Looking for something like the EMU patchmix. Flexible routing, DSP effects.

I want to be able to take windows direct sound channel (let's say i'm playing a video on youtube on my browser) and send the audio to an ASIO input channel of my choosing so I can use it as an input on my DAW. I also want to take ASIO output from my DAW and route it to "direct sound" input, so I can use it for example with skype.

I want to be able to put an eq preferably on any channel (but at least on the master output channel.) Maybe I could do without the DSP effects, but the routing is crucial.

I've been checking out RME's (totalmix), Focusrite's (mixcontrol), Steinberg's etc. products that have DSP capabilities but I haven't really been able to figure out what the mixers can actually do. Seems like in every manual, discussion thread and youtube video people are just routing physical inputs to their DAW's and vice versa.

Any help much appreciated.

 

For live use the best out here in my opinion is SonicCore Xite-1. I dont know if that one wont be too much for your needs, though.
From the rest - RME is he next obvious choise (their TotalMix is wonderful and the routing is extensive). There is a full DSP-powered dynamic section for each channel (EQ, Comp, Reverb, Delay/Echo)

 

Last edited: Mar 24, 2017

I have yet to discover an interface with flexible internal routing like the emu chips, especially with kx drivers.
The thing is: most pro audio environments don't need internal routing like that. You hardwire your interface's ports to a patchbay, and that's it.

 

I can do everything you said with my RME HDSP and TC StudioKonnekt cards. The only problem is knowing how to do it. People expect everything to be simple to do, but to really take advantage of the RME/TC/Focusrite mixer apps, one has to invest some time into learning how to operate them properly.

I'm saying this because in my experience there are two types of computer musicians: those who like to invest some time to learn the apps, plugins etc. and those who want everything delivered to them on a silver platter. If you're former type then you'll be able to do it, but if you're the latter then rather stick to "SoundBlaster" or similar type of cards that make it easier to do things for the less computer savvy ones.

I, for instance, can process audio from films through TC and my outboard hardware connected to it. That can come very handy when you hate too loud audio FX in films as I do. I like to be able to hear the dialogue easily. I can also compress/limit/EQ the sound with TCs DSP "Studio Channel". My RME doesn't have DSP, though and it is digital only card. The routing in TotalMix is very extensive and once you learn how to do it, every other mixer will seem somewhat inadequate except TC's. TC mixer is also really great once you manage to grasp its power.

TC Impact Twin can do everything you want [it uses the same driver and apps as my SK48], and you can get it for really cheap these days, but it's a firewire audio interface, that might be a problem for you. Firewire works best with Windows XP and it can be tweaked to work well with Windows 7, but you may have huge problems with W8 and especially W10 with firewire.

supplemental about firewire: there are thunderbolt to firewire adapters these days, so investing in a firewire interface is not at all stupid as they go for really nice prices. Not many people are aware of this. Apple has a really good TB>FW adapter, for instance, but it works only with OS-X as far as I know. It is cheaper to just buy a good PCIe FW card with TI chipset, and it works with both OS-X, Linux, and Windows.

 

Last edited: Mar 24, 2017

Like @Exidus just said, the only truly free routing IS with Soniccore or the older Pci cards.
you do whatever you want!
It isn´t just like a "Mixer" like with all the others its its own os or think of it like reaktor.
The modules you ad/creat CAN represent your real io. but you can also easyly create different Virtual
and sperate i.e independant
Sources!
asio A - Z(with 36outs)
Destination!
asio(A or-Z) with the same or more ins

so you can route a whole project in cubase (vst/vsti) into any other daw (i actually mean multitrack!) with vst vsti
exept harrison. because Jack (virtual cable) is trying to step inbetween os and soniccore system and harrison doesnt work without jack(at least it used to)

the same with wave sources - destinations
Send youtube into the in of wavelab or the ins of cubase While
Tracking a singer with his own headphone mix in REALTIME

Since Scope System got its own synth and FX
you can create a mixer jut for the skype "outs" bus mix or paralle compress you vox
send it ou into the world WITHOUT ANY LATENCY!
or do mix of a movie while watching it (or sample)

i think only the bigger toys from Merging or DAD come even close but no fx i belive
but sounds like the Emus and TC did very well in that regard too!
There was one of the Emus who was very well recived in SOS mag for its sound

Here is a quick and simple demo of the aforementiond Xite1

sounds complicated but it is really cool (but def different at first)

as simple or as complex as you want, hook up 3 different modulars if you like

@36sec something like this on your mind ;)

.ps
i always forget there is a DDMF tool that could work for you
Effect Rack its. Software and of course latency but check it out

 

Last edited: Mar 24, 2017

RME TotalMix FX is everything you will ever need, and there isn't really any competition on market,
basically every hardware output works as zero latency aux where you can route any combination of hardware inputs and software outputs,
every hardware output+input can be used for zero latency software loopback, so you can for ex. route browser audio into daw for record,
DSP capabilities (eq, comp, reverb etc..) are not supported on all RME interfaces, so keep that in mind,
RME is one of very few on the market which "just works" (no matter if you're running any Windows from XP to 10, any OSX from Snow Leopard to Sierra)
and if you seek for PCIex audio interface, there isn't really much to choose from, and that's also why it's fairly uneasy to run across someone selling them for nicey low price,

I have HDSPe AIO, pair of Fireface 802 (which are treated as one 60in/60out interface under ASIO), Fireface UFX because once I learned (and it took me some time) TotalMix FX, I simply cannot use anything else (all the Focusrite, Presonus, Antelope, Apogee, UAD is a lame joke in terms of routing), even the HDSPe AIO is rock solid on my X99 El Capitan hackintosh, I didn't have to adjust absolutely anything to make it work flawlessly on hackintosh!

 

Yamaha AG03 - AG06 may have what you need and they are fairly priced also.

 

i love and own rme too
it truly isnt as flexible as it seems, you cant run 2 asio programs at the same time
like live and flux anylzer. or daws and penguin meter
rme is better than most stable as a rock but it behaves basicly like hardware

where scope can/is more like a router and/or splitter
Like sending out the tracking vocals to all the different programs you want. from the source or anywhere inbetween
the dude in the second video if his pc was powerfull enough he could do this on one pc
reaktor - virus modular - scope modular, intertwined recorded in scope or like him in soundforge

this is a different ball game here
and you could start super cheap (if you have a old pci port)
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=creamware&_sacat=619
2nd hand 3 dsp and only use the monster routing, and if you like it. you go for a bigger dsp board 6 or 14
you could even stack up to three cards
the modern pcie rack systems are full of new dsp. D is 10 or xite1 18
this is practicly a xite in a synth case

and all these different synths here too
and of course are available as plugins for scope!
creamware asb

ok i stop now ;)

 

With RME you get DIGIcheck set of very usable applications, too. Great, very flexible and accurate analyser, and a multitrack recording app able to record multiple tracks at once into a multi-channel WAV file. I really like those.

 

This is pretty much how I've felt with my E-MU stuff. I need the routing (and preferably dsp) options because I'm running a shoe string budget "radio show" type live broadcast basically using just one PC.

I have: my daw to process my voice and guest mics, DJ/playlist software for music, music beds, sweepers etc., silly "soundboard" software, calls with skype and an actual Huawei software / usb stick phone / SMS system. I also use audio from a web browser now and then. I also need to do bandpassed mono submixes for skype and phone so people on the other end can actually hear what is happening (and of course to avoid feedback loops). Also sidechain compression to duck music and music beds. Then send it all to broadcasting software which of course doesn't support ASIO. And neither does Skype or my phone software. And sometimes I also do video which adds yet another layer of confusion.

So it's a fucking mess and it's pretty amazing my 1820m can do that (with few tricks). Too bad the E-MU's never got proper 64bit drivers and the cards are acting really funny with fixed/unfixed buffer sizes etc. on modern windows / at least on my system. Also one of the mic channels is dying on me which isn't a huge surprise because the card is +10 years old now. And of course many modern MB's don't even support PCI cards anymore and I'm planning to upgrade soon.

Taking a hard look at the RME stuff.

This isn't very encouraging though.

 

@Riot7 if you're on Windows, do check out software called "ASIO Link Pro" - it's a very usable way to route between ASIO and WDM applications (I do recommend having good audio interface which natively supports ASIO though) ;)

 

yes. totally forgot about that!

if its a shoestring budget than a supper brandnew system isnt in the books either right?
even then 2nd hand workstations like hp z800 could be had for something like 400-700
those would have atleast 1 pci. just run win7 32 for the radio stuff. its plenty fast ;)

 

Last edited: Mar 25, 2017

also since you mentioned the radio stuff @Riot7 , if you have a time to fiddle with, check solution called "Airtime" https://www.sourcefabric.org/en/airtime/ - might be perfect for your radio operation, it's free, and the base server is run on linux, I remember I was testing that about year ago and it turned out to be very well thought radio solution