Moroccomoose wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 12:12 pm
You can pick up a profire 2626 on ebay for less than £150. Plus another £20 for a firewire card and Bob's yer Auntie's live-in lover!
Admittedly firewire is a bit old hat, but my profire is more stable in win 11 than it ever has been.
That said, I have already decided that when the time comes, the EVO16 looks like the ideal replacement. Will definitely be going for a USB3 option. I'm less concerned about midi as most midi stuff is already USB, or it is easy enough to get a USB midi interface. I guess the new limit becomes how many USB ports will I need?!
Not sure, but I think Tony is on a Mac right now, and getting any firewire working is a sure way to blow a mental fuse. And even in PC land, not all Firewire cards are equal, and depending on the chipset you might end up extremely unlucky with that cheapo interface card (Do people even buy computers with replaceable cards like that any more?)
Of course the biggest restraint is budget. It seems that you are reluctant to spend a dis-proportionate amount because of your hearing. If you are happy to stay with a firewire option I would certainly consider a used RME FF800, they are getting cheaper and cheaper. Or how about the Focusrite Liquid 56, I had one of these before I went over to RME (simply because the RME is only 1U rack space) but the Focusrite I had was certainly the equal of the RME, a really reliable solid old bus of a thing that was sonically equivalent to me RME as well. I have seen them advertised as little as £100, I think I did well getting £200 for mine when I sold it several months ago.
However, Focusrite aren't supporting it any more so it might well come to the point that the driver might not work on newer OS's - mine worked fine on all issues of Win10/64
I too had a Profire 2626 way back when and I seem to remember it worked fine, and yes they are cheap as chips (mind you have you been to the chippy lately!!!!, costs an arm and a leg) I have seen the Profire as cheap as £75
Arpangel wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 9:11 am
oh yes, I must have DIN Midi, so the Evo is off the list.
You could always use a separate Midi interface. They seem to last longer than audio interfaces (apart from maybe RME).
I'd strongly advise against a Firewire interface (remember this is Tony asking folks). Even if you get it going now, you are probably living on borrowed time with it and something will stop it working in the fairly near future.
James Perrett wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 1:59 pmYou could always use a separate Midi interface. They seem to last longer than audio interfaces (apart from maybe RME).
Evidence James? I have had USB interfaces starting with an M-A Fast track Pro on XP through a Tascam US 122, a Focusrite 8i6 (still have) Behringer BCA 2000. (that did break, two samples 3 times but that was because they were ****!) and Alesis, wee thing with MIDI can't recall the model. An NI KA6 still have, works fine, and finally the M4. All those interfaces kept working apart from the BCA2K (and I am sure I could have fixed that if Behs weren't such ***ts about spares!)
The 'lesser' interfaces were either donated or sent to son and AFAIK still work.
Oh yes, totally agree, avoid FWire. It was enough of a PITA in its heyday, don't want to go there again!
ef37a wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 2:11 pm
Evidence James?
Mainly from the number of faulty interface posts we get on here. Most of the issues that I've seen personally have been more down to obsolescence. I've got a redundant Turtle Beach Multisound which needs an ISA slot and the Firewire part of my Focusrite seems to have stopped working so I just use it as a preamp/ADC now. A friend that I help out with computer gear had to buy a new interface because his old one wouldn't work with anything newer than XP.
OK so the MQX32M Midi interface is obsolete for the same reason as the Multisound but the MOTU Fastlane keeps going on Win 10. However I've not tried the Midiman interface on Win 10 yet.
Personally, I find that my current audio interfaces need to be more portable than the Midi interface so it makes sense to leave the Midi interface behind and still connected up when I take the recording rig out on location. So separate audio and Midi interfaces work better for me.
sonics wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:37 pm
PreSonus Studio 1824c or Tascam US-16x08. Both excellent interfaces. You can adjust the former from an iPad, too.
I was looking at that Tascam, good price, but after thinking more, helped by a few large G&T's, that Focusrite Clarett 8 Pre is tempting, and life is too short to to mess around.
ef37a wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 2:11 pm
Evidence James?
Mainly from the number of faulty interface posts we get on here.
Taking into account the much greater number of people (often with little understanding) that buy audio vs. MIDI interfaces? I can see how the former might be more susceptible to obsolescence though.
ef37a wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 2:11 pm
Evidence James?
Mainly from the number of faulty interface posts we get on here.
Taking into account the much greater number of people (often with little understanding) that buy audio vs. MIDI interfaces? I can see how the former might be more susceptible to obsolescence though.
As a long time lurker on the forum I would say the incidence of AI failures reported was incredibly low? Especially since almost everyone here uses at least one! Even then, some of the "faults" turn out to be 'finger trouble' and kind suggestion to "RTFM" often sorts the poster out!
It also seems to me that James was really referring to AIs that were 'orphaned' by OS changes? That is more a question of 'politics' than of reliability.
I don't know but I suspect MIDI only interfaces use a 'generic USB MIDI' driver and that does not change with OS upgrades?
But my main beef with AI manufacturers of some quite costly interfaces is the 'bean counter' attitude plus the fact that MIDI capability has been a feature of AIs right back to Sound Blaster days.
Just discovered a fault in the PSU of my 1820, where the lead goes into the in -line "lump" it’s shorted out, the wires are stripped at that point, I tried another PSU, correct voltage but not the right amperage, and the 1820 works, this is really bad, it must have been like this since new, as it’s just been sitting I my rack, that would explain the burning smell.
Trouble is, I can’t seem to find the correct replacement PSU, it needs to be 12v 2000ma centre negative, I’ve found a My Volts PSU it’s described as being for an 1820, but it’s centre positive, is this important? and can I use a generic PSU?
You definitely need a centre negative PSU. Centre positive won’t work and could damage components if they haven’t fitted reverse polarity protection.
The spec sheet says 20W max. power consumption, so at 12v that’s 1.66A/1666mA. So you’ll need a PSU that can supply at least 1700mA, but it can have a bigger capacity. Yes, it can be generic.
Wonks wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:33 am
You definitely need a centre negative PSU. Centre positive won’t work and could damage components if they haven’t fitted reverse polarity protection.
The spec sheet says 20W max. power consumption, so at 12v that’s 1.66A/1666mA. So you’ll need a PSU that can supply at least 1700mA, but it can have a bigger capacity. Yes, it can be generic.
Thanks Wonks, I’m going to Cricklewood electronics later, hopefully they’ll have one.
Tony, are you ABSOLUTELY sure that B'ringer is centre negative?
That odd polarity is almost exclusive to guitar pedal supplies for variously contested reasons. Bloody silly of Behringers to do that if so.
As Wonks says, provided the supply can deliver around 2 amps at 12V most will be fine but I would suggest buying from a reputable source such as RS Comps or CPC/Farnell and not some 'no name' tat online.
I am sure CPC will do a properly rated supply and one with a 'universal' set of connectors so you can get the (VITAL!) polarity right. PLEASE tell me you own a digital test meter?
Wonks wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:04 am
It is centre negative, or at least the graphic by the power connector on the interface says it is.
Yes indeed. I have managed to find a rear view with just good enough resolution to confirm.
THAT is bloody daft and an accident waiting to happen. I have and have had dozens of rat powered bits of kit and none have been centre negative except guitar electronics.
ef37a wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:59 am
PLEASE tell me you own a digital test meter?
Dave.
Yes! I do! as for knowing how to use it, that’s a different kettle of doo-daa!
I got a huge belt off that PSU, thought I was going to die! I couldn’t let go of it, I think I touched a charged capacitor, that’s the biggest electrical shock I’ve ever had, and they were tiny capacitors.
WARNING!
ef37a wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:59 am
PLEASE tell me you own a digital test meter?
Dave.
Yes! I do! as for knowing how to use it, that’s a different kettle of doo-daa!
I got a huge belt off that PSU, thought I was going to die! I couldn’t let go of it, I think I touched a charged capacitor, that’s the biggest electrical shock I’ve ever had, and they were tiny capacitors.
WARNING!
FORK!! TONY!! You easily COULD have died! That cap in a SMPSU rat is charged to peak mains voltage, about 330 volts and there is over a hundred times enough current available to stop the old ticker. Wired the right way it could probably kill a horse! (disconnected from mains there will be a residual charge that might be lethal to us wrinklies but would just be a painful surprise to a healthy person)
Wee power supplies like this are really so cheap that it is never worth taking the risk of opening one up. Heed the warning! "NO user serviceable parts inside"
ef37a wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:10 am
I have and have had dozens of rat powered bits of kit and none have been centre negative except guitar electronics.
I guess you've never owned any Philips kit then Dave. The PSU for my Philips cassette recorder (which also powered their their transistor radios and their portable record players) was centre negative. It also worked fine with guitar pedals.
ef37a wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 9:10 am
I have and have had dozens of rat powered bits of kit and none have been centre negative except guitar electronics.
I guess you've never owned any Philips kit then Dave. The PSU for my Philips cassette recorder (which also powered their their transistor radios and their portable record players) was centre negative. It also worked fine with guitar pedals.
Ha! I used to service Philips kit for a living James along with many other brands. Philips ALWAYS did things differently from other manufacturers! They managed to build a radio without tagboards or printed circuits. They never used standard cartridges or styli for their pickups and their tuning dial mechanisms were a baffling array of mini "Bowden cables" instead of the dial chord everyone else found perfectly satisfactory. They even had to have their own, bespoke mains connectors way before IEC plugs were developed! And do NOT get me started on their microphones!
So, not at all surprised Philips did different. IIRC most of the early 'piano key' mono cassette machines used a mono 1/8th jack for DC power? Not of course the best solution.
Arpangel wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:24 amJust discovered a fault in the PSU of my 1820, where the lead goes into the in -line "lump" it’s shorted out, the wires are stripped at that point... it must have been like this since new, as it’s just been sitting I my rack, that would explain the burning smell.
It probably does explain the burning smell, but I can guarantee it wasn't like that from new. The lead has been tugged or stretched during or after one of your racking or re-racking efforts.
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Re: Interface failed, need a new one, any recommendations?
I guess you've never owned any Philips kit then Dave. The PSU for my Philips cassette recorder (which also powered their their transistor radios and their portable record players) was centre negative. It also worked fine with guitar pedals.
I guess you've never owned any Philips kit then Dave. The PSU for my Philips cassette recorder (which also powered their their transistor radios and their portable record players) was centre negative. It also worked fine with guitar pedals.
And some older Roberts radios
Weirdos. Roberts did make nice radios mind. Never came across one with a power socket. Maybe 'after my time'?
I'm sort of glad I read this post, and about the 'fix' I was seriously considering buying a Berry UMC1820, as a spare interface, they seem such good value. But then read about it conking out after just as few years and though "uhoh, that's the Berry Curse again, abandon all hope ye who enter"
But now it seems maybe I was erring too much on the cautious side and the UMC1820 is good value after all. Hmmm, sat here in the studio, should I grace my place with that interface?"
I doubt anyone could argue One that the 1820 is not great value?
As for the other Behringer "problems"? Well, I have had several of their products and yes, not what you would call "rugged" but in a gentle 'domestic' setup, perfectly fine.
I was quite impressed with my UMC204HD, especially the mic pres. Decent amount of gain and low noise. My only real criticism would be the low output level. Max out is IIRC only +4dBu. That may not matter in your situation and in any case the 1820 might be a bit hotter?
ef37a wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 3:10 pm
I doubt anyone could argue One that the 1820 is not great value?
As for the other Behringer "problems"? Well, I have had several of their products and yes, not what you would call "rugged" but in a gentle 'domestic' setup, perfectly fine.
I was quite impressed with my UMC204HD, especially the mic pres. Decent amount of gain and low noise. My only real criticism would be the low output level. Max out is IIRC only +4dBu. That may not matter in your situation and in any case the 1820 might be a bit hotter?
Dave.
Yes you have a point there Dave. I was however considering the Berry as a backup t6o have just in case my current interface (RME) goes pop. Hope I am not tempting providence by writing this!
Casio, Korg and Roland use(d?) centre negative supplies as well as do Brother label printers. Thinking of the last one I'm nearly 100% sure that the PSU that came with my PT-600DB is 12V 2A and it's definitely centre negative. Though at the moment I'm using a spare 4A psu from a TV that I've swapped the polarity on.
Edit: Brother AD-E001UK would probably be ok 12V 2A centre negative.
