I spent a lot of time looking for an audio interface with lots of inputs or ADAT extensibility. I was first leaning to the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 because it seems to be working well on linux, but 18 inputs just didnt feel quite enough, so I kept looking for an interface with slightly more inputs. But the next bigger thing I found working on linux were some of the RME Interfaces, but even used ones cost 1000€+, which isnt in my budget right now.
I found the EVO16 which seemed to be perfect with 24 input channels and a price of 400-500€, but sadly I found no user experiences with linux. Furthermore the price seemed to cheap for all the channels. Nevertheless I decided to try out the interface and wanted to share some experiences.
Some OS information: Arch Linux 5.19.12-zen, ALSA as driver, pipewire as sound server
At first connection, all sound started to go in "slow-motion" with a lot of distortion, and video playback was stuttering. After powering the device off and on it started working fine. Sound from applications was playing fine and I got no XRUNS, even when playing a bigger project in my DAW. Recording to DAW was also working well.
/proc/asound/cardX/stream showed all supported samplerates;
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Playback:
Status: Running
Interface = 1
Altset = 1
Packet Size = 648
Momentary freq = 48000 Hz (0x6.0000)
Interface 1
Altset 1
Format: S24_3LE
Channels: 24
Endpoint: 0x01 (1 OUT) (ASYNC)
Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000
Data packet interval: 125 us
Bits: 24
Sync Endpoint: 0x81 (1 IN)
Sync EP Interface: 2
Sync EP Altset: 1
Implicit Feedback Mode: Yes
Capture:
Status: Running
Interface = 2
Altset = 1
Packet Size = 648
Momentary freq = 48000 Hz (0x6.0000)
Interface 2
Altset 1
Format: S24_3LE
Channels: 24
Endpoint: 0x81 (1 IN) (ASYNC)
Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000
Data packet interval: 125 us
Bits: 24
Short excerpt from some of the controls in alsamixer: Output of amixer controls:
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numid=51,iface=CARD,name='Audient Internal Clock Validity'
numid=52,iface=CARD,name='Audient Optical1 Clock Validity'
numid=53,iface=CARD,name='Audient Optical2 Clock Validity'
numid=3,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume'
numid=4,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=1
numid=5,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=2
numid=6,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=3
numid=7,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=4
numid=8,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=5
numid=9,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=6
numid=10,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=7
numid=11,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=8
numid=12,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=9
numid=13,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=10
numid=14,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=11
numid=15,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=12
numid=16,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=13
numid=17,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=14
numid=18,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=15
numid=19,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=16
numid=20,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=17
numid=21,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=18
numid=22,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=19
numid=23,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=20
numid=24,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=21
numid=25,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=22
numid=26,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=23
numid=27,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=24
numid=28,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=25
numid=29,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=26
numid=30,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=27
numid=31,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=28
numid=32,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=29
numid=33,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=30
numid=34,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=31
numid=35,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=32
numid=36,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=33
numid=37,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=34
numid=38,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=35
numid=39,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=36
numid=40,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=37
numid=41,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=38
numid=42,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=39
numid=43,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=40
numid=44,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=41
numid=45,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=42
numid=46,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=43
numid=47,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=44
numid=48,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=45
numid=49,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=46
numid=50,iface=MIXER,name='Analogue 5 Volume',index=47
numid=54,iface=MIXER,name='Audient Clock Selector Clock Source'
numid=1,iface=MIXER,name='Input Gain Control'
numid=2,iface=MIXER,name='Phase Inverter Control'
All in all I am very pleased with the the interfaces capabilities on linux. Everything I originally needed was working.
In contrary to that, Im not sure if I would recommend this interface to anyone, because I am not happy with some of the hardware quirks itself. When playing back no sound at all, I can hear a steady coil whining / buzzing type noise on my headphones. This noise goes away as soon as there is any sound output. Workaround: when playing back very quiet, for humans inaudible white noise, the "coil whining" or "coil buzzing" goes away. Seems like some sort of manufacturing problem, since the problem is also on windows. This sound isnt there upon starting the interface. If i put on music and quickly stop it again, there is still no buzzing sound. But after longer listening, like 30secs, the sound starts to come and only dissipates upon power cycling the interface. To try to describe how "loud" this actually is: when listening to music with a long fade out and then the song stops, the noise is actually a little bit louder than the quietest part of the faded out music. Therefore you can really hear that some "mechanism" that specifically comes into play when theres no sound output. Maybe something to do with the digitally controlled amplifiers...
As said, the noise is rather quiet, but if youre sensitive to sound in any way it can be really distracting. I had none of these issues with my previous interface, which was using the same USB connection.
Also sound output starts to only be audible if you put it to 40%+, both on speakers and headphones. On the inputs there also seems to be some kind of amp "threshhold" until it really starts working but im not so sure about that yet, since I still need to gather moroe experiences with this device. Could also be a problem with my configuration.
Another thing I didnt pay any attention to, since I thought its always integrated: The Interface has no DIN-Midi Ports.
Im still unsure if I want to keep the interface... Technically everything works fine, direct monitoring can be achieved through a little internal-mixer-workaround and the missing MIDI can be achieved with my old interface. But the different coil whining noises can get really annoying, and if i want one thing to work perfectly on my audio interface, its sound playback. Nevertheless I have to admit that I am very sensitive to noise / unwanted sound so if youre better at ignoring quiet sounds like that, it might not even annoy you.
Maybe this post can be of help to anyone interested in the interface.
Cheers!