[Ardour-Users] USB C Guitar Interface Recommendations?

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Wed, 22 Aug 2018 17:54:19 -0500, Chris Caudle wrote:
>On Wed, August 22, 2018 5:11 pm, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
>> When buying an USB audio
>> interface for an iPad, I experienced that it has got an USB current
>> limitation, so some audio devices only work with an USB hub.  
>
>I have not looked at details of currently available USB interfaces, do
>any come with external power connections so that you will not deplete
>the battery of your ipad so quickly?  It seems that any interface which
>supports USB or something else (S/PDIF, or ADAT, or maybe Ethernet)
>must have a power supply.

The AudioBox 1818VSL as well as the Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen have their
own power supplies, but the AudioBox 1818VSL still needs too much
current for at least an iPad 2 USB. A passive USB hub could outwit the
iPad 2, while an active USB hub really works around the issue. Btw. I
was jobless when I bought the Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen. IMO the OP
should balance pros and cons of inexpensive and expensive USB audio
interfaces. Recording an electric guitar doesn't require an expensive
audio interface, much likely a lot of USB audio interfaces that are
even cheaper than the AudioBox 1818VSL or Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen could
be used without losses for doing this. However, nowadays I would pay a
little bit more to get a RME USB audio interface, since it makes a
difference when mixing a song. My Linux PC has got a RME HDSPe AIO.
It's not well supported by Linux, but it works good enough to use the
stereo output for mixing. The sound of the RME card is more rich in
detail, especially the headphone output is way better than the outputs
of an AudioBox or Scarlet.
Btw. exporting and importing audio and MIDI tracks between the iPad and
Ardour on a Linux PC already works without hiccups. Since the OP wants
to use Ardour on the portable device, it should be easy to share
projects between the Pixelbook and a "real" laptop or tower PC. Perhaps
a laptop / tablet hybrid computer like a Pixelbook doesn't miss
anything provided by a "real" laptop or tower PC, I don't know.

On Wed, 22 Aug 2018 21:05:16 -0400, Seablade - wrote:
>Big difference between Pixelbook with USB-C which can deliver more
>power than USB2 standard calls for as it supports USB3 and a tablet
>that only barely supports USB to start with:)  I wouldn't worry about
>power delivery on the pixelbook, and in fact IIRC many USB class
>compliant interfaces will just work on ChromeOS so could be easily
>tested.

I might be overcautious. Perhaps a pixelbook _is_ like a "real" laptop.