Hi there,


Since apple updated High Sierra to 10.13.2 and on, the audio interface M-Audio Fast Track Pro is not supported anymore. I’m tired to wait for a fix, and at the same time I want desperately to make music, so I decided to go for a new portable/usb audio interface on a budget around 225E.


I’m not asking for much, but what I would want is it to have:

-the possibility to have a good direct monitoring, being able to monitor and balance the audio input with the backing track with no latency,

then the typical features, power phantom, couple of ins, midi in and midi out,etc all compatible with High Sierra 10.13.3 of course!


My first choice was Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 but I have heard that is not able to give the audio input signal when you are recording, a factor that has put me off from jumping onto it.


If you know about some soundcard having the features above, please give me some suggestions, so next week Ill be able to start to work on a new track!


Thanks in advance.

 

RME Babyface, for example

 

I have both the Behringer UMC204HD and the Steinberg UR-44. Both do what You want.

The Steinberg is a bit more expensive than Your budget allows but adds zero latency monitoring with DSP-fx (reverb, a channel strip or an amp simulation) and a mixer application for your monitor mix and dual independent headphones outputs.

 

Or RME Fireface UCX

 

Did you try the Oliveiro Fix for Fasttrack interfaces, posted on Insanely Mac? That fix means replacing a USB kext with an older one from Yosemite > http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/to...tra-el-capitan-workaround/page-4#entry2362515

I run Capitan on a Hackintosh and got my FastTrack Ultra 8R working because of it. Sierra also works. Not sure if High Sierra will, but it’s likely.
On the other hand, 10 years of service is fair enough for an interface, current ones like from Audient & Presonus are probably better..

 

Buy a used Babyface and be happy for the rest of your days.

 

Yes, fast track pro is in the very in low end user consumer gear, specially because it handles audio not with too much finesse and the carcass is very ugly. Although it's been a loyal and user friendly tool, which I've really squeezed its worth. I'll try to fix the port thing, sure, because I like to have my pans seasoned just in case....

 

By the way, Europe wise,where can it be found a good online market place for music gear?
Kind of best price etc....
I use to look at Thomann or Gear4Music, but still, I feel there could be somewhere cheaper.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2018

When we speak of RME Babyface, we are referring to the updated Babyface PRO version.

 

I see, because the sml one seems a bit too simple even for me....Although I m not going to need so many inputs really and its far too expensive for what I do,which mostly is music for my own comfort.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2018

I recently got myself EMU 0404 USB used for $60. Really pristine ADC/DAC performance, preamps, very low latency and CPU footprint. So far the best audio interface I tested (better than 6i8 or 2i2).
Supports digital INs, MIDI I/O, direct monitoring up to 96kHz and external clock sync.
Win7 beta drivers are not the best of the best, but if the stars are aligned properly, it works really well.

Can't confirm compatibility with High Sierra (no MAC here), but if you could get it working smooth, it's worth every penny IMHO.

 

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 has all those features except midi, it might have midi in other models of the Scarlett line.

 

Oh, why don't you just check one of those nice Focusrite 2i2, 2i4, 6i6 interfaces then? Here you go, a comparison chart of all of their interfaces: http://compare.focusrite.com/chart

 

I've done some research and it seems that at least before High Sierra 10.13.2 the UR-44 had issues, since it wasn't detected (I guess like Fast Track).
Some users claim that this has been fixed since update 10.13.2...
https://www.steinberg.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=126353



Please, if it happens that you are a mac user,using HS 10.13.2 could you confirm that Steinberg UR-44 works flawlessly?

Im interested in one of these....

 

FYI,
Found this: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7733556
There appears to be experimental driver for 0404 USB for Sierra - https://github.com/Wouter1/EMU-driver

 

It's always like this w/ threads about cards.. the OP says: budget 225€, and the first thing gets a baby in the face

6i6 is 227€ at Thomann's ATM. Careful about the drivers tho - do some research.. similar to UR-44 (w/ spdif for a nice loopback trick). I'd check these.. and wouldn't buy from unreliable sources.

edit: don't get me wrong, just pick a baby pro if you can..
edit2: like those double phone jacks in front that 6i6 and UR44 have though

 

Last edited: Feb 25, 2018

The Babyface, not the newer Babyface Pro, is so simple to use that even I have no problems. Yes, it has the potential to have lots of inputs but they need not be utilized, the same as with many others.

 

Im closing my scope....

 

Yes, those dual headphone outputs on 6i6 and UR-44 come incredibly handy when you're recording someone else, as well as some kind of onboard FX and direct monitoring if the latency is too high. 6i6 or UR-44 is pretty much the lowest *I* would go. But for a "solo fiddler"... 2i2 or 2i4 would do just fine.

One thing that I forgot to mention is if you're using a dynamic microphone, those Clarett 2Pre ones have better preamps and more gain. 7dB more, according to them. That could make a world of difference with some SM57/58 and similar dynamics. You will still have to crank up the gain up to about 9 anyway I presume, but at least not to 11.

A word of advice with preamps is to crank it up until you hear too much noise, then turn it down a little, record it that way and afterwards use the cleanest +10dB or so gain boost possible - the one in any of your plugins that have "gain".

 

Last edited: Feb 25, 2018

I'd recommend either the Focusrite Scarlett line or for even better sound quality, the Audient iD line. Oh, and be careful getting advice from people who don't know that latency is easily dealt with by using the SOFTWARE MIXER that comes with the AI you decide on. For Focusrite, it's either called Focusrite MixControl or Focusrite Control depending on whether or not you get the 1st gen or 2nd gen model. Audient's app is simply called iD Mixer, I believe.

https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id14/overview/

 

Last edited: Feb 26, 2018