ESI U 24 XL

This card is the cheapest on the market has to offer adat.

I use it with my Mindprint TRIO (in adat so) that make the birch conversion, input and output.

UTILIZATION

I use it with studio one, with relatively tracks can usually (30-40 grand max), no stall.
I branch any of my computers, it is plug and play, no drivers needed, so if it is stable with it that you want? : D

GETTING STARTED

The manual? I do not even know if there is one, the installation is so simple: you plug it and it works, and it is what we want!

Upon opening the box, I actually was pleasantly surprised to see that this was aluminum audio interface. When we see that we are some manufacturers of plastic products in the 300 €, we say that there really is a problem! The finish is not the best, but all in looks quite robust, and that's what counts in the end.
This interface is also very compact (it would in a pocket!) And is powered by USB.

OVERALL OPINION

It is on this interface will not for everyone but for the use I make it ideal for 2 years and it has not changed a bit. I intend to also enrich my config while keeping, buying a presonus central station (spdif out) and a focusrite isa one digital (spdif in on), to improve my ability and my sound quality, while keeping the same simplicity ..

Level converters, no idea, but flexibility, simplicity and stability to meet you!

* What characteristics have motivated your choice?
small price, I / O SPDIF coaxial (to attack my central station with SPDIF optical is already used by the Mac Pro), small size, truly plug'n'play mac (good here, but they all promise in reality, there's differences ... not in this case!! c top!)

* For what purpose?
largely for my Zique (on my macbook) to my monitor speakers when I bump not sound ... possibly use traktor with mode Associate leopard (not tested)
* What is your config (Motherboard / CPU / Ram / Disk ,...)?
Mac Book Pro 2.93 GHz Unibody - 4 GB Ram - OSX 10.6.3
* Which instruments or systems (console, preamp, DTD ...) and you use the connection with what? ...
Of the coaxial SPDIF, RCA is a beast (: the signal is directly sent to the central station (monitoring station Presonus), so I did not care whether the U24XL convertos had good .. it is the fact that the central station job with the quality that he knows.



UTILIZATION

* The drivers are stable?

driver? cated driver? Mac OS X, plug'n'play recognized illico nothing to do! AAAAHHHHH happiness. not like the DJIO of numark-___-

* Are they often updated?
irrelevant question.

* What software do you use most often?
On this computer, traktor, logic pro, audacity (and iTunes, of course, to listen)

* What latency you get?
as it is to listen, I have not tested.

* How many tracks do you manage to record / playback simultaneously? ...
2 bah eh ... AC is not the most U24XL.


GETTING STARTED

* The installation is done it without problems?
plug'n'play I said. you plug, it works. no more.

* Have you experienced any incompatibilities?
not

* The general configuration is easy?
see above.

* The manual is clear and sufficient? ...
ha? there 's need a manual? noooo? j'vous not think (:



OVERALL OPINION

* For how long have you been using it?
p'tite a week.

* What thing do you like most/least about it?
most: plug'n'play, the small size.
minimum: euhhh ... looking really stupid p'tite: no volume settings for headphones?

* Did you try many other models before getting this one?
yes. DJIO Numark (good hardware but drivers wooden bear highway Romanian). Emagic 2 / 6 (great, .. but the top is an interface that was twelve years old and no longer supported on 10.6). qq M-Audio USB (good but too "big" for use.
* What is your opinion about the value for the price?
p'tetre can do better but we must seek further input.

* Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? ...
probably.

USB sound card 16 and 24 bit 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz. 2 inputs (from the pair analog, S / PDIF or optical) - 2 outputs (outgoing simultaneously on the pair analog, S / PDIF and optical).

UTILIZATION

Is the first USB sound card that I manage to get working under Linux! I manage to run the same digital output (S / PDIF optical output has not been tested but I think it works)! For cons, I am unable to operate the digital input, but hey, it's less important, at least for Linux.

Good, but this map is intended either for my netbook Windows XP (for stage performances and outdoor - had to be powered either by batteries or via USB) or to the computer internet Linux - depending on the quality converters and if the input - output digital work in Linux. In the first use case, I had even planned to buy the original ART USB DualPRE since it has preamps and since it's rare to run on batteries but the ESI could afford to use In both cases, not the ART since it has no input - digital output.

6.3 mm jack connectors are TRS. One of the two outputs can be used as TRS headphone output with volume can be adjusted within the driver. And suddenly, what dommaaaââââge the other output can not also acueille headphones (or use unbalanced stereo output)!

It is also unfortunate that only the pair of analog input has the potential to be injected into the monitor: Failed to listen on headphones to the headphone output of the ESI digital input, re-argl!

GETTING STARTED

With Windows, it did not work the first time (with Linux so ^ ^) I do not know why. Well, it is clear that using the generic driver included with Windows, it works with any USB port on your computer but if you must use the driver and the control panel comes with the sound card, you must connect this (on a laptop, for example) always on the same USB port. Indeed, if you plug the U24XL to an outlet other than where it was plugged in when installing the driver, the latter fails to recognize more .

Sounds: Are you sure it has a signal to noise ratio of 100 dB see 110 (manufacturer's specifications)?? Because we entand a very slight digital noise anyway ... I feel that the 110 dB, it does not. 90 to 95 dB max. Its slightly nipped in the treble.

OVERALL OPINION

Well, obviously I would have preferred the Edirol / UA-25EX Cakewalk but its price is more than twice and not had enough time to save, and it is more cumbersome too.

What I like:
- Very compact
- Equipped with inputs - digital outputs, rare for this class of mini-USB soundcard
- Admissions - TRS jack outputs with gold-plated switches

What I like least:
- The housing is very sensitive to scratches
- Only one headphone jack: they could have put a second output on the headphone output TRS became unnecessary when headphones are plugged into the headphone ...
- Unable to listen to the digital input to the headphone
- I think they could have allowed mixing between the sound from the computer and from the inputs via control hardware anyway. A small rotary discrete taking up little space would just ...

No, I will not go this purchase. For roughly the same price, I would rather the ART USB DualPRE which is one of rare to operate on batteries. ART Announces signal to noise ratio of 90 dB: I'm sure the 90 dB are this time. It's better than a good 90 dB 110 dB bad ^ ^