The latency thread got me thinking, I've had a fair few cards!
My first one when I was 16 was an M-Audio Audiophile 24/96. What a great little card that was!!! Then I've had (in no particular order):
M-Audio Profire 2626 - recorded so much material on this!
Echo Layla 3G - Nothing special as it turned out. Worked fine, but not enough pre's for me really, which I learned later on.
MOTU 8-Pre
Digidesign 002 - This was a loaner from work that I had for a long time. Used to ADAT it into the Profire 2626 to get 12 mic pres!
Roland Octo-Capture - this went back due to poor performance. Constant drop-outs and nasty glitches. Tried for ages to get it to work properly on multiple machines, and it just didn't play ball.
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
Antelope Audio Zen Tour - I had one of these for a bit, and it was quite cool. Didn't like the touch-screen too much I confess. It got quite warm and because at the time I was having mad CPU spiking issues, I didn't trust it and sent it back. In retrospect though, that wasn't really necessary.
Apollo x8p - my current card. I love some of the DSP effects, but I don't really use them as much as I used to. Most of my stuff is in the DAW using native plugins, so I'm thinking of moving this on. But gotta be careful, because I don't want to replace it with a lemon!
Stability-wise, the Apollo has been my favourite out of all of them over the years, with the Profire 2626 a close second.
Comments
Soundblaster AWE32 ... ISA card ... half duplex recording, you could monitor in 8 bit while overdubbing
Soundblaster Live, 5V PCI card with some good wavefonts and full duplex. Used it with Cubase VST
Digi 001, 5V PCI card with rack IO. Came with PT 5 and I was smitten
Digi 002 Rack, firewire version of the 001 with better conversion and nicer preamps
Digidesign D24 core card and 2 DSP Farm cards. 820 convertor First proper TDM system, no latency recording on a G4, still have it.
Digidesign Mix core card and 2 Farm cards. Like the above but more power. still have it and use it
Presonus Firestudio, used to add Steven slate samples to a TD3 kit via a laptop. If you think low latency is important on guitar try drumming with latency !
Tascam DM4800, 32 in & out simultaneous recording with HUI control on motorized faders.
Digidesign HD2 with 192 convertor. Much more power than the Mix system and convertors sounded better, Still have and use it for tracking where no latency is important or opening sessions from pro studios
2 X Digidesign Mbox Pro's ... one for live keyboards, one for tracking indoors. The bargain audio interfaces of the century, literally pick them up for £45 each
Sound blaster pro (impulse tracker)
sound blaster awe 32 with the breakout box (impulse tracker and buzz tracker)
terratec dmx6fire (this was another PCI card with break out box not a fire wire) (buzz tracker, fruity loop and cubase vst)
M-audio audiophile 24.96 (i think, it was basically the shittest card that would run protool m-powered) (protool m-powered, cubase SX)
behringer BCA2000 (cubase SX and reaper)
focusrite saffire pro40 (reaper)
behringer ADA8000 (reaper)
tascam us-122 (reaper)
focusrite scarlett18i20 (reaper)
focusrite scarlett 18i8 (reaper)
Also had a boss GT-10 and a helix which work as sound cards and a behringer air XR-16
I still have a bunch of them too but my active setup is
Home
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scareltt 18i8 with a slaved focusrite saffire pro40 (mostly cos the firewire sync on the saffire started going so im just using it as 8 more channels of I/O)
Band
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focusrite scarlett 18i20 expanded with a behringer ADA8000
Spare
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tascam us122 -- although this is really a spectacularly shit interface.
Griffin PowerWave USB Audio Interface
Edirol U-A5
M-Audio Firewire Solo
As you can see, I was never really into digital audio
Emagic EMI 2/6 - native (and crap)
M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 - native
Pro Tools TDM system- Mix/Farm + 888.
RME Multiface - native
Motu 888 - native
Digidesign Pro Tools HD + 2x Accel cards, 96IO + 888 from TDM system.
Apogee Rosetta 800 - native, then Digidesign HD (still own it)
Apogee Symphony - with Avid HDX
Focusrite Red 8Pre (which was swapped out under warranty for:)
Focusrite Red 8Pre (which was swapped out under warranty for:)
Focusrite Red 16 Line - native and HDX (still own it)
(2) Focusrite A16R - Dante expanders for the studio (still own them)
(2) Focusrite X2P - Dante expanders for the studio (still own them)
Universal Audio Apollo X8 - native (still own it)
Avid MTRX - HDX, studio hub (still own it)
The MTRX is an order of magnitude better sounding than anything else I've ever owned.
The converters are incredible and it has a 1500x1500 channel routing matrix.
Expandable in a way that other interfaces just aren't.
I can do Dolby Atmos with it- I can add loads more channels just by adding Dante expanders.
Buying it was a significant expense but I don't regret it for a second.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
Ive had a Steingerg UR22, little Presonus USB one, Audient ID44, Focusrite Scarlett USB, Behringer XR16, IK Multimedia irig pro, Focusrite Clarett 2-pre Thunderbolt, and a UA Apollo Still have a Steinberg UR44, Zoom TAC-8 and a Clarett 8-pre
Probably forgotten a few too
EDIROL M - 16 DX
Tascam US-224
M-Audio Fast Track
Behringer UMC22
Behringer UMC204HD
Behringer UMC 1820
Soundblaster live external card
M audio
Fast track Pro
Focusrite sapphire
Not exciting but still does everything I need.
Soundblaster Pro
Soundblaster AWE32
Emagic Audiowerk 8
Digidesign Mbox
Motu 828 MK I Firewire
Edirol UA-5
Line 6 Guitarport
Focusrite Saffire 8
Focusrite Clarett 4 Pre TB
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Motu 828 ES
Motu 24 i/o
Focusrite RedNet XP2
Focusrite Clarett 8 Pre TB
a few others I have forgotten (or can't remember if I owned or not when I worked in MI sales!)
Got a bit of a thing for Focurite (apart from the Saffire range which was a nightmare over Firewire)
What's the latency and performance like with the Clarett range? The Scarlett 18i20 I had was okay. Latency wasn't great, and I would often get glitches and pops and clicks at a buffer size of 64, which is why I moved to the Apollo, so I could do more stuff outside the DAW and afford to have my buffers high. But a new PC on the horizon has also got me thinking about a new interface. Was thinking Presonus Quantum or Antelope Audio Discreet 8, but maybe I should look at the Clarett range....
I can't guarantee that Thunderbolt is going to work properly on the new rig, so it'd be a risk in any case.
Oh wait... just looking... looks like they don't do the TB Clarett's anymore?!
Feedback
Emagic a6|2m
RME Multiface
Apogee Duet
I have to say, I *really* miss the Multiface - I only got rid of it because my old G5 died and I didn't have anything to put the PCI card in.
Lexicon alpha - was starting out and had no idea what I was doing. Never got much out of it.
Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 Gen 1 - Good interface and I got alot recorded on it.
RME Babyface Pro - More ins, more stable, low latency, it should last me a good number of years!
Band Stuff: https://navigationofficial.bandcamp.com/album/silhouette-ep
Latency is great on the Claretts. I mostly run at 64 samples only have issues with vi heavy sessions but I tend to bounce to audio as part of my workflow. Also I mix at 1024 samples in PT as I never have to worry about too many plugins.
You can still find them refurbished on the Focusrite site. I can't speak about TB on PC as I'm a Mac user. Also they are quite a few years old now.
I am hoping that bring something else out at that level without having to go to red.
If I was on PC of give RME a serious look.
All the best.
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!