what about this
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Cool, thanks guys!
Will have a look at those when I’m back from the office.
Motu looks perfect at a first glance…
Have a good Monday,
Cheers,
Manolo
sound devices mix pre series
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Roland MX-1
Motu Ultralight
Behringer X-air and other digital mixer boxes
K-Mix
I moved away from USB/Laptop and just use cheap small analog mixers and an Ipad and rec the master out, some of them have usb too, rarely on channels though.
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I use a Motu ultralite mk3 hybrid for exactly the same purpose. If 8 inputs is not enough, you can daisy chain a second one = 16 inputs for a very small form factor.
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Not “small” but no faders and a elektronuats favorite A&H Qu pac.
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I’m glad all these threads for mixer/interface are popping up. I’m now in the market for an upgrade and have been considering the k-mix or the MOTU ultralite mk4. Lots of people here recommend the MOTU, but I haven’t seen a lot of specifics. Sounds like it is one of those devices that “just works”. Is there anything else out there in the market that compares to it? Cheers
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Guys, thanks for your replies!
Guess I’m pulling the trigger on the Motu, the others seem to be a bit quirky or over the top for my needs.
Will give an update here once it arrives and I had some evenings with it…
Cheers and thanks again!
Manolo
Don’t know if you’ve purchased yet, but just wanted to agree with a previous poster that RME stuff is rock solid, sounds fantastic, and could meet your requirements.
Hello!
I have a Zoom r16 and i love it!
It has fx, but i don’t need it. You can record to sd card, and use batteries, or plug it into your computer for multitrack into it and as interface. you can configure your 8 ins as you like, you can record the ambient (it has built in mics). I love it 
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Hi! I can really recommend you the Behringer X Air XR 18! Had the same problem like you and it perfectly solved it for me. It has got 18 inputs, runs standalone, is smaller than a shoebox and you can multitrack all hilarious 18 channels at once via USB to your DAW in a breeze.
For all that, it only costs 409€ which is incredible in my opinion. The preamps are quite good, and it has huge routing power under the hood that is accessible via the software editor. Once set up, it keeps all the settings for standalone mode.
But my favourite feature is that you can easily control it via Midi CC…i hooked it up to my old Novation SL MK2 Zero Controller and BANG - there you go with your new 18 channel mixer!
You can see it here on the right side next to the screen
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If you can afford it, I think nothing will beat the RME of course…
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Interesting. Thanks for sharing another option. Is this one that people bashed for a while, or am I thinking of something else? Seems like it could be a viable solution for me.
Honestly I don‘t know… It‘s my first one. I needed one that can record without laptop too.
downside of R16 is only 44.1k supported.
so, R24 seems better if 44.1k is insufficient.
In interface mode, it supports up to 24bit/96kHz.
If you want to use fx, or record to sd card, it only supports up to 44kHz.
Honestly, if 44kHz would be that problem, every single octatrack would be meh.
Quote out of the manual:
Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) audio interface
You can use the R16 as a Hi-speed USB (USB
2.0) audio interface that has abundant input
and output jacks. The R16 can handle 8 inputs
and 2 outputs at a maximum of 24-bit and 96
kHz, and its effects can even be used at 44.1
kHz sampling rate. The unit can also operate
using only USB bus power.
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MOTU all the way.
UltraLite Mk3 Hybrid here (USB+Firewire).
Can work as standalone devices.
8 IN 10 OUT.
Compresor, EQ and Reverb.
CueMix allows for routings and hardware setups can be recalled.
Have been using it so far with Traktor and Maschine.
Now with Volcas and DT.
Super reliable under Mac.
Far cheaper than other brands and top quality.
Can vouch for it.
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Still didn’t pull the trigger on anything. Once you start digging in and reading specs and start GASing real hard it doesn’t take you long to browse the 5k EUR and up - sections 
But one thing that I found out is, that there are two different types of these products:
There are Mixers with audio interfaces as secondary function and there are audio interfaces with mixers as secondary function. Recalling what the requirements are (space limitations aside) I definitely need the first category.
Motu still in the race, RME delivers way over the top, k-mix still somehow quirky to me, zoom needs more investigation.
Will keep you in the loop as to where my wine-supported rooftop-located (yay, summer has come to town!) online-reviews will lead me 
Cheers
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Mixer (CueMix) in MOTU UltraLite Mk3 is extremely flexible. You can remotely control it through an iPad app.
The mixer that comes with UltraLite Mk4 is even better in terms of routings.
I had not used much of CueMix up until 6 months ago when I started working away from my laptop. It has proven to be extremely handy.
Hope this helps,
V
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Guys, thanks for all the recommendations, just a quick wrap-up here…
I guess I’ll just abandon multitrack recording. That’s the conclusion I had after reviewing all the gear mentioned here and then also putting my view of “live” into perspective.
Thing is: I’m preparing for a little (private) live set right now and a mixer is just one more thing to take with you. Multitracking and separate editing won’t be happening anyway when playing live. I’ll get a 2 in interface to record the final output, should give a much clearer view on what to expect on a PA system.
Guess I’ll just get an OT in the near future to consolidate my DT, the Erica Synth Techno System and the Lyra-8 and learn it’s (the OT’s) other features along the way.
But thanks to all of you who contributed!
Cheers,
Manolo