Hey guys,
i need to buy a new audio interface, i wonder what you would do.
It goes on a test computer.

I need something quite cheap, don't want to spend more than 400 bucks.
So here is the dilemma :

I have a few hardware synths that i would love to have permanently connected. Like 2 or 3 stereo pairs.

Most small audio interfaces, on the cheap side, only have 2 input, or 4, like the steinbetb ur242.
If we want something with 6 or 8 inputs, prices quickly go up, 400...500...600... again, the steinberg ur824 costs like 700-800 bucks.

So i was wondering, instead of buying a 'super expensive' audio interface, isn't it better to buy something like the ur-242, and then buy a small mixing desk, like a mackie... where we can get 8 inputs...10...12... like 4 monos and 4 stereos... and we have some knobs, like gain, pan, 2 or 3 eqs, + a bunch of outputs, tape inputs, 2 stereo outs....

One big advantage, in my opinion, if we have, eg, a synth with a keyboard, and we want to play a little. .. or we want to play some songs. . We don't need to turn the computer on ! Because the synth will be connected to the mixer.

I also thought about buying the steinberg recording bundle, cubase 9.5/10 + the ur-824, and then, selling cubase for 400 or 350 bucks... that way, the ur-824 would only cost like 400 bucks, instead of 750-800.... but then. . If nobody buys my cubase 'deal'... i will have lost like 400 bucks

So ?
Small cheap audio interface + a cheap mackie/etc mixer (we can always get a biiiger mixer, if needed)

OR

A 'quite expensive ' audio card, like the ur-824, that, one day or another, will lack inputs and other features

I know there are a few brands, with a ton of ins and outs, much cheaper than the 'classic' brands.
but my biggest fear are the drivers. A few years ago, the rather 'cheap' brands, people would have a ton of issues with the drivers. But maybe today, by 2019, almost 100% of the audio interfaces have rock solid drivers (i think. .).
in that case, do you guys personally own and use one of those 'less expensive ' brands/cards, that you would 100% advise, like 'man, this xyz audio interface only costs xx, and it works flawlessly on windows, 10 hours a day, since 4 years ! Go buy one'... ?

Ps. Ne need wordclock

Thanks for your opinion.

 

First not all 8 input interfaces are +$500 - you could get a Behringer U-Phoria UMC1820 for $250.

I personally run both an 8 in interface and a mixer. But thats partly because my needs are special
I have 6 mics plugged in at any given time between the live room and control room. I recently got into hardware synths so I decided to get a Mackie 12 channel mixer with fx which was like $140 and thats on the remaining 2 inputs.

A mixer is actually very handy for secondary stuff, on top of my 5 current synths, I can also leave my cassette deck and record player plugged in too. There is a slight loss in fidelity, but its pretty minimal as everything is coming into the mixer at line level. Also its nice having some basic effects on the mixer to affect the sound of my synths.

My recommendation to you would be to look into a 4 channel interface and get a mixer.
One cheap and effective route would be to go for a Behringer U-Phoria UMC404HD and a Behringer RX1602 rack mount line mixer. Combined would be around $300. In fact I will be picking one of these line mixers up as I have gotten the synth bug and 4 mono+4 stereo channels of the Mackie is already starting to not be enough for me lol.

 

Digital mixer? It's a soundcard and a mixer?

 

Gotta pay your dues, if you want to sing the blues and you know it don't come easy.

Spend it or make do. You need 8 ins and 8 outs.

 

SAMSON MXP144FX 14-Input Analog Stereo mixer with effects and USB. Very nice mixer with 3-band EQ on all channels, compressor on 4 mic channels and 60mm faders on all channels.http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/mixers/mixpad-mxp-series/mxp144fx/

 

RME and motu are rocksolid, not cheap tho

 

It's quite simple. If you don't have enough money to buy a 8 or more I/O interface, just buy a mixer and connect its master output to the interface. Done.

You could get a good analogue mixer for a couple hundred euros these days. 16 to even 24 channel. Back in the day those were expensive as hell and they are cheap now only because everybody likes to do things ITB. Because convenience. Stupid. And there are some guys who would cringe if they saw noise at -70 dBu in the spectrum analyser.