For that many tracks I can recommend a Zoom L20. I use mine for recording concerts and have had up to 10 or 11 microphones recording to separate tracks in Ardour. It supports up to 16 mics plus 4 line ins. It sounds great and works perfectly in Linux in class compliant mode.
Thank you stephenharker…looks encouraging. How do you specify/select class-compliant mode?
Soundcraft Signature 12 MTK (this “MTK” being important detail, since there is non-MTK version in existance. MTK meaning multitrack). This is an analog mixer with 12x14 channels audio interface. It works fully with Linux. I own it and work with it on Debian 11 without problems. You need to figure out routing, though. It is quite complex, but it gives you a lot of options, too.
The Behringer UMC1820 works out of the box on Linux. It only has 8 analog inputs though, so you would need to expand it, which could be done using the Behringer ADA8200.
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Thanks everyone.
Class-compliant mode seems to be essential, and I’m a newbie at this…
How do you get (commands, switches, checkboxes, wires, etc.) class-compliant mode?
Ubuntu Studio 20.04, Ardour 6.9.0.
Does Jack need to be involved?
Can this be done using ALSA only?
Recipes welcome…thanks for all your knowledge and help…
Hi Daniel,
I would suggest the L-20 also. I am using the little brother Zoom Livetrack L-12. Some minor usability issues for overdubbing, but great working with Ardour. I never heard of a class-compliant mode for LINUX… working out of the box. I am doing ALSA only. Ubuntu Studio 20.04, Ardour 6.9.0 → Same here
I got a MOTU 828 mk2 firewire that has an internal mixer for direct monitoring with a Behringer ADA8200 expansion. It works well with old computers with inbuilt Firewire and it is still in use. Not sure anyone should pay money for firewire interfaces anymore, if you get one for free it might work.
I could not consistently get the MOTU to work on an intell i5 machine with a pci firewire card so I bought a Behringer UMC1820 for it. The UMC1820 has a simple analogue direct monitoring feature and I will be buying another ADA8200. The Behringer stuff is dirt cheap, compact, and works well.
I am not a programmer but I belive that class compliant is a USB standard that the device is compatible with and that GNU/Linux also is compatible with. I use Debian stable and I assume that any distro would handle USB the same way.
The Zoom LiveTrak™ L-20 looks interesting.
“How do you get (commands, switches, checkboxes, wires, etc.) class-compliant mode?
Ubuntu Studio 20.04, Ardour 6.9.0.
Does Jack need to be involved?
Can this be done using ALSA only?”
Class compliance is built into the kernel. Compliant devices can be used with either JACK or ALSA.
Hi, learning a lot with this tread, thanks.
What about Focusrite 18|20?
I am thinking of geting one.
Happy new year for you all
Best regards
Marcelo Carneiro
Be aware that some audio interfaces may be Class Compliant for the basic functionality, eg. audio into and out of the device channels, but other advanced features are not Class Compliant, and may not be available when using Linux.
The AudioFuse-range from Arturia is an example of this. The basic functionality is available on Linux, but the advanced features are not.
@MarceloCarneiro The Focusrite is another example. It is possible to get advanced functionality working on this device, but it will not work out of the box. See this thread on LinuxMusicians
I just switched to a (much smaller) MOTU M4 on my desktop after the sudden death of my old M-Audio Pro and have had no problems so far. Class compliance seems to get the job done.
On the Zoom, there is a switch on the back which puts it in “class compliant mode” which you can enable before you switch it on and then Linux can drive it fine. Also, you don’t need Jack, ALSA just works.
Thank you @MartinBruset. @Cleinias, I have read somewhere that Motu M4 was
not compatible with Linux; from your message I read a (fortunate) different
info. Which Linux OS you use? Do all in/out channels work perfectly: no
glitch or other problem?
@Anahata I didn’t understand what you said: does AVB work or not with
Linux? I’ve been reading conflicting reports regarding that unit. Can we
access all output from Linux software: Ardour, Audacity, Reaper, Bitwig…?
Thank you.
Best regards
The MOTU Ultralite AVB works on Linux BUT there is generally a bug that mixes up the input channels in groups of 8 (so channel 5 may end up as channel 13 or 21). This is a bug in the AVB firmware and there are versions where it is present and versions where it is not. Since the device uses a web server for configuration, Linux users have complete access to every feature of the device (any browser, even a phone one, can be used).
I wouldn’t recommend buying a MOTU Ultralite AVB (newer ESS model or older one), since it has many issues that make it hard to work with reliably with Linux.
Mine is kinda working atm but i had to stay on firmware 1.2.8+378 (from 2016 iirc). Even then, it sometimes makes a slow decimated fade-out to oblivion after being powered up for 3 weeks. It emits very loud clicks on startup.
Very good interface with Windows nonetheless, and very good little standalone mixer if you can access it via network.
Do not buy it. Or do it at your own risks after having read this infamous 44 pages long thread about it : Ultralite AVB - Page 44 - LinuxMusicians
Presonus Studio Project works ok. It uses firewire
Unfortunately, as far as I know, no new laptop comes with firewire anymore.
I still have an old macbookpro with firewire 800, but that seems to have
been the last model.
For electroacoustic music live sound difusion or djing, firewire audio
interfaces are not viable anymore.
Happy new year for you all.
Best regards
Marcelo
There are Thunderbolt to FireWire adapters however if you have an old firewire interface laying around and a computer with thunderbolt. I haven’t used one in some time, but I did use them for some time with some Focusrite DSP interfaces I had at the university I teach at with good success. Doesn’t change the point that firewire as an interface is dying/dead quickly though.
SeabladeI bought few days ago M-audio Air 192|14, works as a charm in my Kubuntu, I can record 8 channels at once in Ardour. It was used in my last cover for recording vocals: Ajattara - Harhojen Renki - cover - YouTube
The big advantage of this device is (imho) controlling it by physical knobs and switches, so you don’t need any extra software for enabling or tweaking any extra features. It is also class-compilant (no drivers required), and has external power supply so it can be used even without a computer, for mixing only - the recording is not possible then.
bye!