Audio interfaces in the mid range (Echo Digital Audios audiofire)?

GroupDIY Audio Forum

Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

pepe

Active member
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
40
Location
Halmstad, Sweden
If I want to avoid consumer products such as m-audio nor can justify the big money such as the RME, what options exist? For example, I came across http://echoaudio.com but I have never heard or read about them. However, they really seem like a decent option.

Now when going for Windows 7 (or above) I want to have an interface that is stable, got decent specs, have an intuitive and uncluttered user-interface, and most importantly it should be known to work right out of the box.

At the moment I am using an E-MU 1820M but the support on this product dropped very fast, nowadays it is non existent. For me E-MU will never be an option anymore. When thinking about it - I spent several weeks installing/re-installing the OS in various configurations in order to get this system up and running, it also required several updates/fixes in order to get a decent performance out of it. Also, the mic-pres designed by Ted Fletcher were a big disappointment. To support E-MU is one of my biggest mistakes ever and will not happen again.
 
RME is the midway option. They are not the "big money" players, you have the wrong idea. There's just about no other companies in that RME niche "professional but reasonably affordable". Next step is high-end which I guess you want to avoid.

Avoid the grief and save up for RME. You get the best drivers in the business and never have to worry about that side of the equation anymore.
 
I would buy used. The cheapest RME card you can find that works on your system and has ADAT I/O + two (one AD, the other DA) older 8 channel converters from Swissonic. Those were made 10 years ago or so and still sound very good IMO, better than current RME sound cards. They were also sold under the brand names Musicnet and Sonorus for a time. Not the more recent Swissonic stuff though, it's got to be these 8 channel converters only interfaces. They had good clocks and quality analog parts. They go for 100-150 EUR a piece on German ebay from time to time.

This is what they look like:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Swissonic-DA24-MK2-8-Kanal-Edel-DA-Wandler-ADAT-XLR-RME-Apogee-Motu-Mytek-Lynx-/270898893035?pt=Studioequipment&hash=item3f12d510eb
 
I have Echo Audiofire 12 and for the money I find it outstanding.

There re no preamps  and no digital IO, but if you just need plenty of analogue line IO it's a good option.

Perhaps try and find a shop that will let you demo a few interfaces so you can make a  comparison?
 
Here is something I posted a while back about the Audiofire 12 on Gearslutz:

"I recently discovered that the actual latency I am experiencing with my Audiofire 12 varies by roughly 100 samples seemingly at random. For instance, I can set up a project in Reaper or Sonar, record a loop-backed signal, calculate the latency offset I need, set my daw to offset the input by that amount, record again and have it place the recorded material correctly, save the project, restart the computer, open the project, record the same loop-back, and the offset will be incorrect by as much as 100-150 samples. I don't have to necesarrily shut the computer down for the latency to change either; it can change in the middle of working on a project. I have tried this on my windows xp sp3 system with Reaper and Sonar 7, as well as on my Macbook with Reaper. In hopes of remedying the situation, I have installed the latest drivers and firmware for the Audiofire, and reinstalled a streamlined windows xp pro sp3, both to no avail."

I was never able to resolve the problem and had to get rid of the machine. I ended up getting an RME and it is rock-solid.

Good luck,

Ben
 
I think Echo is a great company making great products. I have used a dual Layla24 system for years and have been very happy with it.
I didn't realize what a difference there could be until comparing it to a friend's Presonus - which was awful for many reasons. Terrible sound, clipped below +4dB,...

My friend sold the presonus and auditioned several interfaces, including some more expensive options, and he ended up the new Echo. We did a blind listening test and liked the Echo as much or more than others, and it has been dependable and trouble free.
 
I think I'll start to have a look at one of the most basic RME interfaces/cards (might consider Echo too). 

One major concern this time is that I want to support a company that stands behind their products. How long can I for exampel expect to get support and new drivers for a RME interface (according to their history record)? 
 
pepe said:
One major concern this time is that I want to support a company that stands behind their products. How long can I for exampel expect to get support and new drivers for a RME interface (according to their history record)?

Look at the amount of drivers - new and legacy - they offer for all of their products, including discontinued ones...
 
yeah, another -1 for firewire... never got my FW interfaces to work as they should. 002, orpheus...


got a pci card now, orpheus slaved to it. works like a charm. not going back to fw. thunderbolt maybe, but no fw for me ever again...
 
I'm using an Echo Audiofire 8 and it has been perfect for me. IMO Echo are highly under-rated, probably due to not being as well known. DV247 now sell them so I guess their popularity will grow, but DV's prices aren't competitive on them last time I checked.

Musicmatter.co.uk (where I got mine) currently have the Audiofire 8 for £397, DV247 are putting it at £462 :/
 
Ive had both RME & MOTU.
You get more IO for your money with MOTU, but make sure you get MK3 because the converters in MK2's arent great.
I'm currently on RME HDSPE AIO, and its probably the best sounding card I've heard, just listening to my favourite albums on this reveals new things, I cant sing RME's praises enough, if you find the right IO configuration on an RME card then go for that>
 
I've almost decided to go with a HDSPe AIO if my current 1820M fails during the OS upgrade. Then I can always grab the additional expansion boards, or go with some external A/D & D/A converters, when even more I/O is needed.

I don't need that many ins and outs nowadays since I'm planning to keep the home studio small and efficient. I’m only using a master keyboard, a couple of acoustic/electric instruments, and some outboard gear. As for preamps I got a Gyraf G9 and a JLM Baby Animal (equipped with Fred Forsell's JFET-992 & JLM transformers).
 
You wont regret the HDSPE AIO.
The converters sound great, the dedicated headphone out has a really solid sound to it, my Audio Technica phones go a lot louder without distorting now.
As for the drivers........ more stable than any manufacturer I've had previously. Switching between apps wihtout closing one down is flawless, I've not had one crash or kick out of cubase since installing it in December.
No matter what anyone will say about firewire/usb interfaces, the fact remains that PCIe is still a faster connection.
Go for the RME.
 
Do not get the AIO. I had it and it has major noise problems. Sent it back for replacement and the noise problem was lowered but it was still there. I do not recommend this card at all.
I sold mine and bought a RayDAT.
 
fabriciom said:
Do not get the AIO. I had it and it has major noise problems. Sent it back for replacement and the noise problem was lowered but it was still there. I do not recommend this card at all.
I sold mine and bought a RayDAT.

It has no noise issue. You probably have a problem elsewhere in the system. My card corresponds perfectly to the spec, even after I heavily modified it.
 
Kingston said:
fabriciom said:
Do not get the AIO. I had it and it has major noise problems. Sent it back for replacement and the noise problem was lowered but it was still there. I do not recommend this card at all.
I sold mine and bought a RayDAT.

It has no noise issue. You probably have a problem elsewhere in the system. My card corresponds perfectly to the spec, even after I heavily modified it.

Its a very well know problem. Check out their forums (search for AIO Hiss). If RME eventually fixed the problem and has a new revision out that is another story.
I have a 2009 Mac Pro perfectly working it was not a system issue.
 
Back
Top