Topic: USB audio interface

[prospero]

Hello,

I've been looking for an audio interface to use with my laptop which could match the quality I get with my SD 722. Assuming there's no way to use the 722 that way (or maybe there is?), and taking into account the fact I unfortunately don't have $1000 to spend on a USBPre 2, would you have any suggestions? I've heard good stuff about the Focusrite 2i2, 6i6 etc. but would the preamps be as good? Thanks

[H₂O]

You could use the SD as the pre-amp/AD and feed digital out to a SPDIF/AES only USB soundcard relatively cheaply (I am sure you can easily find many options under $200 and probab a few under $100

[prospero]

You could use the SD as the pre-amp/AD and feed digital out to a SPDIF/AES only USB soundcard relatively cheaply (I am sure you can easily find many options under $200 and probab a few under $100

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not very familiar with all that stuff, could you give me a few examples of a good SPDIf/AES to USB device?
And what about the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 which is around $150? Have you tried it or do you know anything about the quality of its preamps?

[H₂O]

Midrange
http://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/22/index.html

[H₂O]

Midrange
http://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/22/index.html

You're right - most avail nowadays are like this - too many USB Audio output interfaces on the market to find a good one

[voltronic]

I can vouch for the preamps in the Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 being of excellent quality.  According to their website, the Scarlett 2i2 uses the same mic preamps as the firewire Saffire series.  Of course everything else in that box may be different so who knows if they sound the same.  For the money though, I don't know if you're going to get much better.

[prospero]

My laptop sadly doesn't have SPDIF in.
I found a product called U24 XL by ESI Audio, but am wondering if the fact it's relatively cheap would have a consequence on the quality of the signal's transmission.
Otherwise, I could try to find a used USBPre.

Voltronic, if you have any experience with Sound Devices, could you say the preamps are similarly quiet in the Saffire?

[voltronic]

My laptop sadly doesn't have SPDIF in.
I found a product called U24 XL by ESI Audio, but am wondering if the fact it's relatively cheap would have a consequence on the quality of the signal's transmission.
Otherwise, I could try to find a used USBPre.

Voltronic, if you have any experience with Sound Devices, could you say the preamps are similarly quiet in the Saffire?

That ESI does not have mic preamps, so if you're looking for that I'd look elsewhere.

Back to Focusrite: it looks like you'd want the Scarlett 6i6 as it has SPDIF.  I don't have any experience with Sound Devices, but I don't think you can really expect a $250 interface to compete with something 10 times as expensive.  I can tell you in my Saffire interface, the preamps are still pretty quiet when I crank the gain all the way up to 60dB.

If you need the preamps to absolutely be as good as the SD, then you need to use SD preamps and go with H20's suggestion, and use your SD as the pre and D/A, feeding SPDIF.  You could then get that ESI, or any other cheap interface with SPDIF input.

Personally, I would just get the Scarlett 6i6.  At $250, it's got SPDIF in/out, so you have the ability to run your SD into it or use its built-in preamps.  You also would be getting a higher-quality output device than the built-in sound on your laptop, balanced in/out for connecting to pro monitors, etc.

[prospero]

I think I'll go with the Saffire or Scarlett 6i6 then. Thanks a lot for the help.

[prospero]

One last thing, the Scarlett is nearly twice the price of the Saffire. Do you think there'd be a difference between the two (other than the fact one is Firewire and the other USB)?

[H₂O]

As I mention above, why not use your 722's pre-amps and AD to feed a spdif sound card?

[voltronic]

One last thing, the Scarlett is nearly twice the price of the Saffire. Do you think there'd be a difference between the two (other than the fact one is Firewire and the other USB)?

Not sure where you are getting that from.  The Scarlett 6i6 (USB), and the Saffire Pro 14 (FireWire) are the ones with comparable specs, just different interface.  They are both $250.  The cheaper Focusrite interfaces do not have SPDIF. You may be thinking of the Saffire 6 USB, which is discontinued.

[2manyrocks]

Firewire is becoming less common on laptops.  Not so easy to add cards to some laptops, either, so a USB interface may be the easiest to find these days. 

[prospero]

As I mention above, why not use your 722's pre-amps and AD to feed a spdif sound card?

The cheapest devices I can find that would allow me to do that are around $100, so I'll spend just a bit more and avoid the extra bulk. As Voltronic said, the 6i6 still has that capability anyway.

Voltronic, I was looking at an used Saffire, that's why I mistook that for the retail price.

And, yes, neither of my laptops having a firewire port, I'll go with the Scarlett. Again, thanks for your helpful comments.

[bryonsos]

http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Digital-Audio-Converters

Love my D1.