OK, I'm in the exact same dilemma as you at the moment. Own a 24 I/O, looking to replace it.

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Originally posted by johno27 Hey all, I've been using a motu 24i/o interface for quite some time. Although I know for a fact it's not the worst audio interface out there, nor the best I seem to be reading more and more comments that it's complete junk quality/converter wise.

It depends on what you compare it to. I put it in the "prosumer" category. You aren't going to find too many broke kids using it, but you also aren't going to find it in many higher end studios. So it is somewhere in the middle. I can tell you that once you get high quality monitors, then you'll definitely notice the deficiencies.

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Originally posted by johno27 Or is this just mere speculation? anyone actually a/b'ed the 24i/o up against something like the apogee?

I have not personally compared the 24 I/O with the Apogee, RME or Lynx stuff, but I have been informed by people who HAVE compared the two, that the Lynx is the better sounding out of the three you mentioned here. Personally, I'm saving up for a Aurora 16 myself to replace the 24 I/O. It has less in/out, but the AD/DA conversion is supposed to be second to none.

The Aurora16 definately seems like a solid performer. Just looking on the site and it seems that you'd need 2 interfaces to get 32in/out and you need one AES16e card per interface (so another 2x), unless im mistaken..not sure about sync'ing the 2 or how that would work as opposed to the PCI424 arrangement... cost wise this looks like I might need more than just a kidney..

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Originally posted by johno27 The Aurora16 definately seems like a solid performer. Just looking on the site and it seems that you'd need 2 interfaces to get 32in/out and you need one AES16e card per interface (so another 2x), unless im mistaken..not sure about sync'ing the 2 or how that would work as opposed to the PCI424 arrangement... cost wise this looks like I might need more than just a kidney..

Yes, you'd need 2 AES16 cards for two interfaces. In Mac OS X you can create an "aggregate" audio device that allows you to use two or more audio interfaces as if they were a single unit.

I hear you about the cost, its going to run me in the neighborhood of $4,500 for one of these once I add in the cost of the AES card and cables and such. However, one thing I have discovered lately is that I'd rather sink huge amount of cash into high, high quality stuff rather than keep on buying this mid-grade stuff that just ends up getting replaced anyway. The results are definitely worth it.

I have a guy I work with that can help you sort all this out if need be. PM me if you're interested, I'll put you in touch with him.

Monitor wise i've been using a pair of Tannoy Reveal 6's .. which imho suck. They work well for A/B'ing and I would keep them as more of "hi-end" hifi speaker setup for checking mixes on, but when combined with the 24i/o I'm completely unable to get mixes spot on without having to continually bounce to cds and listen in 10 different places and keep coming back and making adjustments. At the end of the day the goal for me is does this make me a better producer? even if it's just by improving my workflow/efficiency by being able to get the mixdown/rough masters done in studio without having to spend days checking and re-checking mixes in the car on hi-fi's, headphones.. pa systems etc..

I find with the Tannoys (maybe also partly caused by the 24io) that the very low end is well represented, but the mid-bass range is terribly flattered, but in an unusual pattern .. almost like notch filters.. so it's near impossible to balance out those track elements and eq them to make the low end warm and tight and not too over the top.

I'm thinking of getting a pair of either HR824's or the focal twins.

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Originally posted by johno27 Monitor wise i've been using a pair of Tannoy Reveal 6's .. which imho suck. They work well for A/B'ing and I would keep them as more of "hi-end" hifi speaker setup for checking mixes on, but when combined with the 24i/o I'm completely unable to get mixes spot on without having to continually bounce to cds and listen in 10 different places and keep coming back and making adjustments. At the end of the day the goal for me is does this make me a better producer? even if it's just by improving my workflow/efficiency by being able to get the mixdown/rough masters done in studio without having to spend days checking and re-checking mixes in the car on hi-fi's, headphones.. pa systems etc.. I find with the Tannoys (maybe also partly caused by the 24io) that the very low end is well represented, but the mid-bass range is terribly flattered, but in an unusual pattern .. almost like notch filters.. so it's near impossible to balance out those track elements and eq them to make the low end warm and tight and not too over the top.

My guess is that your monitors are more to blame for this than your audio interface. I just made the jump from HR824's to Focal Twin 6's and I can tell you that the difference is HUGE. Even with the Focals plugged into a mid-grade audio interface like the 24 I/O, the improvement is massive. I can't wait until I can upgrade the audio interface as well.

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Originally posted by johno27 I'm thinking of getting a pair of either HR824's or the focal twins.

Considering the problems you described above, I'd recommend staying away from the HR824's. They are very scooped in the mids, and I had the same problems you did with tonal balance, levels and clarity. I've only had the Focals for less than a week, and already my mixdowns sound 100X better than they did on the HR824's, AND they TRANSLATE!! What I hear in the studio is what I hear on my laptop speakers, in the car, etc.

I'm holding on to the HR824's for an A/B reference monitor for the moment, but I'll probably ditch them once I get used to the Focals. They are just in a different league from the HR824's.

You must have some damn good laptop speakers, and car audio if your hearing the same thing as from Focal Twins =)


p.s. Ive used the Apogee Ensemble with Focal Twin 6's....omg. Since then Ive been saving up for the same setup...with nice cables.

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Originally posted by DJ Sound You must have some damn good laptop speakers, and car audio if your hearing the same thing as from Focal Twins =)

Well it's not the SAME thing, it just that it sounds proper on the different systems.

Thats exactly what I'm looking for .. good translation.. i'm really sick of things sounding tip top in studio and then like utter rubbish everywhere else with countless hours of tweaking and wasted cd's Even after the tweaking without being able to make minute adjustments on a good reference system is like stumbling around in the dark.. I think the focal twins are it then. I'll avoid the hr824s.. maybe get a pair of yamaha hs80m's for a/b.. as I can get them for almost nothing.

What about the K&H 0300 vs the Focals?

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Originally posted by johno27 What about the K&H 0300 vs the Focals?

K&H are more expensive and you'll find many people who prefer them to the Focals. This makes sense as they are almost twice the price, $2,200 per speaker versus $3,000 for a pair of Focal Twins. You can also look into the ADAM P33A which are 3 way like the Focals but more in the K&H price range. The thing I hear about the ADAMS is that they are not "pleasant" monitors and can be quite fatiguing after extended sessions, where as the Focals are quite pleasant even for non-critical listening.

You just need to evaluate your budget and decide what you can afford.

can you do the black lion mod to your 24 i/o?...the 828 with that mod is unreal nice