Alesis io26 and io14 Interfaces

[ninjamonkey]

I've got a new issue with mine as well.

This problem didn't start until today, but now it's happened twice. The unit sitll has power, but the Firewire light is out. The first time this happened I had to turn off my computer, then turn it back on. That seemed to fix it. The second time it happened, I had to take out the firewire and then plug it back in.

What's going on? I never had this problem before today.

[Guitarfrenzy]

Are you just using the firewire cable to power the unit? I had problems like that before I just decided to use the power cable to power it up. Not quite sure if that's your problem or not though.

I wish someone would test this out for me on their IO/26 because it's really bugging me. Plug in a guitar or bass into inputs 1 or 2, doesn't matter, with the switch in the guitar position. Now, monitor your sound in your DAW software or Direct Monitoring panel, you don't have to be playing to hear what I'm talking about. Turn up the level gain knob of that input and listen carefully, do you hear a weird almost like a shortwave radio sound when you get past 3/4 level to full gain. Mine makes a very audible noise, and my only solution is to keep the gain input to 3/4 of the way and under. I don't have the phantom power on, so that's not what's causing it, but it might just be my unit. Can anyone test this out and see if you have the same issue. Thanks.

[ninjamonkey]

No, I've always been using the AC adapter.

While trying to do a test for you, I had the Firewire problem again. I unplugegd firewire and ac adapter, then plugged htme back in. Powere, but no pc conenction. So I took out the firewire hten polugged i tback in and now theres a connection.

I did that test for you. I also hear the weird noise. But only from gain between 9 and 10.

[chrisfaraway]

hi guys, im new to the forum but have just bought a io|26 in the UK for £260 delivered! seems a really good price for what looks like the perfect thing for me and my band, im just a bit worried now after reading this thread, hopefully it will work OK.

ive got a macbook pro 1.83ghz core duo with 1.5g ram running 10.4.9 and using logic express.

i really hope its OK as it does look like a great piece of gear for the money.

[Guitarfrenzy]

hi guys, im new to the forum but have just bought a io|26 in the UK for £260 delivered! seems a really good price for what looks like the perfect thing for me and my band, im just a bit worried now after reading this thread, hopefully it will work OK. ive got a macbook pro 1.83ghz core duo with 1.5g ram running 10.4.9 and using logic express. i really hope its OK as it does look like a great piece of gear for the money.

 

 

I think you'll like it, just have to know the issues it has and workaround it. When you get yours up and running, if you would, please do a couple of test for me.

 

1. Hook up a microphone to one of the inputs and record an acoustic guitar. Do you have to ride the gain all the way just to get a light to flash on the unit?

2. Do the guitar input test. Plug a guitar into input 1, turn the switch to guitar, now without playing turn the gain knob and listen in your DAW software. Do you have an audible noise at around 9 to 10 in the gain?

 

Again, I'm not trying to scare you, just want to know if you guys are having the same problems as I am.

[chrisfaraway]

I think you'll like it, just have to know the issues it has and workaround it. When you get yours up and running, if you would, please do a couple of test for me. 1. Hook up a microphone to one of the inputs and record an acoustic guitar. Do you have to ride the gain all the way just to get a light to flash on the unit? 2. Do the guitar input test. Plug a guitar into input 1, turn the switch to guitar, now without playing turn the gain knob and listen in your DAW software. Do you have an audible noise at around 9 to 10 in the gain? Again, I'm not trying to scare you, just want to know if you guys are having the same problems as I am.

 

 

im hoping to test it tomorrow night at rehearsal studio so ill post how i get on. only thing ive done so far is hooked the thing up using the power from the firewire and updated the firmware and drivers and that went OK.

 

the thing feels really solid as i say i hope it all goes OK

[Guitarfrenzy]

I just purchased mine last Saturday, but I have been testing everything on the unit as much as possible to see if it's a keeper or a returner. So far I haven't had any issues that would flat out make me want to take it back, although the noise in the guitar input really is a bummer, but I'm glad I did trace it out and discovered it was the source for the unusual noise I was getting. Like I said, I can work around these limitations, I just hope that if there are going to be any more issues, they happen before my return time is up.. lol

[Guitarfrenzy]

Quick update guys..

I just talked to tech support about some of the issues the IO/26 is having. First off, I mentioned the guitar input gain noise, when turning the knob to 9 and up. He said the gain structure when switching the input to guitar, has more boost, and that normally you should never have a situation where you have to raise it that high. Probably the reason I noticed it was because I was using my Fender Stat that has very low output, and ended up turning the gain up too much. From what I gather, it has so much gain that it actually will cause internal oscillation feedback, and that since it uses the same gain knob no matter if your input is guitar or mic/line, you can actually turn it up too loud for the guitar input. In other words it was never intended to be turned up to that level in the guitar input mode. That actually makes sense to me, and I'll do further testing tonight with my Les Paul Custom and I bet I get way more gain without having to turn the gain knob up too much. I'll let you know what I find out on that. But basically, don't use inputs 1 or 2switched to guitar input, and try to go over 9 on the volume or you'll end up with low level oscillation noise in your recorded track. That was even confirmed by a tech.

Another issue I raised was the low level input gain structure on the mic inputs. I was asked what I recorded that was so low gain, and I mentioned the acoustic with SM-57 test I did. Basically, I was told that it just really depends on what I'm recording, mic placement, which mic I use, etc. etc. I kinda agreed, because I did test out my low wattage 63 Fender Champ Amp on it, and it had plenty of gain, enough that I could only run it as high as halfway or it was in the red. Again, I think I can live with this limitation, since it records very clear and even after boosting the signal in the DAW, no noticeable unwanted noise.

Also, the +4, and -10 in the HDM panel, was explained to me. It works for the outputs of the signal coming in from the Alesis. At least that the way I understood it to be.

Lastly, there will be a new driver release within the next couple of weeks. They are doing the final beta testing as we speak. It should fix the AMD X2 - Sonar conflict problem. New WDM drivers that work, and with added surround sound outs to different assignable outputs on the IO/26. Plus, added daisy chaining features to the HDM panel. Also, when MAC OSX 10.4.10 is out it will fix MAC firewire issues people have been having.

All this sounds very good to me, and I'm glad they are working to get all the bugs out. Thanks Alesis for taking care of business.

[chrisfaraway]

to be fair to alesis from what i have read and heard, they really do care about fixing these bugs and they must believe thay have a good product here.

im looking forward to using it

[Anderton]

to be fair to alesis from what i have read and heard, they really do care about fixing these bugs and they must believe thay have a good product here.

 

 

As I've pointed out in this review, their track record is indeed very good when it comes to bug fixes and compatibility issues, and so far, I see no reason why the io26 will be any different. The first software and firmware updates came almost immediately after the initial release.

 

Overall I think this is an extremely impressive piece of hardware by any standards, it doesn't need a "for the price" disclaimer although the price is certainly right. I think that once the new drivers come out, we'll probably be able to post some final conclusions here and consider the Pro Review essentially done.

[Guitarfrenzy]

As I've pointed out in this review, their track record is indeed very good when it comes to bug fixes and compatibility issues, and so far, I see no reason why the io26 will be any different. The first software and firmware updates came almost immediately after the initial release. Overall I think this is an extremely impressive piece of hardware by any standards, it doesn't need a "for the price" disclaimer although the price is certainly right. I think that once the new drivers come out, we'll probably be able to post some final conclusions here and consider the Pro Review essentially done.

 

 

I want to thank you Craig for this Pro Review, you did a great job on reviewing the product, and it gave us a way to communicate between users of the IO/26. I think you did help speed things along with bringing up the minor issues that it had and so far Alesis has been very diligent about fixing them. Kudos to them and you!! Thanks

[instred]

I'm a bit surprised Jim didn't post here that new drivers for Windows are out.
I just downloaded them now and I'm praying they take care of my AMD X2 issue. Also the new drivers are Vista compatible now. Sorry no WaveRT drivers yet for the adventuous souls in Vista land. If anyone here is using Vista, can you try out the new drivers and give feedback.

I'll let you all know how I do with the new drivers.

Ed

[instred]

The Drivers in quick testing in Sonar seem to work in ASIO or in WDM mode with multiprocessor enabled. In Project5 the ASIO driver works the same, but the WDM mode I get gargled sounds out. Don't know right now if it is me or the drivers. Tomorrow I'll do more testing.

Thanks for fixing the AMD X2 bug in Sonar . I can live with using ASIO drivers in Project5.
Its funny that the WDM drivers work in Sonar now, but not in Project5
ver. 2.5. Hope it is something stupid I'm doing.

Ed

[Guitarfrenzy]

Wow.. that was quick, I didn't think they'd be out for a week or so, although I was told it could be out at anytime within the next couple of weeks. Just didn't know it'd be the same day I talked to them.. lol

Glad to see that the Sonar - AMD X2 issue is resolved, did you notice anything different in the HDM panel? Not sure why your having problems with Project5 with the WDM drivers, although I'm not sure why you'd want to use WDM drivers myself. So far I've been very impressed with Alesis and how quickly they try to take care of the problems.

I did test the guitar input with my Les Paul Custom yesterday and it had plenty of gain, so I would have never had to raise it past a level of 9 if I'd been recording with this guitar directly into the unit.

Does anyone know what the best Firewire card to get for the IO/26? I have a Dynex card, but wonder if there was better ones out there to run this unit.

[instred]

I agree I don't mind using the ASIO drivers, there was several times though when I had a high track count and the WDM drivers let me have higher latency for mixing and less stress on CPU. With two toddlers running around and moving recently to a new home, I don't have the time like I used to lol.

Anyway I'm glad so far the new ASIO drivers are working. I recently upgraded Project5 to 2.5version so it could have something to do with that. I cleared the Aud.ini file and had wave profile rebuilt it. But I know from the past there are several lines in the ini file that I can change and see if that helps. I'lll try over the weekend. Back to painting.

Ed

[Guitarfrenzy]

Ahh.. I see, we'll all you can do is send them an email and let them know about your issue with Project5 and WDM driver, I bet they can find a solution for you. Althought it might take another update later on. I'll have to install the newest driver tonight and give it a try. I'm axious to also check out the HDM panel and see if there is any new daisy chain features like was mentioned.

Craig, have you tested the new driver with Sonar on your computer? Just curious of it fixed it for you also.

[jimnorman]

Sorry to be late with announcing this on the forum. I have been traveling and catching up.

The new driver is now available at the alesis website. The new driver addresses the following:

- Microsoft Vista compatibility
- A number of performance-related improvements have been made.
- Issues related to AMD X2 processor performance have been solved.
- New input and output mapping options in the control panel enhance Windows audio performance.

On the Mac side we are waiting for Apple to release it's latest OS which will solve some of the problems that users have complained about. We will have a new Mac Driver coming out in July hopefully to coincide with the new Apple OS.

Thanks to everyone who has PM'd me about their issues. It's greatly appreciated.

Jim

[mico]

I got my new power supply for my computer and had a chance to test out the IO26 on the machine I'll use it on the most. I have to admit that it worked perfectly. I downloaded the latest drivers and installation was very easy.

I hooked up my turntable and recorded some samples in Sound Forge. I imported those new samples into FL Studio and was able to playback my previous projects (playback did stutter slightly when playing back some projects that used the Proteus X VST). I also recorded vocals in Acid and was pleased with the results.

The vocals I was recording were from two different people and the gain was fine. I had to turn it do on one of the guys because he has a tendency to whisper some parts and then scream at others. I even normalized some of the quieter parts and could not hear any additional noise added by the Alesis. Playback of CDs using Windows Media Player was excellent. No dropouts like I was getting before when using the Alesis on my old machine.

I'll try recording some acoustic guitar using my old setup and my new setup. My old setup is a EMU 0404 PCI card. I'll compare them tonight, but I expect the Alesis to be much better. I was debating between interfaces and I think I'll be happy with my decision to go with the IO26.

Many thanks to Anderton, Jim and all the people who've contributed to this discussion.

-mico

[ninjamonkey]

I am building a new pc, and a thought came to mind.

Would there be benefits to using a soundcard as my output device, instead of the io26? I'd still have the io26 as my input device, but if I used a soundcard as my output, would there be less latency issues?

Thanks

[Guitarfrenzy]

Thanks to everyone who has PM'd me about their issues. It's greatly appreciated. Jim

 

And thank you for even coming to this site to let us know the exact details behind the update!!! I really appreciate your commitment to working out all the bugs!! Thanks!

[chainsawmax]

So hello everyone,

 

first off I'd like to thank out all of the involved in this discussion. Jim and Craig especially, thanx a lot for bringing it up. I am a PC user and I have been willing to buy a new input device, and as soon as I read about the IO26 I was all fired up.

 

I too, like someone else up here, have the intention to build a new machine from scratch, and here I am asking you guys if it could be possible to help me in selecting the single parts. I asked the Alesis support already, and they were kind, fast and to the point with their reply. They indicated that the root of many problems with the IO26 is the firewire card used to connect it.

 

I had in mind to pick up a PENTIUM 4 3400hz with a 775 socket MSI motherboard. Is there any setting you would suggest to build a good and reliable PC which would be able to work with the IO26?

 

Here's my ideal list:

 

CPU: Pentium4 650 3.4Ghz 800 2Mb S775 Box

MOBO: MSI SOCKET 775 ATX FSB1066 INTEL P965

2 x HD 160GB IDE 7200RPM CACHE 2MB (some suggested me to go to SATA for the speed but some yet mantain that the SATA might bring up trouble...?)

2 x RAM KINGSTON 1GB DDR2 667 MHZ

video card NV.GF6200LE PCIE TC 256MB TVOUT DVI

BELKIN F5U502EA Firewire Card

 

Do you think everything would work out fine??? Thanx a lot in advance...!

 

Max

[okta]

- Issues related to AMD X2 processor performance have been solved.

 

 

 

Good to hear this!!!

 

Great job Alesis. Everything sounds good so far.

 

Now I just have to wait for it to ship to Malaysia. *hint**hint*

[telecaster220]

I have just received my IO|26 this morning and have just connected it so far it plays back anything I throw at it.

 

A few questions:

 

I have to use the supplied power supply, is this normal?

 

What Firewire card would you recommend, and would it supply the power needed, to remove the external power supply?

 

I downloaded the latest drivers and firmware, and have successfully installed it all, but it seems that I can't get the Direct monitoring to remember my setting to wide channelstrips I have to set it every time i use it, is the the same for everyone or am I doing something wrong?

 

Thank you for this awesome post, I actually read the review in the latest SOS and was looking for further info, an you guys convinced me to go and buy it.

 

Cheers

Mike

[Guitarfrenzy]

I have to use the supplied power supply, is this normal? What Firewire card would you recommend, and would it supply the power needed, to remove the external power supply? I downloaded the latest drivers and firmware, and have successfully installed it all, but it seems that I can't get the Direct monitoring to remember my setting to wide channelstrips I have to set it every time i use it, is the the same for everyone or am I doing something wrong? Thank you for this awesome post, I actually read the review in the latest SOS and was looking for further info, an you guys convinced me to go and buy it. Cheers Mike

 

 

Good question. I also have to use the supplied power supply because of either the Firewire card, or power supply in my computer. Like I said, I bought the IO/26 and didn't have a Firewire connection on my computer, so I dropped by and picked up this Dynex card before I went home with it. I'm not so sure it was the best one for this device though. I'd love to hear Alesis suggestions on which card is optimal for their device. Can anyone else run the IO/26 with only Firewire supplied power? If so do you think it's more of a power supply issue or will getting a better Firewire card help?

 

As far as the new drivers go, I installed them last night and everything is working great for me.

[chainsawmax]

As far as the specs that you gave the IO/26 should run great on it, I personally don't see an issue. But I think your having the same question I'm having, "What's the best Firewire card for this device?". I'd love to know the answer to that also, because although I haven't had any problems out of my Dynex card, I bet there are better ones out there. Has anyone heard any recommendations from Alesis on Firewire cards? As far as the new drivers go, I installed them last night and everything is working great for me.

Great to hear about the drivers! I'm looking forward to record my band's first full lenght with this machine, so I'm eagerly anticipating the day I'll pick up mine!

And you're right about the fw card. I did ask the support to address me to the very model that's indicated for the io26. I wish they can name it. I only know that Texas Instrument fueled cards are the one which work best. But it's hard to find out if a certain card has the TI chipset in it. After all, it's up to us to know what works best with the device... but how to find out if the retail sites don't mention the chipset???

Sorry for my long rant...