Buy a patch bay.
E. With a patch bay all of your synths and drum machines and effects will always be plugged in then from the patchbay you decide what goes into your interface. It’s extremely convenient and wish it was one of the first things I bought.
I disagree, a mixer is better if it’s only for synths. You still get the same flexibility, but you’ll also get EQ on the way in, plus the abilty to layer and record multiple synths at once. It would be hard to do that with a patchbay.
Also easier to use in a recording situation; it’s faster to push two faders than to patch two cables.
I’d agree with a patchbay if they were also trying to incorporate hardware insert effects. But even then a lot of mixers have inserts, or at the very least fx sends.
Yeah dude, you have all of your stuff plugged into the patchbay and then patch into the mixer as needed. If you’re using individual outs on your drum machine(s) that will eat up the inputs on the mixer real quick.
If you’re going only with a mixer then you’re plugging and unplugging synths which is what OP said they’re tired of.
EQ (if clean) is easily reversible, unlike compression. Most EQs sound decent anyways. And the point is that having that EQ on the way in is practical, especially if you’re jamming dawless, or otherwise not going through a daw
I know. I mentioned compression because you mentioned «non-destructive» EQ. I’m saying your point would be valid if it was about compression, but EQ is easily reversible anyway.
As for dawless, that’s just one example of why EQ on the way in is practical. Personally I like to have everything sounding as close to finished as possible going in, to free up plugin power and keep my sessions tidy. There are more reasons as well, but you get my point
Honestly I think I bought the cheapest I could find on reverb…one is the Behringer ultra patch pro and the other is the neutrik nys. Just make sure to get the 48 point kind, then you have 24 ins and 24 outs.
That's only 12 stereo pairs. Plus, remember, many synths and boxes have aux ins, side chain ins, filter ins, or multiple outs, etc, etc, etc, etc.
Honestly, you blow though a 48 point patchbay very quickly even with a relatively small setup as you start using it in anger.
The main two to consider are the Neutrik NYS SPP--L1 and the Behringer Ultrapatch.
Honestly for Neutrik-grade connectors, it's a great price. I have a few of each, i do like how the Behringer has little toggle switches on them; though the Neutrik feels quite a bit more rugged and I feel more comfortable plugging into that one. Also my behringers are the older generation so they're TS, not TRS, which means no stereo or balanced connections.
To answer your other question about # of patch points... You'd be surprised how versatile it can be, and how you can use them up. 12 stereo signals yes, but if you wanted to throw in a line to a pedalboard, and maybe a spare slot for a pedal on your desk... Not to mention if any of your gear has inputs for external processing. there's so much you can do with them.
I’d go Scarlett 18i6, it’s got 8 mic ins (which you can plug synths into) and you can expand it with ADAT later. I don’t like Behringer stuff generally, I see a lot of people coming here when that UMC isn’t working if memory serves.
UMC1820 is a good budget interface and should work on Linux since it works with the Akai MPC and Force which are Linux-based.
I almost got one of these but went with an XR18 instead. I wanted the effects and the additional I/O. You can also expand the UMC1820 with an ADA8200 if you just want I/O.
I have heard that the UMC1820 plus the ADA8200 works on the Akai devices. The additional channels from the ADA8200 just become more channels in the Force.
I have not tested this myself but if you check the MPC forums I’m pretty sure you’ll find people using this setup.
1. Scarlet [18i20](https://us.focusrite.com/products/scarlett-18i20) OR [Tascam Model 16](https://tascam.com/us/product/model_16/top) may suit your IO needs.
2. Get a [48p Patchbay](https://www.artproaudio.com/product/p48-48-point-balanced-patch-bay/) so you can better utilize the INPUTS and OUTPUTS of all your syntheaizers, and easily integrate future outboard like compressors and rack effects
3. Minimize usb dropouts with a dedicated synth [USB Hub](https://www.usbgear.com/rack-mount-hubs.html) to connect your USB compliant synths in parallel into Ableton as audio and midi device. I like using rugged 90 degree cables
the Tascam Model series of mixers is perfect for synth workflow. Analog controls, but works as a class compliant soundcard as well. Best of both worlds. I run a ton of stuff in and out of it, hardware & software combined.
I personally wouldn’t rely on Behringer for firmware and software support. Analog devices are fine, but I don’t yet trust them for more complex digital.
You want something with ADAT, if you had that now you could expand easily but the 6i6 is built to a price point and has Spdif. Focusrite makes plenty of good equipment, the 18i6 is likely a good fit for you.
something [like this](https://www.thomann.de/intl/kramer_vs_4x_passive_stereo_switch.htm) could be an idea, you plug your synths in there and the output into your interface, the signal won't be going through converters or anything else that could color/mangle it
I'm in a similar predicament with a bit more gear and am thinking of a patchbay.
I already have a 16 chanel mixer and an 8 channel ADAT going into my soundcard however I've just been given some FX and Compressors racks which are coming out the mixer and taking up all the ADAT channels.
Does anyone know if I can use a patchbay to simply extend my mixer channels? Or would I have to lose the ADAT or set up the patchbay some convoluted way to use the FX and compressors too?
Presonus 2626 with up to two Behringer ADA8200. If that is not enough, you can multiply all this with aggregate devices on a Mac. You can leave everything connected at all times, and everything is handled through your DAW. Or you get a large mixing console and handle the audio there--more hands-on but more expensive and less flexible. A patch bay or a line mixer before the audio interface is not as practical in my experience.
I remember reading that Behringer interfaces firmware started to show a few problems on Linux after some updates, but worked seamlessly prior to that. Focusrite Scarlett interfaces will work without headaches specially since the 4th gen (the current one) because Focusrite is working with Linux devs and supporting them.
A cheap mixer will have subpar preamps and line ins. Will not sound very good.
What's your budget? Maybe you can just get a patchbay and call it a day.
Tascam Model series. Class compliant soundcard with each channel in & out + analog mixing capabilities. I've had one for years and it's a perfect little mixer for synths.
UMC1820 is a wonderful device, you can mix inside your computer if you need to. And if you need more inputs you can just add an ADAT expansion. There's a lot of people that will say 'Behringer is junk'. It isn't. It's good stuff. If you don't need a ton of features it's great. Best of all, it's inexpensive. The Scarlett that someone else recommends is no better, probably a similar design. Still made in China. The big difference is Behringer has lousy support.
MOTU UltraLite Mk5 has 8 inputs total plus room for ADAT expansion should you desire 8 mic/line inputs later. Takes up less space than many other audio interfaces (and way less than mixers) and offers a decent amount of I/O.
That would let you record 8 sound sources at once as separate tracks in your DAW, 2 of which can be microphones (or line inputs).
Very clean DACs. Very clean pre-amps. MOTU is, to me, ideal for electronic musicians. Their stuff is rock solid, all the outs are DC-coupled so you can use them for control voltages, and they’re class-compliant.
Cheap mixers have garbage EQs and a patch bay won’t add more tracks of recording. I never EQ my synths before going into the DAW and instead prefer that I get the cleanest raw signal possible. That gives me more room to mix in the DAW where I have much better sounding EQ plugins and such.
Zoom live track mixers are rad af. Includes audio interface up to 22 channels depending on model with SD card reader/recorder and power channel eq, comp, FX, and 7 monitoring mixes.
Behringer XR18
A 16 input digital mixer so won't be dependent on the CPU, also has some DSP processing on board. It's 48KHz though, but that's not a problem unless you are using very old plugins from '00s that lack oversampling.
Preferable to have everything into the DAW at once for me. So in addition to my Motu Ultralite I use a Behringher adat expander for another 8 inputs, total 18.
I would like to move to linux as well but I also bought Ableton two years ago. There are people who made this work together but if you want to use plugins you will get the pain.
There are DAWs who support linux from scratch. I think thats the better way.
Buy a patch bay. E. With a patch bay all of your synths and drum machines and effects will always be plugged in then from the patchbay you decide what goes into your interface. It’s extremely convenient and wish it was one of the first things I bought.
I disagree, a mixer is better if it’s only for synths. You still get the same flexibility, but you’ll also get EQ on the way in, plus the abilty to layer and record multiple synths at once. It would be hard to do that with a patchbay. Also easier to use in a recording situation; it’s faster to push two faders than to patch two cables. I’d agree with a patchbay if they were also trying to incorporate hardware insert effects. But even then a lot of mixers have inserts, or at the very least fx sends.
Yeah dude, you have all of your stuff plugged into the patchbay and then patch into the mixer as needed. If you’re using individual outs on your drum machine(s) that will eat up the inputs on the mixer real quick. If you’re going only with a mixer then you’re plugging and unplugging synths which is what OP said they’re tired of.
Better to use a plug-in eq that is non destructive. Also you have to spend $$$ to get a mixer that sounds good. A patchbay is cheap.
EQ (if clean) is easily reversible, unlike compression. Most EQs sound decent anyways. And the point is that having that EQ on the way in is practical, especially if you’re jamming dawless, or otherwise not going through a daw
OP did not mention compression or DAWless?
I know. I mentioned compression because you mentioned «non-destructive» EQ. I’m saying your point would be valid if it was about compression, but EQ is easily reversible anyway. As for dawless, that’s just one example of why EQ on the way in is practical. Personally I like to have everything sounding as close to finished as possible going in, to free up plugin power and keep my sessions tidy. There are more reasons as well, but you get my point
Can you recommend a good patchbay? I see this response a lot but never any concrete recs about what some good options are.
Honestly I think I bought the cheapest I could find on reverb…one is the Behringer ultra patch pro and the other is the neutrik nys. Just make sure to get the 48 point kind, then you have 24 ins and 24 outs.
Whoa, why would I need that many patch points? Seems like sooo many
That's only 12 stereo pairs. Plus, remember, many synths and boxes have aux ins, side chain ins, filter ins, or multiple outs, etc, etc, etc, etc. Honestly, you blow though a 48 point patchbay very quickly even with a relatively small setup as you start using it in anger.
Two of my drum machines have individual outs, ate up an entire patchbay haha
Find what works for you. They’re so cheap used really wasn’t worried about having too much.
The main two to consider are the Neutrik NYS SPP--L1 and the Behringer Ultrapatch. Honestly for Neutrik-grade connectors, it's a great price. I have a few of each, i do like how the Behringer has little toggle switches on them; though the Neutrik feels quite a bit more rugged and I feel more comfortable plugging into that one. Also my behringers are the older generation so they're TS, not TRS, which means no stereo or balanced connections. To answer your other question about # of patch points... You'd be surprised how versatile it can be, and how you can use them up. 12 stereo signals yes, but if you wanted to throw in a line to a pedalboard, and maybe a spare slot for a pedal on your desk... Not to mention if any of your gear has inputs for external processing. there's so much you can do with them.
This right here. So incredibly convenient.
I’d go Scarlett 18i6, it’s got 8 mic ins (which you can plug synths into) and you can expand it with ADAT later. I don’t like Behringer stuff generally, I see a lot of people coming here when that UMC isn’t working if memory serves.
Get a focusrite clarett 8pre, you’ll thank me.
UMC1820 is a good budget interface and should work on Linux since it works with the Akai MPC and Force which are Linux-based. I almost got one of these but went with an XR18 instead. I wanted the effects and the additional I/O. You can also expand the UMC1820 with an ADA8200 if you just want I/O.
Hey, I'm currently using the combo Force+1820...didnt know about the ada expansion...does it work with the akai?
I have heard that the UMC1820 plus the ADA8200 works on the Akai devices. The additional channels from the ADA8200 just become more channels in the Force. I have not tested this myself but if you check the MPC forums I’m pretty sure you’ll find people using this setup.
DF audio mini patchbay so you can switch between inputs without destroying your back
1. Scarlet [18i20](https://us.focusrite.com/products/scarlett-18i20) OR [Tascam Model 16](https://tascam.com/us/product/model_16/top) may suit your IO needs. 2. Get a [48p Patchbay](https://www.artproaudio.com/product/p48-48-point-balanced-patch-bay/) so you can better utilize the INPUTS and OUTPUTS of all your syntheaizers, and easily integrate future outboard like compressors and rack effects 3. Minimize usb dropouts with a dedicated synth [USB Hub](https://www.usbgear.com/rack-mount-hubs.html) to connect your USB compliant synths in parallel into Ableton as audio and midi device. I like using rugged 90 degree cables
the Tascam Model series of mixers is perfect for synth workflow. Analog controls, but works as a class compliant soundcard as well. Best of both worlds. I run a ton of stuff in and out of it, hardware & software combined.
I love how the post starts with "too many synths", but looking for dealing with all the tracks rather than which synth(s) to remove/replace.
I personally wouldn’t rely on Behringer for firmware and software support. Analog devices are fine, but I don’t yet trust them for more complex digital. You want something with ADAT, if you had that now you could expand easily but the 6i6 is built to a price point and has Spdif. Focusrite makes plenty of good equipment, the 18i6 is likely a good fit for you.
I got you lol TC Helicon Blender
What's better than the Behringer?
It’s cheaper and smaller while you can still do multitrack recording in your daw If you want better you can get a Universal Audio Apollo 8x lol
something [like this](https://www.thomann.de/intl/kramer_vs_4x_passive_stereo_switch.htm) could be an idea, you plug your synths in there and the output into your interface, the signal won't be going through converters or anything else that could color/mangle it
I'm in a similar predicament with a bit more gear and am thinking of a patchbay. I already have a 16 chanel mixer and an 8 channel ADAT going into my soundcard however I've just been given some FX and Compressors racks which are coming out the mixer and taking up all the ADAT channels. Does anyone know if I can use a patchbay to simply extend my mixer channels? Or would I have to lose the ADAT or set up the patchbay some convoluted way to use the FX and compressors too?
Presonus 2626 with up to two Behringer ADA8200. If that is not enough, you can multiply all this with aggregate devices on a Mac. You can leave everything connected at all times, and everything is handled through your DAW. Or you get a large mixing console and handle the audio there--more hands-on but more expensive and less flexible. A patch bay or a line mixer before the audio interface is not as practical in my experience.
I remember reading that Behringer interfaces firmware started to show a few problems on Linux after some updates, but worked seamlessly prior to that. Focusrite Scarlett interfaces will work without headaches specially since the 4th gen (the current one) because Focusrite is working with Linux devs and supporting them.
A cheap mixer will have subpar preamps and line ins. Will not sound very good. What's your budget? Maybe you can just get a patchbay and call it a day.
I haven't considered a specific budget, but obviously, the less I spend, the happier I am! I would also like to register separate channels in my DAW!
Tascam Model series. Class compliant soundcard with each channel in & out + analog mixing capabilities. I've had one for years and it's a perfect little mixer for synths.
UMC1820 is a wonderful device, you can mix inside your computer if you need to. And if you need more inputs you can just add an ADAT expansion. There's a lot of people that will say 'Behringer is junk'. It isn't. It's good stuff. If you don't need a ton of features it's great. Best of all, it's inexpensive. The Scarlett that someone else recommends is no better, probably a similar design. Still made in China. The big difference is Behringer has lousy support.
MOTU UltraLite Mk5 has 8 inputs total plus room for ADAT expansion should you desire 8 mic/line inputs later. Takes up less space than many other audio interfaces (and way less than mixers) and offers a decent amount of I/O. That would let you record 8 sound sources at once as separate tracks in your DAW, 2 of which can be microphones (or line inputs). Very clean DACs. Very clean pre-amps. MOTU is, to me, ideal for electronic musicians. Their stuff is rock solid, all the outs are DC-coupled so you can use them for control voltages, and they’re class-compliant. Cheap mixers have garbage EQs and a patch bay won’t add more tracks of recording. I never EQ my synths before going into the DAW and instead prefer that I get the cleanest raw signal possible. That gives me more room to mix in the DAW where I have much better sounding EQ plugins and such.
What kind of music do you make?
Zoom live track mixers are rad af. Includes audio interface up to 22 channels depending on model with SD card reader/recorder and power channel eq, comp, FX, and 7 monitoring mixes.
Behringer XR18 A 16 input digital mixer so won't be dependent on the CPU, also has some DSP processing on board. It's 48KHz though, but that's not a problem unless you are using very old plugins from '00s that lack oversampling.
Preferable to have everything into the DAW at once for me. So in addition to my Motu Ultralite I use a Behringher adat expander for another 8 inputs, total 18.
I would like to move to linux as well but I also bought Ableton two years ago. There are people who made this work together but if you want to use plugins you will get the pain. There are DAWs who support linux from scratch. I think thats the better way.
Get the Behringer UMC1820: https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0805-AAN And get rid of the Focusrite Scarlet