Tascam Model 24?

[Arpangel]

No drastic changes, just want to check this out as a posibillity.
One of the "niggly" issues with my lovely A&H MixWiz 14-4-2 is that the monitor section isn’t designed for recording specifically
You can't assign the groups to monitor, which is essential if I'm overdubbing on the computer. The way I worked with my old Mackie (too small now) existing tracks were assigned to the groups and listened to via the control room monitor section, on which everything was selectable, new overdubs were routed to the main mix out to the computer, both old and new tracks could be selected via the monitor section without getting feedback. The mixer was the centre of my set-up, handling monitoring, mixing, the interface was routed through the mixer to enable me to use hardware effects etc, the mixer monitor out was connected to my monitors.
I get around this now by using the interface as the centre of operations, which is fine, but its limiting me regarding using hardware outboard, sure, I can use ReaInsert in Reaper to connect things, but I don’t have enough I/O on my interface, plus, it involves a lot of re-patching.
This is why I’m thinking about this Tascam as a main mixer, will it enable me to route tracks from the computer via USB into the input channels? process them, and send them back over USB.
What I’m looking for is a seamless integration, but the Tascam is an expensive solution, when maybe, all I really need is another mixer with a more comprehensive monitoring section.
?

[James Perrett]

My experience with the smaller Model 16 is that using it with a computer is far from seamless. The interface will stop working at the slightest excuse (usually when you try to play something with a different sample rate).

Think of it as an analogue mixer with a few digital bits tacked on which might work if you are lucky.

[OneWorld]

My experience with the smaller Model 16 is that using it with a computer is far from seamless. The interface will stop working at the slightest excuse (usually when you try to play something with a different sample rate).

Think of it as an analogue mixer with a few digital bits tacked on which might work if you are lucky.

I tend to agree, I tried the Model 24 having concluded it was the answer to all my prayers but I was left with the impressin it was neither nowt nor summat.

To be fair I guess I was expecting too much of it, that being a fully functioning control surface that served as a mixer and recorder, when really, it is a recorder which on the occasion could be a front end to a DAW, of sorts. But in use as an interface it tended to be easily upset and it'd spit its dummy out.

It worked best as a recorder. I sent it back before the returns period timed out. In a perfect world I woujld have spent more time with it, to see if satisfied my required but didn't want to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to prove a point.

I had almost an equal measure of success by using a recorder which had MIDI sync'd to the computer, giving basic transport and channel strip controls eg volume fader, pan etc but got to the point where I asked myself "Am I over engineering this?" as anyway, I found the various HDD recoders I tried took almost as long as the computer to boot up.

In many cases, the hybrid solutions need to go through the handshake procedure before the user is sat facing the record ready stage in proceedings

[Arpangel]

Thanks, I'll give it a miss. Jame's description being the clincher, but thanks to both of you.
One question, how can digital mixers offer so much digital I/O over USB, when 8 is considered a big deal on a stand alone interface sold at a premium price, and you don’t even get hardware EQ or faders.

[The Elf]

One question, how can digital mixers offer so much digital I/O over USB, when 8 is considered a big deal on a stand alone interface sold at a premium price, and you don’t even get hardware EQ or faders.

You don't get 'hardware EQ' on a digital mixer.

Many interfaces offer a lot more than 8 inputs (e.g. my MADIFace gives up to 192 inputs). It's how that I/O is presented to the outside world that differs. A typical interface is smaller than a 'mixer', and so the I/O is likely to feature fewer jacks/XLRs and more ADAT, MADI, or similar.

[Arpangel]

A 2U 24 I/O interface, at a reasonable price, that's not asking too much, is it? Come on Behringer.

[The Elf]

Sorry it's 3U...
https://www.behringer.com/behringer/pro ... e=0604-AAA

Failing that there's a Ferrofish A32 for 32 line inputs in 1U. Pair that with an RME MADIFace and you can hide that at the back of your rack. You'll be happy to hear that the RME doesn't do the A/D conversion, because you don't like the sound of RME converters. Or you could go Dante.

[Arpangel]

Sorry it's 3U...
https://www.behringer.com/behringer/pro ... e=0604-AAA

Failing that there's a Ferrofish for 32 line inputs in 1U. Pair that with an RME MADIFace and you can hide that at the back of your rack. You'll be happy to hear that the RME doesn't do the A/D conversion, because you don't like the sound of RME converters.

There still isn’t a one box solution there with the RME, and it’s hideously expensive.
The Berry has 16 inputs.
Just a box, with 24 analogue mic/line I/O, alright, 16 and an ADAT expansion would "do" there is the Motu 24, but they are all on D-Sub, that’s OK I guess.

[The Elf]

Sorry it's 3U...
https://www.behringer.com/behringer/pro ... e=0604-AAA
The Berry has 16 inputs.

Plus 6 aux inputs (for a total of 22 - close enough? Or treat yourself to an ART SplitMix4 to share two inputs = 24) and AES, to which you can attach a stage box right next to your synths - up to 96 inputs.

Not sure why being in one box is an overriding consideration, but if you feel that way then I'd certainly suggest you take a look at Dante as an option. And again the Ferrofish A32 Dante is 32 line inputs in 1U.

[James Perrett]

Just a box, with 24 analogue mic/line I/O, alright, 16 and an ADAT expansion would "do" there is the Motu 24, but they are all on D-Sub, that’s OK I guess.

I think you've just described a JoeCo BlueBox. Not cheap, but designed by the people who brought you Sadie so it is a proper professional piece of kit.

[Arpangel]

Thanks all, is the JoeCo still available? I think Mr Bladder bought one, or something similar?

[Bob Bickerton]

What about the Presonus Studiolive 24 or 32? 26 inputs/14 outputs on the 24 model, 34 in/18 out on the 36: https://www.presonus.com/en/live-sound- ... 00202.html

Doubt it’ll suit your workflow, but it would appear to fit your in/out requirement.

Bob

[Wonks]

Thanks all, is the JoeCo still available? I think Mr Bladder bought one, or something similar?

Yes.

https://joeco.co.uk/

But although the unit is 1U, if you don't want to plug in to lots of flying leads, then you'll be taking up another 2U with mic or jack input strips and at least 1U for the outputs.

[Hugh Robjohns]

One question, how can digital mixers offer so much digital I/O over USB, when 8 is considered a big deal on a stand alone interface...

You need to pay more attention. USB2 can handle far more than 8 channels with ease, and most 'premium' interfaces offer more than 8 channels, albeit often via ADAT connections.

However, 8 channels is often enough for most customers, and those wanting more use things like the Madiface and ADAT expanders.

[OneWorld]

What about the Presonus Studiolive 24 or 32? 26 inputs/14 outputs on the 24 model, 34 in/18 out on the 36: https://www.presonus.com/en/live-sound- ... 00202.html

Doubt it’ll suit your workflow, but it would appear to fit your in/out requirement.

Bob

I have noticed these and they do seem to satisfy all requirements,in fact 34 in and 18 out is far more than I'd need, 16 i/o would be adequate for me. I missed out on one not so long ago, tha chap selling simply could get along with digital and wanted shut of it, the Presonus, so he could buy back into the analogue domain. By the time I had sat on my trifles then decided to buy, a few hours later, it had been sold...........£750 and only 6 months old!

[Eddy Deegan]

What about the Presonus Studiolive 24 or 32? 26 inputs/14 outputs on the 24 model, 34 in/18 out on the 36: https://www.presonus.com/en/live-sound- ... 00202.html

Doubt it’ll suit your workflow, but it would appear to fit your in/out requirement.

I have noticed these and they do seem to satisfy all requirements,in fact 34 in and 18 out is far more than I'd need, 16 i/o would be adequate for me. I missed out on one not so long ago, tha chap selling simply could get along with digital and wanted shut of it, the Presonus, so he could buy back into the analogue domain. By the time I had sat on my trifles then decided to buy, a few hours later, it had been sold...........£750 and only 6 months old!

I used a StudioLive Series III 32R as my interface for some time and liked it a lot, in no small part because it's an 'all in one' 2U rackmount with all the I/O I needed at the time on board. They do 16 and 24 channel versions as well. The 16 channel version is 1U.

I now use a StudioLive Series III 64S as a combined interface/mixer/control surface but still use the 32R in stagebox mode (connected to the 64S with an ethernet cable providing AVB audio), the 32 analogue inputs on each box presenting 64 channels to my DAW via the USB2 interface on the 64S.

[Arpangel]

What about the Presonus Studiolive 24 or 32? 26 inputs/14 outputs on the 24 model, 34 in/18 out on the 36: https://www.presonus.com/en/live-sound- ... 00202.html

Doubt it’ll suit your workflow, but it would appear to fit your in/out requirement.

I have noticed these and they do seem to satisfy all requirements,in fact 34 in and 18 out is far more than I'd need, 16 i/o would be adequate for me. I missed out on one not so long ago, tha chap selling simply could get along with digital and wanted shut of it, the Presonus, so he could buy back into the analogue domain. By the time I had sat on my trifles then decided to buy, a few hours later, it had been sold...........£750 and only 6 months old!

I used a StudioLive Series III 32R as my interface for some time and liked it a lot, in no small part because it's an 'all in one' 2U rackmount with all the I/O I needed at the time on board. They do 16 and 24 channel versions as well. The 16 channel version is 1U.

I now use a StudioLive Series III 64S as a combined interface/mixer/control surface but still use the 32R in stagebox mode (connected to the 64S with an ethernet cable providing AVB audio), the 32 analogue inputs on each box presenting 64 channels to my DAW via the USB2 interface on the 64S.

So, what exactly is this 32R? Is it an interface?

[MarkOne]

So, what exactly is this 32R? Is it an interface?

From the PreSonus website:

The StudioLive® 32R digital mixer is four audio tools in two compact rackspaces. Use it as a standalone digital mixer with UC Surface remote mixing software. Pair it with your StudioLive Series III console mixer to use as a stage box or integrated monitor mixer. Connect it with EarMix 16M monitor mixers for the ultimate personal monitor system. Plug it into your studio computer, and you have a continuously bidirectional, 128-channel (64x64) USB audio interface with modeled vintage dynamics and EQ plug-ins on every input and bus.

(Google is your friend)

[Arpangel]

So, what exactly is this 32R? Is it an interface?

From the PreSonus website:

The StudioLive® 32R digital mixer is four audio tools in two compact rackspaces. Use it as a standalone digital mixer with UC Surface remote mixing software. Pair it with your StudioLive Series III console mixer to use as a stage box or integrated monitor mixer. Connect it with EarMix 16M monitor mixers for the ultimate personal monitor system. Plug it into your studio computer, and you have a continuously bidirectional, 128-channel (64x64) USB audio interface with modeled vintage dynamics and EQ plug-ins on every input and bus.

(Google is your friend)

But is it a stand alone basic interface, I don’t need anything that it mentions there, it’s confusing, all I need is an interface.

[Eddy Deegan]

But is it a stand alone basic interface, I don’t need anything that it mentions there, it’s confusing, all I need is an interface.

It's a digital mixer in a rackmount unit that has an interface built in as part of the feature set. You connect it via USB and configure it using a program called Universal Control.

Configuring it as an interface involves running Universal Control and putting it into interface mode.

It has a whole ton of stuff you're not going to use but that at that point it's an interface. When I was using it as an interface I linked the channels I wanted to be stereo pairs but just left all the input gains at unity and didn't enable any of the the compressors, noise gates and FX available on each input.

A while later I tweaked the config to add a little gating to a couple of noisy sources but other than that I didn't need to do anything. You don't need Universal Control to use it, only to configure it. Once configured you just power it up before booting the PC, just like you would anything else.

Think of it as a 1 or 2U box with 16, 24 or 32 inputs on it. Every input provides combi-sockets for jacks or XLR and there are mic-pres with optional phantom power on all of them so its equally happy with line-level or mic-level inputs (though there are no hi-Z inputs). It plugs into your computer over USB and your DAW sees those 16, 24 or 32 inputs. Plug something into an input, you'll get the noise into the DAW on that channel. That's pretty much an interface

I only used 2 outputs, for monitoring. However, under the hood it is a full-fledged digital mixer with a great deal of functionality.

[Bob Bickerton]

Think of it as an interface that happens to have optional other uses - a bit like your Mix Wizard, which you could repurpose as a door-stop. You don’t have to use it as a door-stop, but it can be used that way.

Bob

[Arpangel]

Thanks for explaining Eddy, but unless I've got a clear "overview" in my head, I find it difficult to understand things.

Think of it as an interface that happens to have optional other uses - a bit like your Mix Wizard, which you could repurpose as a door-stop. You don’t have to use it as a door-stop, but it can be used that way.

Bob

Thanks Bob, I’ll try it as a door stop in the morning, and let you know how I get on. It may have other uses too, I was told by somebody, who’s name I can't remember, that it doesn’t do a bad job of being a bed of nails.

[Bob Bickerton]

What a wonderful idea! You’ll have to remove the knobs of course……..

Bob

[Sam Spoons]

What a wonderful idea! You’ll have to remove the knobs of course……..

Bob

Or, better still, take a pencil sharpener to them.