a patchbay...

I put this option up hoping, someone will care to play the devil's
advocate... it looks so simple (and contains so many assumptions) I'm
probably overlooking something.

What's your opinion of the Keyboard article?

[drichard]

Kecki,

Using lightpipe inputs is a very standard way of expanding the total
number of inputs. These are real inputs, not "marketing" inputs. I
have an inexpensive Alesis !/O 26 (8 analog channels) with two
Behringer ADA8000 units as expanders, and have successfully recorded
24 tracks live. The sound quality is surprisingly decent for such an
inexpensive rig. The Alesis is a firewire unit, and as such should
work fine with a Mac.

Even so, I'm not recommending the I/O 26 per se. While I have had
great success with it, there have been other users who have complained
of driver issues. Rather, I am recommending that you consider one of
those expandable 8-input firewire devices, of which there are many on
the market.

Good luck,

Dean


On Jan 7, 9:16*pm, Keoki > wrote:
> It must be the 20th interface I look at by now, all promising a
> gazillion audio inputs. Then when I look at the photos, there are only
> 8 inputs and some ADAT Lightpipe ins and such esoterica. Great, like,
> I'll start using ADATs *now*...
>
> Does any Mac audio interface exists which has honestly, 16 or more
> analog inputs? Not 8 ins and some white elephant 120-channel digital
> audio in, just to claim 128 inputs as an advertising gimmick?

[Keoki]

Hello Dean,

I like the idea of using an 8-channel converter with ADAT Lightpipe
out to add up input tracks. Whether I'd buy a Behringer ADA8000 is a
different matter. The keyboard mixer that died on me was a Behringer
too. I live in a US state capital, yet there's no Behringer repair
facility here! I had to ship the mixer over the ocean to get it fixed.
Roughly 2 weeks after the repair facility received it, there is still
not a peep how soon, for how much, (if ever), it's going to be fixed
and returned. So, considering little things like these, let's just say
Behringer is not my top manufacturer choice, at the moment. :-)

[Scott Dorsey]

Keoki > wrote:
>
>I like the idea of using an 8-channel converter with ADAT Lightpipe
>out to add up input tracks. Whether I'd buy a Behringer ADA8000 is a
>different matter. The keyboard mixer that died on me was a Behringer
>too.

Then try the RME ADI-8 Pro. Note that there are a whole bunch of different
products all called the ADI-8, it's a whole series of things. You want
the one with the converters. It sounds good, it seems very solid, and
it's well-supported. Lightpipe and T-DIF ins and outs, no MADI.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Keoki]

I found an interface with 16 inputs: the Tascam US-2000. It has volume
LEDs on the front... yess! And it's cheaper than Digi/Avid, too.

But, ultimately, I opted for the Tascam M-164, Danny T's suggestion.
At $159 a mixer, foam wallcovering probably costs more per pound. :-)

[Mike Rivers]

On 1/10/2011 6:57 PM, Keoki wrote:
> I found an interface with 16 inputs: the Tascam US-2000.

There are inputs, and there are inputs. You have to count them carefully
to see if it meets your needs. In this case inputs 1-6 are mic only on
XLRs, (not line level), inputs 7 and 8 are combo XLRs for mics or
instrument pickups, 9-14 are 3 stereo pairs (or 3 mono inputs, and 15
and 16 are S/PDIF stereo. So if you need 16 mic inputs, or 16 line
inputs, this one isn't going to cut it.


--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be operated without
a passing knowledge of computing, although it seems that it can be
operated without a passing knowledge of audio" - John Watkinson

Drop by http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com now and then

[david correia]

In article >,
Mike Rivers > wrote:

> On 1/10/2011 6:57 PM, Keoki wrote:
> > I found an interface with 16 inputs: the Tascam US-2000.
>
> There are inputs, and there are inputs. You have to count them carefully
> to see if it meets your needs. In this case inputs 1-6 are mic only on
> XLRs, (not line level), inputs 7 and 8 are combo XLRs for mics or
> instrument pickups, 9-14 are 3 stereo pairs (or 3 mono inputs, and 15
> and 16 are S/PDIF stereo. So if you need 16 mic inputs, or 16 line
> inputs, this one isn't going to cut it.
>
>
> --
> "Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be operated without
> a passing knowledge of computing, although it seems that it can be
> operated without a passing knowledge of audio" - John Watkinson
>
> Drop by http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com now and then




I'm pretty sure this is way out of your price range, but it'll do 16
analog in on a Mac:


http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/symphony-io.php




David Correia
www.Celebrationsound.com

[Keoki]

The Symphony looks lovely, though $3600 for an interfafce is quite a
bit. I might get an Apogee Duet though, between the mixer's stereo
outs and the Mac.

[Keoki]

By the way, interesting how the Apogee Ensemble, the Phonic Summit,
the Prismsound Orpheus, the Roland FA-66 and the Presonus FP-10 all
use the same processor from Archwave (www.achwave.net), the company
which introduced a new PC-free USB stick recording solution on NAMM
2011 today.

("Coming soon... the $3600 Symphony on a USB stick!"... just joking.)

[Keoki]

Oops... www.archwave.net. My typo.