# Sticky  REW Sound Card Database



## aackthpt

It's been discussed that maintaining a list of sound card/mic pre/mixer/mic options might be valuable, including any pros and cons or notes on use. To kick it off, please post your REW signal chain components (not including cables) and what operating system you are using.

Here's my current setup:

Mic: Dayton EMM-6
Soundcard/mic pre/phantom power: M-Audio MobilePre USB (this old school one)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
Notes: Works well with java or ASIO driver, TS in/out connectors (use RCA adapters where necessary), No longer sold / $40-50 on ebay


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## Sonnie

Thanks for starting the thread John... hopefully this will be helpful and we can get some ideas flowing.

Mic: Behringer ECM8000 (Calibrated by Cross-Spectrum)
Preamp: Behringer UB802 Mixer w/ Phantom Power (Older model)
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster MP3+ USB (No longer available)
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

No issues thus far with this setup.


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## distox

This is what I am using...

Mic: Behringer ECM8000 (also calibrated by Cross-Sectrum)
Preamp/Phantom Power/Soundcard via USB: Tascam US-122 MKII
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64-bit.

I have not tried it with ASIO drivers yet.


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## Sonnie

I was hoping we would have more response out of this... maybe it got lost in the shuffle. Let's bump it back up to the top again. :T


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## jtalden

My Setup:

OS: MS Windows Vista (on Asus Notebook)
Mic: BeyerDynamic MM1 (Factory Calibrated) [also Behringer ECM8000]
Audio Interface: Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 (Firewire)
[Normally using ASIO (ASIO4ALL) but also works well with Saffire-ASIO and Java drivers]
Software: REW and HOLMImpulse


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## KalaniP

I'll be posting my setup as soon as I have a chance to actually give it a go and verify it all actually works together...


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## Zeitgeist

Mic: Dayton EMM-6 w/full calibration from Cross Spectrum Labs
Soundcard/mic pre/phantom power: Tascam US122 MKII
Operating System: Windows 7 Enterprise 64bit
Notes: TASCAM has ASIO support, but I don't think I've tried it with REW. I've used it with SMAART though.
Laptop is HP 6730b

TASCAM is very flat +- .5db


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## mojave

Mic: Behringer ECM8000 (calibrated by Cross-Sectrum)
Preamp/Phantom Power/Soundcard via USB: Tascam US-122
Preamp/Phantom Power/Soundcard via USB: Steinberg UR824
Preamp/Phantom Power/Soundcard via Firewire: Steinberg MR816x
OS: Windows 7 Pro 32 and 64-bit.

Notes:
ASIO output works great.

Soundcard calibration of the Steinberg products works best when using headphone out to line 1 in. If using line 1 out to line 1 in the frequency response rolls off starting at 20 Hz. However, if using the Tascam out to Steinberg in or vice versa, the frequency response is flat to about 5 Hz. I was told that using line in to line out on the Steinberg causes an impedance mismatch which results in an incorrect calibration. This was verified by using the Tascam in conjunction with the Steinberg. All three of these are basically flat from 5 Hz to greater than 20 kHz.


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## jlird808

I'm a DAW user calibrating/measuring my project studio, same measurement principles though.

Mic: Dayton Audio EMM-6 calibrated via Dayton's serial no/website system (formerly Behringer ECM8000 uncalibrated)
Pre: Golden Age Projects Pre-73 (phantom power of course)
Soundcard: EMU 1212M PCI (formerly on an 0404 PCI and 0404 USB)
OS: Windows 7 64bit

Notes:
Been an EMU user for about 8 years now. Their DAC converters are SO NICE for the $$$. Patchmix is a bit rough to figure out at first but, through the years, I feel super comfortable with it. In fact, I have my EQ filter adjustments setup on my ASIO output so that when I test in REW or I'm just on Cubase mixing, etc...the filters are in place...not need for a BFD 1124 thingy...ahh except one drawback. Patchmix only lets u setup eq filters down to 50hz  I use ApQualizr VST eq plugin to compensate for the rest, though, while mixing in Cubase


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## AudioSavant

Is anyone using a small DAW, like a 2x2 or 2x4 either traditional or newer USB model like either A Tascam US144 Mkll, Pre-Sonus AUdiobox 22VSL, or Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 ? (There are many others, but bigger & more detailed for recording). Thoughts, comments ? The Audio spec on the line/mic inputs, with 48V Phantom power, at least on paper are pretty impressive. 20Hz-20Khz +/-0.3dB and audio input from basic 44.1 all the way up to 96K/24bit. Vs. dedicated sound cards, thoguht, comments, opinions ?


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## jlird808

The Focusrite is pretty lol...its got good specs too. 

I've always used EMU interfaces cuz the have dope converters for the price and I've gotten really used to Patchmix. I did have an 0404 USB for like a week but didn't like it it all (for one reason, I dont think it had Patchmix).

U might wanna consider the M-Audio interfaces too. 



AudioSavant said:


> Is anyone using a small DAW, like a 2x2 or 2x4...


And just to correct ur language, replace "DAW" with "interface"


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## SAC

With few exceptions, just about all the pre-amps less than about $450 are in the same ballpark. 
And then there is another price/performance break at about $800.

*Here* is a list with comments regarding some of the more common pre-amps.

Signal to noise, phase and frequency response linearity, latency...all are much more critical than sample rate.


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## AudioSavant

:sn:Of course S/N, THD, linearity, weighting basis, are more important than whether you are recording at 44.1 (PCM), or 88.2, but a whole other subject, not directly related to my original comments & questions is the power supply of the respected device. VERY few, and I mean VERY FEW USB based devices detailed herein, take any consideration of the dual usagae of the USB carrier, whereas the small current has an effect on the recorded tone. In fact, one of the ONLY playback devices that I know of that takes this into consideration in product design, is the BRYSTON BDP-1. If you look at the NAIM D/AC, they don't include USB at all, for fear of contamination from the small current flow. Anyway, I digress, as this was a discussion about measurement microphones and the accompanying options of sound cards or 'Digital Audio Workstations /DAW' (yes some are
small format DAW with software), and of course, computer recording interfaces. M-Audio offered interesting devices, but after they were purchased by Digi, I am not sure of the product. I geenerally would trust the oversight and reported specification of Japanese brands like Tascam, and in larger format, Yamaha. DBX by Harman makes very good quality for the money, and I would guess the measurement mic is made in Austria, or at least designed in Austria by AKG. The DAW workstation, with phantom pre, and lots of I/O options also by Harman is the Lexicon piece, but when I last checked it didn't support Win7....maybe it does, but I don't know. Anyway, the bottom line is NOT paper spec always, it is a starting point. I am not confident in the starting point with the Behringer, so everything after is moot. So I am back to Dayton, DBX, Audix, and maybe even a capsule from ACO. Anyone ?
Thank you!


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## AudioSavant

Excellent ! Just looked at list..now THESE are the brands & models I know. Are you with Easra? Thank you very much. The lamda & Omega have always intrigued me, for what they are, how much software is included, and how relatively inexpensive they are. Now brands like Samson are entering this field, after brands like preSonus broke new ground. I guess between $150-$300 MSRP for one of these interfaces, you need to look at THD, S/N, deviations, etc., which all might be very similar, but more importantly for the user, ease of use. Size of the unit, type of I/O, as if you need XLR & the device is 1/4" TRS, then adding adapters can & will affect results, including adding to costs. In the end, what fits 'your' needs.
Thanks again.


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## SAC

...dbl post


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## SAC

First, there is a different orientation between measurement products and 'audio recording' products.
And I would not let your familiarity with the MI products color your opinion of products intended for use in measurement and analysis purposes. And talk of DAW has no place in this discussion. While i appreciate one's desire for 'quality', I must admit to disagreeing with the decision making criterion.

Ultimately you buy what is necessary to do the job. Simply having a Ferrari to go to the grocery store is not necessarily a prudent matching of tool to task.

And no, you essentially don't use ANY of the included software unless it is specifically required for control of the unit, so that aspect is moot. You use the measurement software, not the editing and FX capabilities of included MI software.

Many of the high end platforms regrettably use a proprietary front end. Easera does not. No, I am not with Easera, but my primary platforms have been TEF and EASERA & SysTune over the past 25 years. For Easera, some of the more commonly used pre-amps have been the Easera Gateway made by PreSonus which includes an integrated loopback eliminating the need for an external loopback and exhibits timing characteristics allowing it to be used in conjunction with TDS; the PreSonus Firestudio Project for use as a multi-input (8-16+ channel) device, the Duran Audio DAxys pre-amp featuring exceptional S/N, phase linearity and a ruggedized design (eg I/O jacks mounted to a metal case instead of to a motherboard), integrated loopback, and software based controls. Meanwhile movement is being made towards Ethernet based connectivity rather than USB or Firewire.

Also, there are a plethora of quality (and pricey!) lab grade measurement mics available. (And since the question of orientation comes up repeatedly with many very curious interpretations, they are listed for the following sample mics as well...) This is NOT intended to serve as any kind of exclusive reference or endorsement, although all are good mics. They are simply examples... Not listed are many from such firms as Audix, etc...

The optimal orientation of the microphone relative to the source is model specific. One will want to verify this with the owner’s manual for the microphone in question.
The orientation of _a few _common measurement microphones are listed below.

SoundFirst SF101 - 0 degrees (pointed at source)
DPA4007 - 45 degrees
DPA4090 - 0 degrees
TEF05 - 0 deg
TEF04 - 45 deg
AudioToolbox - 90 deg (perpendicular)
Earthworks M30 - 90 deg
Earthworks M30BX - 90 deg

And I would avoid the tendency to buy on the basis of 'name recognition' - as many of the best measurement mics are made by companies whose names one has no other reason to be familiar.

As you pay more for a mic you get: flatter response, extended range, and lower self-noise and better consistency from mic to mic. 
The question is: how flat do you need it? What frequency range do you need? Do you require multiple matched mics? What degree of mic-to-mic consistency?


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## AudioSavant

No, please excuse me , as you are correct, and I never meant to imply that the software with MI product was needed, or even usefull for acoustics testing. We should know, that it is not! I was simply inferring that in the MI world (as you pointed out), you can purchase an I/O box, that has 1,2, or more mic-pre's some with up to 48V Phantom b/i, for less money than a computer specific sound card. If anyone ever has a need to do any live or pass-through recording, along with field testing, at the lower price points some of these boxes are quite nice. Don't know if this go-round with Focusrite is as good as it once was, but these price points are pretty shocking. I was never leaning in any way shape, or form towards a CLASS 1 B&K, Eathworks, or otherwise unnecesarry expense. And you are 100% correct, in that the wrong tool in the wrong hands, or for that matter, the best tool in the wrong hands has no meaning. That is why the same tooling in production can turn out a $10 item, or a $1000 item. it all depends on the operator, just like using a Martin guitar or a Selmer Alto by a 4th. grade 1st., semester music person. Anyway, regarding your comment about USB, again you are correct! Firewire is a very good , but Apple, which owns 1394, has almost given up this interface. USB 3.0, while rolling out in new PC's seems not to have a follow-up act with third party vendors. From the giants of the MI world, to the masters of the studio market, on through to the newer audiophile market that is moving towards HD music (and video), Ethernet IS THE ONLY way right now to future proof product. Look at the StreamNet patented protocol, which transmits 44.1 & 88.2, uncompressed, in multiple streams over one cat-5e cable...and will control all functionality. Anyway, back to sound cards & mics; All of your points at the end of your post, are well taken and helpful, but as we aren't, I don't think talking about doing FOH mic check, multiple mics aren't really germain to this subject. Then again, I guess you could be learning how to setup a large venue here. And we aren't talking about plugins or things like ProTools, I don't think, so we are back to small room acoustics, and we have to focus on frequencies below 2K, or at least that is where I know most of the issues in small rooms lie. So back to square one; Do we use a card frame sound card (desktop) or for most here, an external sound card with pig-tails, or something of this sort, or use as an option an MI I/O device ? It is interesting as the cards detailed within are of higher quality, with valuable microphone information about placement of the associated units, but in other posts here, it seems the direction is 180 degrees opposite, with a mic like a Behringer 8000, with ZERO accompaning paperwork or usefull info. Anyway, thank you very much for all of your information. My next step maybe an Audix TR1, but still unsure of the pre.onder:


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## fordgtlover

First time poster. I just got REW up and running so I thought I'd post my kit.

Mic: Behringer ECM8000 Cross spectrum calibrated
Soundcard: Behringer UCA202
mic pre/phantom power: Behringer XENYX 502 mixer
Operating System: Windows XP SP2 Java 1.7 (upgraded from 1.5)
REW Version: 5 build 2412
Notes: Originally had a problem getting the loop-back to work. After googling I found 2 recommendations; 1 to upgrade the version of Java, and the second to run 'Levels' from the main menu before attempting the loop-back.

I upgraded Java and it worked as expected


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## BandidoAzul

In the REW cable and connections guide the setup for the spl meter shows a need for an external sound card with both line out -and- line in jacks..which sound cards would fit this requirment? been doing a lot of research and i wanna make sure i dont end up getting the wrong thing

Thanks

p.s. this will be for subwoofer calibration only, i have a rs digital spl meter already and a bfd on the way.

edit** just looked into the above posted behringer uca202, connecting that to my laptop pc via usb should be all that is necessary, right?


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## JohnM

BandidoAzul said:


> edit** just looked into the above posted behringer uca202, connecting that to my laptop pc via usb should be all that is necessary, right?


Right.


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## BandidoAzul

Since the uca202 has separate right and left channels for both out and in, 2 simple subwoofer/rca cables should suffice right? (I already have a rca splitter for the avr's end)

for instance: http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-PureAV...id=1340599753&sr=1-5&keywords=subwoofer+cable


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## gym333

I want to buy a new Preamp for ECM8000 to use with REW.

Which one is better between Tascam US-122 MKII and M-Audio MobilePre USB or any other recommend?

Thanks


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## spaceape

I would also like too know this if anyone have some idea. TASCAM vs. M Audio vs. E-MU external soundcards? Or what about just a high quality pc soundcard?


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## Zeitgeist

gym333 said:


> I want to buy a new Preamp for ECM8000 to use with REW.
> 
> Which one is better between Tascam US-122 MKII and M-Audio MobilePre USB or any other recommend?
> 
> Thanks


I have them both, I prefer the M-Audio. I like the controls better and it's a little more portable. The TASCAM is fine but just a little awkward.

The reason to use them over a sound card is that they both provide phantom power -- which a sound card cannot.


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## jlird808

Yeah the PCI versions won't have a preamp or phantom power to power ur sdc....unless there's a breakout box like the EMU 1616m but ur looking at $300+ range

EMU is known for having better AD/DA converters than its competitors within similar price ranges...so maybe the 0404usb or 0202usb might work for u too.


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## spaceape

Zeitgeist said:


> I have them both, I prefer the M-Audio. I like the controls better and it's a little more portable. The TASCAM is fine but just a little awkward.
> 
> The reason to use them over a sound card is that they both provide phantom power -- which a sound card cannot.


Cool. :TT So the insides of the units don't differ much quality wise? What im trying too find out is if some have much better frequency responds than others.

But maybe this is a hard thing too answer since very few people actually open up the boxes and do real comparisons.


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## jlird808

spaceape said:


> Cool. :TT So the insides of the units don't differ much quality wise? What im trying too find out is if some have much better frequency responds than others.
> 
> But maybe this is a hard thing too answer since very few people actually open up the boxes and do real comparisons.


U wouldn't have to open them up to see their frequency responses lol. They may have charts online though if u look.

The funny thing is, if u accidentally choose the one with the worse freq resp, it almost doesn't matter as, when u calibrate ur system, REW will compensate for whatever ur interface is lacking in "flatness".

I think u would be fine with either for doing measurements as they both have the necessary specs...just get the one that "looks cooler" maybe LOL.


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## spaceape

jlird808 said:


> U wouldn't have to open them up to see their frequency responses lol. They may have charts online though if u look.
> 
> The funny thing is, if u accidentally choose the one with the worse freq resp, it almost doesn't matter as, when u calibrate ur system, REW will compensate for whatever ur interface is lacking in "flatness".
> 
> I think u would be fine with either for doing measurements as they both have the necessary specs...just get the one that "looks cooler" maybe LOL.


Hehe you're right about that mate.  What i meant about that were that it's difficult too know what chips are on the soundcard when it's encased. So you're left with subjective opinions and close too no comparisons around on the web. Hard too get a full picture just going by hearsay and product specs.

Well i got the TASCAM 122 MKII as that one seemed too have a lot of positive writings on this forum right now.


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## gym333

Zeitgeist said:


> I have them both, I prefer the M-Audio. I like the controls better and it's a little more portable. The TASCAM is fine but just a little awkward.
> 
> The reason to use them over a sound card is that they both provide phantom power -- which a sound card cannot.


THANKS Zeitgeist :T


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## Phillips

Hi has anyone used a Steinberg C1 pre/soundcard?

Thanks in advance


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## Deon

I am thinking of using the creative sound blaster digital music premium hd usb, has anyone used this before?


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## AudioSavant

For a computer use card I have heard from people in the industry it is OK, not great. From a precision
audio testing need, wouldn't be my first choice! But if for one time, in your home theatre, it would work. I am looking at a Focusrite piece right now personally


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## Deon

Thanks for reply, I am on a tight budget and at this point I am only experimenting a little. There is an m-audio dealer nearby, looking also at the m-audio fastrack mk2, would it be a better choice than the creative and will it work well with REW?


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## AudioSavant

Honestly haven'y used the M Audio, but I would think the M-Audio has a better D/AC built in.
Creative, and this isn't a knock, is a company based in the computer market, and M-Audio is based in the semi-pro home recording company. You might want to check what has been added within the last few years into M Audio product from Pro Tools partnership, if anything. They just divested themselves of M-Audio, as they are concentrating on the Live & studio markets. M-Audio for the money has always been good value. Creative has been great value as well, just not sure of the spec, and if the spec is flat accross the spectrum..You'll have to do your homework. check some of the pro-audio sites. good luck!


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## Pedrokata

Mic:Behringer ECM8000
Pre:TC Impact Twin
Soundcard:TC konnekt 6
OS:OSX (10.6.8)


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## Pedrokata

Sorry,new to the forum…Seems there’s a little problem with ‘smilies’...


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## Deon

Tascam us-122 mk 2 on order,seems to be pretty good option for diy room measurements and good price.


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## AudioSavant

You might want to check some of the 'GAMING' sites as this is a card that is well known in that arena, and if you can't find it there, you should be able to find information and user comments on some of the PC sites. They also sell product under a different brand name, which you can most likely identify, if not spelled out in a review, via the looks and features.


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## Sailor_Ernie

To date have been using:
Sound Meter RS 33-4050 ,
Desktop PC with XP SP3 32-bit
Sound Blaster X-Fi with external I/O Console.
ASIO drivers work fine with REW.
Frequency response of SB is great, noise level is low but I’m concerned about phase as measured by REW. It looks weird above 10khz.

Hoping to take measurement to higher level- 
I just received a USB Tascam US-122MKII to use with an ASUS Laptop, Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit.
I have a pair of B&K 4007’s. I have the original factory Calibration charts that are dated Jan. 1993! 
I’m considering having one of them calibrated by Cross-Sectrum. Any thoughts?

BTW, many thanks to Dave Baldwin for the info on using the US-122MKII with REW. It will be very helpful getting it set up.


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## Deon

Yes, thanks for the info on the tascam, I just got mine setup. Also use the asio drivers, did a sound card cal. and I am impressed with how flat it is.


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## cicastol

REW is working great with my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and supplied ASIO driver! :bigsmile:


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## AudioSavant

GREAT... I am sure the mic pre's meet your need, and the flexibility of the design allows for other use!
GENELEC makes a proprietary, measurement specific breakout USB card/mic pre...but I feel for similar money the Focusrite will do. The Genelec maybe more precise, but unless you are tunning a studio or concert hall, or have the ability to tune speakers like a GENELEC, and or getting deep into proper acoustical treatments, i.e., RPG diffusion & absorption tools, it is moot. (Just like using a B&K or Soundworks mic or a behringer). Glad to hear it works fine


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## Macattack

Behringer UCA 222
Radio Shack digital SPl meter 33 2055
Win XP, HP laptop
Working well, up to about 1KHz.


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## labman1

Just getting in to the measurement thing with REW. I have the BFD and a Dayton EMM6 mic, also have a Behringer uca202. have a Nady SMPS-1x phantom power supply. Okay guys what else do I need to get this project going? Waiting on Cables for the BFD. Do I get rid of the Nady and get the Tascam? What Mic cables do I need? From reading the connection site I guess I need the Tascam or the M-Audio is this correct? Guess I need help!:help:


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## aackthpt

labman1 said:


> Just getting in to the measurement thing with REW. I have the BFD and a Dayton EMM6 mic, also have a Behringer uca202. have a Nady SMPS-1x phantom power supply. Okay guys what else do I need to get this project going? Waiting on Cables for the BFD. Do I get rid of the Nady and get the Tascam? What Mic cables do I need? From reading the connection site I guess I need the Tascam or the M-Audio is this correct? Guess I need help!:help:


1. You should start a thread; this thread is meant to provide a list of working configurations.
2. In your thread you should include more information on what you are trying to achieve overall. For example if all you want to do is run REW, then having a BFD is irrelevant. It'll probably be one step at a time anyway--get REW running, make sure you understand it a bit, and only then work on running the BFD or whatever else you want to do. You may find that having REW opens a whole new world of acoustic exploration.
3. The Tascam (or MobilePre etc) is really just a mic preamp, phantom power supply, and USB sound card in one convenient package. You have everything except a mic pre (which would also convert the balanced mic to the unbalanced signal for the uca202). In that thread you should note what equipment you are committed to using, what you can return for refund, etc. If you can return the Behringer and Nady and just get the Tascam you'd be set. You could also get a small mixer with a mic input to go between the mid and the uca202, and if the mixer had phantom power you could get rid of the SMPS. Basically there are many ways to skin this cat; some ways just put more of the "stuff" into one box which not only tends to have better portability but is typically better for n00b-proofness. Getting REW running can be confusing enough--it's usually better to not have to deal with too many extra boxes, knobs, cables, etc.


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## labman1

Thank you for the help! I originally going to use the RS spl meter to just do the sub. After more reading on this site thought I would get more detailed. I can return the Behringer and the Nady so the Tascam looks like the way to go. *Once again thank you for your reply and help!*


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## omholt

Has anyone tried Steinberg interfaces with REW?
I'm considering buying Steinberg UR22 USB interface, but saw someone mention at amazom that the Asio driver didn't work with ARTA.


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## JohnM

omholt said:


> Has anyone tried Steinberg interfaces with REW?


Post #8 mentions the UR824 and the MR816x, the CI1 has also been used. Make sure you use the latest REW V5.01 beta, there was a fix a couple of versions ago to address an ASIO interface bug that affected some Steinberg cards.


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## ferumo

Hello, although I am new to this project, for measurements I set the following setup:

Mic: Behringer ECM8000 (Uncalibrated)
Mixer: Behringer XENYX QX2442 USB
Soundcard: Asus Xonar Essence STX PCIe
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64-bit.

Has worked well, I hope it is useful


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## somm

cicastol said:


> REW is working great with my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and supplied ASIO driver! :bigsmile:


Hello cicastol, I am not able to get my Scarlett 6i6 to work. The soundcard calibration shows ugly values and then there is an warning/error in REW.

What I am doing wrong? I connect an TSR cable to Mon1 and the XLR end to Mic1, use ASIO in REW and selectes the right INPUT/OUTPUT in REW.

Are my scarlett mixer settings wrong? Could you please post a screenshot of your settings ?

somm


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## somm

somm said:


> Hello cicastol, I am not able to get my Scarlett 6i6 to work. The soundcard calibration shows ugly values and then there is an warning/error in REW.
> 
> What I am doing wrong? I connect an TSR cable to Mon1 and the XLR end to Mic1, use ASIO in REW and selectes the right INPUT/OUTPUT in REW.
> 
> Are my scarlett mixer settings wrong? Could you please post a screenshot of your settings ?
> 
> somm


Sorry for asking again -> But has someone else tried a Focusrite Scarlett with REW ?

I am not even able to calibrate the soundcard ...

somm


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## omholt

omholt said:


> Has anyone tried Steinberg interfaces with REW?
> I'm considering buying Steinberg UR22 USB interface, but saw someone mention at amazom that the Asio driver didn't work with ARTA.


I want to warn against the Steinberg UR22 soundcard. The ASIO driver works, but noise and hum is a problem with it. Going from jack to RCA obviously isn't ideal (any way at all to avoid noise with that connection?). The UR22 gives me however much more noise and hum problems that I had with my old EMU 0404 USB. It's difficult to measure with high levels. I'm going to get rid of mine and get a new one.

I don't know if this is general problem with USB bus powered soundcards. Does anyone know? My EMU 0404 USB got it's power from the wall.


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## aackthpt

omholt said:


> I don't know if this is general problem with USB bus powered soundcards. Does anyone know? My EMU 0404 USB got it's power from the wall.


There is certainly no problem in general with USB powered soundcards. I personally use an M-Audio "MobilePre USB" (note this is an older MobilePre) that is USB powered and it is dead quiet. Many here use the Tascam US-122/144 interfaces that are also USB powered.

I wouldn't be surprised if you had a gain-matching problem causing your noise--depending how you were using the interface and your connections etc. The US-144 has RCA-jack outputs, which are inherently unbalanced and probably at consumer line level. The older MobilePre USB has line outputs that are 1/4" TR and specifically shown on the datasheet as unbalanced at -10dBV, the consumer level. Outputs on the EMU say they are balanced... but it also says it has consumer/pro level auto-detect and lists a balanced and an unbalanced output impedance.

I could see why some of this might be awfully confusing for someone new to this.


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## HifiZine

somm said:


> Sorry for asking again -> But has someone else tried a Focusrite Scarlett with REW ?
> 
> I am not even able to calibrate the soundcard ...
> 
> somm


I used/reviewed the Scarlett 2i2 with REW on both Win and Mac and recommend it... I gather from past posts you are using the 6i6? If you are on Mac, please see the input workaround on OSX thread.


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## somm

HifiZine said:


> I used/reviewed the Scarlett 2i2 with REW on both Win and Mac and recommend it... I gather from past posts you are using the 6i6? If you are on Mac, please see the input workaround on OSX thread.


No, I am using windows but got it to work. I had set the input in the mixer wrong ...


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## twodutys

Hi Every one,
Just wanted to check this thread to see if anyone has some ideas to help me. I own a Auzentech Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 sound card and a condenser calibration mic that requires phantom power. On another thread someone suggested using either a Behringer Xenyx 802 or a Samson MDR624 to hook the mic to the sound card. Does this sound like the best way to go or should I bypass the X-Meridian with USB choices? I want to keep the cost down if possible yet get a reliable read for REW.
Thanks


----------



## JohnM

twodutys said:


> I own a Auzentech Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 sound card and a condenser calibration mic that requires phantom power. On another thread someone suggested using either a Behringer Xenyx 802 or a Samson MDR624 to hook the mic to the sound card. Does this sound like the best way to go or should I bypass the X-Meridian with USB choices? I want to keep the cost down if possible yet get a reliable read for REW.


The Xenyx 802 is a fairly cheap way to get phantom power and a mic preamp, should do the trick, not sure there are any USB soundcards with phantom power and mic preamp that are cheaper.


----------



## twodutys

JohnM said:


> The Xenyx 802 is a fairly cheap way to get phantom power and a mic preamp, should do the trick, not sure there are any USB soundcards with phantom power and mic preamp that are cheaper.


Thank You JohnM I will look into it.


----------



## twodutys

JohnM I just noticed you wrote REW. And I wanted to personal Thank You for what many considered the best program for helping to deal with room acoustics. And to make it available for free speaks very highly about you.


----------



## tjswarbrick

About to download REW and take my first measurements.

Windows 7 64-bit on dekstop PC;
ASUS Xonar Essence ST PCI-e soundcard
Choice: between Radio Shack SPL Meter, or
V-Tech VT-1009 uni-directional mic and
Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic100 mic preamp.

I'm thinking to start with the SPL meter, and hoping all the files for it are still available.


----------



## prerich

Works with the UMM-6 and the Asus Essence ST (JAVA). I'm going to test with the Phonic Firefly 808u (ASIO) next.


----------



## tjswarbrick

tjswarbrick said:


> About to download REW and take my first measurements.
> 
> Windows 7 64-bit on dekstop PC;
> ASUS Xonar Essence STX PCI-e soundcard
> Choice: between Radio Shack SPL Meter, or
> V-Tech VT-1009 uni-directional mic and
> Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic100 mic preamp.
> 
> I'm thinking to start with the SPL meter, and hoping all the files for it are still available.


Calibrated the soundcard with the Mic100 in the loop, and got lots of loopback. Took out the pre, and the card was a piece of cake. But when I tried to take actual measurements with the SPL meter, I couldn't turn the input up high enough for it to register. Put the pre back in, adjusted sensitivity and gain, and the measurement worked without a hitch. Came out flat, too.
Anybody know what I need to do to use the Xonar Essence STX without a preamp? In Default there was not nearly enough signal; set as "Speaker - ASUS PCI" and "Line In - ASUS PCI" it would register the signal, but I couldn't get it near the "-12dB" level to match the output without adding the pre. Best I saw card-only was about -60dB.


----------



## eliwankenobi

Hello guys!

First time here... Just getting into REW, I was able to get it going using my RS Digital SPL... I have already eyed a Dayton EMM-6.. looking for sound device that I can use as output/input, phantom power, loopback for calibration, etc.... So far I like the *Behringer 302USB Premium 5-Input Mixer with XENYX Mic Preamp and USB/Audio Interface* on Amazon. I can't post the link yet, but you can find it quickly on Amazon. Have any of you tried it? It seems perfect as far as I know, but haven't seen any reports that it works for REW.

Thanks in advance


----------



## EarlK

Read this ; ( click the pic ) 

The * UMIK-1*  is considered the best solution for those on a budget ( assuming you're not on a Mac running Mavericks ) .

:sn:


----------



## eliwankenobi

Thanks EarlK,

Is there any advantage of using this mic over using the beringer 302 with the dayton mic? (Assuming the Beringer 302 can be used with REW).


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt

The Behringer 302 won’t work with REW because it is not a full duplex sound card. You’ll have to move up to the 502.

Regards, 
Wayne


----------



## eliwankenobi

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> The Behringer 302 won’t work with REW because it is not a full duplex sound card. You’ll have to move up to the 502. Regards, Wayne


Thank you Wayne!


----------



## EarlK

eliwankenobi,

If you decide to buy any of these ( Behringer USB connectable ) mixers, make sure you have mapped out , "a no fuss, no muss" return policy with the retailer, should the mixer not work out .

From what I can glean ( from reading the Op. manuals ) when used in full duplex mode, they all ( Xenyx models ) have a built-in "feed-back loop", rendering them ( if I'm correct ) useless for REW measurement .

Conceivably, one could operate these mixer types as a one-way device, used only on the input ( to break the feedback loop ) & then use the computers built-in soundcard for output .

:sn:


----------



## eliwankenobi

EarlK said:


> eliwankenobi, If you decide to buy any of these ( Behringer USB connectable ) mixers, make sure you have mapped out , "a no fuss, no muss" return policy with the retailer, should the mixer not work out . From what I can glean ( from reading the Op. manuals ) when used in full duplex mode, they all ( Xenyx models ) have a built-in "feed-back loop", rendering them ( if I'm correct ) useless for REW measurement . Conceivably, one could operate these mixer types as a one-way device, used only on the input ( to break the feedback loop ) & then use the computers built-in soundcard for output . :sn:


Thanks EarlK

I kept checking and have not found anyone who have used it successfully, so I will probably go with the ART USB Pre. The Beringer I could find for cheap on Amazon, which is why I was asking for that one since I have a bunch gift cards that I've not used and could get a nice mic and usb pre for Free. 

No reason to get the usb mike UMM-6 over the ART/EMM-6 combo right?


----------



## TheShaman

Has anyone successfully used the EMU 0204 with REW?
I'm looking for a sound-card with, ideally, better specs than the Tascam and other units typically used, as I'd like to use it for other types of measurements as well (amp/DAC testing etc.).
The above-mentioned EMU unit seems to meet those requirements without breaking the bank - if you are willing to take the risk with the sub-par EMU driver support, I suppose.


----------



## StephenEC

Hello All . . .

I am using a STA Audio Media 7.1 sound card . . . I was able to successfully calibrate it . I also used the UMIK-1 mic along with a analog RS SPL meter . The company that made the STA Audio went out of business some time ago , and hence , driver support is nill . I am fortunate in that I have had no problems using the driver that was released by the New Company that bought STA ( Hoontech ).


----------



## eliwankenobi

Hello All,

just wanted to give a quick update... I read and read that the UMIK-1 was more than enough and recommended for home theater, I checked, and due to shipping costs to Puerto Rico, it turns out that getting it from Cross-Spectrum is actually the same total price as getting it straight from miniDSP...so there you go...Cross-Spectrum calibrated UMIK-1.. I wait for you!!


----------



## Ovation123

EarlK said:


> Read this ; ( click the pic )
> 
> The * UMIK-1*  is considered the best solution for those on a budget ( assuming you're not on a Mac running Mavericks ) .
> 
> :sn:


Any suggestions for those of us who are running a Mac with Mavericks? I have an RS analogue SPL meter and I have an Antimode 8033 mic on the way with its MicAmp (needed a longer mic cable than the one the 8033 came with and shipping was the same if I added the MicAmp, plus the 8033 mic has a calibration file ready to download from DSPeakers). I guess the ideal would be a sound card with which REW is already equipped to run?


----------



## EarlK

Ovation123 said:


> Any suggestions for those of us who are running a Mac with Mavericks? I have an RS analogue SPL meter and I have an Antimode 8033 mic on the way with its MicAmp (needed a longer mic cable than the one the 8033 came with and shipping was the same if I added the MicAmp, plus the 8033 mic has a calibration file ready to download from DSPeakers). I guess the ideal would be a sound card with which REW is already equipped to run?


The UMIK-1 mic from miniDSP is still the most economical solution ( whether one is using a Mac or Windows OS ) .

The REW problem ( JavaMac incompatibility with Mavericks ) looks to have been fixed with JohnM's latest ( Beta 21 release ) .

 *Beta Download Thread* 

:sn:


----------



## Ovation123

EarlK said:


> The UMIK-1 mic from miniDSP is still the most economical solution ( whether one is using a Mac or Windows OS ) .
> 
> The REW problem ( JavaMac incompatibility with Mavericks ) looks to have been fixed with JohnM's latest ( Beta 21 release ) .
> 
> *Beta Download Thread*
> 
> :sn:


I considered that but as I needed the extra 8033 mic anyway, the accompanying mic amp was about the same price as the umik. Unfortunately, I placed my order (already shipped) before I discovered my sound card doesn't want to play nice with REW. Otherwise, I'd have ordered--based on your post here--a umik. Having gone through this thread, I decided to get a Berhinger UCA222 (202 equivalent but with digital output--newer model) so I can connect the 8033 mic to REW. if this doesn't work, I'll get a umik and chalk it up to the cost of experimenting. But thanks for the info.


----------



## randallhill

*Re: REW Sound Card Database - Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro*

REW Sound Card Compatibility

Would I be able to use the below external USB sound card and a UMIK-1 with REW 5.01?

Thanks!

RE: Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro (USB) External Soundcard

•Audio Processor

X-Fi


•SBX Pro Studio

Yes

•Max. Playback Quality

USB 2.0:
Stereo / Surround: 24-bit / 96kHz 
USB 1.1:
Stereo: 24-bit / 96kHz 
Surround: 16-bit / 48kHz


•Max. Recording Quality

24-bit / 96kHz


•Output

5.1 Channels


•Key Features


•Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)

100dB


•Upmixing of Stereo to Multi-channels

Yes


•Connectivity Options (Main)

Headphone Out:
1 x 3.5mm jack 
Line Out: 
2 x RCA jacks (L/R) 
1 x 3.5mm jack (Rear) 
1 x 3.5mm jack (C/Sub) 
Line In: 
1 x 3.5mm jack 
Microphone In:
1 x 3.5mm jack 
Optical Out:
1 x TOSLINK


•EAX

EAX Advanced 5.0


•Dolby Digital Live Encoding

Yes


•Audio Fidelity

Up to 24-bit / 96kHz


•Software & Compatibility


•Supported Operating Systems

Windows® 8 
Windows® 7 
Windows Vista® SP1 or higher 
Windows® XP SP2 or higher


•Compatible Platform

USB 1.1 
USB 2.0


----------



## niklasmagnus

*Budget REW setup*

Hi all,

looking for a budget REW setup. Thinking of buying the Dayton EMM-6 mic and some kind of sound card (2 input/ 2 output) to get the timing reference feature. Looked at the Beringer UM2 as a cheap sound card, will it work? If not, may you please help me pick another one from the site thomann.de/se/cat.html?gf=usb_ljudinterface&oa=pra 
I live in Sweden and this site offer many alternatives at good pricing.

BR Niklas

Edit 12/11/21
Just found an SB X-Fi 5.1 (SB1090) I had forgotten about. Guess this will work, but still need a pre-micamp for the phantom power. Any suggestions?
Will the X-Fi card work for timing alignment (timing reference feature)?


----------



## deepthought

I have successfully gotten REW and Holmsresponse to work with this arrangement:

Behringer UMC204 USB interface
calibrated Dayton EMM-6 (was using an un-calibrated Behringer EMC8000 but sold that as it had a lot of low frequency noise).
I have had a lot of success using ASIO drivers. A few tricks to be aware of. I was completely unable to use ASIO 4ALL, the drivers didn't work for me. Just use the latest ASIO Behringer drivers. I can get 96khz sampling rates in REW and the Java drivers in REW will limit this to 48khz sampling rates.
Also, the unit can be a bit temperamental so I use a dedicated laptop and make sure I always plug the USB connector into the same USB port - hard to believe but swapping USB ports can screw things up!
As a note, the frequency response of the Behringer is 1-db at 5hz and 50,000hz (from memory). I did the feedback loop calibration and to be honest I don't even use it whilst testing as it is well beyond the limits of my speakers anyway. I guess if I was testing a subwoofer I would use it.

On another note I have noticed that this unit seems to suffer a lot from latency problems. Even at "safe" settings using ASIO drivers, whilst listening to music, there are small glitches in the audio stream about once every 10 seconds and there is some smearing of the sound. Luckily I can use another USB DAC for the purposes of listening to music but based on my experiences whilst I would recommend it for speaker testing, I would not recommend this unit for listening to music.


----------



## niklasmagnus

deepthought said:


> I can get 96khz sampling rates in REW and the Java drivers will limit this to 24khz.


What are you saying? that you want even get 48khz sampling rate due to Java limitation? If not, you can only measure up to 12 Khz with a 24Khz sampling rate.


----------



## deepthought

Niklas,

No, sorry that was a mistake. It should read 48khz sampling rates with Java drivers, not 24khz.


----------



## niklasmagnus

Great :sn:

I plan to buy the Behringer UMC22 so the I guess it will work fine because it's just a "smaller" version of the UMC204. UMC22 have 1/4" output and input compared to the UM2 with rca output and 1/4" input, so I don't need to buy extra adapters.


----------



## Lumen

somm said:


> Sorry for asking again -> But has someone else tried a Focusrite Scarlett with REW ?
> 
> I am not even able to calibrate the soundcard ...
> 
> somm


While I was getting ready to add my setup, I noticed your post. I'd be glad to help if I can.



HifiZine said:


> I used/reviewed the Scarlett 2i2 with REW on both Win and Mac and recommend it... I gather from past posts you are using the 6i6? If you are on Mac, please see the input workaround on OSX thread.


:hail: A very big and gracious THANKS for your review with procedure info. Helped me immensely!! :hail:


----------



## Lumen

My Measurement setup for REW5.01 and Windows 8 running on quad-core i7 laptop with 16GB memory and graphics accelerator:

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 mic preamp / USB audio interface
Dayton EMM-6 fully calibrated by Cross Spectrum Labs
Radio Shack digital SPL ,meter (BTW I heard the analog versions were better)
Generic boom microphone stand
Mogami & Audioquest cables, splitters/adapters
Johnson 40-6174 torpedo laser level
Audio Control R-101 RTA and Broadband Pink Noise Generator
Various Test CD's including Real Traps 1Hz -increment bass test tones


----------



## jangrenner

My equipment:

Behringer ECM 8000

MOTU Ultralite mk3 Audio interface

Adams A5x monitor speakers


----------



## waynea

deepthought said:


> I have successfully gotten REW and Holmsresponse to work with this arrangement:
> 
> Behringer UMC204 USB interface
> calibrated Dayton EMM-6 (was using an un-calibrated Behringer EMC8000 but sold that as it had a lot of low frequency noise).
> I have had a lot of success using ASIO drivers. A few tricks to be aware of. I was completely unable to use ASIO 4ALL, the drivers didn't work for me. Just use the latest ASIO Behringer drivers. I can get 96khz sampling rates in REW and the Java drivers in REW will limit this to 48khz sampling rates.
> Also, the unit can be a bit temperamental so I use a dedicated laptop and make sure I always plug the USB connector into the same USB port - hard to believe but swapping USB ports can screw things up!
> As a note, the frequency response of the Behringer is 1-db at 5hz and 50,000hz (from memory). I did the feedback loop calibration and to be honest I don't even use it whilst testing as it is well beyond the limits of my speakers anyway. I guess if I was testing a subwoofer I would use it.
> 
> On another note I have noticed that this unit seems to suffer a lot from latency problems. Even at "safe" settings using ASIO drivers, whilst listening to music, there are small glitches in the audio stream about once every 10 seconds and there is some smearing of the sound. Luckily I can use another USB DAC for the purposes of listening to music but based on my experiences whilst I would recommend it for speaker testing, I would not recommend this unit for listening to music.


Thanks for suggestion to use the Behringer ASIO drivers, I will have to try that later. I was trying to use REW with a umc204 card, an emm6 mic and ASIO4ALL HDMI out. The level check sorta worked for a few seconds then an increasing amount of noise was generated. I am not sure if I ever did a full sweep with that setup as there are still some problems.

Does the Behringer ASIO drivers support HDMI out? If not are there any suggestions or work that can get the ASIO4ALL to work with the Behringer UMC204. I assume fixes would require updates to ASIO4ALL, I can loan the UMC204 if that helps.


----------



## JohnM

ASIO drivers for a device only support that device, the only outputs the Behringer driver will support is those on the card. ASIO4All creates a synthetic ASIO driver that actually talks to devices via the Windows drivers for the device or devices selected.


----------



## waynea

waynea said:


> Thanks for suggestion to use the Behringer ASIO drivers, I will have to try that later. I was trying to use REW with a umc204 card, an emm6 mic and ASIO4ALL HDMI out. The level check sorta worked for a few seconds then an increasing amount of noise was generated. I am not sure if I ever did a full sweep with that setup as there are still some problems.
> 
> Does the Behringer ASIO drivers support HDMI out? If not are there any suggestions or work that can get the ASIO4ALL to work with the Behringer UMC204. I assume fixes would require updates to ASIO4ALL, I can loan the UMC204 if that helps.


I tried everything again and this time everything worked. I am not sure of the difference except may a different USB port.
To summarize
Behringer UMC204 worked with ASIO4ALL and Behringer ASIO drivers including using HDMI out on the ASIO4ALL drivers. It also worked with the Java drivers.

Thanks for your notes and thanks to those who worked on REW and ASIO4ALL.

Wayne


----------



## Arunnarula

Hi I am using a M audio fast track pro USB pre . When i try to do a calibration it dosent show me a flat response on the REW. it shows a slope on the frequency indicating that the low frequency response is poor . The same unit tested with another software shows a flat response what could this be due to


----------



## TomFord

I downloaded the REW, but was confused on how any adjustments I made in it would translate into all (or at least components aside from laptop) of my system. 

After seeing the gear some of you are using, does connecting it to a beringer like many of you have allow you to get the adjustments the software makes into your AVR, DVR, PS4, Oppo?


----------



## JohnM

Arunnarula said:


> Hi I am using a M audio fast track pro USB pre . When i try to do a calibration it dosent show me a flat response on the REW. it shows a slope on the frequency indicating that the low frequency response is poor . The same unit tested with another software shows a flat response what could this be due to


Probably need a screenshot to know whether what you are seeing is normal. When comparing results for different programs make sure the graph scales are similar - REW uses a highly zoomed in SPL scale when looking at the loopback response, for example, so what looks like a large slope may be just a few tenths of a dB from flat.


----------



## JohnM

TomFord said:


> I downloaded the REW, but was confused on how any adjustments I made in it would translate into all (or at least components aside from laptop) of my system.
> 
> After seeing the gear some of you are using, does connecting it to a beringer like many of you have allow you to get the adjustments the software makes into your AVR, DVR, PS4, Oppo?


If you want to apply REW's EQ suggestions you will need an external equalizer of some sort Behringer or miniDSP for example), or EQ filters in your processor, or a software EQ such as EqualizerAPO if you are playing audio from your PC.


----------



## kc999

Too bad this post didn't include frequency response graph for all these cards with some information. well here's M-audio Mobilepre test. -1 dB down at 20K


----------



## kc999

And this is my ESI [email protected] which I've always used for measurements. don't get any flatter than this up to 24k. too bad they don't have this in USB.


----------



## Barry100

Need external soundcard advice!.

Looking at an ASUS Xonar U5 5.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz soundcard. Works with WIN 7 on my laptop and I already have the Behringer ECM8000 mic and a Sound Devices MP-1 pre and phantom power supply. With ASIO drivers the latency is supposed to be 2ms and FQ of 48K.

My other option is a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB Audio System with SBX SB1095 24-bit 96KHz.

Any thoughts? Thanks for the advice!!!


----------



## kc999

I'm expecting a Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202HD 24-Bit/192 kHz USB Audio Interface this week will do some frequency plots on that.


----------



## kc999

umc202hd very flat


----------



## ramonnavarro

Friends Forum:

I apologize because my English is very bad. I will appreciate information about external USB Targeta "Focusrite Scarlett Solo" and microphone Behringer ECM 8000, work well with REW V5.1; OS Windows 7 32-bits?

Grateful for your help, greets

Ramon


----------



## Sound_Project

Its been awhile from my last posted... upgraded to REW 5.1 recently and below is my measurement tools :


Mic: Behringer ECM8000 (Calibrated by me via Tenma 72-8530 Sound Level Meter Calibrator)
Audio Interface: TASCAM US144mkII
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64-bit


----------



## Castore

Are the Focusrite Clarett series soundcards compatible with REW? 
I'm interested in the 4Pre model. It looks to have a Thunderbolt interface instead of the USB. Is that a problem? My laptop is Asus Zenbook UX31A and it runs on Win8.1. I have been using M-Audio Fast Track Pro with REW for years before, but now I would like to upgrade.

EDIT: I just found out that the Clarett series is currently not compatible with Win8.1, which is a bigger problem in my case. Still, I'm interested in the REW compatibility for the future plans.


----------



## JohnM

Thunderbolt cards are aimed at OS X, although it is possible to buy Thunderbolt interfaces for PCs. It would be much easier to go for a USB interface, but there's no need to change if you are only using the interface for acoustic measurement - making measurements places quite modest demands on the soundcard and just about anything can do a decent job, no need for a high end interface.


----------



## Castore

Ok, thank you very much for the swift reply. I played safe and ordered an USB model from Focusrite.


----------



## gazoink

Castore said:


> Are the Focusrite Clarett series soundcards compatible with REW?
> I'm interested in the 4Pre model. It looks to have a Thunderbolt interface instead of the USB. Is that a problem? My laptop is Asus Zenbook UX31A and it runs on Win8.1. I have been using M-Audio Fast Track Pro with REW for years before, but now I would like to upgrade.
> 
> EDIT: I just found out that the Clarett series is currently not compatible with Win8.1, which is a bigger problem in my case. Still, I'm interested in the REW compatibility for the future plans.


The Clarett series are very nice for recording, but is overly complex for REW. 

What you (and I) want for REW is a very simple 2-in/2-out USB sound device with phantom power, flat response, low noise, and up to at least 96KHz sampling frequency (for other things besides REW). No fancy DSP effects, mixing, aux sends/returns, none of it. Just 2 ins and 2 outs (especially for Mac users), front panel gain and phantom power, and USB powering (no external wall blob). 

Why this simple? I've tried several complex interfaces, and all they do is get in my way. I work on both Windows and Mac platforms, the multi-channel Mac/Soundflower work-around is a royal pain. I need something I can just plug in a go. In the last week I spent several hours trying to get my Motu 4Pre to work at all, then to work right, after it was working fine the last time I used it with REW. Of course, all of this after discovering it's failure when I really needed to use it with REW. The issues were mostly to do with all of the internal mixing/routing, and some driver issues. So my reaction is, simple is better. Simplest is the best. 

So I did up this short list. Tried to stay within the parameters above, there's a couple of exceptions:

The Focusrite Scarlet 2i4 - seems a pretty good match, though I've heard somewhere of driver issues, that may be solved by now. In fact, the only downside to it is the 4 outs, which complicates life for a Mac user. 

The Presonus AudioBox iTwo - looks promising, hits the requirements, and is bus-powered for both PC and iOS. Might must be the winner. 

The Tascam US-2x2 adds midi, but partially fails by requiring external power when connected to iOS devices.

The Roland Duo-Capture EX is another contender, has bus power, external and internal battery power (nice!) and midi, fails at only 48KHz, but would be fine for REW. 

Steinberg UR22 looks interesting, up to 24/192, midi, bus power. No iOS compatibility, though. 

IK Multimedia iRig PRO DUO - very compact! Includes midi, bus power and battery, PC and iOS compatibility, limited to 48KHz.

IK Multimedia iRig PRO - same as above, but 1 channel an up to 24/96. Tiny! I'd like two inputs, though.

I'm sure there are others, but so far, the Presonus AudioBox iTwo seems to be the closest to ideal. I don't know if it's been tested with REW, but I don't see a reason it wouldn't work.


----------



## Castore

Thank you gazoink. 
Obviously I made my choice too quickly. You are absolutely right - the bus power, light weight, compact size and simplicity are the key specs to me too. I already bought Focusrite 18i8 and noticed rightaway that I have overlooked the bus power question. However, there are features in it I need for other porposes, like Midi, dual head phone outputs, etc. I just have to buy a minimalistic model as well. Luckily they are a bit cheeper too.
I travel a lot to make acoustical measurements for my friends and in some cases for previoustly unknown persons. I even plan to make a small business out of acoustical measurements, room treatment and consultation.


----------



## gazoink

Castore said:


> Thank you gazoink.
> Obviously I made my choice too quickly. You are absolutely right - the bus power, light weight, compact size and simplicity are the key specs to me too. I already bought Focusrite 18i8 and noticed rightaway that I have overlooked the bus power question. However, there are features in it I need for other porposes, like Midi, dual head phone outputs, etc. I just have to buy a minimalistic model as well. Luckily they are a bit cheeper too.
> I travel a lot to make acoustical measurements for my friends and in some cases for previoustly unknown persons. I even plan to make a small business out of acoustical measurements, room treatment and consultation.


Yeah, it's way to complex for reliable easy setup with REW. On-board MIDI is nice, but not necessary, as there are simple/cheap MIDI interface cables available. 

Anything that comes with an application like "Scarlett Mixcontrol" is trouble because the application controls what's going on inside the box, which can be a whole lota stuff you don't want if you're taking measurements. I downloaded the Scarlett Mixcontrol app to take a look at it but it checks for hardware and wouldn't run, so I uninstalled it. My Motu 4Pre has these apps too. The problem is, unless you familiarize yourself with the correct mix control settings that work for REW, and hopefully can load a default preset, you can get weird unpredictable results for stuff going on in the box that you don't know about. 

Watch out for any plug-ins that run natively in the box, they WILL bite you!


----------



## DavidRVoorhees

Hello all,
I have a Mac based system. Mac Pro (late 2013. MOTU 828x. Reference mic is an Audix TM1. Currently taking baseline readings in my untreated control room (10 x 15) and mixing room (20 x 15).


----------



## JohnM

gazoink said:


> Steinberg UR22 looks interesting, up to 24/192, midi, bus power. No iOS compatibility, though.


Do you really mean iOS, or Mac OS X? UR22 is compatible with OS X: https://www.steinberg.net/en/support/downloads_hardware/yamaha_steinberg_usb_driver.html


----------



## gazoink

JohnM said:


> Do you really mean iOS, or Mac OS X? UR22 is compatible with OS X: https://www.steinberg.net/en/support/downloads_hardware/yamaha_steinberg_usb_driver.html



Like I said, no iOS support.


----------



## gazoink

Got a Presonus Audiobox iTwo today, running through some basic tests on OSX and Win7. Couple of things I found.

Just connecting line out to line it for a test, distortion isn't as low as the Motu 4pre, and is a very soft onset starting at -20dBFS. 

Win7 behavior was fine, but it's weird on OS X. Seems like lots of delay, can't run a cal because of the "impulse isn't where it should be" error. Just watchin level meters, the out meter pops right up, the in meter is like 3 seconds behind. Level test output is -20 in OSX, -10 in Win7. Pink pn > RTA test shows very flat on both OS. 

Noise is good, not great. Minimum THD is not as good as the Motu, I'll get some figures and post. So far, setup was easy, but this looks like it's ok for acoustic test, not so good for electrical tests.

Will test some more in detail tomorrow.


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## gazoink

Here's a bit of test results, line out to line in only. I'll get to the mic pre later.

The L line out was connected directly to the L line in. Output knob was all the way clockwise, and the input knob was adjusted for unity gain (equal levels in and out, per REW's level meters). 

See image, posting tabular data here is a pain.

Note that the OS X measurements are different. The big difference is line output level. Nothing was physically changed on the box itself. All voltage measurements were made with a physical volt meter at the output terminals. Sampling frequency was 44.1 in all cases. Note the OS X produced levels 5dB lower than Win 7 for the same REW generator settings. Distortion measured higher with more harmonic content. We're not dealing with an awful lot, though. 

Another OS X phenomenon was a periodic "glitch" that seemed to momentarily bump the noise floor up, then go away. 

OS X routing was tried several ways, direct with sound preferences, through Lineout and Soundflower, and by creating a new aggregate device for the Presonus. The Lineout/Soundflower method didn't work at all, the other methods produced identical results. 

At this point I don't have an idea why it doesn't work as well on OS X. Anyone have a theory?

The other observation is that the system seems to mush into nonlinear behavior slowly between -10dBFS and -6dBFS (I didn't go higher) rather than remain clean until clipping. This could be a function of the Presonus "Class A" input, but I couldn't pin it down. 

I'll look at noise and response as well as the mic input another time.


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## BloomBloom

Hello People,
I'm looking for a USB interface that would support loop back/timing with REW and works with the Umik1 mic which is USB too. The cheaper the better, I only want it to do the timing with REW - not recording anything 

Thank you!


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt

An internet search on “audio interface usb input” gets nothing, even with interfaces costing thousands of dollars, so I doubt such a creature exists. Makes sense when you think about it. The whole purpose of a USB mic is to _preclude _the necessity of an interface.

Regards, 
Wayne


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## BloomBloom

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> An internet search on “audio interface usb input” gets nothing, even with interfaces costing thousands of dollars, so I doubt such a creature exists. Makes sense when you think about it. The whole purpose of a USB mic is to _preclude _the necessity of an interface.
> 
> Regards,
> Wayne


Thanks Wayne,
So is there a way for me to use my USB unik with a timing reference?
My current 'sound card' is the on board one that came with the gigabyte mother board?

Thank you, hard being a Noob


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Everything I’ve seen says you can’t do timing with a USB mic – sorry. 

Regards, 
Wayne


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## BloomBloom

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> Everything I’ve seen says you can’t do timing with a USB mic – sorry.
> 
> Regards,
> Wayne


Thanks Wayne.
I have a Tascam US-122Mk2 http://tascam.com/product/us-122mkii/ - if I got a normal calibrated phantom powered mic - do you think I could do the timed reference with REW? Or would i need a new interface too...?


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt

The TASCAM will work fine. You don’t need a calibrated a mic for timing reference. The cheapest thing you can find will do. 

Regards, 
Wayne


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## BloomBloom

Nice,
thank you!


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## roberto.borges

Hi...

Starting with: 

Leson ML70 (first tests while expecting EMC8000) 

Audio interface: Behringer UMC202HD

Behringer ECM 8000

REW 5.18

S.O. W10 64

Regards,
Roberto


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## roberto.borges

roberto.borges said:


> Hi...
> 
> Starting with:
> 
> Leson ML70 (first tests while expecting EMC8000)
> 
> Audio interface: Behringer UMC202HD
> 
> Behringer ECM 8000
> 
> REW 5.18
> 
> S.O. W10 64
> 
> Regards,
> Roberto


+ RadioShack 33-4050


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## PeterPP

Ancient thread, but figured add what I am currently arguing with 
already had most of the old equipment sitting in a bin gathering dust.

Audio Interface: CreativeLabs EMU 0404 (Found a driver EMUU_PCAppDrv_US_1_40_00_BETA that got it working under Windows 10!)
Input: RadioShack-33-2050-CS SPL meter
REW: x64_5_20_beta13
Operating System: Win10 64 (1809) on a netbook with 2g ram

Plan to switch to a Behringer ECM 8000 when summer is over.

Biggest issue at moment is system goes into feedback loops when volume level gets high enough to do measurements.

Peter.


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