Lowest Latency Audio Interface

The Lounge Other Gear
#24

I forgot to mention, I thought about this some more and I definitely get much better performance with this interface besides just lower latency. I don’t know if it’s just the thunderbolt connection or the dma engine or both, but I wouldn’t of dreamed of running my old FireWire interface at 96k and expect to get to far with it… This one I can run at 96k with a 32 buffer and easily do my normal tracking plus a few soft synths and effect plugins and more. I haven’t pushed it too far at 32 to see how far it goes, latency is fine at 64 or 128 so I normally just leave it there…

Checked Logic X with different buffers and at 96k got:
32: 1.1ms
64: 1.8ms
128: 3.1ms
256: 5.7 ms

The Elements I found have the same D/A as the Ensemble but a slightly different A/D. The A/D is a newer chip and specs the same as ensemble… Ensemble takes the lead for apogee low latency but Element is pretty close with and advertised 1.41ms at 96/32… I imagine these units sound excellent as the ensemble sure does…

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#25

I wonder what you guys think of the Antelope interfaces? Anybody have one?

#26

I have an Entelope Audio Zen Tour. The best interface I have ever worked with. 8 inputs which I expanded to 16 with an RME AD/DA unit and toslink cables. All the DSP effects are hardware based, so no emulation limits like UA and they are all free too. Including future updates and additions. They are adding them quite frequently.

I’m glad I didn’t go for the Universal Audio route. It’s a never ending path of purchased upgrades and updates.

3 Likes
#27

Nice! I keep hearing very good things about their stuff, not cheap though but I think that’s gonna be my next upgrade.

1 Like
#28

Thanks for all the info. I’m definitely leaning toward the Apogee interface.

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#29

I suspect almost any thunderbolt interface is a major upgrade for performance, but the apogee’s are indeed nice…

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#30

is that round trip or output only?

#31

Another + for RME. Have hade my UCX for a year, works flawlessly with computer and I just did a recording session outdoors with just an iPad as controller in CC mode. Latency is real low and audio quality is great. Compressor and EQ FX come in handy when recording dynamic stuff like Rhodes/vocals/guitar! The reverb is meh though.

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#32

Roundtrip… :smiley:

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#33

How are you liking the Zen Tour. I just got one myself and I’m second guessing whether or not I should return it and get the Qu-Pac or Qu-SB.

Any thoughts?

#34

Hi,

If you use an ERM multiclock + a pair of studio monitors you will need at least 3 outputs.
not mentionning the headphones output.

PS : RME is the best. :wink:

#35

With the latest Intel CPus and any recent audio interface with a good driver you would easily get a decent RTL (<10ms). even with a well chosen core i3 and a 100$ interface.
If you choose to set your daw as the center piece for audio and master for midi, you will benefit for delay compensation features so really latency is not a real problem nowadays.
Only caution would be if you play a real instrument and you absolutely need to use software monitoring (with vst FX for example). Interface manufacturers offer hardware monitoring with 0 latency and DSP effects, wich is a great solution for that problem.

#36

RME all the way.

I moved my 3 Multifaces over to a Sonnet PCIe / Thunderbolt chassis and it’s been a great system.

#38

rme beats many thunderbolt interfaces, especialy the apollos, apogee thunderbolt is a bit faster over thunderbolt, but very expensive when you compare the features, so for usb there is no competition for rme.

#39

Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt user here and I must report I love it! Upgraded from focusrite which was fine but the latency was killing me. Got it for a real steal too :grin:

#40

Have you used any of the latest generation of MOTU interfaces? All with ESS Sabre 32 Ultra DACs too (123dB DynR).
The Ultralite MK4 is giving 3.99ms round trip through Live 9, at 64 samples, 44.1khz, and without glitches under heavy CPU load.
I’m not a GS level audio interface analyst or anything , but I’d call that competition, at the least.

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#41

Never used MOTU dac but if it’s anything like their MIDI routers (and I’d bet it is) it will be indestructible!!

#42

Hi Adam,
under 4ms sounds good. Windows or macos? thunderbolt, usb or ethernet?

#43

Have you tried 88.2kHz as well? You should get to little over 2ms RT if your CPU can handle it.

1 Like
#44

OSX Sierra
USB

1 Like