need a good PCI card

[Guenon]

http://www.esi-audio.com/products/maya44e/

Ninja'd ... This is the card I was going to bring up as well, at that price range. Having tested this on a couple of audio systems, it has been a good performer at lower latencies.

(Edit: I see you changed the link to Maya44eX (from Maya44e), so just a disclaimer, my experience was specifically with the previous "e" version of this PCIe card. The "eX" will likely be just as robust, and is the more current version anyway, heh. Just can't offer first hand experience with that one myself.)

[Zexila]

Changed because he might not find them in stock.

[Guenon]

Yeah

[lfm]

Just wondering, but, is there any advantage of a PCI or PCIe interface over a USB interface?

In general, PCIe has lower latency than USB. We're only talking a couple of milliseconds, but they tend to add up, depending upon what you're doing, and how your system is configured. Very efficient USB drivers can outperform poorly written PCIe drivers, but there are so many other variables at play on each individual system (CPU, chipset, software and services running, etc.), that it's difficult to get an accurate assessment of what would work best on any one system.

Steve

USB is by design difficult to get both low latency and low jitter.
If you create a larger clocked fifo to decrease jitter, you increase latency.
Very convenient with USB - but would never go for as main audio transfer for more than 2 channels. And if using 96k, I would never bother with USB.

But probably true that well/poor written drivers makes as big impact as interface technology. But PCI Express allow wider access to data in parallell to whatever chips are there - which end of USB cable does not have, unless using multiple usb ports. So odds are better for PCI/PCIe cards, I think. PCI Express x1 is serial as well - but higher rate. USB 3.0 should be able to compete - but see more of Thunderbolt coming up than audio interfaces for usb 3.0 - but maybe I did not look enough.

[Guenon]

Yes... Regarding USB, at least RME is an outlier in that regard, as they develop everything in-house. Are there other interface makers who have a full tech pipeline for this, even? Anyway, most companies have a ready-made chip at the core of the USB interface, and they design the higher level functionality around that. This means the drivers are actually ones for that chip made elsewhere, and the totality of it all isn't designed and manufactured by the people doing the actual audio interface product. Whereas RME designs absolutely everything for the purpose of the audio interface, from the ground up. The result is, you can get performance out of an RME USB interface that isn't usually associated with USB interfaces at all.

(Google RME usb drivers and "in house", or something to that effect to find more)

[VariKusBrainZ]

Whereas most Asio drivers run at OS level the RME Asio driver runs on the hardware

[chk071]

Just wondering, but, is there any advantage of a PCI or PCIe interface over a USB interface?

In general, PCIe has lower latency than USB. We're only talking a couple of milliseconds, but they tend to add up, depending upon what you're doing, and how your system is configured. Very efficient USB drivers can outperform poorly written PCIe drivers, but there are so many other variables at play on each individual system (CPU, chipset, software and services running, etc.), that it's difficult to get an accurate assessment of what would work best on any one system.

Steve

Thanks. Always thought that USB interface had to introduce more latency, but, never really found much info about it. Anyway, i neither need extremely low latency, nor do i use very high sample rates, so, USB is surely perfectly fine for my uses. YMMV, of course.

[Zexila]

Famous DAWBench comparison chart
http://www.dawbench.com/audio-int-lowlatency3.htm

[Jace-BeOS]

Whereas most Asio drivers run at OS level the RME Asio driver runs on the hardware

More info please?

[zoogoo]

http://www.esi-audio.com/products/maya44ex/

i think this item is discontinued. I could not find anyone who regularly sells it.

[Zexila]

http://www.esi-audio.com/products/maya44ex/

i think this item is discontinued. I could not find anyone who regularly sells it.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/esi_maya44_ex.htm

[zoogoo]

I must be missing something here, because all i can find is more and more USB interfaces and barely any pci/pcie products.

Is there a reason not many people are purchasing sound cards and everyone getting external interfaces? Perhaps the USB interface is just as good? all though all the information ive found has suggested otherwise. Since in my musical set up, i am going to be running instruments through the daw and processing them in real time with vsts, i cant have any issues with latency or buffering problems.

[zoogoo]

Famous DAWBench comparison chart
http://www.dawbench.com/audio-int-lowlatency3.htm

i really like the results with the RME, but the cost of it is so much. After getting a converter its going to cost me over $1000 dollars.

Not sure if its the right fit for me because im not going to be building a recording studio or anything.

I kind of need something better then what i have, but not so costly. Is this possible?

[Zexila]

Yes, ESI is the way to go than, also I could see RME 9632 for around 200 bucks used from time to time, it's enough for your needs I guess. Also you could probably find ESI one second hand bellow 100 mark, maybe older 44e one too or even Julia XTe if it fits your bill, it seems it's better performer than MAYA based on that comparison chart.

[sprnva]

For me, I find externals more convenient. With a PCI(e) card I'd probably need a patchbay to conveniently use the inputs and outputs. As for the lack of options, I guess a lot of people nowadays might be using laptops, iMacs or Trashcan Mac Pros which have no internal expansion. I built my DAW machine a few years ago with the intention that some day I might want to add a PCIe RME or UAD card. But in the end I've rolled along fine with USB interfaces (NI first, then Focusrite).

One advantage of using an external interface is there's no chance of picking up interference from components inside the computer.

If you're only going to be hooking up a pair of monitors and recording maybe a few inputs simultaneously any USB interface should do fine. For heavier tasks you'll probably need to buy a higher end interface.