Wanted: Multi-Channel Audio Interface for iMac & GB (USB)

I am looking for an affordable multi-channel audio interface for my iMac for use with Garageband. My goal is to playback old songs from my old computer (Atari ST) through my Yamaha gear and record the audio into GB so I can mix it. (READ: Not interested in transferring MIDI.)
My goal is to get at least 4 and ideally 6 channel/track recording in GB. I’m not sure if the multi-channel units I see, such as the Alesis MultiMix 4 or the Behringer Xenyx Q802USB send all channels to the Mac or if they mix it down to two channels first.
I’d prefer to mix all the channels in GB rather than pre-mix it. Also, I’d prefer to have 1/4” jacks; XLR would be a nice bonus. USB; since Firewire is going away and Thunderbolt is too new.
Any suggestions? I’m trying to keep this under $100. (Also, I know I can use multiple low-budget devices and aggregate them in Audio/Midi, but I do NOT want to go that route.)
Thanks.

As you imply, keeping it below $100 makes it tough.
Generally only the two channel interfaces are close to $100.
Check out Hang Times FAQ:
http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/Interfaces.html

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4 channel audio interface for iMac / SL - Recommendations

All,
it is amazing how much of my investment in audio software and hardware went south when moving to my new iMac.
Native Instruments and Steinberg saw a welcome opportunity to sunset (slaughter) some of their instruments and both seem more or less turning to sample only instruments. I am particularly angry about the cynical sell-off of Komplete 5 days before they drop three lovely instruments (which do not work in SL of course).
But today my problem is Line6 who did not manage to produce reliably working drivers and associated modelling software in six months.
Has anyone personal positive experience with a USB or Firewire audio interface on SL with the following minimal specs:
- 2 line inputs (symmetric or not)
- 1 high-z input
- 2 line outputs for active monitors (symmetric preferred)
- low latency
Nice to have: mic preamp, more line-ins, hardware monitoring
I am using Logic 9.
I have looked into the new USB version of the Fireface400 but thats past the upper limit.
Andreas
Message was edited by: atoenne

As you imply, keeping it below $100 makes it tough.
Generally only the two channel interfaces are close to $100.
Check out Hang Times FAQ:
http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/Interfaces.html

Audio interface for iMac????

I just opened the box to my brand new iMac, and to my horror, there is only a Firewire 800 port, and none for 400! I use an M Audio Firewire 410 Audio interface (which I previously used with my now dead Power Mac), and since it connects via firewire 400, I can't use it with my new iMac
So, is there an affordable Fire 800 audio interface? BUT if I do get an audio interface for 800, then I won't be able simultaneously hook up my Glyph drive via the 800 port. In which case, are there any good audio interfaces that connect via USB?

Not sure, but I do think its possible, because last year, when apple introduced some line of Imac, lots of people were having trouble with some specifics soundcard(like RME) cause of the apple choice to use a new type of FW800 port from another companie than Texas instrument. One way some users found to fix the problem was to simply daisy chain the soundcard on the firewire port of an external hardrive. So it should work, but keep in mind that you are gona use some part of the bandwith on your firewire cable to feed your soundcard, and that anyway a FW800 cable cant be as fast as a SATA wire or so. Mean that you may not have as much power as you want with your new HD. If you bought that drive to boost your samplers capacity, it will work only if you install some plugins on your new hardrive and some plugs on your native HD. That way you use both speed at the same time...

Is there an audio interface for Imac with Leopard???

Hi Guys,
Im new here. Just got my IMac 24" 2.8ghz 10.5.1 Leopard last week. I love everything about it but Im having a real hard time finding an audio interface to use with Garageband. I tried the M-Audio Firewire Solo...found out quick it is not compatible. So I figure what the ** i'll downgrade and go with the M-Audio Mobilepre USB audio interface...usb, no fuss no muss right...WRONG! It doesnt work either! I tried downloading the most current driver from M-audio's website but still no go. I guess Leopard and intel machines are hard to please. Also the audio interface has to have phantom power to run a condensor mic. So my questions to you guys is this:
1. Are there any other audio interface options out there with phantom power for $200 or less that will run with my Imac ?
2. If not, why in the ** would Apple design a machine with Garageband then not set it up to accept any reasonably priced audio interface currently on the market? Tell me Im just uninformed...say it isnt so!
Sorry if it sounds like Im aggravated...I am! I had hoped to get some recording time in this weekend but its looking doubtful now.
I did post this in the Garageband discussion as well...thanks.
Any help with the mobile preamp, other interface recommendations, etc. are greatly appreciated!
Paul

Dr. Pee wrote:
Any help with the mobile preamp, other interface recommendations
Could you be a little more specific about what you mean
by "not compatible" -- is it a lack of Leopard drivers,
or what?
I haven't fiddled with GarageBand, but I have been using
[M-Audio's Fast Track Pro|http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FastTrackPro-main.html] with audacity, and it seems to
work OK. (My beta-release ov audacity has some stability
problems, but I don't think they're M-Audio-related.)
Did you check M-Audio's web site for Leopard-compatible
drivers? The one for Fast Track Pro wasn't released 'til
mid December, if I remember correctly.
Although firewire is probably technically superior, I
went with USB to avoid conflicts between the audio box
and my Firewire external HD. There have been too many
reports of flakey operation with iMac firewire drivers.
I like the Fast Track Pro, but I'm not sure it would
be my first choice if I had it to do over. It's main
drawback is that it's USB 1.1 -- so, there are some
tradeoffs in the number of simultaneous I/O channels
versus data rate and resolution.
I've listed a few other USB options worth exploring
below -- I believe they all have phantom power:
[E-Mu 0404 USB|http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp?category=610&subcategory=611&produc t=15185]
[Edirol UA-25|http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=704&ParentI d=114]
[Line6 TonePort UX2|http://line6.com/toneportux2>
I'm not sure what the situation is WRT Leopard-compatible
drivers for any of the above -- you'll have to check the
manufacturers' web sites.
Check amazon.com and MusiciansFriend.com for prices; also,
be sure to check the customer comments on MusiciansFriend.
They're often very thorough and informative -- typically
much better than Amazon's.
...rock on!
Looby

Best audio interfaces for Imac

Going to get the new Imac and need suggestions for garage band audio interfaces?

If money is not an issue, look at Apogee. Their devices have a tight integration with Logic/GarageBand
http://www.apogeedigital.com
Others are good too, but if you want to go for quality (and nice design) Apogee is the brand.
Hope that helps
Edgar Rothermich
http://DingDingMusic.com/Manuals/
'I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.'

Whats the best audio interface for iMac

In the price range $300 - $800, what is the highest quality audio interface with lowest latency, assuming you only need 2 line inputs, 2 XLR inputs, headphone output, 2 speaker outputs. (More I/O is certainly OK). I plan on buying an iMac quad core i7 with 8 Gs of RAM.

Hope it goes well for you.
I remember back when I was wanting to get a RME Fireface 800. Can't say I've heard of the BabyFace, so I hope it works out for what you need it for, and the AD / DA converters are up to the standard you want.
Good luck!

Configuration of audio interface for H2 micro usb

Input and output audio (in audio interface) are in grey colour ; I cannot select them for adjusting volume.

Yes, it's Audio Midi Setup in Applications/Utilities/Input and Output options.
So, I cannot change the value of Master Volume. Normaly, the cursor have to get blue color for adjusting the
values. Here, they are grey colour and they cannot be adjust.

Laptop audio interface for Studio work?

I'm looking for a solid (works when you plug it in) 2 channel audio interface for my laptop. (G4, 1.67GHZ, 1gb ram, 7200rpm internal HD, LP 7.01, Tiger)
All I need it for, is to use as an output to play sounds via keyboard from Logic, for a live studio session.(Ivory piano, EVB3, synths, drum programming and etc.)
My laptop wil be used like a sound module so it would be nice to have this interface to have midi ports as well.
It doesn't have to be the best convertors in the world just want them to be clean and as good as you would find in a stock Yamaha or Roland keyboard ($2k -range).
Oh yeah - which is better?: Firewire or USB 2.0

Ooo, that is awesome, except it costs twice as much as the studio monitors! The other solutions I was looking at are in the $150 (Presonus Audiobox USB) to $190 (E-MU 0404 USB) range. I was hoping for something under $100, ideally with balanced audio. Probably too much to ask for!
But I have a question for you... do you get a lag in sync when you go through the FireWire mixer? On a different forum I was reading that if you want sync for video it's better to find an external converter that connects to the optical digital out (TOSLINK, S/PDIF) than one that connects via FireWire or USB as that means a new digital clock master. I would like not to have to worry about adjusting to get sync, but if it's less than a frame I'm not worried about it.

Multi Channel Audio Setup

I've been trying to follow various tutorials for setting up multi channel audio insruments and I always get stuck at the point where you select Output 3-4, 5-6 etc. from the Aux 1, 2. 3 etc. objects. I never have more than Output 1-2 to choose from. I usually use the built- in audio or sometimes a Lexicon Omega. Do I need another interface to accomplish this or am I doing something wrong. I've accomplished quite a lot of things with Logic, but this has been hanging me up for a year now. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Tom
G4 iMac 1Ghz Mac OS X (10.3.9)

multi channel audio instrument doesn't require a special card or interface
any interface with stereo output should work
you need to make sure your audio instrument supports multi channel
logic pro only has Ultrabeat and EXS24 as multi channel
under the plug-ins choose multi channel instead of stereo or mono then choose what ever is under multi channel
example BFD, RMX, KORG LEGACY and other 3rd parties that support Multi
stash

AAC and multi-channel audio

Can AAC be used to encode multi-channel audio, such as DTS-HD Master Audio?
DTS-HD Master Audio is an optional audio format in Blu-Ray. It uses lossless compression.
There are other audio formats from Dolby Digital, for example, that are used to encode HD audio in Blu-Ray. Can AAC be used to encode those as well, without any loss of information?
Is there any work in progress to make HD audio such as DTS-HD Master Audio available discretely on disc, like what the older DVD-Audio format made possible for 5.1 channel surround sound on disc?
Thanks.

What adjustments do you want to make?

5.1 Audio Interface for Macbook Pro

I am a theatrical and cinematic sound designer. I own a Macbook Pro (Mid 2012). I would like to start working with 5.1 surround audio, but I have no idea what kind of interface would allow me to use 5.1 audio. Can anyone give me a good recommendation?

Answer from Parker612 on 5.1 surround on macbook pro:
OUTPUT SURROUND SOUND FROM YOUR MAC: (simplest way)
(*Check first to see if your Mac is capable of outputting surround sound through the Mini Displayport. Most models before early 2009 are not able to output multi-channel audio)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4241?viewlocale=en_US
- Use a Mini Display Port to HDMI cable and connect the HDMI into the Blu-Ray/DVD HDMI input on the receiver and the Mini Display to the Mini Display Port on your Mac.
- Go to System Preferences on your Mac. Click on the "Sound" icon. Then in the "Output" tab, select SONYAVAMP - HDMI
- Then go into Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup. On the left side of the window select HDMI. On the right side it then should say "Source: SONY AVAMP"
- Click the "Configure Speakers..." button in the bottom right of the window. Click the "Multichannel" tab. Then select "5.1 Surround" from the pull down menu. Click on each speaker to provide a test tone to make sure each is connect properly. Then click on "Apply"
- Last set is to go into the DVD Player to test it. Go to "Preferences" and click on the "Disc Setup" tab. Under Audio at the bottom of the window select "Digital Out - SONY AVAMP" from the drop down menu for "Audio output" *You now have 5.1 Channel Surround Sound from you Mac!

What is the BEST usb audio interface for the aluminum 2.4 ghz macbook

i went to my local guitar center and ended up purchasing an m-audio interface. The thing blows, will not work with garage band at all. Drivers wont install correctly, and i have heard other mac users with this problem.
Im going to return it tomorrow and purchase something different, any suggestions?

There are no decent USB audio interfaces.
FIREWIRE IS A MUST for audio. Unless you are positive you will never be recording more than one instrument at a time you should consider a Firewire multi-channel audio device. Some examples of when you might need such a unit include recording a jam session utilizing more than two mics or maybe recording a drum kit with more than two mics (common). A multi-channel device will allow for much more flexibility in the long run.
All of the below audio manufacturers released NEW Firewire ONLY equipment in 2008.
Digidesign
Yamaha/Steinberg
MOTU
Lexicon
PreSonus
Apogee
M-Audio
TC Electronic
Focusrite
There are no USB to Firewire adapters. (Desperate aluminum Macbook owners are looking, but it can't be done.) USB can not "keep up" with Firewire.
The NEW (early 2009) white Macbook has Firewire. (and the new NVIDIA graphics.)
http://www.apple.com/macbook/white/

Need advice on an Audio Interface for guitar, bass and vocals

I have a G4 Dual Processor 500.
For now I'm using a Griffin 1/4" to 1/8" adapter cable. I plug one end into my guitar and the other into my Microphone jack on the back of my computer. I even tried using a splitter to share my microphone port. This allowed me to share the stereo signal with Guitar and bass ( by setting guitar to left mono and bass to right mono in GB). This doesn't work well at all!!!
My goal is to have my friend come over so we can record live into GB using a custom software drum track with two real instrument tracks, guitar (me) and bass (him).
So, what is a good multi track audio interface (mixer) to do this with. Hopefully one that doesn't have latency problems. I think a four track would be enough, right.
Is firewire better than USB?
What mixers do most GB muscians use?
thanks,
Haifarm

Sorry to highjack this discussion. I'm new to the boards and couldn't figure out how to post a new message.
Does anyone know when M-Audio might be updating their drivers to support Leopard? I've been monitoring the M-Audio site, but they're not being very specific with a time estimate. Does anyone remember how long it took them when Tiger was released? I really miss being able to use my Firewire 410 interface and 88es Keystation.
Thanks in advance,
Chris

No multi-channel audio from DVD Player or Quicktime?

I have the A52Codec 1.7.6 installed. The codec preferences are set to output multi-channel audio. I have my Audio MIDI setup speaker configuration setup for multi-channel audio and the speaker assignment tests are all perfect. VLC plays back files with AC-3 soundtracks in perfect 5.1 multi-channel sound. Final Cut plays multi-channel audio properly as well.
When I watch a DVD, it is decoded to stereo. The dialog on 5.1 always comes from the left and right speakers and never from the center channel. It doesn't matter whether I remove the A52Codec and try again the result is aways the same, 5.1 audio in Quicktime and DVD Payer gets decoded to stereo. It is not that extra channels are missing, if that were true I'd get no dialog at all.
What do I have to do to make the DVD and Quicktime multi-channel audio decode as multi-channel audio and not stereo.

I'm not sure if this will resolve your issue or not, but have you configured it using /Utilities/Audi MIDI Setup ?

Using M-Audio Fast Track C400 Audio Interface for FaceTime but only input 1 audio is coming through?...

I'm trying to use my M-Audio interface for FaceTime/U Stream for music purposes. I'm a professional recording artist and I'd like to do some "live stream" concerts for fans from home. I have my keyboard in input 1 and my microphone in input 2. Both signals come through just fine when I'm using Garageband or Logic, but for some reason when I select the interface as the "microphone" option when streaming, only audio from input one is heard from my viewers. I've also switched the keyboard and mic to rule out the mic being the problem, but then the mic audio comes through and not the keyboard...I'm wondering if I'm missing some minute setting somewhere?...I don't understand why it's only for video chat applications that it's only receives one channel of audio...Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Are you using Logic 8 or 9?
What are you trying to hear Logic's output through?
If you're expecting audio output through built-in audio, and you're using Logic 9, make sure your Fast Track is set as the input device, and built-in audio is set for the output device (both in Logic's audio preferences)
However, if you're using Logic 8 or 7, you need to create an aggregate device if you're using built-in output.
Details here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8813763&#8813763
OR
use the FastTrack's audio outputs to drive your monitoring, NOT your built-in audio.

Wanted: Multi-Channel Audio Interface for iMac & GB (USB)

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