Roland UA-1010 Octa-Capture

i bought this device after used the M-audio FW410 during some years with my old G5 model.
And for only one reason, M-audio has stopped the production of driver for this model.
So Now, i use the octa capture and i am really enjoy about the results.
Except an Only one Bug which appeared today.

When you use Logic Pro X, while you open the control panel of the Octa Capture, you will see a big bug on the display of midi events in Logic.

see this link if you need more details
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/676466

So finally, it is a very good material for a modest home studio

8 inputs with preamp, USB connection, compact design. Possibility to output 4 different mixes via the 4 outputs and possibility to connect 2 together to have 16 inputs in total. I had a 2-input card before, so I wanted to go to the next level to be able to record demos of my band track-by-track or live. I wanted a soundcard that was easy to take with me on a backpack from my place to the rehearsal room.
I use a laptop PC (core 2 duo 2GHz, 4G ram and 7200rpm HDD) running Vista. That's why I wanted USB.


USE

The drivers are very stable, I have never had a crash with Cubase. As for the latency, I get 8ms at the input and 14ms at the output with a medium-sized buffer.

I've recorded up to 13 tracks (with a 2nd octa-capture as an extension) at 24bits 44.1 and I have played back up to 30 tracks, I think. I have never tried it with more.
Sometimes, when I'm working on a project with lots of plug-ins I've been forced to increase the buffer to avoid crackles. But my computer is no performance beast.

Regarding the preamps, there's not much to say, they do their job. They sometimes sound a bit "stiff" with some mics, but they have the virtue of being neutral.


OPERATION

Easy and fast installation. I haven't noticed any incompatibilities.
The manual is useful and clear enough on certain points, especially when it comes to connect two octa-captures, the different routing possibilities, etc.

It's easy to set up, you plug in, adjust the gain or use Auto-sens (automatic gain adjustment) and that's it. Also note the built-in (digital) compressor and the possibility to insert a reverb in the headphone out, for the singer, for example.


OVERALL OPINION

I've been using it for 3 years and have no intention of replacing it. I actually might get a second one.
The pros: Well-built, compact for 8 mic inputs, easy to use, it has very practical stuff, like when everything starts flickering when it's distorting, making it impossible to miss it. The soundcard knows how to make you forget about it, which is much appreciated.

The cons: I could quibble about 2-3 details...but nothing's really worth it, in my opinion, at least for what I use it for.

Having already had many quality soundcards, I hesitated between this one and an RME Fireface, which I compared it to.
I have a computer music setup, no mixer, and use a hackintosh (I7 3.5GHz + 32Gb ram, OSX 10.6.8) with Logic pro 9.
I record guitars and vocals mainly.
I chose the octa-capture due to its price and, especially, because it features 8 quality preamps, which allows me to also use it to play with my friends without having to add a mixer.

USE

It will soon be 4 years since I've been using it and I have never had the slightest issue.
Given that, I think I made the right decision.
Stable driver, I haven't measured the latency, I work with 128 samples under Logic.


OPERATION

To be honest, it's so transparent that I have forgotten I have a soundcard.
Even the compressor included is transparent. I leave the default settings for every take, there's no need for more. The auto-gain is an awesome feature.
I plug in my guitar, press auto-gain, I play a bit, press again auto-gain and voilà, I'm done with the settings and I can start recording.

OVERALL OPINION

I won't say that this card is better than the RME, but it's not far from it.
I sold my Apogee Duet and TC konnekt.
I didn't get any better takes with the Fireface RME.
I haven't had any interest in soundcards for 3 years, although I used to know them all before.
An AF member, Jeezo, recommended me this card.
In short, it's a great soundcard that goes unnoticed so you can concentrate on the music. What else can you ask for?

24-bit soundcard with 8 analog inputs and outputs + 1 digital stereo input.
48V phantom power per channel.
The impedance can be adapted if you connect a guitar or bass directly.
I use this soundcard with an IMAC (2006, core 2 duo) and OS 10.6.8, which starts to be old, but it works fine
I use the 8 analog inputs to record drums with 8 mics.
I also record vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, and a bass.
There are two inputs, 7 and 8, with a higher gain for bass drum mics, for example.
I use the soundcard's interface on the MAC, which is very practical. I never touch the sub-menus on the front panel, it's tedious.

USE

Once you load the latest drivers, it works. I haven't had a single crash after 9 moths of recordings.
I use LOGIC EXPRESS 9, it's very stable.
I can record 8 tracks without any issues. I have never recorded with the digital input. In fact, I think it's meant to daisy-chain a second octa-capture.
Virtually no latency.
I must also say that I'm not a big fan of the semi-rack format ! It's not very practical to have to make connections both on the front and the rear. a 19" rack format would've been better. Anyway, its format shouldn't make you think it's a CHEAP soundcard. What made me decide for it is that ROLAND keeps the drivers up to date. If my IMAC gives up on me and I buy another one, I wouldn't like to be penalized for it.


OPERATION

The installation couldn't be easier.
You install the driver, with the soundcard off.
Reboot the MAC, turn the soundcard on and that's it.
The card is connected to my monitoring speakers so I can also listen to ITUNES, YOUTUBE, etc...
I haven't found any incompatibilities. The built-in compressors serve me as noise gates.
The manual is very clear.
You can create 4 different mixes on the rear of the unit, which is practical to have different monitoring mixes, if you record several people. You can mix the direct inputs of the card with the monitoring returns of the computer. On the MAC, I can play back all tracks from the monitoring returns without any latency. (6-7 reference tracks + 8 drum tracks with some effects and the processor it at half its capacity).

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using this card for 9 months.
I couldn't test any other models before buying it.
So I had to download lots of PDF manuals to my ipad and study the possibilities each one offered.
The ROLAND, with its clear manual, and GOOD press reviews, convinced me. I don't regret my choice for the time being.
It's not the cheapest soundcard on the market. With its 1/2-rack format, compared to other brands... But ROLAND has launched an entire Capture series, including one with 16 analog inputs, so I don't expect the drivers to be unsupported any time soon. MACKIE stopped supporting the drivers of one of its soundcards, which is a pity.
The pros:
Easy to install and very good sound, without any noticeable noise.
The cons:
1/2-rack format and its somewhat high price.
Based on my experience, I would buy it again. It's my first soundcard. I used to have a digital tape recorder.

Update from 10-22-2014 = I now have a MACPRO RETINA with OS 10.9 and the soundcard works just as well. I've recorded 8 AUDIO inputs + 1 MIDI track simultaneously without any issues! And it sounds really good.