Is an audio interface still necessary?

I am using
Logic Pro X, Samson L2400 24 channel mixer connected via USB, is an audio interface still necessary to record all 24 tracks separately?
Noob hardly expresses my incompetence here so thank you for your patience.

MacDyver wrote:
I am very appreciative for the assistance however it confuses me slightly more in that I do have a Roland Octa-Capture however it also connects via USB. I guess it is also useless
Articles I read state USB can theoretically carry 255 channels but everything else points to L/R Stereo.
It appears a fire sale is in order and purchase of a firewire mixer or interface may be my only option
Thanks everyone hope I can find a solution
I don't quite get your conclusion: the fact that an interface connects via USB, does not make it useless. And according to a quick look at specs the octacapture aka UA1010 has 10 inputs; you could aggregate that with the Samson and another interface with at least 12 inputs, and there you have your 24 inputs: 10 from the UA1010, 2 from the Samson itself, and 12 from whatever extra interface you'd use.
Getting one interface with 24 or more inputs may be a more secure and simpler route to take though.
I also don't get why you almost blame our appreciated assistance - by "howevering" it - for confusing you about your 10-input audio interface, when you never even mentioned you had it in the first place?

Similar Messages

Is an audio interface really necessary?

Ok, right now I have my condenser mic hooked up to a phantom power and from the phantom power to the computer. All my recordings come out clear and loud. But my friend told me that if I get an audio interface, my recordings will sound much better. Well is it true? What are the benefits of an audio interface?
thanks

I actually use a variety of interfaces. Yesterday I spent the day with one from M-Audio and, while not as good sounding as the RME in my sig, the results were surprisingly good.
While there are a number of technical reasons why interfaces will sound better than going into the computer directly, aside from the technical mumbo jumbo, I do find a big jump in sound quality using an interface vs. a direct input, and not simply the difference between one flavor preamp and another.
Obviously, there are interfaces, and then there are interfaces! But even so, I've yet to use any interface that hasn't worked noticeably better than plugging directly into the computer.
That said, if someone is just starting out and wants to plug and play, and is more than happy with the quality of the computer's inputs, then they're wasting their money buying anything else. No one should buy anything they don't want or need!
But if someone is striving for better sound quality than what comes with the computer, the fact that interfaces add obvious flexibility shouldn't shroud the fact that they also improve sound quality under the hood.
kbeartx does make an excellent point, one of two that frequently degrade conversations about gear. Of course experience is all important! And the other: "it's all about the music," as if discussing equipment suggests otherwise. Still, equipment, and discussing it, has a value. Equipment and experience are not mutually exclusive.
It's like surgeons speaking about scalpels. An experienced surgeon will do a better job with a steak knife than an inexperienced surgeon will do with a finely-honed scalpel. Still, no one would denigrate any surgeon for seeking the best tool available.
That's all this is.
Inifinity239 has a steak knife and is wondering if a scalpel works better. As someone who has used both (to continue this now very tortured metaphor )... I would say of course!

M-Audio Firewire 410 Audio Interface Problem!

I was just wondering if anyone out there has had the same trouble as I have with my 410 Audio Interface.
I have a brand spankin' new iMac G5 recieving July 27th, 2005, and a pair of Behringer Truth B2031A Studio Monitors, and then of course my M-Audio 410.
The problem I am having is that my speakers are picking up noises the G5 is making, how do I explain. It appears as if the speakers were picking up the power consumption changes and amplifying them. Whenever I move my mouse, or use expose or use an application, my speakers just make noises related to the CPU's performance.
I replaced the speakers, bought new cables, exchanged the M-Audio interface 2 times and am using my 3rd box and the problem still consists.
Another problem I have is, when I power everything off, the M-Audio Interface still recieves power, therefore blinking it's extremly bright blue LED all night long. (Which isn't supposed to happen).
If anyone knows any solutions, or had the same problem, Help!!

Hi Studzik,
Welcome to the discussions.
Ummm ---- given that you have a G5, maybe it's better that you post this is the iMac G5 section of the discussions (this is the flat panel iMac G4 section that you have posted in). That way, you have a greater chance of a G5 iMac user familiar with your issue picking it up and being able to help you.
All the best, hope you find a solution.
Cheers!
Karl

Sound Cuts Out During Playback-Sound Card/Audio Interface Necessary?-

I'm a voiceover artist with the following setup:
Sennheiser MKH 416 P48 U3 Microphone
Yamaha HS80M Reference Monitors
Mackie Onyx-i 1220 Mixer
Adobe Audition CS6
Dell Inspiron 1720 laptop (Intel Core2 Duo, CPU T5750 @ 2GHz, 32-bit)
Until recently, I could hear anything I recorded or pre-recorded items with no issues. However, now, as I listen to anything, the sound 'cuts out' (latency issues?). The meters on Audition will still be moving, but I'll get no sound from my monitors. I upgraded to Windows 7, hoping and thinking this would solve the issue, and that Audition would play nicely with Windows 7. This 'solution' seemed to have helped, but ultimately, it did not resolve my issue. At this point, I believe it's my sound card. My studio quality setup seems to be too much for my consumer grade sound card. Because my Mackie has an interface built into it, I did not believe that I needed an interface. However, I'm beginning to question that. So, that's part of my question. Is an audio interface necessary for me even though I have one built into my Mackie? If so, based on what I list for my system, does anyone have any recommendations for interfaces? If I do not need an interface, I'd appreciate any suggestions or ideas as to what's causing the sound to 'cut out' and how to resolve it. Any and all help, I thank you for it in advance!
E

Finally! I wrote a reply a few hours back but the fine folks at Adobe took the site down just before I hit send! Lucky I saved it elsewhere because the "recovered post" was only the first couple of paragraphs.
Anyhow, take 2.
Well, first off, your Mackie Onyx mixer has a firewire interface built in so it, in effect, becomes your sound card. The one in your computer isn't involved in the recording/playback process at all (at least not unless you're trying to do something like monitor via the computer card rather than the mixer). Therefore, buying another sound card/interface won't help at all.
Similarly, audio dropouts aren't a latency issue, at least not directly. Latency is the delay in the audio as it does the round trip via you sound interface (mixer) and computer. It's more of an issue for musicians trying to be beat accurate as they over dub tracks. However, the latency controls could be affecting your drop out problem. The latency control in Audition is effectively controlling the buffer size--and having a larger buffer (which increases latency) also gives you playback more protection against glitches when your computer gets busy doing something else. So...the first thing to try is increasing the latency/buffer size on the Edit/Preferences/Audio Hardware menu.
Another thing to check is that you're using the latest drivers from Mackie--check their site and download/install the latest if there are some available. If there's a choice, go for ASIO drivers rather than MME if there are some available.
Also, I mentioned your computer getting busy with other things--for serious sound work shut down everything else on your computer. Pay special attention to networking, wifi, and anti virus software, all of which are usualy prioritised to grab processor cycles over your sound work. Also make sure you shut down all system sounds.
Hope at least one of these suggestions works for you.

Considerations on firewire audio interfaces

Hello,
After buying a m-audio firewire audiophile of late, and finding issues such as kernel panics, and inconsistency in being recognised by my computer (dual 2.0 ghz g5 powermac) i have decided i need to upgrade my interface.
Im looking at firewire with the thought that i would like mobile recording as an option in the future, presumably with something like the current macbook pros.
I have looked at the Edirol FA-66 and the Presonus Firebox as "budget" options to achieve my required minumum specs: four analogue outs, 2 ins necessary, midi not fussed, pres handy...
After some research im identifing issues with the presonus buspowering, and the general issue with devices using coreaudio, and the edirol in particular being iffy with macs, having driver issues...
This line of enquiry has lead me to the motu ultralite as my potential - way out of my budget, but seems stable, and can use its own drivers too...
I have included links to various threads on the issues described... rather than treading over common ground, i would like to ask of people in the know a few questions:
1: Is the cpuspiking associated with class compliant devices really that much of an issue? Given that my current beast is a dual 2.0 g5, and my eventual lappy i couldnt see as being less powerful than the current macbook pros, wont the power of these machines be enough to deal with the cpu spiking issue?
2: Does it seem if this issue can be fixed? do you forsee a soft upgrade of some sort from apple, not requiring hardware upgrades etc?
3: bus powering - do motus suffer from this issue?
4: im using renoise and max/msp primarily, as well as peak and logic express - any specific issues to report in relation to this with specific cards, particualrly the motu drivers?
5: it seems there really is no safe bet in the cheaper interface domain, is there?
Many thanks to those who take the time to help out here, my searches to date still leave me a little confused...
Some links may be of interest...
Presonus Firebox - bus powering issues
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3318886#3318886
Same issue reported here on abelton forums with MacBookPro 17"
http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39307&highlight=
Comment generally on MacBookPro having issues bus powering
http://www.bigbluelounge.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29573
General comments on presonus glitches
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3154624#3154624
On the edirol and issues with devices using coreaudio
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2998323
Again on this issue, in particular reference to the Edirol again
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=582401&tstart=15
General discussion on the mac coreaudio issue/cpu spikes, particular critisism on Edirol interfaces as well
http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/audio/topic4370.html#aug16
Specific Firewire/Edirol issues
http://lists.apple.com/archives/Firewire/2005/Jun/msg00017.html

Firewire audio interfaces these days are legion. Personally, my favorite is the Edirol FA-101. Their customer service is top notch, and it is one of the few interfaces that is hot-pluggable without frying your Firewire port (try that with M-Audio). It is also directly supported in Core Audio; no drivers needed! Also, Edirol has a lifetime warranty on non-movable parts. It's at the top of your budget, but all in all it's a solid unit.

Dolby Advanced Audio Interface software missing HP Pavilion Ultrabook 14-b003sa

I updated my HP Pavilion Ultrabook 14-boo3sa to windows 8.1 a couple months ago and since then the dolby advanced audio interface software is missing. The speakers are working and sound fine but I just want the option of the equaliser again. I have looked at the drivers available online and the most upto date driver for audio for this laptop is an IDT audio driver from 2012 for windows 8. Is there a more upto date driver that has the interface software? or is it just a case that the software has been removed on the update due to compatability issues? It sounds like dolby advanced audio is still active there is just no interface available as before I updated to windows 8.1. Please help. Thank you.

Hi Lhawley91,
I understand you are having issues with the Dolby Advanced Audio Interface software missing HP Pavilion Ultrabook 14-b003sa. This package contains the driver that enables the IDT High-Definition (HD) Audio for Windows 8.1.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=ob-112631-1&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en...
Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Please click “Accept as Solution ” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
Click the “Kudos, Thumbs Up" on the bottom to say “Thanks” for helping!

Error message: "the previously selected audio interface is not available"

HELP?!?!?!?!?
I'm stuck, and I can't go forward. Here's my issue:
I've bought a Focusrite Saffire LE, a simple firewire audio interface, for use with my Logic Express 7 (with all the latest updates). I run the setup assistant and select my saffire as the audio interface to use, and then when logic runs I get the message "the previously selected audio interface is not available" and it defaults to my Macbook Pro's internal microphone and speakers.
Just for sanity I've tested the audio interface with garageband and it's fine. My other audio apps aso run fine using the saffire as the audio interface. The setup assistant for logic has no problem finding the saffire, so why does it get rejected as soon as logic starts?!?!?
Please - this is driving me crazy.

I asked Focusrite for some help, and they said it should work (which I knew) and made some suggestions. Here's their email:
"Saffire LE should work fine in Logic Express.
Try resetting your logic preferences. Go to Logic > preferences > initialise all except key commands.
Do you still have the same problem?
Do you have any other firewire devices attached?
Have you had any other interfaces installed in the past?"
All good suggestions, but so far no luck.
Has someone else got the same config as me? (15" Macbook Pro and focusrite saffire le)?

Do I 'need' an audio interface on modern Macs?

Hi there
Don't think I've posted on here in nearly 10 years but I'd be really glad of some help.
I currently record on a 2003 eMac running 10.3.9 using Garageband 06. I record directly into the audio in via a tube preamp.
I am considering finally upgrading and am weighing up the relative merits of a Mac Mini or an iMac. I am clueless about the technological advances made since I last bought a computer and would appreciate some help. Clearly both those computers will be a quantum leap forward from my eMac.
So, specifically, would I need an audio interface with either of the above computers or is the internal soundcard and audio in sufficient? As stated, I don't currently use a USB or Firewire interface and use the eMacs internal soundcard.
I only record audio and don't use virtual instruments but we have an electronic drum kit knocking about so we may consider using it as a midi trigger at some point. We are an indiepop band so your usual guitar, bass, drums and vocals. I do not expect 'pro' quality as we are a DIY band, hence I've managed for so long with GB. However we've done singles on small indie labels and are releasing an album next year which I'm halfway through recording. I'd just like a bit more power to add some decent reverbs, compression etc to the recordings, but also need to consider how I get audio into the machine in future. I would like to get Logic so that takes some of my budget too. Our songs currently have a maximum of about 10 tracks of audio, I don't envisage going much further than that.
Hopefully that gives you my basic requirements, so any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a lot
Leon

The built-in audio-in should yield the same results i would imagine, i've used it before and it' s been fine. I guess the iMac's etc have a seperate audio-in still? I know they were stripped from the macbook's (bah!).
But obviously, you really should get an interface if you want to get serious, as not only will it give you better sound quality, but more control on the sound going in (Gain etc.).

? on Using which format of Audio Interface with a Imac i3

Hi,
I have been reading and reading about this topic. My (R.I.P.) eMac has been replaced by a very nice and fast Intel i3 Imac with FW800 and plenty of USB 2.0 and SP/Dif (even)
Fortunately most all of any music gear that needed driver or firmware updates for Snow Leopard had them available, but my Tascam US-120 (USB 1.1) does not so have been looking at USB 2.0 (though its amazing how many USB 1.1 USB Audio Interfaces are still be produced and at $$$ prices. Firewire Audio Interfaces are at FW 400 and with a Firewire 800 port on the back of the iMac appears ? that a interface cable is the required or ? only way to use a Firewire interface 1) I want to make sure I am understanding this correctly, and 2) is this safe ? to do 3) I am getting a FW 800 Extrenal Hard Drive so that is a match, 7200RPM,
I do plug in to the Interface (or did) at times 2 microphones XLR type (to put mic's on a amplifier) , a Electric Guitar , or a Acoutsic Electric Guitar in to the interface or record it with a mic's, I have a MIDI Keyoard that has MIDI in-out as well as USB in, and also plugged two power monotors(Linear Flat Speakers) in to the out puts of the previous Audio Interface.
Last Question I reviewed the bit/kHz of the USB 1.1 interfaces and they range from 16 bit//48 kHz,24bit 44.1kHz, to 24bit 48kHz to 24bit 96kHz (on a USB 1.1 connection from the particular USB audio Interfaces when you find a USB 2.0 modem the max bit rate is 24 and the kHz (ranges from 96 kHz to 192 kHz) I am not a electronics genius
but have recorded music in to computers for over 6+ years and the Resolution rates of the USB 1.1 do not make sense to me (I realize that MP3 (being compressed) and CD quality recordings are only so high but..
I am going to (later) update to Ilife 11 with Garageband 11' which can record up to the 24 bit range so that is a consideration as well
The FW 400 resolution rates in the chart I have are a minimum of 24 bit and kHZ range of 96 kHz to 192 kHz . and in theory USB 2.0 is a bit faster at 480 mbs versus FW 400
at 400 mbs and from what I have learned USB 1.1 is slowest, I guess I am missing something, over thinking this or. Just want to do it safely, and get all of the inputs and out puts I need (I can even use the SP/Dif that comes on alot of Audio Interfaces, The AES Audio Engineers Society just wrapped up a convention and have been looking at their site and new product releases.
Any Input would be greatly appreciated and I wish I could write less and explain more!
David
ambienttales

If you can stretch your budget (quite a bit actually, but you can find deals on the net) I can't recommend the RME Fireface 800 models enough. Lots of I/O, never EVER had a crash, and the drivers and tools are rock solid. RME also makes a FF400 which has less I/O, but also costs less. The sound is steller, and it has no discernable noise. These are Firewire interfaces, but they just camme out with one that also talks USB.
Pete

Advice on audio interface and monitors for I-Mac

My setup is a basement studio. Mac pro, logic pro, Mackie control, motu 896, unitor 8 channel midi, line 6 pod xt pro, lexicon mx 400. Allen & heath board 16.2 wizard, Amps, Drums, Mics. The list goes on. Networked with my I-Mac in my office 2 floors up. So I copy My project folders to my I-Mac. Im very comfortable in my office so I thought I would do my final mix and master in my office. So my question is what would be a decent 2 channel audio interface no midi, and near field monitors maybe 3 to 4 feet away to mix and master. Reasonable. Thanks Bill

I'm quite impressed by Apogee Duet. 2-channel & no MIDI (still does provide some control function with its single knob) which sounds like it suits what you're looking for. Very simple & elegant design, the sound quality is supreme considering its cost.
Near field monitor of my choice is KRK V8's. Nice natural sounding set of monitors. In comparison to competitors at the price range, these sets 'breathe' & provide a bit more air in sound production without exaggerating any particular freq.
When it comes down to choosing monitor speakers, go to a local pro audio shop & try out a bunch so you can compare. Just remember to bring test CD that you know well what it should sound like.
Good luck!

Problem running a FW 400 audio interface at same time as FW 800 drives

I recently installed snow leopard (10.6.2) on a macbook pro 2.4 core duo. I have a couple firewire 800 drives connected. I ran into problems when I hooked up my audio interface to the firewire 400 port. I have the same problem with 2 different audio interfaces - Presonus Firebox and M-Audio Firewire Solo. Basically they refuse to work unless i unplug the firewire 800 drives. I found this information on M-Audio's website:
"Computers that have both a FireWire 400 and a FireWire 800 port may be sharing the same FireWire bus internally. When using both, the 400 and the 800 port at the same time, you may experience problems like audio drop outs or loss of connection to the M-Audio FireWire interface. There's a variety of possible reasons for this including but not limited to bandwidth limitations, clocking issues (400/800) and bus master problems with the devices connected to both ports. M-Audio recommends using the M-Audio FireWire audio interface on the computers original FireWire port while adding a separate FireWire interface card (with a Texas Instruments chipset) to the system (PCI, PCIe, ExpressCard, or PCMCIA). Connect any third party FireWire 800 devices to the added FireWire interface card. If your computer does not have expansion slots for a separate FireWire interface card there are 2 possible alternatives: If your external hard drive has FW400 connectivity, you can daisy chain the hard drive to the 2nd FireWire port* (if available) on your M-Audio Device. If your external hard drive has USB 2.0 connectivity, you can connect the hard drive to a USB 2.0 port on the computer"
This is exactly my problem. The audio interfaces work fine when hooked up to FW 400 port as long as no FW 800 devices are connected. It appears that my only solution is to buy a secondary FW interface card. However, I would like to know if there is a fix on the Apple side of this.
(note: I did not have this issue on my G5 running OS 10.4x, which is what I was on before I switched to this new laptop setup - the laptop is a 2007)
Anyone else have this issue, or know about a fix for it from Apple?

Thanks for that info, but that is not the problem. Obviously the first thing I did was check the FW cables and connections and shut down my computer and rebooted. And like I said, the FW 800 drives work fine when no FW 400 device is connected, and the FW 400 audio interface works fine when no FW 800 devices are connected.
The problem is that when the FW 800 drives are connected AND the FW 400 audio interface is also connected on the same bus (as this is a laptop there is only one bus with both 400 and 800 ports). The drives still seem to work fine, but the audio interface does not work. It's connection lights flash and will not hold a connection or process sound (there is either no sound, or clicks and dropouts). The flashing lights indicated a failed clock sync. M-Audio is aware of this issue as is apparent from my quote on the original post, but the only work around seems to add a secondary FW bus via an adapter card.
This problems seems to be a MAC issue with FW 400 and 800 and the internal clock sync.

Cheapo alternative to Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter for audio interface?

I am getting an audio interface (Steinberg UR44) which can be controlled with an iPad via the Apple Lightning USB Camera Adapter and a standard USB printer cable (Type A male to type B male), but I am too cheap to buy the ridiculously overpriced Apple adapter, so I am wondering if the following will work instead:
iPad --> Apple lighting male to USB Type A male cable (the standard charging cable) --> USB Type A female to Type B male adapter --> Audio Interface
Other adapters are available for USB Type A female to Type B micro or mini male, so the same kind of arrangement might work for cameras.
The adapters are five bucks or less vs. thirty for the RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED (yes, I know, I already said that) Apple adapter.
I am thinking this is a better way to go than a cheap unlicensed knockoff lightning adapter, because the critical part of the connection (the lightning plug and electronics) would still be made by Apple.
Has anyone tried the above with either an audio interface or camera?

Because it was designed for use with the iPad. Apple makes no claim that it will work with an iPhone.

Takes a while to play sound via audio interface on iMac

I purchased iMac along with Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 USB audio interface and started having following problems from the beginning.
When I play video/music on itunes, logic or whatever apps that plays sound, it takes a while(about 20 sec) to play sounds. Sometimes it does not play sounds at all until I turn the volume halfway up on Focusrite Scarlett 6i6. It happens all the time when I play sound for the first time after turning the computer on. It happens when I start using the computer after a while. Sometimes it turns off the sound even when the music/video is being played. I had problem with latest Scarlett driver and still happens after switching to class compliant mode. It seems like it takes time for the computer to wake 6i6 via USB, but I am not sure. Please help!
computer Specifications:
- late 2013 iMac / flash 1TB / GTX 780M / 32GB RAM
- mavericks 10.9.2
- Just Scarlett 6i6 connected directly via USB
- no other devices connected, just apple bluetooth keyboard, magic mouse and touchpad
Softwares:
- Logic pro x latest version, Kontakt 5.3.0
- sample rate 44
Product Info:
- was using latest 6i6 driver but recently switched to class compatible mode

Well I have done the disk cleanup and it still didnt fix it. I just got this player yesterday too I have about 3.5 gigs on it. I didnt get my usb 2.0 system yet, but im just really worried about these long load times for the songs on the player. Im gona try loading some mp3s and see how those go.
edit... I just loaded up some MP3s and they start in about 3-4 seconds. A lot faster then my WMAs from yahoo, but still I was expecting mp3s to play instantly pretty much.Message Edited by Johnwashere on 05-2-2005 2:26 AM

Which audio interface(s) for 16 to 20 analog outputs?

Hi. I wonder if anyone can help me...
I'm running Logic 7.2 on a black MacBook. For my inputs I am using the MOTU 8pre, as this is convenient especially when recording drums with my band... no scrambling together of pre-amps... no faff...
The thing is... I've been given a shed load of gear (literally), including a 24 channel analog mixing desk and tons of outboard rackmounted effects units/compressors/gates...
I would REALLY love to integrate the two systems, especially at the mixing stage, by routing my Logic tracks to the desk. Unfortunately, the MOTU 8pre only has a couple of analog outputs (+ headphone out).
To make this a venture worth undergoing, I'm going to need a minimum of 16 analog outputs. 20 would be great if possible.
I suppose my initial questions are:
1. Can I daisy-chain 2 firewire audio interfaces (each with 8 analog outputs) to give me a total of 16 analog outputs?
2. Bearing in mind I have a low budget, could anyone advise me on which units to get. I don't think I could afford any more MOTU gear, unless I find an amazingly low priced second hand item. What about Edirol or M-Audio?
Thanks in advance.
MS

This is worth checking: http://www.ioneconnects.com/product.shtml
Based on new DICE II firewire chip with JetPLL technology (should have much lower jitter than regular firewire Audio devices that are not built on DICE II).
I believe that you can choose the configuration you need.
The only question for me is whether they are affected by apple's firewire streaming bug. But as I've heard that in the info of 10.4.9 SDK is a statement, that core audio bugs were repaired, I hope the offset streaming problem will be finally the past...
Man I am really considering this firewire snake, as it definitelly has many ins and outs - including 4 AES/SPDIF in and out!!!
I am going to upgrade my studio and two of those will probably give me enough ins and outs for all my needs (musicians + outboard hardware and a summing mixer). I was also thinking about Symphony (PCI solution seems to be still more stable than firewire) and some I/O "modules" from apogee, but that is much more expensive. And I 've read only positive info about the DICE II, so maybe I will give a firewire another chance...

M-Box audio interface problem

My M-box audio interface does not show up in the audio in/out preferences for my audio applications. I have to boot up the computer while it is plugged in (via USB) in order for it to show up and function. I have tested the USB cable and other USB devices work in both ports, ruling out a problem with USB ports. Any idea?
Thank you

bbbberny wrote:
I can't get it to work with itunes, or any program that outputs sound
For that to happen you also have to open the Sound panel in *System Preferences* and designate your Tascam as the output (and input-) device.
On the 'audio midi setup' in utilities (under applications in finder), it has the device listed, but doesn't necessarily say it is connected...
If it isn't connected, it won't show up in AMS. so if it shows up, it's connected.
The device comes with its own application called 'FW-1804 manager', which does detect it when it is connected and on. A little green light appears on this program to show that audio is enabled.
Have you investigated that Program thoroughly?
The device has 12 outputs, 8 of which are adat, 2 spdif, then the 2 main analogue outputs. It doesn't say which is which in the list of outputs within 'audio midi setup', it just numbers them 1 to 12.
Here your Tascam manual should shed light on what is what. Or you may have to assign those in the control software.
The levels by each output slider are all set to 0 and are greyed out and unchangeable, whereas when the output is set to 'built in output', the faders are available to adjust.
Yes, those only appear with built in audio - that's normal. You have to set the sliders in the control program.
Does this mean that the output routing is incorrectly set up, or something along those lines? I'm pretty sure it should work, it says it is leopard and intel mac compliant.
Yes, probably.
And it does still work with the PC, leading me to believe i just need to change some settings?
Yep.
Could it be anything to do with the fact that it is a FW-400 device, with a 6 pin connection, and I am using a 6 - 9 pin cable to connect it to the FW-800 bus on the mac?
No. If the cable was faulty, it would not have shown up in the AMS utility.

Is an audio interface still necessary?

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