Looking for some advice on expanding my interface

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

I’m trying to decide how to expand my setup and am curious about what others think. Here what I have:

MPC One (stereo, I just monitor the machine. I bounce tracks to an SD card to mix in Studio One)
AS-1 (stereo)
Eurorack percussion (mono)
Analog Drive (mono)
iPad (stereo)

My interface is a Roland Rubix 44 (4 inputs)

I have the MPC One and the modular going into the interface and the Analog Drive taking up the last input as an effect send from Studio One. I’m controlling all the hardware and software with the MPC via midi and USB. My issue is recording the AS-1 and the iPad. Currently I’m just plugging and unplugging them into the MPC and bouncing the audio to my computer when I mix. I’m not really liking this and would rather just record directly into Studio One and only bounce the stuff I’ve made on the MPC. Basically I need 2 more stereo inputs than I have. What would you do? Get a mixer to go between all the hardware and the stereo input of the interface currently used by the MPC? Should I just get a bigger interface like a K-Mix or something?

#2

How about a Tascam Model 12? 2 stereo and 6 mono inputs, can send individual tracks to your DAW, and you can record to SD if you want. Plus it takes midi, has decent effects, etc., and you can run the sub out into your MPC and back in to the mixer, and then you can sample from all your sources without switching cables. And you’ll have some free inputs for when you expand your gear.

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#3

I was thinking the model 12 would be good as well. If you’re interested, they are also on sale at the moment. $599

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#4

Oh, yeah. That looks like a really good option.

#5

Also checking out the Presonus StudioLive 16.0.2 USB. I’m seeing used one for half the price of a new one on Reverb. Seems like the integration with Studio One could be a nice bonus.

#6

That could be a good option, too–especially if you’re committed to Studio One. Just make sure, if it’s an older unit, that it’ll work with your setup (e.g., firewire vs. usb, iPad integration, etc.). Personally, I’d go with a brand new Model 12 for a hundred bucks more than take my chances with a 5 year-old+ mixer that doesn’t really do anything much more.

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#7

Nah, you’re good with all that. Get a nice comfy chair, or another monitor that is nice to look at. Maybe some good headphones. We often times over spend on stuff we don’t really need, when just putting a little bit more time in mastering what we got. I’m serious about the chair though. Protect that ass. On second thought, maybe look at getting a Motu interface so you can alleviate your recording troubles, and also send cv out to your euro from the cpu. Also if you are going to get another synth, I can’t recommend an A4 or Digitone enough. Multi-timbral devices that are easily able to be utilized is a hard find, and both those boxes allow for multiple voices, and variety. The A4 also allows you to send cv/gate/trig out as well. Such a great device.

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#8

Haha I have a comfy chair and nice monitor. Yeah, I’m really not too interested in more gear. I tend to keep a pretty small amount of hardware and as far as synths go, I’m very much a softsynth person. Between Iris and Serum I feel like I could make anything I can imagine. I really am just trying to streamline the recording stuff. Unplugging and plugging in things back and forth is kind of annoying and I can’t really work with all my instruments without recording them individually first. The eurorack synth is something I’ve been slowly building up over the past year. It’s a really modest 84hp case.

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#9

What I did to alleviate my recording woes was grab an Ultralite 4 (you can get earlier models for super cheap), and plug a 12 channel mixer into it. Retrospect, I might have ditched the mixer, and grabbed another interface with more I/O, and run that into the Ultralite. Lot of people swear by patchbays too.

#10

Not sure if you’re on Mac or PC but if it’s the former you could add a Behringer UMC440HD and create an aggregate device to add 4 more inputs for not much money. I just bought one myself:

https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0BK1

If you’re on PC, I’m not too sure if you can run two soundcards simultaneously or not.

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#11

I had considered this but I’m on PC and unfortunately it’s not possible from what I’ve read.

#12

Damn. Well, I think there’s an 8 in/out version too. Let me hunt down a link and price.

Edit: it’s an 18 in actually in total (8 mic/instrument ins) but price is still v reasonable: https://m.thomann.de/intl/behringer_umc1820.htm

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#13

I think you can add the UMC44 to a pre-existing interface. I was close to picking one up and adding it to that Motu I keep yammering on about. Use the digital I/Os to connect the two interfaces.

Here is a Ultralite 3 hybrid (has USB) for dirt cheap. The front screen doesn’t work, but you can use the software to set your levels.
MOTU UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid https://reverb.com/item/33598968-motu-ultralite-mk3-hybrid?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=33598968

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#14

I hadn’t seen this one. Going to have to research a little more on it, looks good. Lot of people have said the UMC 44 has a minimal noise floor, I wonder how quiet this one is?

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#15

Yes, I did a load of research last night and decided to go for it. Positive reviews all round. I’ll let you know my thoughts when it arrives. Could take a while to arrive with COVID tho!

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#16

Nice one man. Yes I’d appreciate the follow up.

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#17

Yes, please follow up. I’m not in a rush to make a decision.

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#18

If you do go the route of aggregate devices on the computer, and if it’s a Mac, then don’t use the built-in Audio MIDI setup. That’s a recipe for frustration and crashes.

I use Rogue Amoeba’s Loopback instead. It does the same, and more. I use it with Ableton, because it lets me hot-plug different devices, while Ableton stays connected to the Loopback virtual audio “devices.”

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#20

For the win! (But seriously, I think you’ll be happy with it)

Now go buy some more gear to fill those extra inputs :upside_down_face:

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#21

I have the Tascam Model 24 and just got the Akai MPCX, and I got the Tascam to work as a Midi master with the MPCX as the slave. I push play on the Tascam and my MPCX begins it’s click and they both start together. I went into tools on the Akai and changed the Midi to communicate with the Tascam, and then I went into the Tascam under “system” and changed a setting there. I played around with it, and it worked. I was just shooting in the dark and got it going. I now have 30-audio tracks all in sync with the MPCX midi sequences and song programs. I don’t even have it all hooked up to a PC. It’s in stand-alone while synced to the 24-track Tascam. I can edit in the MPCX and then bounce the audio out and record it on the Tascam after it’s edited.

I even went over the top and added the Roland Integra 7 large sound module, and that module has 8-outputs of 96k, all midi synth. Thus, once I add a summing mixer, all that gear will have 23-channels of output, 8-channels Roland synth audio out, 8-channels of MPCX audio output, and then the Tascam has 2-stereo outs and 3-mono outputs (aux). That’s all without using a home computer.

My summing mixer of choice is soon the SSL for $2700, two aux sends for effects with returns, panning, and an overall main out aux send and return for your mixdown. I am using a few high-quality compressors for the pre-summing mixdown. This will all sound as good as any computer-based system with summing and sound better than any computer system without summing.

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