I don’t know exactly what you mean by that but the X-USB interface card that comes with the mixer works as a 32x32 USB link between the computer and the mixer. The mixer itself can run 40 channels (and 25 buses and 6 matrices) and any of those channels can be either a physical input or a USB channel from the computer, in a nutshell. So the X32 then works as the mixing desk for the band and, via the X-USB card, also as my interface. I don’t use the RME at all in this setup. It’s a great option for smaller bands that do their own sound, the X32 rack is dirt cheap at the moment.
I didn’t experience much working with ADAT, and I was curious to know how it works when you connect an RME to the X32 via ADAT.
Never done it, I just know you can. The key is defining the master wordclock
Same as with any two ADAT interfaces; make sure both devices know which is the master clock. Internally in the X32, the ADAT card is handled the same way the USB card is. But it’s really a redundant option, if you’re running ADAT from a computer you’re generally going to be close to the mixer anyway and you might as well use USB which gives you 32 i/o with one cable and skips using extra hardware and extra latency.
I’m adding this here just for info for people who find the thread in future searches.
I bought a Presonus Studio 24 earlier this week. These can currently be found for about $95 (in the US), which is heavily discounted from the normal $150-ish because the Studio 24 is the 2018 version and the 24c is the 2019 version. They’re identical except the color, so I took last year’s color for the discount.
I’m generally pleased with it for a cheap, basic interface. It has good Windows drivers for Multiclient ASIO and MIDI (meaning multiple apps can access both audio and MIDI at the same time). [Among my interfaces, only Focusrite still lacks multiclient support.]
Round trip latency results as measured by GP running 64 samples @ 48kHz on my various interfaces:
- RME Babyface 3.9 ms
- Presonus Studio 24 5.7 ms [9.9 ms at 128 samples]
- MOTU Traveler 6.4 ms
- Focusrite 18i20 7.1 ms
They all sound identical to me.
I chose the Studio 24 over the simpler devices mentioned earlier in this thread because I wanted something with real manufacturer provided ASIO drivers. My experience with things that rely on Windows “class compliant” drivers has always been frustrations. I’ve gone down the “try ASIO4ALL” path and have had very mixed results. The MIDI I/O was a “nice to have” as well.
I’m pleased with the Studio 24 for a cheap little box. It does its job. In a DAW/GP environment I don’t have any complaints. There are some modest annoyances for more general Windows use, and if you want to do “real time monitoring/mixing” of inputs with output. Those revolve around the fact that the two inputs are seen as a stereo pair, which means you’re going to have mic in one channel and guitar in the other, for example.
No big deal in your DAW or GP, since just treat them as mono inputs, but you can’t tell Windows to view them that way. If you’re playing Team Fortress 2 or you’re live streaming a gaming session, everyone’s going to hear your mic only in the left channel. Same goes for doing live monitoring. The “internal mixer” on the Studio 24 has no mechanism to pan the two inputs separately.
That’s all pretty typical of devices in this price range. For now, that’s what you get in the sub-$150 category.
There are workarounds for that left/right mono/stereo issue for general windows use. You can use a “virtual interface” intermediary like Voicemeeter or ASIO Link and have route the channels as you like. This interface is for my son, and it will see more use in gaming and voice chat than real musical performance, so the Studio 24 playing nicely with those is a must. It does.
It can’t replace my Babyface Pro or Scarlet 18i20, but if I was just going to take a laptop and a simple interface to a casual jam it would certainly be up to the task.
Well, the new MOTU M2 is $169 — worth checking out.
I saw the MOTU announcement literally the day after I bought the Studio 24 and said “$#!%”.
If the interface were for me I’d send back the Studio 24 and buy the M2 (using one of the 15% off coupons from the big sellers). Not because I expect it to perform better, but because I think it looks better and I prefer the front headphone jack and better accessibility of the knobs.
It’s for my son, though, and my whole reason for going cheap was just to get him something functional and see if he’s going to stick with it.