#17

The ES-8 will allow you to skip the USBStreamer and uses less HP/costs less than the ES-3/ES-6 combo. I kind of wish I had gone that way, but the ES-8 had just come out when I bought the ES-3/ES-6/USBstreamer second hand.
http://www.expert-sleepers.co.uk/es8.html
Class compliant, works on Linux.

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#18

I’m on the fence right now about whether a DC-coupled audio interface is even the right thing for controlling modular (or CV-enabled guitar pedals) from a laptop. This kind of setup is just amazing for lab use though - you can build one heck of an audio-band scrolling storage scope on linux/openGL.

On the other hand a monome-serial-ish CV output could be made hot-pluggable from linux laptop like a grid. You could send pairs of numbers [CV-level, slew-rate] as OSC messages or similar.

The aleph may eventually fill this if CV-DAC driver issues can be surmounted but I think it could also be done with a teensy. Yanking USB soundcard on low-latency jack is a sure recipe for weird hard crashes…

#19

Thanks for all the suggestions – I think ES-8 fits the bill best, but I’m also surprised there are no cheaper options around. I suppose with VCV becoming more popular, more choices will surface.

Like @rick_monster said, perhaps a Teensy-based option already exists, using this:

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#20

As a non-performing musician, I’m curious why that bill is the best fit. I have a studio setup, which was in the video but I haven’t moved it from that space. Why would a obsolete but functional firewire 19" rack mount interface be less interesting than a USB class compliant interface?

#21

I think it’s brilliant that the old MOTU interfaces get a second lease on life this way, but since there isn’t a working USB-to-Firewire solution available, I can’t use them with my Organelle or iPad, which is what would interest me the most.

#22

I’ve had an ES8 for a while now and I love it but I experience unavoidable and frequent distortion while recording. I don’t know how to fix it. I’ve recorded into other interfaces before and never experienced this. I also just read this:

“DC-coupling provides the flexibility required by CV but can potentially introduce drift in the bias, low frequency rumble and distortion”

Is there any validity to this? Would anyone know how to troubleshoot and fix this kind of problem?

#23

@photofractal check out this page on Noise Engineering’s site.

You may want to use use a high-pass filter or eq out very low frequencies to see if that helps.

#24

Wow thank you… I knew it had something to do with ultra low frequencies. I really don’t understand why it’s designed this way if that is a potential problem though. I send audio to all 4 inputs at the same time quite often. I would need 4 high pass filter modules that are capable of cutting 20Hz and under to solve this. Seems really impractical and a little ridiculous. I haven’t heard a single thing about other people having this problem so I’m really curious what others have experienced regarding this.

#25

You might want to read this thread, where @Simeon mentioned the DC offsets when discussing mastering the Solstice LCRP. The rest of the thread goes into more detail.

#26

It’s not a flaw, it’s a trade off. if you want your input to handle DC then DC offset is unavoidable, and the only solution would be to add switches to the hardware to activate/remove the DC coupling, increasing the cost. However if your signal has sufficient headroom you can remove the DC offset in your DAW.

#27

Awesome thank you. I have a much better understanding of this now. Only problem is that I’m getting the distortion at the input of the ES8 and not in my DAW. So maybe it’s not the DC afterall and another problem entirely.

#28

Are you using the ES-8 as a soundcard, or via ADAT? I had some distortion via ADAT once, but I believe it’s because I turned on my soundcard after the ES-8: cycling the power on the module fixed the problem.

#29

I’m going directly into the ES-8 most of the time. I haven’t noticed any distortion via ADAT but I also haven’t used it that much.

#30

Have you contacted Expert Sleepers? I think they’re pretty responsive to questions.

#31

are there any dc coupled audio interfaces having DC inputs?

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#32

Afaik the ES-8 is the only one

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#33

Im thinking about grabbing one of these to inerface between my WMD PM and Metric Halo’s via https://www.diyrecordingequipment.com/products/sb2-16x2-passive-summing-mixer

Then youve got about db’s to add (if you wished)

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#34

I have always been a Windows users (with some light linux use for embedded MCUs), and I managed to pick up a 2018 15" MBP mid spec at a John Lewis here in the UK for just under £1700 including insurance etc.
So far I am impressed with the OS usability, It has also been good for the audio programming I have done so far (rack and VST), but I have yet to try and re-program a mutable clouds with it (the gateway to modular dev). I have had no problems with the audio running Live10 on the built-in card. My external audio interface is an old EMU 0404 that [somehow] still works with my PC, but I have not been brave enough to try it with the MBP. From the report shared above, I guess I will wait until I can afford a TB3 interface, which sadly rules out the Expert Sleepers ES-8 that I was planning to buy.

Can anyone recommend a TB3 DC coupled interface?

Which MacBook should I buy?
#36

Sorry to bring back this thread but I was looking at my unused ada8k and thought about this.

Did you happen to mod it in the end?

The link to MG no longer carries the pictures. Does anyone happen to have pics or instructions on how to mod the behringer ada8k to be DC coupled? Thanks in advance.

#37

Heya, I never did end up opening my ada8000 (and I got a new audio interface where using ADAT has been problematic for me, so less likely to be motivated).
I think all the information available is on that page that rickmonster linked:
http://www.inf.ufrgs.br/~johann/ada8000/
Very useful project on a low-cost piece of equipment, let me know if you make progress!

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