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Question

Audio Interface For Discrete Monitoring

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
June 3, 2019
2 replies
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Hello,

I am looking for an audio Interface for the purposes of monitoring outputs to mix tracks in Audition. Most of the products I see available are heavily weighted towards sending a signal into the computer for the purposes or recording.

However my primary focus is discrete audio output. As a minimum I will require 6 channels (in order to mix 5.1) but 8 or even 10 would be a bonus for future proofing (if ever I wanted to dabble at 7.1 mix or something else crazy). I'm not an audiophile so I'm not 'in tune' as I'm sure all of you are, so I'm looking for something tangible I can understand rather than: "just spend $2000 on RME ###### that's the best.". Additionally I have no delusions of grandeur about mixing 5.1; I don't need any lecturing please I'm just looking for guidance and attempting to outlay my goals so that you can better understand and inform me, even if I use the system for only 3 channel to start with it's nice to have that future proofing.

Secondary to that, I also would prefer to not have unusable inputs/pre-amps/ADC/DAC etc, I may perhaps use this for one or two channel recording (but I certainly don't need 32 channels like every unit seems to have). I do have external mixer/recorders (background of independent motion pictures/digital recording), but in the off chance I want to record Foley on the system or who knows, have a musician friend come over and play around it's a nice feature to not lose sight of. If there's an audio output only device, I would certainly trade off the ability to input for the dedication and simplicity, but I'm not finding that anywhere.

Lastly, it would be great to have at least one headphone 6.3mm (1/4 TRS) or at least 3.5mm off the front panel, separate dedicated volume knob for phones and main monitor outputs (all of them in one dial). I will just have this on a desk not in a rack but I can work with/custom make any solution so that is not an issue. For connectivity, well that's a whole other topic in itself, I use Windows PC and my current editing system has USB3, esata, (and I believe a FireWire something, I don't use it), however I'm not adverted to going with Thunderbolt or PCIE if that's required.

Alright I believe I have covered everything, thank you for your time.

P.S. I will also be looking at getting some powered monitors, any suggestions/recommendations would be appreciated.

This topic has been closed for replies.

_durin_

Community Manager

Cinema Sound recently did a great studio monitor showdown at https://www.cinemasound.com/showdown-the-best-nearfield-monitor-the-results-will-shock-you/ While no Yamaha speakers were included in the comparison, you may get a good sense of budget vs. performance expectations.

I

Iceking007Author

Known Participant

Thank you durin, that is a very indepth post; I think I understood 10% of it lol.

So they recommend the JBL LSR 305 MKII, which are very inexpensive. Hmph, I suppose I must concede, I don't like JBL, and I really liked the white Yamaha's, but quality is more important than my opinion.

SteveG_AudioMasters_

Community Expert

Iceking007 wrote
I'm not an audiophile so I'm not 'in tune' as I'm sure all of you are, so I'm looking for something tangible I can understand rather than: "just spend $2000 on RME ###### that's the best.". Additionally I have no delusions of grandeur about mixing 5.1; I don't need any lecturing please I'm just looking for guidance and attempting to outlay my goals so that you can better understand and inform me, even if I use the system for only 3 channel to start with it's nice to have that future proofing.
Secondary to that, I also would prefer to not have unusable inputs/pre-amps/ADC/DAC etc, I may perhaps use this for one or two channel recording (but I certainly don't need 32 channels like every unit seems to have).

I am moderately confident (having had yet another look at this) that unfortunately the box you want simply doesn't exist, or if it does, it's a standalone boutique D-A converter, probably with no headphone output, and will cost about $10k+...

The box that's got closest is, you might not be surprised, an RME one, but it doesn't cost $2k - currently £745 here. It's the Fireface UC. You get the discrete outputs, and you have headphone monitoring. There's not a huge amount of obvious input facilities to get alarmed about either. If you want more outputs, then another eight can be arranged via the ADAT output, and there are a couple of cheap fan-out boxes that will facilitate this with ease - think Behringer ADA8200, etc.

And all RME's stuff is ultra-reliable; I use a couple of Fireface UFCs, in post and for location recording. Never had a single problem with either of them. Because of the way the matrixing works, you have loads of flexibility; you can route pretty much anything anywhere.

Of course if you actually want to spend $2k+ then the firm to look at is Apogee - the Symphony I/O Mk II. Just ignore the inputs...

I

Iceking007Author

Known Participant

Yes I've been looking at that Fireface unit also, as well as:

Zoom UAC-8 (I'm leaning towards this despite not a heavy following of the Zoom products)

Tascam US 20x20 or 16x8

Roland AU1610

Is kinda my list at the moment. I have been looking at PCIE cards (you'd think it'd be simple and relatively inexpensive but I guess there's no market for my needs) but all the PCIe cards go to DB pins or other standards and then you need another $1500-###### for a breakout box so to speak.

If I had the money I'd go with an SPL unit, I'd like to stay under $1000 CAD which sadly isn't much at all.

I did come across this (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HDSP9632--rme-hammerfall-hdsp-9632) which might be suitable but even then it's about the same price point as what I'm looking at, but with less features and no appeal/tactile controls.

I'm also seriously considering going with the Yamaha studio monitors. They seem to be touted as being very flat and great for this type of work, an "industry standard"; plus they are quite affordable.

Hopefully I get more input, doesn't anyone mix anything other than stereo?

(Even so stereo would have a basis of knowledge... you have to connect your monitors somehow)

Thank you ACP.

SteveG_AudioMasters_

Community Expert

Hmm, that's something to consider, yes I did realize that about monitors (wanting them to throw all the nasty stuff in your face... what I meant by "flat" is they don't "inflate" or alter the sound). The problem is, yes; ideally I should spend $100,000 and build a whole room and have the best cleanest equipment etc but the fact is I can't. As an Indi film maker I have to use what I have and work with what I can afford. $10k camera, $10k audio hear, $5k lighting, $15k grip... plus, plus, plus. All this out of my pocket and I'm still wanting to get a second camera.

I don't think you'd argue that a pair of monitors aren't better than headphones (sorry double negative), but are "cheap" monitors better than no monitors? Is a shitty room better than working on the street or in a dumpster? The room I can improve overtime, find flaws and work to make it perform better. The speakers I can upgrade. But I need something to begin with, some work is better than no work, as we don't all start with the best "Porsche", "Ferrari", "name your car".

I'm not competing in the world Grande Prix but is there no mid way point for me to start at. I was reading this one person's post on his decision for monitors. He was looking at similar products I have and mentioned the Adams A7X; they were out of his price point so he was looking at the F7s.

He also looked at, as am I:

Focus Alpha 50

The JBLs (I'm not really interested in the JBLs)

KRK RP5 G3 (which I like but they flatter bass more)

In the end he chose the Yamaha's, and he did do sound tests as you suggest, and as I was going to do as well. Everyone's ears are different but why do you say it's hard to listen to the Yamaha's? And wouldn't that be good? Couldn't you use your headphones and home theatre speakers and then final tweak with the Yamaha's?

Is audio from "Hollywood" movies good to use as a test and train your ears on the speakers?

Sorry I don't think this is going to be a simple thread.

So how much would you budget for monitors if you were starting out today on a tight budget? I'd need a minimum of L C R

Thank you for the input.

Iceking007 wrote

Everyone's ears are different but why do you say it's hard to listen to the Yamaha's? And wouldn't that be good? Couldn't you use your headphones and home theatre speakers and then final tweak with the Yamaha's?

Several things: It's not hard at any instant to listen to Yamahas, but listener fatigue will set in earlier with them - you're having to work harder without realising it because of what they do to the midrange. That's not good because it stops you working effectively - you find yourself having to take breaks more often. In many ways, especially if you're working with video, then yes, you are almost better off doing the picture assembly with a pair of home theatre speakers and not going anywhere near 'proper' monitors at all until you do the sound sweetening. What generally doesn't work though is using headphones - your imaging will be a mile out. The one thing that's generally possible with headphones is dialog editing, but for the actual mix, you need speakers.

Is audio from "Hollywood" movies good to use as a test and train your ears on the speakers?

Not really. It's shaped towards cinema audiences and even though they've pretty much stopped using the 'academy curve' for everything, it's still pretty unbalanced. What you really need is a wide range of material that you know sounds good on other systems. What you are learning is how you adjust your audio so that it sounds more like what you're hearing elsewhere. It's only when you've learned this that you'll be able to create mixes that 'translate'. This is in general why people tend to stick to monitors for a long time before changing them - once you've learned them, they just 'work' for you. And that in the main is why it's worth waiting a bit to get a pair that you can really get on with - you'll be stuck with them a while!

As for 'how much', then Durin's article suggests that nothing less than $150 is worth listening to. I'd personally put that figure at more like $400, bearing in mind what I just wrote...

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