Good call if I say so myself, OhG.

You'll be spoiled for choice as the range covers everything, right up to hundreds-of-channel networks.

Couple o' things:

The fancy S/PDIF feature of being able to handle any sample rate even if it doesn't match your internal one is actually on MOTU too (mentioned here with regards to Apollo with the implication it's a unique feature thereof). Just not sure if it's a feature of all the interfaces. At any rate(!), it's not common functionality in the interface world and with the Kemper's new ability to set its internal rate at levels besides 44.1kHz, you should be able to match whatever rate you're using in your DAW... if you happen to use S/PDIF, which isn't mandatory anyway.

Convertor quality is far-higher than most folks realise. I've published the AVB-line spec's here before and they beat everything out there up to twice the price and beyond.

Unlike some interfaces (used to be practically-all - haven't checked the competition in a while), all I/O is available simultaneously on all interfaces. So, whatever the spec an interface boasts in its blurb, it's the real-world figure. MOTU has always offered this, whereas in the past interfaces that offered S/PDIF, ADAT, AES and what have you weren't able to service all I/O ports to their full extent simultaneously.

I could bang on for days, but it'd be better (and easier for me!) if you knocked yourself out browsing the various spec pages. Remember the good advice given here that it's always an idea to buy an I/O count a little higher than what you anticipate needing, thus avoiding an inevitable upgrade in the near future.

Good luck, man!

I use a Presonus firewire interface and their Studio One software. It's the quickest and easiest to use of the DAWs I've tried.

I'm a hobbyist recorder, not a pro btw.

Hmmm... Motu gets great preamp reviews. And it has more inputs.

They both have S/Pdif so there's likely not much difference between those.

XLR but choose your audio card carefully as the result will depend more on the card than the output of the kemper

Quote from OhG

I know you’re a MOTU fan. But which one do you think is the best bang for the buck based on what I’d need? My only use for this will be to connect it to my Mac and record. So all I care about is the audio quality and low latency. So all of the extras that come with each, like software or mixers, etc., doesn’t mean anything to me.

Honestly, I haven't checked out the audio I/O spec's of the 6i6, brother.

The Mk4 is the 4th iteration of what was a stellar product from the get-go 'though, so I think you know what my preference would be.

Quote from OhG

Both of the units above have all the inputs/outputs that I’d need. So it’s really all about quality for me.

See my answer above, but remember the ol' chestnut that you're better off buying more I/O than you think you'll need.

Quote from OhG

Or, should I just find a way to use my existing Behringer X32 as my interface? It wouldn’t be very convenient since it’s in a 6-space rack and I’m looking for something I can just leave connected to my Mac.

What do you think?

I think you might've answered your own question there, bud.

It comes down to the extent that said inconvenience might stifle your creative process / interrupt your workflow, IMHO.

Quote from Monkey_Man

Best bang-for-buck convertor quality too; borderline-esoteric.

I've got an older MOTU Traveler Firewire interface that is just sitting on top of my old rack of unused gear. I am currently using my RME Fireface 400 connected up to my Mac for when I record. I was under the impression that the RME was better overall from a quality of components standpoint, but if you know otherwise, please let me know. I haven't actually spent any time comparing the spec sheets from each to see what's what. You'd think a EE would have done that, no?

Regs,

Jeff

LOL yeah, no excuse, you EE, you.

Don't waste your time testing, Jeff. The older FireWire interfaces' convertors, whilst pretty-good, have been hugely-outdone since the introduction of the AVB line. Anything produced within the last 3 years or so is in a different league, especially the "higher-end" (still MOTU-cheap 'though) units such as those in the AVB line.

That said, if it sounds clean, quiet and transparent-enough to you, that's all that should matter. There was never anything wrong with MOTU's conversion; it's just that it took a great leap upward "recently". The convertors in your unit are probably similar to the old 24I/O units, of which I have three. It's from these that I'll eventually (will it ever happen?) upgrade to the AVB system.

If the song is good and you play it well , it will shine through a MOTU or whatever it will sound fabulous

if the song is bad and and you play like a dummy with box gloves and bad taste (ex: an agressive distortioned heavy sound) the MOTU or whatever will sound like sh-t

garbage in = garbage out

sometimes the garbage is not the MOTU

thats my point

Sure, but that's not the point here, GF.

What you said is the equivalent (happens every time best-modelling-unit comparisons are made) to saying:

"We guitarists are so lucky these days 'cause of all the awesome amp-modelling options we have. Helix, Axe, Kemper and many plugins are all fantastic options. They're just tools. All that matters is that we make good music with them... yada yada yada..."

Just like the example above, it's besides the point. In this case, someone wants to buy the best-sounding interface he can afford, so it's logical in this situation to invite comparisons, do some research and so on.

It is assumed in all these sorts of situations that garbage won't be passed through the units and therefore that the best-possible sound is desired. In reality 'though, sure, garbage is invariably gonna be sent through, but hey, at least it'll be slightly-better-sounding garbage.

Jeff, I can provide some info on the sort of quality MOTU's "cheaper" interfaces are now sporting. Not quite the dynamic range of the top-of-line AVB interfaces, but only a few dB off as I suggested earlier, and a few surprises including improved mic pre's.

Finnickyaudio posted this over at GS:

Just got the MOTU 828es the first of the year, and am very impressed with its high quality and super flexible I/O and mixing capabilities. There was a question earlier in the thread about the ADC. As Travis mentioned, it is a newer unit. I was curious, so I popped the lid and found that in fact it uses three four-channel ADCs, the AKM AK5574EN. This is a new 32 bit premium ADC capable of up to 786 kHz sampling. The specs say 121 dB dynamic range/SNR and 112 dB THD+Noise. In Channel Summing mode, it can achieve 127dB SNR. Interestingly, it also does DSD256. I wonder if this is a selectable output for DSD recording, or could be with firmware upgrade?

Aside from the outstanding AD and DA converters, the unit is controlled by a 32 bit, 456 Mhz ARM/DSP processor from Texas Instruments assisted by a 32 MB flash memory chip. It is a processing fiend, utilizing both an Xilink Spartan 6 Field Programable Gate Array (FPGA) with 1.2 million transistors, and an Altera FPGA to boot. In all, this seems to be a real quality audio powerhouse. Now if I can only figure out how to route signals!

Includes an oscilloscope, real-time FFT, X-Y Plot, and graphic phase analysis. Also, it claims new and improved mic pres.

Thanks, Nicky. I'm actually an ex-Texas Instruments employee and ran one of the Applications and Systems teams for the ARM+DSP product line. I'm not sure if that means I'm FOR using products with TI inside of AGAINST it. It's been 4+ years since they gave me the "move to Dallas, or else you have no job" shenanigans... but I'm still a tad bitter.

Jeffro

Ouch. As they say in the classics, "That's gotta hurt."

At least when it comes to things like audio interfaces, you should be able to pretend you don't know which chips are used...

Quote from Monkey_Man

Ouch. As they say in the classics, "That's gotta hurt."

At least when it comes to things like audio interfaces, you should be able to pretend you don't know which chips are used...

LOL! #truth

For reference, here are my RME's specs:

Technical Specifications

Input AD: 6 x 1/4" TRS (4 x Line, 2 x Line/Instrument), 2 x XLR/TRS Combo connector (2 x Mic/Line), all servo-balanced.

Output DA: 6 x 1/4" TRS, servo-balanced, DC-coupled signal path. 1 x 1/4" TRS unbalanced

Input Digital: 1 x ADAT optical or SPDIF optical, SPDIF coaxial (AES/EBU compatible)

Output Digital: 1 x ADAT optical or SPDIF optical, SPDIF coaxial (AES/EBU compatible)

MIDI: 2 x MIDI I/O via breakout cable (4 x 5-pin DIN jacks), for 32 channels low jitter hi-speed MIDI

Dynamic range AD: 110 dB RMS unweighted, 113 dBA

THD AD: < -100 dB (< 0.001 %)

THD+N AD: < -98 dB (< 0.0012 %)

Crosstalk AD: > 110 dB

Dynamic range DA: 110 dB RMS unweighted, 113 dBA (unmuted)

THD DA: -100 dB (0.001 %)

THD+N DA: -96 dB (0.0015 %)

Crosstalk DA: > 110 dB

Input/Output level for 0 dBFS @ Hi Gain: +19 dBu

Input/Output level for 0 dBFS @ +4 dBu: +13 dBu

Input/Output level for 0 dBFS @ -10 dBV: +2 dBV

Sample rate internally: 32, 44.1, 48, 64, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 128, 176.4, 192 kHz

Sample rate externally: 28 kHz - 200 kHz

Frequency response AD/DA, -0.1 dB: 5 Hz - 20.4 kHz (sf 44.1 kHz)

Frequency response AD/DA, -0.5 dB: 1 Hz - 43.3 kHz (sf 96 kHz)

Frequency response AD/DA, -1 dB: 1 Hz - 80 kHz (sf 192 kHz)

Thanks again,

Jeff

Well, that's about 11dB lower than the newer, "cheaper-line" MOTU's S/N ratio and 15dB more THD & noise, but the figures are still around or above the 100dB mark I suggested that as long as a unit surpasses, there ought to be no reason to complain. The FR isn't quite-as-flat as I'm used to seeing from MOTU gear either, but it's nothing to be sneezed at.

Judging by those spec's, I'd say that whilst "sound quality" will to most sound more-or-less the same, a quality monitoring environment and decent set of ears would likely reveal a more-open, "3D" sound from the newer MOTUs.

It's one of those situations where, in the absence of a higher-quality unit for direct comparison, you'd be none-the-wiser and not feel as if there were anything "missing", IMHO, Jeffro. IOW, it should feel like it's doing a perfectly-serviceable job of accurately portraying what's passing through it.

Thanks, Nicky! I'm running Yorkville YSM-1p powered monitors and use a couple different Sennheiser cans depending on if I'm tracking or monitoring playback or just critically listening. I'll start digging into looking at the current gen MOTU stuff. Thanks again!

Regs,
Jeff

Quote from SliderJeff

I've got an older MOTU Traveler Firewire interface that is just sitting on top of my old rack of unused gear. I am currently using my RME Fireface 400 connected up to my Mac for when I record. I was under the impression that the RME was better overall from a quality of components standpoint, but if you know otherwise, please let me know. I haven't actually spent any time comparing the spec sheets from each to see what's what. You'd think a EE would have done that, no?

Regs,

Jeff

Using an Rme fireface 800 here. Just below it, I have a Universal Audio Apollo 8p. I love the fire face, rock solid drivers and low latency. If there’s one thing to nitpick, the preamps are vanilla. But the AD/DA is flawless, I have my Kemper hooked up to it with Spdif.