Tascam US-16x08 – USB Audio/MIDI Interface (16 in/8 out)

Product Information

Finally, the 8 analog outputs can be used for up to 7.1 surround monitoring. The support for surround sound includes speaker calibration and fold-down, so if you work in film, tv, or games this is a boon. This is a top-of-the-line interface for any studio, bar none. Top-tier AD/DA, excellent preamps, and more inputs and outputs than many have used are some of the reasons why.

One limitation is the mixer app, which may need a more user-friendly interface. The fact that phantom power is only controlled via the app is also a negative and increases your reliance on the high learning curve software.

HDSPe MADI FX

This is the big brother to the standard SSL2, the main difference being that the 2+ adds two outputs to the 2-in, 2-out configuration of the 2, MIDI In/Out plus an additional independent headphone out (with both being able to monitor different mixes). There's also the 4k button which adds some extra presence and high-end zing (and, more importantly, makes you feel that little bit more 'pro'). It's similar in appearance and function to the 18i20, but the big difference is all under the hood. The eight Clarett+ mic preamps boast huge amounts of headroom and an ultra-low noise floor. The magic Air feature is also available on these, adding in a model of the transformer-based ISA mic preamp to add an extra sheen to your recordings. As with the Scarlett, it appears this function is only accessible via the software controller. So all the products I’ll recommend today are capable of at least 16 simultaneous inputs during a recording session. Some will be capable of more, but 16 inputs will be possible for all of them. Achieving More Than 8 Channels All the inputs are monitored with a bright LED bar-graph display, so you'll know when the drummer is hitting things too hard (which is generally all the time). The graph also indicates when there's MIDI activity happening.

Choosing between a 4-input or 8-channel audio interface can be a perplexing task, often accompanied by features overlapping or excluding each other from various models.If you're feeling lazy (or you're a drummer) you can take advantage of the auto gain-setting feature which, as you may expect, automatically sets the optimum input level for each channel. This is great for a fast and dirty full band recording, or handy if you're playing drums while recording yourself. A 16 channel interface is not common in most home studios. Most offerings on the market range from 2 to 6 channels, and some 8 channels. The options really narrow down for anything higher, but there are still offerings that are better than using alternate options such as ADAT. We think the one-dial solution is beautifully implemented and overall the design makes both the EVO 4 and 8 clever, compact desktop solutions that sound great. These are great value too, the simplest and cleverest solutions to compact audio interfaces we’ve come across. Outputs: 2 x XLR (+4dBu/+19dBu), 1 x Optical Toslink (ADAT, S/PDIF), ,1 x 1/4", 1 x 1/8" (Headphones)

As far as the build quality is concerned, we really like the all-metal finish, which gives the unit a rugged feel. And while the interface has 16 channels, it still is quite compact. The knobs and switches are good quality and true to the feel. The US-16x08 offers 16 mic and line inputs for your computer with clear sound quality and advanced features to manage big sessions. Eight Ultra-HDDA microphone preamps provide clean and quiet operation while delivering up to 56 dB of gain. An additional eight balanced line inputs are provided, two of them switchable to instrument level for direct guitar or bass recording. Eight balanced line outputs are also available, two with a level control on the front panel for monitoring.

DTOX-32

Overall, the Behringer U-Phoria UMC1820 gets my vote as the best 8-channel audio interface for engineers on a budget. The UCXII comes fully loaded with RME's TotalMix FX Engine - a dual chip-powered DSP engine that keeps one side for monitoring, and the other for FX, allowing for latency-free processing. As expected, the mic preamps had a crisp, clear, and bright sound. Very transparent and quiet. The input frequency response for the plugged-in semi-acoustic guitar was also flat. We had to test the mic for our Taylor 724ce too and wanted to see it capture the undertones. Well, it wasn’t entirely flawless since some of the mid-range frequencies sounded a bit muffled but it was more about our mic placement. Also, with the number of ports, this is an excellent interface to mic a drumset. However, we did feel the latency going up slightly as we turned on all the inputs simultaneously. Several expansion options are also available via Optical I/O. The iD44 was designed to grow with your studio, with additional inputs available should you choose to bring in more input options like a dedicated 8-channel preamp such as the Focusrite Octopre and other similar units.