If the mentioned “noise” is a DC offset it means that the audio interface is DC coupled? But why? Afaik DC coupling only makes sense if you want to send CV from/to the computer, but that always comes with a tradeoff in audio quality. That’s why you most often can switch channels to AC coupling in DC coupled audio interfaces. Why would they use a DC coupled interface in an audio mixer?
Is that so? I’m quite ignorant and I’m curious.
RME sound interfaces are DC coupled AFAIK and are praised for their audio quality, so I’m trying to understand.
I’m not an expert either so I’d like to hear other opinions, but usually you want to get rid of DC offsets in audio signal chains.
On RME interfaces: Currently I have an RME UFX II and the only DC-coupled outs are the headphone outs. That’s also true for most other RME audio interfaces:
RME DC-coupled outs
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Ah good to know, thanks. I use a UCX and never needed DC coupled outputs. I was under the wrong assumption that all outputs were DC coupled but obviously not.
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DC coupling is good because you get rid of the low-pass filter, which even if it is below the audible range will still have a specific “sound”, as it will change the phase into the audible range. This is particularly true if you go through the filter many times, or through several filters. Also, the filter would also depend on capacitors which will have a variable capacitance with voltage/age/humidity/temperature, resulting in nonlinear responses. Avoiding the filter is better, many interfaces don’t do it because if you don’t know what you are plugging in, and if that has a large DC offset, then it’s bad for speakers. But here maybe SSL are confident about what gets sent to the interface, so may have gone with DC inputs? A small DC offset is really not an issue for speakers anyway, as the power goes with the square of the voltage, 10mV offset would be only 0.01^2/8ohm ~0.01mW, which will not affect speakers at all.
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It seems a little too all over the place between the different channels though, which seems problematic to me. Also that you can’t trust your meters, but only on certain channels, so you’d have to mark them to not forget those are the ones with greater amount of offset… that seems a little ridiculous. Seems like the control should be a whole lot tighter.
edit: I guess I should add that this is just a whole lot of speculation though. I still haven’t heard back from SSL and I still don’t know if this is just something a couple of us on here happen to be experiencing.
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So how’s the latency on OSX? I know there aren’t specific OSX drivers. I have the normal SiX and am considering an upgrade.
Any update from SSL about this? Last I heard back from them about my issue was a week ago…
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Last I heard from SSL was four days ago. All they said was that they were working on it and I should hear back soon.
I sent a follow up ticket and they replied. They said that this will be resolved in a firmware update but they have no current ETA. They said to use a 10k low-pass filter in the interim, but I’m assuming that was a typo and they meant to say 10Hz high-pass.
On an aside, are your Bus-B analog outs a little hotter than the main outs when both knob and fader are set to zero? Like 2-3dB maybe? I’m kinda guessing this has more to do with the Main going through the G-Comp circuit though, but this is with the G-Comp off.
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Well that is some good info there, thanks.
I haven’t done much testing with Bus-B, but if I get a chance I will. It could be because there is just more going on in the main mix after Bus-B. Like you said, It goes through the Bus Comp, and there is also the master insert as well. On SSL’s the Master Insert is always active, you are just switching whether the signal coming back in is heard or not. Also, the main mix goes out to the monitors as well. I would think there would be an extra amp there for that, but still, it may just mean those bus’s aren’t going to have equal gain coming out of them. Of course, these are jus guesses on my part.
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Thanks for the follow up! Glad to hear it will just be a firmware update (I didn’t even think about that option). I sent them a follow up on my power supply problem but still haven’t heard back, hopefully something happens by the end of the week…
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I opened a new ticket and referenced the old one to get a response. Replying to the email didn’t seem to get me too far.
Edit: I would guess they probably have a lot of tickets open with a new product release though, so maybe that’s why this worked?
bummed out for the folks having issues with these and hope you get solutions soon. it’s especially bad as it’s a studio centerpiece, and likely some/all of you sold off your audio interface and/or mixer to afford it. and now you’re left with a semi-functional centerpiece and a studio you likely can’t work in.
huge bummer. hope a solution comes through soon. 
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I finally heard back from SSL, and they say it is a filtering issue and they are working on a firmware update. In the meantime, they recommend using a 10hz high pass filter on each track. This is pretty much the same info @mas_akala had already posted above.
I did experiment with this a little the other night. It lowered the registered meter levels quite a bit and is usable. It is a bummer to have to use a HP filter. I know people will say those are frequencies that are so low, and should be filtered out and whatnot, but I was playing around with it the other night and it is noticeable. Of course, I am using Sennheiser headphones with Sonarworks. I probably wouldn’t notice much difference if I had been listening with my monitors.
I wonder how long a firmware update will take? I wonder if they ever planned on having a firmware update for Mac since it is class compliant?
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Yeah, the bummer part about using a filter per channel in Ableton is that it only meters correctly in playback or if routed to another channel. This makes preview level checking not awesome. I think it would also skew the apparent headroom, correct? Even though it is eventually being filtered out…
Hopefully the update comes sooner than later. At least we got our tickets in early to hold them to the fire.
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Here are some loose and rambling thoughts since I had the Audient ID44 and Big Six out when I was trouble shooting:
I think the converters in the Big Six are pretty good. I prefer my Audient ID44, but that is not surprising because the ID44 is known to have pretty good converters, especially in its price range. It’s just a personal choice as well. At times it seems like the stereo field is a little bit wider on the Audient. And the sound is a little more crisp, focused, and things just feel more present. Of course, this may be because everything you run through the ID44, even line level, hits those preamps. On the Big Six, line levels bypass the preamps. So that right there is going to cause a difference. But signals can sound punchier on the Big Six if you hit it hard. And if you don’t have enough juice at the trim pot, hit the “USB out post-fader” button and really push it. The Big Six feels like it has a little more of the lowest bass frequencies which is nice. The Audience bass is a little tighter. I like sound of the Audient headphone preamp a little more, but the Big Six headphone preamp has tons of power. I can’t image a pair of headphones this thing wouldn’t power.
Again, these are things I noticed using my Sennheiser headphones with Sonarworks. These differences will probably seem less when using monitors. We are all coming from different places for converters/interfaces. For some the Big Six will be a step up, for others the Big Six will be a step down, and for many and may be a side step of a different flavor. I have other interfaces I could bring out and compare it to, but I just don’t have the time or desire.
I do wish that they would make a Big Six with outs on every channels, so that I could have the choice of my converters. You can get most of them out separately, but then you burn all your sends and Bus-B out, and still have two outputs that have to double up.
I also wish Audient would have done a package like the Big Six by now. I would have snatched that up by now for sure. Just from seeing their comments on GS threads about their other interfaces, they really put a lot of thought into the converters they use, and it shows.
I am still on the fence with the Big Six. This has more to do with the feeling of paying the “beta tester tax” on an expensive purchase that should not have went out the door with issues. Also, using it in my current setup, I am not sure it will replace all of the things I want it to replace now, and it is a big piece of kit, so we will see. Besides those two things, I think it is nice. I think that all of the tactile control it allows is something a lot of use have been looking for. The converters are fine, and unlike some other mixer/interface combos, they nailed the ins and outs of the USB signal on the channels. So yeah, party on.
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Can you use b6 and ir44 both at the same time on same computer to have more I/O? I believe it is possible in Mac with aggregate audio or how they call it…
Good question, I haven’t tried it out specifically but I think it would work. I have aggregated some stuff in the past without too many issues. If I get a chance I will check it out.
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Got an email from SSL saying they are sending me a new power supply. My fingers are crossed all goes well, I really want to get to using this thing!
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