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Post by gravesnumber9 on Jun 12, 2024 10:43:19 GMT -6
+1 on a used apogee element. Good conversion and preamps with an excellent low latency monitoring solution, and adat I/o. You can also sync any 2 elements. That's a lot of awesome for 200 bucks. My only concern about something like this is beign able to use it on Mac Silicon, driver support, etc. I am probably better served, long term, by something newer with support for Silicon. This is why I went with MOTU for portable (ish) interface. I couldn't justify the cost of the premium quality stuff and didn't feel confident in the longer term support of second hand units. Somewhere in YouTube land someone did a shootout with like 12 portable interfaces that did a variety of tests on things that matter like headphone amp quality and real world noise tests. Probably worth looking for it, he had real data points that impact day to day usage. As I recall the Lewitt interface was a high performer. |
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Post by vintagelove on Jun 12, 2024 11:03:31 GMT -6
+1 on a used apogee element. Good conversion and preamps with an excellent low latency monitoring solution, and adat I/o. You can also sync any 2 elements. That's a lot of awesome for 200 bucks. My only concern about something like this is beign able to use it on Mac Silicon, driver support, etc. I am probably better served, long term, by something newer with support for Silicon. I've used both an Element 88 and 24 on 2 different M1 macs, and they performed flawlessly. Also, the software is very similar to the flagship symphony units, so I would suspect from a support standpoint, they will be good for a long while. Especially since they are currently selling refurbished units on their site now. PS, on the note of testing... The Element was independently tested over on audiosciencereview, and it's performance was very good all around. |
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Post by chessparov on Jun 12, 2024 12:15:42 GMT -6
Black Lion 2X2 is a 2025 temptation...
Chris
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Post by Dan on Jun 12, 2024 17:54:33 GMT -6
+1 on a used apogee element. Good conversion and preamps with an excellent low latency monitoring solution, and adat I/o. You can also sync any 2 elements. That's a lot of awesome for 200 bucks. My only concern about something like this is beign able to use it on Mac Silicon, driver support, etc. I am probably better served, long term, by something newer with support for Silicon. the only comparable thing (worse sound quality but usable on more computers) are the older akm versions of the rme babyface pro (fs). If you fry those converter chips you fry the unit. If you fry the thunderbolt chipsets on the apogee elements, you fry the unit. Those are out of production. Duet 3 is almost half the price of a new baby face pro with better sound but high latency for amp sims and the stupid iPod form factor. |
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Post by bluesholyman on Jun 13, 2024 5:50:04 GMT -6
My only concern about something like this is beign able to use it on Mac Silicon, driver support, etc. I am probably better served, long term, by something newer with support for Silicon. the only comparable thing (worse sound quality but usable on more computers) are the older akm versions of the rme babyface pro (fs). If you fry those converter chips you fry the unit. If you fry the thunderbolt chipsets on the apogee elements, you fry the unit. Those are out of production. Duet 3 is almost half the price of a new baby face pro with better sound but high latency for amp sims and the stupid iPod form factor. "Portable" form factor isn't a requirement for me - I think it got implied somewhere in the discussion, but I'd be perfectly fine with a 19" rack unit - almost preferred actually, just to keep it getting moved around a desk. I am personally not a fan of the ipod form factor devices, even if they do sound good. |
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Post by chessparov on Jun 13, 2024 8:56:43 GMT -6
Well a Teac 388 LOOKS the coolest!  |
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Post by bluesholyman on Jun 13, 2024 9:58:55 GMT -6
Well a Teac 388 LOOKS the coolest! When the first google hit, searching for this comes from "The Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording" one does ponder what a night at the museum would be like. Then one googles prices on these and realizes it is less portable and less affordable than the PT Carbon... Coolness has a price  |
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Post by guitfiddler on Jun 13, 2024 11:30:15 GMT -6
My only concern about something like this is beign able to use it on Mac Silicon, driver support, etc. I am probably better served, long term, by something newer with support for Silicon. I've used both an Element 88 and 24 on 2 different M1 macs, and they performed flawlessly. Also, the software is very similar to the flagship symphony units, so I would suspect from a support standpoint, they will be good for a long while. Especially since they are currently selling refurbished units on their site now. PS, on the note of testing... The Element was independently tested over on audiosciencereview, and it's performance was very good all around. Why would Apogee discontinue them? This always bothered me. Sounded like a home run in performance and value, from all the feedback I’ve heard about these interfaces. |
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Post by guitfiddler on Jun 13, 2024 11:32:43 GMT -6
I've used both an Element 88 and 24 on 2 different M1 macs, and they performed flawlessly. Also, the software is very similar to the flagship symphony units, so I would suspect from a support standpoint, they will be good for a long while. Especially since they are currently selling refurbished units on their site now. PS, on the note of testing... The Element was independently tested over on audiosciencereview, and its performance was very good all around. Why would Apogee discontinue them? This always bothered me. Sounded like a home run in performance and value, from all the feedback I’ve heard about these interfaces. I still have my early 2000’s Apogee 16X interfaces (32 I/O system). I had these working on an M1 Mac, and although Apogee stating they are no longer supported still work. I like Apogee, IME, excellent, solid, fast within a couple hours customer service, and nice solid products that sound good and just work. I’m bummed about Universal Audio and Avid. They have fallen way behind on their Customer Service. Universal Audio seemed to just ignore me and it took over a month for them to get back with me, and this is utterly unacceptable. Avid took about a week to get back with me, by that time I resolved the issue myself. As far as I’m concerned this is unacceptable as well, especially when a customer spends over $8000 on their products! |
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Jun 13, 2024 21:50:48 GMT -6
I was texting with one of my favorite gearpimps and ask what his favorite affordable interface was and it was a Duh moment “ what ever is payed for”.
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Post by vintagelove on Jun 14, 2024 1:23:43 GMT -6
I've used both an Element 88 and 24 on 2 different M1 macs, and they performed flawlessly. Also, the software is very similar to the flagship symphony units, so I would suspect from a support standpoint, they will be good for a long while. Especially since they are currently selling refurbished units on their site now. PS, on the note of testing... The Element was independently tested over on audiosciencereview, and it's performance was very good all around. Why would Apogee discontinue them? This always bothered me. Sounded like a home run in performance and value, from all the feedback I’ve heard about these interfaces. From what I understand, the thunderbolt chip set in them was no longer available (I think that's what it was, either way a discontinued chip). |
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Post by FM77 on Jun 14, 2024 5:44:37 GMT -6
I was texting with one of my favorite gearpimps and ask what his favorite affordable interface was and it was a Duh moment “ what ever is payed for”. Now don't go using good sense and wisdom on a forum. |
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Post by chessparov on Jun 14, 2024 9:03:35 GMT -6
That's my job here.  LOL! |
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,083
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Post by ericn on Jun 14, 2024 9:58:07 GMT -6
That's my job here. LOL! Since it pays so well I’ll let you continue in that role😁 |
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Post by Quint on Nov 17, 2024 22:25:04 GMT -6
Unless they have the ADI-2 Pro or DAC, they are sending the signal through a cleaned up version of Behringer and other cheaped out circuits. TotalMix truncates to 24-bit without dither. It is not floating point or dithered like better interface mixers so using it anything beyond monitor mixes will print audible artifacts.
The Babyface is a good buy but the used Apogee Elements are cheaper, better, and more featured unless the interface needs to be bus powered or operate on Windows.
LOL, well you already know I know this to be nonsense, so I'll leave it there. And the TotalMix dither/truncation discussion gets repeated as a naysayer support every few years. It is played out and has been addressed by Matthias and RME multiple times. You can contact Matthias directly.
I agree the BabyFace is a good option, but the FireFace UCXII is a much better choice IME>
Where can I read more on this subject of TotalMix truncating to 24 bit (or NOT truncating) audio without dither? I'm getting ready to pick up a RME HDSPe MADI FX card to connect to various converters. I doubt I would ever use TotalMix to do anything other than to route audio to/from said converters, but I'd like to be aware of any issues I don't know about. Edit: This thread? forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=29903 |
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Post by FM77 on Nov 19, 2024 18:28:54 GMT -6
LOL, well you already know I know this to be nonsense, so I'll leave it there. And the TotalMix dither/truncation discussion gets repeated as a naysayer support every few years. It is played out and has been addressed by Matthias and RME multiple times. You can contact Matthias directly.
I agree the BabyFace is a good option, but the FireFace UCXII is a much better choice IME>
Where can I read more on this subject of TotalMix truncating to 24 bit (or NOT truncating) audio without dither? I'm getting ready to pick up a RME HDSPe MADI FX card to connect to various converters. I doubt I would ever use TotalMix to do anything other than to route audio to/from said converters, but I'd like to be aware of any issues I don't know about. Edit: This thread? forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=29903I have never seen that thread, but that is a decent enough summary. I used Nuendo for many years and the Nuendo forum is where this was originally addressed. After decades it still has no legs. Every few years it always appears to be the same theoretical troll wanting to slag with the same hypothetical problem that has never been experienced by any other user. You can follow the rabbit hole at your own exhausting demise, but I would save myself the headache and ignore the blather around it and just get to work. Totalmix is exceptional and a true game changer. I suspect you will be able to tell for yourself within minutes. |
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