Re: [LAU] Good audio interface for GNU/Linux?

> Hi there,
>
> Nowadays, I use Debian Squeeze to play my keyboard, which is an
> M-Audio midi controlled connected to my PC through USB. The software I
> am using is jack to connect all the stuff, mididings to control my
> keyboard on real time (keyboard partitions on different outputs
> channels, octaves configuration, etc), and QSynth to synthesize the
> sounds. This works really nice by the way.
>
> Now, I would like to practise with my band, using my computer and
> headphones to not annoy my neighbours. At the beginning we would be
> three: a bass, a guitar and the keyboards. I am thinking in using
> guitarix to control the bass and the guitar. So, what I am searching
> is a good audio interface, that works on GNU/Linux out of the box,
> with some instrument inputs, and some headphones outputs. I was
> thinking in something like
> http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FastTrackUltra.html, but I have
> read that it does not work out of the box in GNU/Linux. Besides, it
> has only two headphones outputs, and we would need at least three at
> the beginning, and I don't really know if those headphones outputs
> could be used as system outputs.
>
> In the future, we would like to add and electric drum too. I think
> that this would not be a problem for the instrument inputs of the
> audio interface, as it could be connected directly to USB sending MIDI
> signals, but the problem would be that we would need another pair of
> headphones.
>
> To sum up, the questions are:
>
> 1- Do you know any good audio interface that works out of the box in
> GNU/Linux, with at least two instrument inputs?
> 2- Could we use the same interface to connect 4 headphones?. Or should
> we think in another hardware to make this?
>
> Any help is really appreciated. Thanks very much,
>

You can do 6 channel output over usb but multi input and output gets
constrained pretty quick. Not many people have taken the plunge and bought
untested usb-2.0 hardware specifically for Linux recently.

You might find it better to use multiple laptops synced via netjack.

You can also use multiple soundcards but that is not so easy to work with
over usb and you won't get sample accurate sync. It would probably be fine
for basic recording and playback if you sent the input through different
usb busses. It would depend on how may usb busses are available on your
computer. You could get an additional usb->pci card to extend the amount
of busses.

Otherwise get a hammerfall or delta10/10 and be done with it. They are
well tested and have proven stability. You may be able to pick one up
cheaply second hand.

Cheers

--
Patrick Shirkey
Boost Hardware Ltd
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