WG: Ableton 8 Looping problems

["Rainer Straschill" <moinsound@googlemail.com>]

>       What are most Windows folks using for the audio hardware these 
>days, and what should be typical good/expected latency times w/Ableton?

Obviously I can't comment on statistics, only give you my own experiences:

For the desktop machine, my main interface is a RME multiface II (and 
sometimes a digiface), interfaced via a HDSP PCIexpress card (the digiface 
can also be connected to the laptop via a PCMCIA card for 24-track session 
recordings in combination with micpres with adat interface). RME is famed 
for good...well, almost everything, and I know also several people here 
use a Fireface400, and they do now have interfaces which connect to USB2 
(which usually is less of a hassle for windows laptop users).

For the laptop setup, I use a TC Electronics Konnekt24D. While it's famed 
for the best converters and micpres in its price class (and you get great 
channel strip and reverb thrown in), the drivers/firewire chipset is 
definitely sub-par, so if low latency at high system load is a 
requirement, I cannot recommend these interfaces.

I also have a Presonus Firebox (and there are some other users of this 
here as well), which is excellent bang for the buck. Relatively simple 
feature set, but imo great bang for the buck, and well-suited for live 
applications with an analogue level control for the main outs 
(unfortunately, I fried my out1/2 pair - here's some advice - NEVER 
connect anything that's not made for this to a phantom-powered input).

There's another one in my arsenal: the now discontinued Marian UCON CX 
(which I got for something like €125 off ebay at a sellout). While this 
interface has a great feature set (4 micpres, 8 analogue ins and outs and 
ADAT I/O in a half-rack space), and is one of the few great USB2 
interfaces, there's no more driver support for it - the only ones 
available being (32-bit) XP drivers. However, I think somebody recoded 
them for Linux, if that is of interest.
It's rather a pity, because this interface gives you outstanding latency 
via USB2 and is (as I believe) the only interface with four micpres in a 
half-rack form factor.

Summary: you usually won't go wrong with RME. If money is an issue, the 
Firebox is also an interface I can recommend.

        Rainer