Any fellow slutz had play with one of these yet?

Can't find a single review anywhere.

Strange how no one on here is using one....

Bump

Hey .Russ.

Not sure if a lot of our customers hang around on Gearslutz.

Here is a 5-star review as provided to Warren at Zen Pro Audio:

Audient iD22 | ZenPro Audio

After a long, love/hate relationship with my old A&H console, I finally saved up the scratch to buy an ASP4816. Too anxious to wait for it to arrive, I made an impulse buy from Warren (always my first call, and for good reason - he's kept me from buying some VERY expensive stuff that I didn't actually need and clued me in to some of my favorite pieces that I didn't even know existed) to get a taste of what was in store for me, and potentially replace the Duet2 in my secondary setup at home.

Three days of using it later, and not only am I selling the Duet, but I'm selling the UA Apollo that was the cornerstone of my location rig in favor of this amazing little box. To start with, the converters sound superb – they trumped the Duet2 AND the Apollo in the blind ABX my assistant and I set up, and weren't even embarrassed by the Lynx HiLo in my main studio (not nearly the Lynx's equal, but surprisingly close).

The preamps are even better – I am jumping for joy at the concept of having 16 of them to track with soon. Lightyears ahead of the Apollo pres, about the equal I'd say of my Shinybox Si4, not quite on the level of my Earthworks ZDT-1024 (but I consider that to be the finest clean preamp on planet earth; better to my ears than even a Millennia or Grace). Needless to say, they don't even belong in the same conversation as most interface pres.

Last but not least, the layout and routing is incredibly flexible and intuitive – I love the assignable function buttons – and the HPA is loud and clear. My only real gripe is the lack of word-clock facilities (I don't like having to clock to the ADAT output), but apart from that this little guy is an absolute winner. For 800 bucks it's patently ridiculous. If this is the channel count/format you need, really, look no further. This box sounds objectively classy, not just comparatively decent next to the alternatives in its price bracket. If the console sounds even better, Audient may have a fanboy in me for life!

Cheers!
Audient

Mac Only

It's coming, but no ETA was given.

Without sounding too selfish - I have a pumped up Mac Mini, so this is a very decent option for me. If the conversion is as good as the Apogee Duet or even slightly better - combined with glitch free software and drivers, then I'm almost sold.

I have some outboard synths and kit I want to incorporate. At the VERY least I would need a patch bay to use with an ID22 - I don't want to mess about plugging and unplugging kit straight into the ID22 while in the "flow".

My other option would be a small high quality super quiet mixer - however this would then negate certain features I would be paying for on the ID22 and not using.

The other glaring upcoming option is the SPL Crimson - which supposedly also a step up from the Duet in conversion quality and comes with MIDI I/O. However from what I've been reading on the forums, it is less of an option when it comes down to sending DAW audio into outboard kit and returning it due to non existent mixing software.

It's a toughie as I'm building a small project studio and this is the last major hurdle for me. I've been hunting for an audio interface for quite a few months in between working full time shift work. I've gone from seriously contemplating getting a Prism Sound Lyra to all the way down the scale to a Behringer FCA1616!

Tom - thanks for your great input and comments so far. It's quite refreshing to see a company take interest in building bridges with potential clients - especially as fickle as us on here.

I do have a question though in relation to using the ID22 with a mixer (I appreciate it almost answers itself):

If I wanted to plug my outboard kit into a small mixer and then send/return audio while tracking to and from my DAW while adding ITB and OTB effects, what would be the optimum way of doing this in relation to cable connections?

Regards

Russ

Hi Russ,

If you are happy to share, what synths and kit do you want to integrate?

A small mixer would be nice if you're doing lots of MIDI work and want to hear all of your modules (this is quite an old school approach). You could run the stereo output of the mixer into iD22 line inputs and print back each synth pass by pass. Time consuming in my experience.

If you can let me know how many live channels you want to monitor I can suggest a few things but it sounds like you may need to employ some input expansion via the ADAT port on iD22 or use a patchbay as you say.

I generally believe that a patchbay (even in a small facility) is the heart of a solid workflow so would never think its a bad idea.

With regards to monitoring from the DAW etc - you could send either via auxes or main mix bus from a small mixer into iD22. You could monitor that back out of iD22 directly to your loudspeakers. You can insert DAW FX and monitor via the DAW but you'll always incur latency with any interface here.

Without more specific info about what you are trying to do channel count, gear and workflow wise it'd be hard to advise but shout and if I can help, I will.

Best,
Tom

Tom

Thanks again - OTB kit list:

Access Virus TI (I will use audio outs - not the dodgy USB audio)
Oberheim Matrix 1000
Yamaha TG33
Yamaha AN1x
Yamaha TX81z
Ensoniq DP 4
Tascam DA30

I will also be investing in some Warm Audio Pre-amps and a stereo buss compressor.

I am "old skool" - I used to run audio and drum loops from an Akai S3000 into a Boss SE70 and record into my Tascam DA30 DAT machine and then sample back into my S3000 for re-processing again. So your initial suggestion of printing each track at a time is something which I used to do every day. Doing it this way would take more time - but would reduce latency issues with midi.

Which is my next question - you touched upon latency. What sort of latency are we talking about in using the ID22 with MIDI kit ITB/OTB? (This is what put me off getting a Midas Venice F series hybrid mixer/interface - latency with MIDI kit. This is where RME gets a massive tick in the box and others fail).

I am producing EDM and electronica - hard to give a track count. It won't be simply 8 tracks and it will involve heavy processing and experimenting.

Regards

Russ

Hi Russ,

OK so we have at least 14 channels of Synth output (rough guess).

2 external mic pres (warm audio)

And some form of external USB MIDI interface?

From my perspective, I would run MIDI to all of your Synths, run the output of all of them to a cheap mixer for monitoring.

Put all synth outputs on a patchbay and normal through to mixer channels.
Normal mixer output to iD22 insert returns.

Put the warm audio outputs on the bay and therefore you can patch them into the iD22 insert returns for tracking (you could always unplug the insert return jacks on the back of iD22 and use the Audient mic pres when you want a cleaner flavour). I presume you'll be programming more than tracking seeing as you do EDM.

I would programme via MIDI and monitor the synths from the summed mixer outputs which are patched into iD22 to access the monitor control.

DSP mixer on-board latency AD/DA is approx. 1.7ms so quick and should be OK. Run iD at lowest buffer setting and MIDI/softsynths should be OK.

Once you are happy with your Synth parts - I would patch the output of each synth directly to the iD22 line inputs/insert returns (one at a time) and print back to the DAW for mixing. This way the 'cheap' mixer is never in your recording path and could be anything suitable enough for programming.

Once all your synth parts are ITB and you want to mix, you just use iD22 as a monitor controller. Vocal tracking is easy enough from either the Audient or Warm Audio pres up on the patchbay.

If you're looking to do multi-channel print backs to save time (and or replace much of the cheap mixer) you could add an 8ch AD to iD22 via ADAT (there are several available on the market) and patch your synths into that. That way 4 hardware synths could be active at one time.

Either way - I think a patchbay is useful. Or you might want to look at an interface with 16ch i/o... but to reach the quality of the iD22 converters, that would be mega £$£$.

I hope that helps.

Best
-T

One big thing that SPL Crimson lacks in comparision to the ID22: 8 channels of ADAT.

Having that in mind, the ID22 looks far more interesting for getting all those synths recorded...

Thanks for your input Tom - very helpful .

Although not something I thought I would go back to - looks like a decent patch bay is essential for my set-up.

Out of interest if I wanted to use my outboard synth(s) direct through the id22 into my DAW adding ITB plug-ins while playing back tracks - what sort of latency would I be expecting? (worst case scenario)

Diogo

Yes - I have some decent options with the id22. Dare I say it but the Behringer ADA8200 seems to spring to mind. The SPL Crimson apparently comes with no software mixer, no inserts and as you point out no ADAT i/o. I do have a Virus TI which I believe can double up as a MIDI interface - so that will hopefully solve the lack of MIDI with the id22.

The only uncertainty is I wonder how good the A/D D/A is with the Crimson when compared to the id22. I wouldn't imagine it would be night and day if it was superior.

Regards

Russ

Hi Russ,

I'm afraid that the latency will depend upon what plugins you use (some incur huge delays for processing intensive algorithms).

I would expect 3ms typically at the lowest buffer... it would be very similar to all of the interfaces available.

I have no idea about the SPL converter quality but always liked their gear, I can say that iD22 is punching well above it's weight in all of the comparisons our testers have done, often winning over duets, rme, avid etc, but as always it is subjective and a good song is a good song no matter what converters are used!

-Tom

Thanks Tom - good to hear some excellent feedback on your id22.

Quite true about a good song being a good song no matter what it's recorded on - however we would all be using 4 track cassette machines if that really were the case. The truthful fact is we want the best quality conversion with the best features and support for the least money. Conversion quality has massively improved over the years and at the same time prices have dropped and the competition has increased. So it's quite important these days to do your research.

I must admit I am almost sold on the id22.

Cheers again.

Russ

So true Russ, I think you'd be happy with the quality in iD22, but research is best done with your ears if you can!

-T

Easier said than done Tom - I live in a slightly rural part of the UK, the only way I can demo is to purchase. Which to be honest is what I'm likely to do.

Hey Russ,

if you PM us your location we could suggest a way of getting ears on perhaps!

I hope the videos and blog content help if you can't get to a store to try one first - that was exactly why we made them!

Cheers & good luck finding the right solution for your music making needs!

-T

Tom - PM is not available on your profile.

Ah good point. Fixed.

Hey everyone,

Here is another review of the iD22:

"Having been a long-time Audient user - we've had an ASP8024 at Birmingham Conservatoire since 2002 in our Studio 4 that adjoins the Adrian Boult Hall - I was very keen to beta-test the iD22 to see how their first foray into interfaces would look and sound.

I wasn't disappointed. It's fantastically rugged in design, with seriously solid switches and knobs. The mic preamps sound great - clean as a whistle, with the characteristic Audient quality I've come to love in the ASP; the headphone amp has got plenty of gain, and is again clean as a whistle. And the routing is very flexible meaning you can use it in a variety of situations and adapt it to a bunch of different uses. It's nicely thought through by people who obviously understand their market.

Through the beta-test period I've used it as my main interface for my personal setup while I've been editing and pre-mixing a number of projects, even taking some through to final in-the-box mix. Most of my work tends to be classical and jazz, and because of my musical background and interests it tends to be contemporary-flavoured, and often pretty off the wall. All my projects need pristine audio quality and the highest resolution. This is the kind of music where audio detail is the key.

I've had a bunch of projects in post-production over this summer, including records for Decibel Ensemble, The Schubert Ensemble of London, Sebastian Matthias and Michael Wolters' Danserye Ensemble and legendary free jazz sax player Paul Dunmall.

Tthe iD22 has proved fantastically reliable and solid through all the projects. I have to say, even with the earliest beta-versions of the driver, it never crashed on me once!

Most importantly, though, it sounds great. I flit between various studios, both at Birmingham Conservatoire as well as external commercial facilities, that use interfaces from a range of very well thought of (and very high cost) manufacturers, and this little unit genuinely stands up. Both the Preamps and converters can hold their own against interfaces that are 3 or 4 times the price. It makes it seriously good value for money for serious users that need quality and flexibility but don't want to break the bank. I'll be honest, for the same money, you can pick up other mid-price interfaces that will, on the surface of it, give you "more" in terms of ins, outs and bells and whistles. But they won't sound a patch.

I tend to be a very paranoid producer on sessions, particularly those on location, but I felt confident enough to take the iD22 out for a string quartet recording session, recording the award-winning Coull String Quartet, a new piece by leading UK composer Joe Cutler at a church in Leamington Spa.

The recording rig was the iD22, with an additional Audient ASP008 (I have to admit I also took a backup system, but this wasn't required!), tracking to a MacBook Pro with Pro Tools, and a range of Sennheiser, Neumann, AKG, Audio Technica and SE microphones.

(Behringer mic pre was for the talkback mic system; DACs headphone amp fed from the main outputs 1 and 2 of the iD22 for playbacks for the quartet; M-Audio interface (using digital io only) as redundant backup).


Not quite "contemporary music", but a new contemporary interpretation, I'll be taking the iD22 out again in a couple of weeks time to record Ulrich Heinen, ex Principal Cellist of the CBSO, recording the complete Bach Cello Suites."

Dr Simon Hall
Producer, engineer, composer, performer (BCMG, CBSO, BBC, RSC, BEAST, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis etc etc)
Assistant Head of Music Technology: Birmingham Conservatoire

Hey everyone,

Another user review:

"Two things struck me about the iD22 – firstly the quality of the AD/DA converters are equal to, and in many cases better, than on interfaces that cost several times more. The clarity and imaging offered by the converters allows you to explore details in your recordings that are obscured with other convertors.
The flexibility of the system is the second way in which the iD22 excels. The headphone and talkback options give you full studio functionality and the monitor section gives all of the options available on a large console on the desktop. It is amazing how much functionality is squeezed into the unit.
The expansion allowed by the various analogue and digital IO means that the iD22 is likely to remain the centre of my project studio for some time to come – I can’t wait to add the ASP008 to it!"

Sam Proctor
Lecturer at the University of West London
-------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks
Andy @ Audient

Pulled the trigger on one yesterday. Should receive it next week.
Will report back

Yes, very interested in this too as i have had to put my big rig in storage following a bad accident and disabilities that it caused

So been creating a small "back to basics" setup that fits in a laptop bag whilst i am rehabing

Got a little "roland duo capture ex" for buttons as i couldnt see anything except the apogee duet in £500 price range and it just looks and feels kind of like a toy

Even though my main setup is based around Apogee covertors the duet just doesnt look the money and i was also concerned about the standard of their pres and lack of expandibilty so got the Roland just to let me mess around for 1/5 the price

the audient looks cheeky and should give me the i/o, ad/da quality and mic pres i need for now

Plus the ADAT connect is a great bonus

BUT pity about the lack of wordclock

My mobile setup is basically :

Mac mini
Ipad mini
UAD 2 satellite
Interface
2 mics
Controller

So the Audient looks like the only replacement for the apogee duet 2 i have seen so far as a professional mobile interface

Keep the independent reviews coming please

There is a user review on our site from a guy who bought one, then called me going nuts over the audio quality and function...he loved the preamps and all. This guy owns and uses the goooooood stuff daily, and is comparing it to expensive stuff.

Should be added to our tests soon.

I'd be interested if it worked on Windows with ASIO

Hi warren, I,ll check that out

Cheers

Great news! Would love to hear your feedback once you have had the chance to play with it?

Thanks,
Andy @ Audient

We just had this excellent little review come in from a voiceover professional including an audio clip. Scott was very complementary of the mics pres compared to his Great River pres and also the converters blew him away:

Thanks Scott! Home Page

The VO-BB :: View topic - Eureka! I found it!

Cheers!
Audient

Scott later expanded on his previous words, read the full review below:

Scott McDonald
Voice Over Artist

"I have some outstanding microphones and an excellent mic pre, but I found out that I was having problems with my audio interface. I had been searching for a new audio interface that was not firewire. My previous interface, which was firewire, had been crashing my mac mini.

So I began searching for the "right" audio interface for me. What I was searching for was something with great AD/DA converters, that would be easy to connect with my existing equipment, and had excellent mic pres to get me another option from my existing mic pre.

I got turned off by the "breakout" cables on some interfaces and the complex software. What I wanted was something that worked right out of the box.

I wanted something with great AD/DA conversion, that was simple to use, that had easy connections (no breakout cables) and had excellent mic pres. After reading some reviews about how the AD/DA converters on the iD22 held their own with interfaces costing 3 to 4 times as much that pushed me over the edge.

The fact that the converters are outstanding and the mic pres are as well can help produce great sounding audio files. That means less postproduction for me. I love the knobs on the unit and the fact that I can mute the monitor speakers with the push of a button rather than opening the software in the computer and clicking a virtual button. Saves me time. For long form narration little things like that can really add up.

The iD22 arrived a couple of days ago and it has found a permanent home in my studio. The converters sound great, and the outstanding mic pres give me another option when I need a slightly different sound. I love the ergonomics.

And the drivers must be good as it has not crashed my mac mini, like the firewire interface did, at all!

Just wish it had come out sooner!

I think the audio quality is quite remarkable but would like to hear what your ears have to say!

So I posted something to SoundCloud for your feedback on the audio quality. Lewitt 940 Fet Thru GR And Audient ID22 Normalized -3dB by Looking up radio on SoundCloud - Hear the world’s sounds

Webpage: www.scottsvoiceover.com"

Thanks,
Andy @ Audient

Scott also posted an A/B test where he compared another renowned brands interface with the iD22.

A = Competitors Interface
B = iD22



Thanks
Andy @ Audient

This is great but doesn't really tell us much. For instance are these the units on board mic pres? Are these units in the same price/build class? without these things we just have two different files!