Low-latency s/pdif interfaces for a laptop

obscurity · Post by **obscurity** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:48 pm

Anyone got any recommendations? I want something that can provides s/pdif i/o (NOT just output, like the kore controller has) for my laptop, preferably coax although I guess I can get a converter if optical turns out to be the best bet. Laptop has the usual - firewire, usb2 and pcmcia. I'm currently using an Alesis io|2 which is OK for what it is but I can't get any decent latency out of it. Before that I was using the kore controller which has great latency (2ms!) but only s/pdif output, not input.

Märk · Post by **Märk** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:16 pm

Did you try ASIO4ALL with the Alesis, Obs?

obscurity · Post by **obscurity** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:40 am

I hadn't, but for the sake of completeness I have now.

So...anyone got any recommendations for a decent s/pdif interface for my laptop? :)

Märk · Post by **Märk** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:27 pm

Hmmm. I suspect I haven't helped you at all

blue · Post by **blue** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:12 pm

obscurity wrote:I hadn't, but for the sake of completeness I have now.

So...anyone got any recommendations for a decent s/pdif interface for my laptop?

the RME stuff has been great for me.

obscurity · Post by **obscurity** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:44 am

blue wrote: the RME stuff has been great for me.

Which model are you using? And what kind of latency are you getting?

starfinger · Post by **starfinger** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 5:53 am

i can't believe you were getting 2ms off the kore controller! was it holding up well under load?

-craig

obscurity · Post by **obscurity** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:11 am

starfinger wrote:i can't believe you were getting 2ms off the kore controller! was it holding up well under load?

-craig

Perfectly well, until I accidentally knocked it off the back of my keyboard and it landed on the plug that went into the s/pdif socket and broke the socket :(

I know people have had lots of issues with Kore (just reading NI's forum tells me that), but it's been rock solid for me since the day I got it. My only complaint is that the glue that stuck the rubber pads on the button wasn't very strong and the pads have come off - perhaps it wouldn't have gone over the back of the keyboard if the pads were still on it.

starfinger · Post by **starfinger** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:24 am

i like kore, but the driver latency was a bit frustrating. i think my computer's usb might have some issues, because at the lowest settings it really freezes up the computer.

fwiw, i used some super glue on my rubber feet and they have not budged

-craig

obscurity · Post by **obscurity** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:05 am

starfinger wrote:i like kore, but the driver latency was a bit frustrating.

Really? I'm surprised, 'cos the latency was one of the real highlights of it for me. I didn't do much tweaking or anything, just plugged it in, installed the drivers, fired up cubase, looked at the latency and went 'woah! dude!'. If kore had s/pdif input as well as output, I'd go out and buy another copy of kore just for the audio interface (I have decided to use steinberg's system link thing to create a small music network, so I need both input and output, both digital).

starfinger wrote:i think my computer's usb might have some issues, because at the lowest settings it really freezes up the computer.

The only side effect that I get when I try to go too low is pops & crackles in the audio, the computer itself just doesn't care. Sounds like you have driver issues to me. Is it a dedicated music computer, or do you use it for other stuff too?

starfinger wrote: fwiw, i used some super glue on my rubber feet and they have not budged

If only NI had thought of that! I'd do the same now but I don't think I'll be able to find the rubber pads any more.

starfinger · Post by **starfinger** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:44 am

obscurity wrote: The only side effect that I get when I try to go too low is pops & crackles in the audio, the computer itself just doesn't care. Sounds like you have driver issues to me. Is it a dedicated music computer, or do you use it for other stuff too?

it's 100% tweaked out music computer... but that's a good point about the usb drivers. it hasn't been a major problem since most of the time the kore is just used as a controller.

i use my motu traveler for audio, set at a comfortable 5ms latency.. it drives me crazy if i get any crackles, so i don't usually put it lower.

obscurity wrote: If only NI had thought of that! I'd do the same now but I don't think I'll be able to find the rubber pads any more.

NI will send you new ones if you contact them through support. They sent me some self-adhesive ones, but they fell off as well (until i superglued them)

-craig