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High end audio interface
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 7:55 am
by thebutant
Does anyone know of any higher qualiy, more high end audio interfaces that work flawlessly with Linux?
It seems like the more expensive hardware tend to have more specialized drivers and not simply be class compliant.
I'm checking the hardware lists, but they're very kind and don't differ too much on quality and price. So it takes some time figuring out.
I also get the impression that what's recommended and tested successfully often belongs to the lower price range. As my own 1st gen Focusrite Scarlett 2i4.
But I'm looking for something with better build quality, of course with great sound quality, low latencies etc.
Something solid. Something that's properly good, not just good for its price.
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 8:37 am
by Kott
RME
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 8:46 am
by thebutant
Kott wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 8:37 amRME
What a great tip!
Thank you!
Do they have a lot of interfaces working on Linux?
My only experience with RME is some Dante interface (connected to a Mac), and I won't even try to get that one working in my Linux setup.
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 11:21 am
by sunrat
There is some discussion in these forums about RME devices and also MOTU. Metric Halo claims Class Compliant mode for its interfaces too but discussion is scarce here as they are somewhat more expensive.
That said, I heard of a shootout (on Gearslutz maybe?) where the Behringer interface came out on top for audio quality!
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 11:38 am
by scott.thomason
You might want to try the latest 3rd gen Focusrite units _above_ the 2i2, such as the 4i4 and up. I have a 4i4 and love it. Low noise, and its compatible out-of-the-box as its USB compliant. It works flawlessly with Alsamixer, but you do have to take it out of "mass storage device (msd)" mode before you can fiddle with all the controls (this is the intentional design by focusrite, as shipped it acts as a big USB stick with instructions on how to download the software). IIRC, you just have to "mute" the MSD control in alsamixer. There are good instructions at
https://github.com/geoffreybennett/alsa ... r/USAGE.md, and you would want to check out the whole project there if you go this route.
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 12:56 pm
by merlyn
There's a thread where someone got an RME Fireface UCX II working :
viewtopic.php?p=139025#p139025
It has a class compliant mode, which we can thank Apple and the iPad for, rather than RME being particularly sympathetic to Linux. The Fireface UCX II has a different design from most interfaces. Everything can be controlled from the front panel. Usually even if an interface with built-in DSP like this worked in class compliant mode functionality would be lost because DSP is normally controlled from TotalMixFX. With the UCX II there is the option of hardware control, even if that is a bit more hassle.
RME PCI and PCIe cards are also known to work.
If you simply want balanced line-ins there are Digigram and Audioscience PCIe cards aimed at the broadcast industry. Very high end, with a price to match.
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 1:35 pm
by autostatic
+1 for RME. Have been using a Babyface for years now together with a Behringer ADA8200.
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 6:31 pm
by bluzee
One I've always been curious about is Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2. It gets rave reviews and lists as USB Class Compliant.
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon May 16, 2022 6:48 pm
by khz
Here I had summarized something about RME
viewtopic.php?p=101909#p101909.
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2022 12:31 am
by lilith
edit
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2022 3:15 pm
by sjzstudio
RME Fireface interfaces seems to work in class compliant mode. However there is no official support for linux. My hope is that somebody will make control interface at least for basic functions to make it easier to manage. I don'n know if Alsa people could do it or how to donate such of project to make it possible.
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2022 8:05 pm
by j_e_f_f_g
sjzstudio wrote:
RME Fireface interfaces...
hope somebody will make control interface
The RME "Total Control" part of the device uses "Mackie MIDI Control", which is just a defining of specific MIDI SysEx and controller messages that a company named Mackie (they're most noted for making mixing consoles and speakers) came up with. The purpose of these MIDI messages are to allow 2 devices (hardware or software) to assign VST/mixer/audio interface parameters on one device to specific MIDI messages sent by the other device. So any software/hardware that recognizes these messages can be controlled by any software/hardware that sends them. (ie, "Total Control" software can set all the parameters of Fireface hardware). And it works "right out of the box" without requiring the enduser to do any sort of "mapping" of which buttons/sliders/etc control what parameters.
Unfortunately, Mackie decided to keep this protocol private, so they could sell the rights to use it. Worse, they somehow got some sort of legal protection for such rights by some (undoubtably bribed, corrupt, and/or incompetent) government bodies in various countries. And if that wasn't bad enough, if you license use of this protocol from Mackie, the company also makes you sign a NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) stating that you will not reveal the details of this protocol to any third party. So, this pretty much prevents RME for even making available to any third party linux dev that information he would need to know in order to do what Total Control software does. The only option would be if such a dev had access to both Total Control, and a fireface, and was willing and capable of (clean room) reverse engineering the protocol, and writing an ALSA "hardware control interface" driver which, even though ALSA is open source software, is about as publically documented as Mackie's protocol.
Here's an umbrella in case I just rained on your parade:
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 5:53 pm
by sjzstudio
Here's an umbrella in case I just rained on your parade:
No effect whatsoever, I can always use the wonderful Windows operating system.
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 11:07 am
by Linuxmusician01
j_e_f_f_g wrote: ↑Sat Sep 03, 2022 8:05 pm
sjzstudio wrote:
RME Fireface interfaces...
hope somebody will make control interface
The RME "Total Control" part of the device uses "Mackie MIDI Control", which is just a defining of specific MIDI SysEx and controller messages that a company named Mackie (they're most noted for making mixing consoles and speakers) came up with. The purpose of these MIDI messages are to allow 2 devices (hardware or software) to assign VST/mixer/audio interface parameters on one device to specific MIDI messages sent by the other device. So any software/hardware that recognizes these messages can be controlled by any software/hardware that sends them. (ie, "Total Control" software can set all the parameters of Fireface hardware). And it works "right out of the box" without requiring the enduser to do any sort of "mapping" of which buttons/sliders/etc control what parameters.
Unfortunately, Mackie decided to keep this protocol private, so they could sell the rights to use it. Worse, they somehow got some sort of legal protection for such rights by some (undoubtably bribed, corrupt, and/or incompetent) government bodies in various countries. And if that wasn't bad enough, if you license use of this protocol from Mackie, the company also makes you sign a NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) stating that you will not reveal the details of this protocol to any third party. So, this pretty much prevents RME for even making available to any third party linux dev that information he would need to know in order to do what Total Control software does. The only option would be if such a dev had access to both Total Control, and a fireface, and was willing and capable of (clean room) reverse engineering the protocol, and writing an ALSA "hardware control interface" driver which, even though ALSA is open source software, is about as publically documented as Mackie's protocol.
Here's an umbrella in case I just rained on your parade:
So to make a long story short: one
needs a (Windows) application to change settings on that device?
Re: High end audio interface
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:35 pm
by j_e_f_f_g
Linuxmusician01 wrote:
one needs a (Windows) application to change settings on that device?
Yes, for settings that aren't part of the USB-Audio standard. For example, if an interface supports the USB-Audio standard, you should be able to set its sample rate via the ALSA usbsnd driver. But for maybe setting up built-in effects, you're going to need support beyond the USB-Audio standard.