Multiple input audio interface mac

On the left-hand side are two pairs of ADAT ins and outs. Once you have the software installed on your computer and connected you are ready to go. There are six amplifier emulations covering vintage to modern and clean to downright filthy. They sound great and, unlike some software emulations, have a great dynamic response. You also get a great range of EQs and a single compressor. If you want a high-quality audio interface for studio, rehearsals and gigs you have to look at this.

It sounds great and is supremely flexible. Certainly one of the best audio interfaces for guitarists you can buy. Antelope Audio Zen Tour.

SOUND ON SOUND

One of the best audio interfaces for Mac on the market, the Element 46 prioritises function over form: Everything else is handled by software, with that aforementioned Remote Control or a free iOS app providing extra hands-on interaction should you wish. Apogee Element Prism Sound has quickly developed a reputation as a go-to choice for many professional users and studios seeking exemplary audio quality at the interfacing stage.

In use, Atlas feels like a thoroughbred interface from the moment it's up and running. Atlas is a sumptuous interface, offering unparalleled sound quality. Prism Sound's reputation is further enhanced with its arrival and, since the quality of its interfaces was already seen as excellent, that's a glowing endorsement.

Best usb audio interfaces: the best audio interfaces for music production | MusicRadar

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Featuring eight of the same Onyx preamps that Mackie use in their mixing desks, the Firewire Blackbird is well built and, importantly, easy to use: This is Focusrite's current flagship interface. In addition to its six conventional preamps, it has two 'Liquid Channel' inputs, which model classic preamp designs from the likes of Neve, Telefunken and Pultec. There are numerous interfaces around capable of recording several channels at once, but how do you know which one is right for you? One of the main considerations when buying an interface is whether it has enough inputs and outputs for your purposes.

The first thing to consider when deciding which interface to buy is its connection format. Some interfaces use PCI cards, which have to be fitted into a computer, but all those listed above connect either via USB or Firewire, meaning that they simply plug into the relevant socket.

Firewire interfaces can be picky about the Firewire chipset in your computer, with compatibility problems ranging from the occasional crackle to the interface not being recognised by the computer at all! It's definitely worth checking the manufacturer's web site to make sure that your own chipset is compatible. USB is generally more forgiving, and arguably more future-proof, as Firewire ports are rarely fitted as standard to new computers nowadays. In fact, some manufacturers now offer both connection types, enhancing compatibility at the expense of making the interface a little more costly.

With the right interface, drivers and computer, decent low-latency performance is possible using both protocols. That said, most users haven't experienced these problems and a fair few have found them fairly easy to resolve. Some report that they are able to bypass the problems with the Tascam drivers by using Class Compliant drivers instead. If you're looking for 16 channels of input on a budget then this is a great option. Most users who buy this are very pleased with the performance it offers and unless you strike driver problems you will be too. This is the number of analogue inputs that can be transferred through to separate tracks on your computer which sounds pretty simple.

However we think some manufacturers fudge the number a little bit to give a higher channel count. So an "18 channel" interface might only be able to handle 8 analogue inputs by itself. This is why we've classified the interfaces in our guide by the number of analogue channels that can be input and be sent as separate channels via USB. This is not to say that these extra digital input channels aren't a handy option when you want to expand but they won't help you if you don't have another compatible audio interface.

In addition to knowing the number of inputs, you also have to know the type of inputs available be it line level low impedance or instrument level high impedance inputs. Instrument level ports are for electric guitars and basses with no active preamp, while you can plug keyboards, amps and other electronic instruments in to the line level input.

XLR inputs are usually accompanied by a preamp to handle microphones.

Some units have versatile line level and instrument level switching for specific ports. Built-in preamps allow you to connect microphones and they also can provide phantom power to condenser mics when needed. But they're not just for connectivity, because they can also effect the character of the sound and are responsible for keeping noise at bay. Thankfully, manufacturers rarely skimp on the quality of their preamps, often equipping their entire range of audio interfaces with the same preamp found on their flagship model.

Note that not all inputs will have a preamp, so it is important to consider the actual number of preamps available, particularly for recording with condenser mics. As the channels increase, so does the complexity of the circuit, and its power requirement. So you can expect most of the units listed here to require wall power adaptors to keep them running. Still there are a few that can be bus powered via USB from a computer. Note that none of them can be powered via the USB from an iOS device so thankfully they all have an option to run via a mains power wall adaptor.

This specification describes the resolution of your converted digital audio, and the general idea is that the higher the sample rate, the more details are captured. The main thing to know is that a sampling rate of Also note that the preamp usually plays a bigger role in recording quality. However we've consistently found that most of the serious user complaints about audio interfaces come from a small number of owners who can't get these drivers to work properly.

Often these can be attributed to people not setting things up properly but there are some cases were it appears there are genuine problems with the drivers on some systems. Furthermore many users find that the manufacturer support in the event of driver problems is lacking and some of them are slow to release fixes for these issues. By and large we've chosen the interfaces that have the least problems for our guide but few are immune to some degree of complaint.

To reduce the chances of encountering these problems you should check to ensure that there are drivers available for your version of operating system and check to see whether other owners have had problem with systems like yours.

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One way to avoid manufacturer driver issues is to use a USB Class Compliant interface audio and possibly MIDI which means it can use standard drivers that are usually already available in your system. This will also 'future proof' your device in the event that the manufacturer stops releasing drivers for newer operating system versions. It's still best to make sure the manufacturer specifically mentions compatibility though.

You can check out our iPad Audio Interface guide if you're looking for dedicated iPad audio interfaces. Others even come with extras like virtual instruments, samples, in depth software control over the interface and more. All of these should be enough to get novice users started. Initially, we surveyed the market for audio interfaces with four or more analog inputs, focusing on those that are highly rated and popular. To make sure that you can actually buy the ones that make the list, we limited our scope to those that are easily accessible from online retailers in the USA.

To better reflect current market sentiments, we took yet another look at the data, including the most recent reviews and ratings up to January of We ended up gathering over 5, sources, which were then processed by the Gearank Algorithm. The resulting ratings out of along with the information we gathered were used to narrow down the list to just the best rated ones. Finally, we've divided the list based on the number of their analog inputs, to make it easier to find one with enough connectivity options to suit your needs.

You can find out more about this process in How Gearank Works.

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Hi I have a question about the Tascam. Without drivers however you won't be able to use the DSP functions or Tascam's special software but these are more add-on features. There are people who use the Tascam in class compliant mode on Windows but there's a chance that some fiddling could be required to stop it from wanting to use the drivers.

Regarding the 8 output Tascam, will it interface with qlabs on a MacBook pro running version It looks like no one running the exact same setup as you has answered your question, so even though I haven't used that specific combination myself I can let you know that it will function with your computer in it's basic mode without advanced features because it is Class Compliant - the standard USB drivers will take care of that for you. As to the features requiring the Tascam drivers, I don't know. As a result of today's update, the following interfaces were removed from our recommended list, but you can still read what we have to say about them:.

Multi-channel Audio Interfaces

Or will they work simultaneously and will the software recognize two units? If the answer is no, do you have or recommend an interface that will do this? I was thinking of buying the Tascam 16x08 to use it as well as in the studio at home, even in live shows with stand-alone digital mixer connected to my mac book pro: With its internal mixer you can work without weighing the PC too much and thus avoiding possible crashes in the live?

Finally, using it in stand-alone mode it works only as a preamp or can you use the 4-band equalization of its mixer? Thank you. As a result of our January update, the following interface came off our recommended list above, but you can still read our analysis of it:. Skip to main content. The Best 4 - 6 Channel Audio Interfaces 4-input audio interfaces offer portability while having more input and output options than 2-channel interfaces. USB 2. Amazon Product Listing.