Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
Forum Statistics

180,786 users have contributed to 42,141 threads and 254,364 posts.

In the past 24 hours, we have 1 new thread(s), 7 new post(s) and 67 new user(s).

  • Is an audio interface necessary for in the box mixing?

    Could use some feedback on whether or not I actually need an audio interface anymore.  Most of my projects are midi sequences using various sound labraries.  I mix "in the box", so I would imagine an audio interface has no bearing on this.  Would having an audio interface take any strain off my computer?  Would monitoring the sound from the internal outputs of my Mac be any less quality than my older MOTU Ultra lite?  Any other benefits I might not know about?

    Thanks

    Dennis


  • The Quality during playback is better with a designated interface, but the internal audio should be good enough to work with. When you finally bounce your project the mixdown is done by the CPU alone, so in the final result there should be no difference.

    With internal audio you might need to set the buffer size to a higher amount (to take some strain off the CPU), which gives you a latency when playing live on your keyboard. When you record your midi tracks in realtime this can be distracting.


  • I am not an audio engineer, but I think your question (at least partially) boils down to the quality of D/A converters - if those found in your internal audio chip are low quality, the analog signal coming out of its outputs (that is, the signal that leaves the D/A converter) will also be low quality. That is why good D/A conversion is essential for a good audio interface.


  • last edited
    last edited

    Hi Dennis,

    this is a good question. 😊

    I agree with our fellow composers, the actual bouncing is carried out from the CPU alone.

    However, i am unsure whether the D/A conversion of an internal soundcard will not be affecting the quality of your playback, thus affecting the final mix. This is why we tend to rely on interfaces when using high quality samples such the VSL. You will benefit of good ASIO drivers as well, which should deliver a better workflow within your DAW.

    Additionally, even if you are doing MIDI all the time (so am i) you might have opportunity or need to layer a real instrument in the future, or you might wish to do some voiceover. The interface preamps might come in handy that day.

    Ultimately, the decision is down to you.

    I hope it helps.

    Best Regards

    Francesco


    Francesco
  • Thanks Francesco.  I actually have a MOTU UltraLite.  However, it only connects via Firewire.  My Macbook Pro does not have a firewire input,  so I was wondering whether it was necessary to spend $ on a new interface.  I also thought of getting  a "firewire to usb adaptor".   Would that effect computer performance at all?

    Thanks for taking time to help.

    Dennis


  • last edited
    last edited

    @Another User said:

    This is why we tend to rely on interfaces when using high quality samples such the VSL.


    Exactly, at least half-way decent D/A conversion is a must for a reliable monitoring environment.


  • last edited
    last edited

    @Dennis B said:

    Thanks Francesco.  I actually have a MOTU UltraLite.  However, it only connects via Firewire.  My Macbook Pro does not have a firewire input,  so I was wondering whether it was necessary to spend $ on a new interface.  I also thought of getting  a "firewire to usb adaptor".   Would that effect computer performance at all?

    Thanks for taking time to help.

    Dennis

    You are welcome, Dennis.

    I have no experience of adaptors. With a Firewire-to-USB 2.0 converter you should be able to reach the same speed of USB 2.0 soundcards, which could do. Have you managed to find any reliable and cheap adaptors?

    Francesco


    Francesco
  • Certainly the quality of D/A conversion must be taken into account, but the listening environment is way more important than that.

    DG


  • The term Audio Interface is a bit of a misnomer and I found this out the hard way.  What you are really wanting, if you are entirely in the box, is a proper DAC as most interfaces do not come with good converters with the exceptions being Avid (seemingly a sinking ship now with precipitously declining customer support quality), RME, Apogee and Antelope.  One of the dead give aways as to whether or not an interface as opposed to a dedicated DAC has solid converters is if there is an audible difference between 44.1kHz and 96kHz.  If you are hearing one then either the converters are poor quality or something else is adding jitter to your audio chain prior to the output reaching the speakers (i.e. you might need a master clock).  I spent years being deceived by the idea that 96kHz sounds better when, in fact, there is no audible difference if the signal chain is clean and jitter free.  This said, I would strongly recommend you invest in a DAC.  I personally have the Antelope Pure2 and Antelope Satori.  I spent years going through cheaper units (MOTU, PreSonus, and MAUDIO) only to have a friend point toward the Lavry white papers on sampling rates.  If the Pure2 is out of your price range, consider a RME BabyFace Pro.  Do not make the same mistakes I did and repeatedly go cheap on your DA conversion.  

    Tony