Best USB audio interface

[Mercer]

Haven’t seen any discussion regarding which interface works the best.  I’m only using SD3 for the sounds when out gigging.  No composing.  Tried using a Focusrite Scarlett SiS, 2nd Gen.  However the latency was so bad I couldn’t stand it.  Any suggestions as to the best way to connect laptop to FOH?

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.1.4
Operating system: Windows 10

Topic

[mickg]

Try any United Audio interface with a thunderbolt connection. I’m able to get the latency as low as I can set it.

I’m running a 2117 MacBook Pro with an OWC envoy ssd. Presets load in a few seconds.

My kit is a Trapkat and two Drumkats. I have kits with over 30 drums. Still takes seconds to load.

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.1.4
Operating system: macOS Mojave (10.14)

1

Thanked by: Mercer

[Mercer]

Thanks.  I don’t think I can up convert my USB SS(3.1) on my Windows 10 laptop to thunderbolt.  However, 3.1 should be fast enough.  I’ll keep playing with it.

Thanks

 

[Bear-Faced Cow]

USB will always have latency when dealing with software instruments. Speed is only a one aspect. At the very least, if your laptop has a PCMCIA slot, I’d recommend you get a Firewire 800 card and an audio interface to hook up to it. That will give you a low latency suitable for live use.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

• This post was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by Bear-Faced Cow.

[Jared Lewis]

I’m currently using an RME Fireface UFX+. It’s a beast! Aside from the rest of the instruments, we are running our Roland TD-10 to the RME via midi. RME to Surface Pro 6 (i5) via USB 3, SD3 stand-alone…no DAW, then out stereo from the RME to FOH. Works flawlessly! No lag, no delay. Latency is around 5ms, which is unnoticeable.

To test the latency, we ran the Roland TD-10 brain and SD3 samples through the same monitor and both samples played together at the same time with no latency. In other words, the SD3 samples and the Roland samples played at the same time with no delay when stacked on top of each other. Two other people were with me and both verified they could not hear any latency, that both samples played at the same time to their ears. Followed up with rehearsal and everything was tight.

RME states their drivers determine low latency, that all of their audio interface products use the same drivers. Of course, you have to use a computer/laptop that has a decent processor chip, like the Intel i5 we’re using. So in theory, you should be able to use any RME interface with midi capability to achieve low latency. But check with RME first to verify. Hope this helps!

[Mercer]

Maybe that’s the difference between a $200 dollar interface and one at $1500.

[Brad]

I use an Antelope Audio Zen Studio through USB and the latency is ridiculously low. They are not cheap however, I have had this one for about 4 years and it’s rock solid.

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.1.4
Operating system: macOS Mojave (10.14)

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One Pro (always up to date)
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

[DeDrumboet]

Hi all,

I don’t know if I should start a new topic, but since my question is about using SD3 in a live situation I’ ll give it a try here.

Using a behringer XR18 as an audio interface and live mixer I was really happy to find the multi-out in SD3. I want to be able to route the channels separately to the individual channels of the interface so that the FOH is in total control of the kit and doesn’t have to work with only a stereo out. Is this possible? Because I can’t seem to get it to work.

When the XR18 is plugged in I see all of it’s 18 channels in the SD3 “out channel” menu. Here I route output 3 to output 3 thinking this would do the trick. Out18 But the out3/4 in SD3 end up in channel 1 and 2 of the interface. The routing in the interface is usb return1 -> channel1 ……… usb return14 to channel 14 etc…. so that seems to be o.k. Am I missing something or is what I want not possible?

regards,

Bert

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.1.4
Operating system: macOS Mojave (10.14)

[Brad]

I tried this with a Antelope Zen Studio Interface and it worked ok.

SD – Out 1/2 to Zen 1(L) 1(R)

SD – Out 3-4 to Zen 2(L) 2(R)

SD – Out 5-6 to Zen 3(L) 3(R)

Etc….

Is that how you were setting your XR18 up?

 

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.1.4
Operating system: macOS Mojave (10.14)

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One Pro (always up to date)
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

[Preben Raunsbjerg]

I am running a Focusrite Clarett 4USB with 32 samples latency in Logic with no issues at all on an ancient Mac Pro.

[DeDrumboet]

Hi Brad,

thanks for replying. So knowing that it worked for you hopefully means it must be possible for me to 🙂 I set it up like you can see in the pdf I added (out18) in the post. Can you see this?

When I (for instance) sent my toms to 3/4 in the mixer window a new 3/4 output appears in SD. In the mixer window I can control my toms like a bus this way. So far so good. In the Channel out menu I selected

Output (L)3: output 3

Output(R3): output 4

I would think this way my toms should go to the interface channel 3 and 4 but they are stil routed to channel 1/2 on the XR18. In my mind it should work and I can’t figure it out 😐 Here is a screenshot from the XR18 USB return routing.

[Scott]

DeDrumboet wrote:

Hi Brad,

thanks for replying. So knowing that it worked for you hopefully means it must be possible for me to 🙂 I set it up like you can see in the pdf I added (out18) in the post. Can you see this?

When I (for instance) sent my toms to 3/4 in the mixer window a new 3/4 output appears in SD. In the mixer window I can control my toms like a bus this way. So far so good. In the Channel out menu I selected

Output (L)3: output 3

Output(R3): output 4

I would think this way my toms should go to the interface channel 3 and 4 but they are stil routed to channel 1/2 on the XR18. In my mind it should work and I can’t figure it out 😐 Here is a screenshot from the XR18 USB return routing.

If you’re sending multi out into a mixer, my guess would be you want to set the INPUTS of the mixer like your pic shows. Your pic is showing “returns” which, my guess is, a return from the send section of the mixer. I’m not very familiar with that mixer though.

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Brad]

DeDrumboet wrote:

Hi Brad,

thanks for replying. So knowing that it worked for you hopefully means it must be possible for me to 🙂 I set it up like you can see in the pdf I added (out18) in the post. Can you see this?

When I (for instance) sent my toms to 3/4 in the mixer window a new 3/4 output appears in SD. In the mixer window I can control my toms like a bus this way. So far so good. In the Channel out menu I selected

Output (L)3: output 3

Output(R3): output 4

I would think this way my toms should go to the interface channel 3 and 4 but they are stil routed to channel 1/2 on the XR18. In my mind it should work and I can’t figure it out 😐 Here is a screenshot from the XR18 USB return routing.

Could you post a screen print of the input window of the XR18, that might give us insight to what’s happening. I think Scott is right about the input section.

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One Pro (always up to date)
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

• This post was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Brad.

[Luke Thurgood]

Hi

I’m using a PreSonus Studio 2\4 In a windows 10 pc with Roland TD17KVX drums and outputting to Roland PM100 monitor and a Pair of Rokit KRK 8’s.

I run the block size at 32. Not sure what latency this translates too, but it is completely un noticable. Any lower and it gets a bit crackly. I am very happy with this interface, and it’s very affordable. Hope that helps!

Operating system: Windows 10

Superior Drummer 3
Roland TD17KVX
Presonus Studio 2/4 USB Interface
Roland PM100 Monitor
KRK Rokit 8 Monitors
Windows 10PC
Intel Core i7 8700 @3.2 ghz
16G DDR4 Ram

[DeDrumboet]

Hi Scott and Brad,

it’s not the return from the send section of the mixer. The usb-return is for signal that goes to the mixer over usb. Like a computer’s SD signal in this case. Each input channel can be set to usb or mic/line seperately. I added some different screen prints to give you more insight of what’s going on.

First is the multi channel out in SD
A drumloop is playing and I send the Ambient Ribbon channel to output 3/4 in the mixer window.

Third file is the XR18 Channel 1 input screenshot.  You can see the channel source is set to usb and the return is set to usb-01.(channel 2 is set to usb return 02)  As you can see the signal, this makes me hear SD’s out1/2 on the XR18 channel 1 and 2. That’s good. I can also hear the ambient ribbon channel which I set to out3/4 in SD. That’s doesn’t seem good to me, because I thought I send SD’s output 3 en 4 to out 3 and 4 in the multi out channel mode (pic 1)

Fourth pic is the XR18 Channel 3 input with the usb return set to usb-03. No signal in the mixer. So no signal is coming from SD’s out 3/4 I guess…

I’m out of credits for more screenshots in this post so I wil finish in the next haha.

 

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.1.4
Operating system: macOS Mojave (10.14)

[DeDrumboet]

And the Fifth and last screenshot:

The XR18 Channel 3 input with the usb return set to usb-01. This (obviously) routes usb return 1 to the mixers channel 3. As you can see there is a signal in channel 3 in the mixer now. XR18 channel 1 and 3 now have the same signal.

But it’s stil not SD’s channel out 3/4. That Ambient Ribbon signal stil goes to 1/2 and I don’t know why. I hope you can help me.

kind regards,

Bert

[Author]

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