I would use something that includes Mic Pres because it reduces complexity in the analog signal chain. I just asked Apogee if their Ensemble device supports the Bebob FireWire standard. It costs $2000, but check this out: Four Apogee Microphone Pre-Amps Eight Apogee A/D converters Eight Apogee D/A converters Firewire (makes for good latency performance) If you get one of these it is probably the only Audio interface you will need to buy in the next ten years. Carlo Ismael Valladolid Torres schrieb:

I would go for firewire if anything for latency reasons. For example, there is the six channel ESI Quatafire with two Mic preamps. It's tiny. Also, the eight channel Roland Edirol 110 firewire, also with two Mic preamps. Both around $600. I have a hunch that ESI has better converter quality. Carlo

Freebob is currently a JACK backend which does not use ALSA at all. Both devices are listed as supported on the project site, which to my knowledge means that I/O and volume control is supported while more exotic features might not be. Given Pieter's behaviour here on the board it's quite probable he'd be very helpful in perhaps adapting certain exotic features if you'd test for him. Carlo

Wow Pieter you're really manage to be in all the relevant places. Things most boxes don't have. The Apogee Ensemble, for example, features a hardware downsampler. Carlo

Of course it still unanswered, or I would have mentioned it. Carlo

The M-Audio pres are MUCH better. Also keep in mind the VM-3100 only has phantom on one of its pres as well. Seablade

Carlo Capocasa escribe: UNIX philosophy is more or less "having many elements doing few things each but doing them perfectly and having the means to chain them together". A JoeMeek VC3Q i.e. preamps perfectly, a Soundtrack Spirit Folio notepad mixes perfectly, a M-Audio Audiophile 2496 does A/D perfectly, a Line6 POD makes your guitar sound lovely, and you have audio cables to chain them together. (Remember that studio freaks love to have many devices at hand!) Cordially, Ismael -- Ismael Valladolid Torres OpenPGP key ID: 0xDE721AF4 Jabber ID: ivalladt(a)jabberes.org http://digitrazos.info/ http://lamediahostia.blogspot.com/ ~When I grow up I will go there~

Carlo Capocasa escribe: It's always worth asking oneself, which part of the experience is the one I fancy? I enjoy starting songs, starting to put musical pieces together. I don't bother myself finishing a song. I've never used mastering software. Moreover my brother is the opposite, he needs to have things finished in a couple of hours because what he enjoys is sharing it with friends. I understand perfectly you only find comfortable having an analog chain as small as posible so you can center yourself in what's happening inside the computer. Others we enjoy grooveboxes. :) Indeed this is what's nice about Linux audio, extends freedom, further away from where freedom reached during first years of electronic musical production, which wasn't precisely "near". Cordially, Ismael -- Ismael Valladolid Torres OpenPGP key ID: 0xDE721AF4 Jabber ID: ivalladt(a)jabberes.org http://digitrazos.info/ http://lamediahostia.blogspot.com/ ~When I grow up I will go there~

Carlo Capocasa escribe: I do think we are but don't let audio users on other platforms notice. :P Cordially, Ismael -- Ismael Valladolid Torres OpenPGP key ID: 0xDE721AF4 Jabber ID: ivalladt(a)jabberes.org http://digitrazos.info/ http://lamediahostia.blogspot.com/ ~When I grow up I will go there~

On Friday 16 June 2006 10:59, Carlo Capocasa was like: Fair enough, I understand that most migrators find the Command Line scary, however please bear in mind that the Command Line Interface is part of the beauty of a Linux system for experienced users, it is not something that should be brushed under the carpet, it should be celebrated and its use encouraged. That said, CLI free configuration is a sensible move so long as it doesn't break the text-based approach, which considering the modular nature of a Linux system is fairly unlikely in most cases. -- cheers, tim hall http://glastonburymusic.org.uk/tim We are the people We've been waiting for.