Need your advice on an 8-input audio interface?

[dellboy]

I must admit that I am not sure what the point of very expensive hardware is nowadays. When I first started recording it was still tape, then adat. And then digital audio devices for home use started to appear in the form of PCI cards, and gradually over the years went up in quality from 8 bit to eventually 24 bit, which I always thought was enough even for a professioanl studio.

Initially, the talk was all about the quality of the converters, but nowadays thats not an issue, most audio interfaces have decent converters. So unless I owned a studio with paying clients, or I was someone doing professional work for film or other media type work, why would I want to pay a lot for an audio interface when most will do the job. And how is it possible in todays throw away world to invest in expensive hardware that will soon likely be obsolete ?

So I think my main concern would with be with long term driver support, latency, and the quality of the preamps.

[AdvancedFollower]

I have a Behringer UMC1820, works great! Can also be upgraded with the ADAT for another 8 inputs if needed.

[AudioBabble]

get an RME digiface! you can hook it up to any adat equipped interface, with unlimited options to upgrade or expand in future. Most importantly RME don't abandon their driver updates so it will always work with whatever OS you have. Apart from that they make top class gear.. the BMW of the audio interface world

[Trancer]

Thank you for your answers.

RME have great products, but so do the price.

I had looked for an 802, but out of stock, so I took the Focusrite 20i18.

[Virgiauskas]

I have a Behringer UMC1820, works great! Can also be upgraded with the ADAT for another 8 inputs if needed.

I read and found in other sources that their line inputs and outputs are quite noisy if pushed (THD is quite high), have you noticed any distortion on higher gain levels?

[AdvancedFollower]

I have a Behringer UMC1820, works great! Can also be upgraded with the ADAT for another 8 inputs if needed.

I read and found in other sources that their line inputs and outputs are quite noisy if pushed (THD is quite high), have you noticed any distortion on higher gain levels?

I'm sure they distort if pushed, that's what the gain control is for. If the LED starts flashing red, I turn it down until it starts flashing green

[Shankiphonic]

Don’t overlook the Keith McMillen K-mix.
It has 8 inputs and 3 stereo aux outs that come in very handy.
It’s plug and play with Mac. And there is a companion application for Mac to help with settings until you get the hang of the hardware interface. It just works with live… anything really. I sometimes plug my iPhone in and record my synth noodling ideas straight to video. It’s got phantom power and hi-z on two of the inputs for mic/guitar, if you want.
Idk if they ever got around to proper support for windows, but they did just re-release the hardware in a snazzy blue enclosure.
Cuckoo did a demo on YouTube.