[linux-audio-user] maudio quattro...

[Patrick Shirkey]

Timothy Alan Gorman wrote:
> Anyone using this device with jack?
> and Ardour?
> Thanks
> 

You can reliably use it for playback but only with two channels. It 
works with 4 channels and alsa native programs like ecasound or arecord.

The main problem turns out that it can only record in big endian format 
but plays back in little endian format. This means someone has to write 
a layer for alsa which automatically converts big endian to little 
endian when the quattro is in use. Pretty annoying and lame. Until this 
is done all recordings will sound noisy due to rounding errors or some 
other bs.

If I count the design "errors" that maudio made with this device I think 
there are 5.

1: Two clock synced stereo channel boards instead of one 4 channel board.

2: Only able to run reliably with lowish latency (480 bits) at 48000hz 
(applicable to all usb devices though).

3: Input only reads big endian format.

4: Output only accepts little endian format.

5: Cannot recieve power from the usb port. Requires external adapter.

If you want to buy a good multichannel device for portable recording you 
can find better and more user friendly designs in the firewire range 
these days.

If you can wait for a few months RME will release their next gen which 
should be completely firewire compatible....

-- 
Patrick Shirkey - Boost Hardware Ltd.
Http://www.boosthardware.com
Http://www.djcj.org/LAU/guide/ - The Linux Audio Users guide
Http://www.djcj.org/gigs/ - Gigs guide Korea
Http://www.nana7.net - Bar Nana - Itaewon, Seoul, Sth Corea
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