Best audio interface to use with mpt?

[Svenni]

Hi guys

Whats the best audio interface to use with mpt?

[Exhale]

I use audacity

[Saga Musix]

That's an audio editor, not an audio interface.

There is no "best". There are many good choices, but they also depend on what other sort of things you intend to do with your computer. For example most (semi-)professional audio gear won't offer you 5.1 surround output, so if you intend to watch movies or play games with a surround system, you would need a separate audio interface for that. Apart from that, even the cheaper stuff by reputable audio brands will be fine. ESI, RME, MOTU, Focusrite... They all have good stuff that sounds better than any onboard audio and it will work with OpenMPT just like with any other audio software. ASIO driver quality often varies but unless you need really low latency recording and playback, WASAPI drivers will be fine and crash-free.

[Svenni]

Thanks man.

Im looking for something that i can use in the occasional game, but dont need 5.1 and mostly need it for sound work. Which is mostly mpt.

Budget 100-150 at the moment.

But yeah , i suppose focusrite would be best choice considering that, yeah?

But i was kinda asking to see if there was any audio interface that you knew specifically to work very well with mpt. But you generally answered my question, thanks.

[Saga Musix]

But yeah , i suppose focusrite would be best choice considering that, yeah?

Well, it is one reputable choice out of many as said. I have been using ESI audio interfaces for the last 15 years, and I've been very happy with them (and it's the reason why even my current PC still has a PCI slot ). Other people have been using RME interfaces with OpenMPT for a long while with the same opinion. There's not much you can do wrong with these brands at this price tag, I'd say.

[Svenni]

Yeah i heard good things about rme when i was googling this.Bit pricey though at the moment.   I have not heard of ESI, which of their cards do you have?

Also, i heard there is higher noise floor with pci slot cards? Do you find that true because i thought todays puters were shielded well enough?

I also use still win 7 Might limit my choices, but i would love to hear some about what is available.

[Saga Musix]

I use the ESI Juli@ (not in production any more). Also used a few other models such as the ESI Maya44E but in the end the Juli@ won, among other reasons because it has great Linux support too thanks to the Envy24 being used.

Good PCI cards don't need to be susceptible for electromagentic interference from the computer any more than external devices do. My recording noise floor is well below -100dB, and just turning on a single syntheiszer to record from already creates a higher noisefloor than the card's own noise. It probably also helps that the Juli@ has balanced inputs (like any good audio interface should), so the cables I connect to it don't act as an antenna for even more electromagnetic interference.

Most manufacturers will probably stop releasing Windows 7 drivers or already have. I know that ESI supports their audio hardware for a very long time (the Juli@ still receives driver updates), but they also dropped support for Windows 7 on their latest drivers. But it's very easy to find the last drivers supporting any operating system on their website. I don't know how easy that is for other manufacturers. Class-compliant USB devices have one advantage in this case - they will always work without drivers from the vendor, although potentially with reduced functionality (e.g. there will be no ASIO driver). This could be a good reason for you to get a USB audio interface.

[Svenni]

Yeah im looking at the ESI Maya 22 USB.

win 7 support according to the website.

+thanks man.