Keep My Audio Interface or...

Talk about your MIDI interfaces, microphones, keyboards...

Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz

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totheatom
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Keep My Audio Interface or...

Post by totheatom »

Hi, all. New member here. Sorry to clutter the forum with yet another thread asking for an audio interface recommendation, but not sure where else to turn to and Google isn't exactly overflowing with insight about Linux music hardware, unfortunately.

I'm a lifelong Windows user who has just recently started using Linux. At the moment, I'm dual booting Windows 10 and Ubuntu 18.04 on separate SSDs. However, I'm booting to Linux almost all of the time.

Presently, I'm using a RME Babyface Pro audio interface, which is stellar for my needs on Windows - not so much on Linux. It can operate fine in class compliant mode. However, I lose RME's excellent drivers as well as the Total Mix software and it also becomes super underwhelming at driving headphones for late night listening.

I'm thinking about selling the RME and picking up something a little more compatible with my new preferred OS, but will I truly gain much in doing so? The MOTU 828es seems like an appealing option, but will it be a noticeable improvement over the RME in class compliant mode? Should I be looking cheaper? Should I simply add a headphone amp to the RME and roll with that?

Would greatly appreciate your advice and insight. Thank you so much!
Last edited by totheatom on Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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khz
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Re: Keep My Audio Interface or...

Post by khz »

Welcome \o/

All RME PCI/PCIe cards are supported by ALSA (package alsa-firmware-loaders (1)) and you have the excellent HDSPMixer (2).
1) https://packages.debian.org/stretch/als ... re-loaders
2) https://www.rme-audio.de/english/techin ... tmsoft.htm
. . . FZ - Does humor belongs in Music?
. . GNU/LINUX@AUDIO ~ /Wiki $ Howto.Info && GNU/Linux Debian installing >> Linux Audio Workstation LAW
  • I don't care about the freedom of speech because I have nothing to say.
totheatom
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Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:35 am

Re: Keep My Audio Interface or...

Post by totheatom »

Thanks very much for the info! I'm wary about going with an internal card, however, and prefer to stick with an external standalone interface, if at all possible.
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