All user reviews for the Yamaha I-88X

For both instruments preamps mics worthy of the DM 2000 console in the same brand. Its multiple
input-output (adat, spdif ...)

UTILIZATION

quite stable once installed. low latency, expandable via a 01x which allows
have a total of 18 physical input plus 8 ADAT in.

GETTING STARTED

The installation went without too many problems, but the only problem is size, is to understand
the MLAN and routing capabilities, requires break head to begin with.

OVERALL OPINION

Since about 6 years old, excellent preamps and converters outputs brilliant pros at +4 dBu output
monitor saw

I bought it in addition to the 01X as wanting to have more entries, after much research, it is a priori the only audio interface / midi mLAN compatible to 100%. At least until my purchase in February 2005.
More details for the characteristics.
Just a few remarks:
- The finish is impeccable. The knobs are sturdy and comfortable to hit (as opposed to 01x). It smells really professional. Besides, I have never seen as big an audio interface, it is almost on 1U 30 cm deep. One downside: I can not screw it on both sides of the rack! I'm changing place but impossible. The distance between the attachment points are not standard in my opinion (all the other stuff yet come good in my rack)
- The two famous preamp are really famous (yet unlike the 01x). At the entrance one is a choice of Mic, Line and Instrument. I tried with a passive bass guitar, bass drum or condenser microphone (voice or overhead), it's done! However, I prefer to use an external preamp (goldmike) for voice. Downside: there is a knob for channels 5 / 6 and 7 / 8. But hey it's something common. But for the price yamaha could have done a bit of effort because the practical point of view it is not cool.
I have a PIV 1.8 GHz - ABIT BL 7 CM - 512 MB SDRAM - Map FW I do not know masi NEC chipset (who said that NEC did not mince with mLAN?)
Soft Cubase SX 2 - Soundforge 6
NB: Juqu'à Now I've never used as an interface only but normally it should work

UTILIZATION

Then there is the darkest part of the picture.
The installation (01x and i88x) was cacastrophique. I had come to end after a month and a half nightmare. Finally, I realized that was my cart FW was the origin of pb (perx via chipset, the mLAN driver recognizes as Siemens!) Through a friend who gave me all his bath ( as said above I do not know the brand but its NEC chip ets and mLAN driver recognizes it as such)

GETTING STARTED

The drivers are supplied with leave to oblivion. It is advisable to download the latest driver (for my part I think it's the v 1.5.3). I put in master 01x, i88x in Slavic and PC. So when everything is set up we have much to worry about.
I use it mainly for recording group of3 to 4 musicians including a drummer who holds the 8 entries i88x. With the 01X, I can record 13 tracks simultaneously. I configured GBP to 16 but not yet tried to use them all. Naturally, given my config, I put a fairly high latency (19 ms). So no vsti. CPU at 20% + in this condition. The monitoring is done directly from the 01X.
To use the vsti I can not fall below 6-7 ms.
In reading, I can read a thirty tracks and mix of 24 tracks thanks to the physical outputs of the i88x.

OVERALL OPINION

I used it for 1 ½ months.
The +: the 2 preamps, strength and finishing, e / s digital SPDIF / ADAT, stability once installed.
The -: boring installation and hardware incompatibility, non-standard dimension (??), no word clock sync to sync with other digital gear and not mLan not ADAT.
Compared with my old sound card SB AWE 64, SB live, GadgetLab wave8, Hoontech DSP 2000 C-port, not to photograph.
Even if the successor of 01x happens, I turned it can not but i 88x

[edit 16/02/2010]

To use the Windows 7 mLan:
-Go to Device Manager,
-Choose the bus controller IEEE 1394
-Update the driver by installing "pilot inherited" (legacy English)
The latest version of mLan install nickel, and your mLAN device will work again!


I hesitated between an EMU 1616m and the Yamaha i88x for my laptop. I chose it for the excellent reputation of its 2 mic preamps, and because it resulted was some time ago.

I use it for stereo sound taken (choir) or 8 tracks max. I put it on a table top with my HP notebook, there's plenty of room! I use a Rode NT4 or NT3 Rode NT1 + or electro-acoustic guitar.

UTILIZATION

The installation of drivers is not easy and time: y'en full and we must follow the instructions if you must reinstall everything. But once done, it rolls.

No sync problems with a desktop PC. We must choose the PC as a master if you want to use frequencies other than 44.1 MHz.
on the other hand, for my laptop, I chose the master i88X as to make it stable, it limits the sample rate at 44.1 but that's enough.

GETTING STARTED

In my setup laptop with Sonar I use outputs 1 and 2 in master, so I hear the mix in the monitors and headphones. Sonar handles everything: mix, equations, effects, dynamic, virtual synths ... Of the eight tracks that I use Max, here does so with a latency of 5 ms. 16 tracks, no: the laptop is on the street. This is due to the limited transfer rate of 4200 rpm hard drive. On my computer studio (recent config), everything goes easily.

OVERALL OPINION

It is a multifunctional audio interface quality for a laptop: I / O MIDI, SPDIF optical or electrical, ADAT, two great mic, 6 balanced line inputs, eight line outputs are also symmetrical inserts on inputs 1 and 2 . The sound quality is excellent.

Purchased primarily to provide more inputs.

Config: P4 3GHz / 2GB SDRAM

Instruments utiliss: Expanders and synths with analog LINE IN, pramp in SPDIF IN ..

Squenceur and Publishing: Cubase SX3, SoundForge 8

UTILIZATION

Installation trouble-free .. The book is generally well Designed, despite some approximations.

GETTING STARTED

Well ...

Points OK: 5ms latency trs well supported, 8-track recording simultanment no problem.

Cons: WDM drivers. Except that they do not allow the recording, which in my case is not a problem, they do not use my Systm simultanment with the same configuration card , applications and not ASIO ASIO .. I have read on several forums, mainly amricains Fran and that the problem is far from being isolated .. So bad note for those drivers not successful, that force me to change the config of the card whenever I want, for example, switch from Cubase WinAmp ..

[edit] New drivers, my notes from 2 10.

OVERALL OPINION

I'm really happy with this card in its use purely "musical" in Cubase ASIO and torque ..

Both are pramps thundering of quality ...

Remains the problem of WDM drivers, but in a configuration that dedicates the Fast Fashion and music acquires ASIO applications do not PSE as a.

Note review, see [edit] above.

Hi

I bought one for I88X m 'ADAT interface with my AW4416, that was the only sound card and ADAT 16 channels for a reasonable price: 500 euros in Playback
It is connected either on my Mac mini with panther in Logic Express 7 or in stand alone on my ADAT by AW4416

UTILIZATION

Installation:
1 hour to download on the Yamaha website has the driver days
2 minutes to install
30s to start autoconnect
and after we play and we forget
No problems installing or operating

GETTING STARTED

No malfunction or stability of drivers
the plugs supplied (after updating Internet) are friendly and very musical
I have transferred projects under adat and no problems
I have tested the pure audio config and no problems

OVERALL OPINION

I have since 2 weeks and I love the direct monitoring
The sound of the first 2 tracks are very good, better than my AW4416, the other channels are in the middle, largely as good as my AW4416

My mini mac n 'bear in the second one probably not, but for my AW4416 I will be buying a second to replace my 2 racks / O ADAT.

Small edit after 4 years of faithful service is now connected to an iMac and Logic Studio 8, and still no problems
never stall, never the slightest glitch.
I give 10 as a note because even though the specifications appear to date it remains an incredibly stable map, after 4 years the pots do not even crachouillent, latency: 18 entries to 2ms latency!! . Only regret is the lack of worldclock

I had a Tascam US-122L, 2 / O via USB, which made me proud to begin service in my home studio. I was happy, but my arsenal of equipment forced me to choose an external sound card with more inputs and outputs.

I have a limited budget (and yes, we do not win that much in education!) So I eliminated the statutory and other MOTU RME. Unfortunately, in a lower price range (+ € -300), the offer is not so enticing.

I turn therefore to the second hand market on eBay, and I came across this i88x to € 300. Well, let's be crazy, the preamps are reputable, so I rush and I bought it. In use, the characteristics of the maps are quite impressive: ADAT, SPDIF, 2inserts, 2 preamp (one for my Hi-Z guitar, cool!), And 8 inputs / outputs. Direct monitoring by input pair is practical, useful are the knob on the front, on my rack is convenient. And then the i88x is solid and pretty to look at, it does not hurt.

Downside: no separate management between phone and master output. So, it is necessary to record manually turn off the speakers! Very sucks! I'll have to buy a controller monitoring style Nano Patch for it.

UTILIZATION

The installation was laborious.

1) have the right card FireWire: a week of waiting to receive it by mail (ordered from LDLC)
2) download new drivers
3) install the new drivers: note that it does not work!
4) uninstall the drivers: crash the computer, not to re-install over it, or uninstall the old => format C: / and loss of important data (well, that's me, I forgot one folder on my desktop ...)
5) examine a few forums to see the usual problems: the trail of a CPU that automatically slow down to save energy (SpeedStep system) seems plausible. I change the settings accordingly.
6) Reinstall the whole redémarage and, oh, miracle: it works!

The manual is pretty pathetic, because there is a separate manual for MLAN and the i88x, always refer to two places at once, it's pretty annoying. Internet forums are better made!

GETTING STARTED

The drivers are not the best program in the world: the patchbay is clear like water gutter, the autoconnect know a lot of bugs, the system auto-On (which is supposed to activate the sound card automatically at boot) never holds a good status and forced to activate the card manually (in 2 clicks, but still), etc..

That said the sound system seems stable for now (after one day of use) quite stable. So I will not complain too much. Note that the WDM system for sound in windows work properly and without "pop" when switching from ASIO to WDM. I am relieved at this level.

Too bad Yamaha seems to have more or less left the system MLAN in his corner, with updates erratic and not always very well done ...

Note that I use the i88x Reaper with the software, and give an alias to each input / output is really handy! I agree!

Like I said, the implementation is a headache, but from the time it works, the slightest glitch! Low latency (2ms possible to reach, but I had a few stalls, more comfortable with 6 ms) with currently 4 simultaneous inputs.

The undoubted highlight of the card in one word: PREAMP! The two preamps are really in front of a superior quality, and € 300, I can do without a blush to the Fireface and other MIDI Motu! It's nice!

OVERALL OPINION

I put 7 / 10 to i88x because it is paradoxical with enormous strengths (preamps, ADAT, etc.). Commits blunders unlikely (headphone, drivers, installation chaotic) that scream "scam". I almost drop it, mad with despair and rage against Yamaha.

But I can confirm that the i88x is far from a scam and is 300 €, it is rather the opposite: I'm pretty sure it costs more out of the factory!

That said, in the future, I will avoid any system MLAN carefully, because despite everything, it seems too risky technology with a service does not exist, a random documentation, and that requires a precise configuration. It is therefore not ideal for the nomadic (an inconceivable to live with, for example).

I think we will retain the i88x as a dismal failure at Yamaha, because what was to be their best sound card that have been complaints and tears. I seem to be part of the "happy few" who take advantage of this cheap tumble half justified.

I possde the i88x since its release
I had a 01x a year and I am eyeing a logical extension dedicates.
I work with either a PC or a laptop. I have changed several times since I possde the Yamaha .... But I always used the onboard firewire chipset (the motherboard) based Texas Instruments. ESATA hard drive for audio, and internally to the system.
Empty most of the i88x are:

- The quality of construction
- Its quality audio. Including two pramplis. But all the converters is also TOP.

UTILIZATION

- The first drivers Mlane taient catastrophic in terms of wasting resources.
It was normal for 2005/2006 and it is Submitted to the same level as any good ... hh network interface at the same time you know a lot? (I'm not talking about P2P firewire)
However the installation was still binding t trs. THE FIRST thing to do is take your time, read the manual, but not enough. It is also necessary to tweak your PC to work correctly with Mlane that does not support any interrupt request without crack pathetic. Well you can imagine that if made so many years that I roll with mLAN is that I found the problem and parades all my Systm fonctgionne perfection.
As the manual is really a horror for nophytes and the minimum of all fawn.
To drive the point home, the history of mLAN devices t punctuated firmware updates that seem necessary for proper operation with the latest drivers ... So Premire thing vrifier APRS acquisition : What version of firmware is loaded into the bte?

In short if your new computer music, mLAN is death. And that's all which is why it became a great success!! As against a not justify to be buried. Today 95% of people running happily under Mlane may be experts in their Systm but in any case for Pro Tools HD is almost 100% and is in fact not a blank.
Musician little fru technology that goes up his studio PT 50,000 euros will be assisted by an expert in plant PT.
Amount if the musicians had made their Mlane Similarly, Yauri less than due. In fact mLAN t victim of its low price.
Because normally low price = ... But the non-democracies. You still go through even a specialist in installing a system that stable or sleepless nights to learn to ride. Whatever the implementation, but it's a marc ET trs laborious.

GETTING STARTED

Drivers stable? Yes yes ... But now the Yamaha dsinteressement Mlane to the community is a disgrace:
Yamaha buying Steinberg forks and trs is untoward. The new products are interfaces bass on a new chipset (DICEII) for a complte intgration DSP (the Manir a PowerCore) but it is not possible with the chipset type stuff Mlane 01x / i88x. While Yamaha has chosen not to make backward compatibility (which would have deprived the new product mixes with the elders of the whole argument intgration DSP) and has a Second line to cre firewire drivers (called Y Amaha S teinberg irewire F) in the parralle Mlane is dlaiss level updates (not Vista64 expected dsespremment)

So here the issue mLAN drivers works, but Yamaha has interest to ensure that continued with the new OS poit the nose. on the other hand I'm not excited at all a driver that if he did not eral its 3 MJ Monthly.

Good questions j'tais DAW Nuendo 3 and now I tate for Cubase 5 but hey since mLAN and Cubase 5 are not yet husbands Yamaha grace I might be passing in Sonar 8.

With my laptop can work without problem 5 / 7 ms if you want but I use mainly recording I do not care, I release it.
With the most powerful PC, less than 5 ms even loading a plugin works well.
Once we found the setup of the OS that goes ....

Ben Systm is my limit a record 16 tracks simultaneously because I have no more analog inputs. Fastoche.
But I read dj project more than 40 tracks.
At the same time what matters is the stream I / O. If you mix 40 tracks in the DAW to the Stereo is that the hard drive and CPU that will limit, not Mlane ...
I occasionally essay 32 recording tracks (by doubling the tracks) and aa march.
But my counter was resource in Graphic Patchbay mouth!

So keep in mind that a network is any Mlane fawn no more than 24 or 32 tracks if you have the ncessaires interfaces and firewire chipset that goes on the PC ... . (whole program). Otherwise you will crack before low latency .....

OVERALL OPINION

I use it since it came out (almost).
It forms a perfectly cohrent with the PC and 01x.
I n'tais not interested in a simple Systm Firewire, RME or Motu kind.
The network aspect Determines t really my choice. I really regret that Yamaha has its target wolf commercially becaufe technically mLAN is an invention of pany.
I dare not even imagine a Mlan2 with 64 channels I / O software intgration the total DSP hardware. Yamaha can do, knows how to do it, but for whom? The pro ings are not ready they let go and less than NRV PT Yamaha shall decide to tackle the market for pro audio prod vera has not ever created.
When we see that most people have tripped over the carpet with a small simple network!

Quality issue price, then it is even simpler:

01x: 1500 euros
i88x: 500 euros

Which can have a console numrique 24/96 24 channels, with two multi-effects + EQ and dynamics on each channel, a dual audio / MIDI interface with the computer for the price?
When one adds the aspect surface CONTRL was everything.

6 years APRS its output the 01x is a concept Ingal. And the coupling of the i88x enlve him all default (pramps blah, blah analog outputs, connectors bof)

Yamaha is still the policy in terms of drivers ...

The features are good and the plugins are awesome. MLAN can be difficult to work with but once running it tends to run pretty flawlessly.

Price paid

700

UTILIZATION

It is easy once it is setup but because of the MLAN update it can be a little tricky.

GETTING STARTED

I have moved twice and never had a problem with it. It is pretty bullet proof.

OVERALL OPINION

It has amazing built in pre's for your mic. I ended up selling my DBX 376 pre that I paid like $500 for because they could not hold a candle to the built in pre's on the I88X. Now this unit sells for $399 which it originally sold for $900 and I bought mine for $700. Nothing can compare to it at $399.

I am always looking for better interfaces and pre's but I have had this for a year and can't find anything worth replacing it with unless I go to a protools HD.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: ALIAS-FNC (January 2-, 2005)