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

Timothy Alan Gorman timg at expressmart.com
Wed Jun 9 18:58:28 EDT 2004


Patrick Shirkey wrote:

> 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....
>
Hmmm,
Not so good eh' ?
so the 'record 4 tracks' function will not work without output (hardware 
monitoring?) at
 the same audio format?
can I just "record" with 4 tracks?
I have used logic in the past but have been followung the development of 
jackd and ardour for a LONG time....I am vested in the piece of audio 
equipment (maudio quattro)....I guess I couild sell it...I would only 
get a nickel though... I really wanted to user ardour to remaster my old 
4 tracks...

-- 
Tim Gorman 
Information Systems Specialist
Petr-All Petroleum Corp.
office (315) 446-0125 x126
cell   (315) 415-8108





More information about the Linux-audio-user mailing list