Alesis io26 and io14 Interfaces

[locust tree]

I really have to disagree with the attitude that only people with problems will post. Yes, we've all seen our fair share of new members with 1 post asking a troubleshooting question... but the other side of that coin is that when a manufacturer gets it right, people talk about it. I know this because I did my homework and went around looking for reviews for other similarly equipped interfaces before buying this one. Over time, all the negative reviews on this thread corroborate the same story, which is one of poorly written drivers and a product that was probably rushed out the door before development was finished. This is a drastically different story than, say, the thread about the M-Audio Profire 2626 over at gearslutz. Most people there are saying the same thing. Great pres, rock solid drivers, etc. Granted we're talking about something almost double the price of the io 26 but I really am starting to believe that you get what you pay for.

At any rate, my system has never failed me during a recording session.

I'm glad you are able to say that. Unfortunately I've had the displeasure of waving the band down like an air traffic controller because a dropout happened in the middle of their take. Granted, this happened under the infamous March drivers but... trust me, once this type of thing happens, you'll have an unstoppable motivation to get to the bottom of it.

1. the playback was chopped, increased buffer size and problem solved (buffer size is lower in the apple computers)

I often find that when this happens, I can fix the problem by just opening the control panel, and then closing it - sometimes I don't have to even mess with the buffer size. This is worrisome because it means that the problem has nothing to do with the buffer size. Also, what are your CPU usage readouts looking like when this choppy playback happens? If they're pulling 15 percent usage, it ain't your buffer size that's the problem... it's the piss-poor drivers being reset when you open the control panel.

Omar, I'm glad it's working for you on your mac pro, but... for many people, if they can afford a Mac Pro they can also afford a better interface than this. The sad fact is that PC users are the common denominator at this price point, and for the majority of them, this box has issues.

2. the unit will act up, restart, or shut off, with blinking red lights on the first 4 channels..... I plugged it directly with the supplied power adaptor and have not had an issue since.

My unit will act up and decide that it's time to restart even with the wall wart plugged in. It's rare, but does still happen. Again, I stress that this is totally unacceptable behavior for any interface. I don't think I have to explain why it's a bad thing for a unit to do this during a take...

[orbm1]

I really have to disagree with the attitude that only people with problems will post. Yes, we've all seen our fair share of new members with 1 post asking a troubleshooting question... but the other side of that coin is that when a manufacturer gets it right, people talk about it. I know this because I did my homework and went around looking for reviews for other similarly equipped interfaces before buying this one. Over time, all the negative reviews on this thread corroborate the same story, which is one of poorly written drivers and a product that was probably rushed out the door before development was finished. This is a drastically different story than, say, the thread about the M-Audio Profire 2626 over at gearslutz. Most people there are saying the same thing. Great pres, rock solid drivers, etc. Granted we're talking about something almost double the price of the io 26 but I really am starting to believe that you get what you pay for. I'm glad you are able to say that. Unfortunately I've had the displeasure of waving the band down like an air traffic controller because a dropout happened in the middle of their take. Granted, this happened under the infamous March drivers but... trust me, once this type of thing happens, you'll have an unstoppable motivation to get to the bottom of it. I often find that when this happens, I can fix the problem by just opening the control panel, and then closing it - sometimes I don't have to even mess with the buffer size. This is worrisome because it means that the problem has nothing to do with the buffer size. Also, what are your CPU usage readouts looking like when this choppy playback happens? If they're pulling 15 percent usage, it ain't your buffer size that's the problem... it's the piss-poor drivers being reset when you open the control panel. Omar, I'm glad it's working for you on your mac pro, but... for many people, if they can afford a Mac Pro they can also afford a better interface than this. The sad fact is that PC users are the common denominator at this price point, and for the majority of them, this box has issues. My unit will act up and decide that it's time to restart even with the wall wart plugged in. It's rare, but does still happen. Again, I stress that this is totally unacceptable behavior for any interface. I don't think I have to explain why it's a bad thing for a unit to do this during a take...

 

 

OK....why did you buy it then????

 

I have used this inetrface when I started getting the idea of an studio....with a compaq computer, with sempron processor, 1gb of ram, xp sp2....with no prblems....I could record 3 dry channels with no issues whatsoever.... I have upgraded to a mac pro, and I could have buy amd imterface from m-audio, or apogee, but I was happy with this interface....why would I change??? I would change to an apogee ensemble, when I save the $2,000 for it...in the meantime, I have a nice studio set up, making a nice side income for my family...and enjoying my projects to the fullest!!!!

 

Again, do not blame the interface.... you said it best.....that you are glad that it works for me and my mac pro, but the problems are for the people that uses pcs with windows .....so the problem is.....WINDOWS.....not the interface......

 

is the Alesis IO PERFECT????, no!!!!!!!

 

but it is DARN GOOD!!!!

 

I told you..... it acted up with a brand new dell computer with windows xp, 4gb ram (3.5gb used) and quad core....coming from working fine with a compaq single core 1gb ram......problem: quality of the components......now, with a mac pro or macbook, no problem!!!!!

 

who is to blame????

 

the interface, or the computer?????

 

I am sorry that you are having problems.... but do yourself a favor, sell it, cut your losses, and buy the one that you want...but, if you keep using a "domestic" windows machine, you might still have an issue, no matter the interface....

 

 

Best of Luck!

 

Omar

[telecaster220]

Let me start by wishing everyone Happy New Year.

 

I would like to join Omar and others, I have absolutely no problems with mine either.

 

I am using it both under Windows XP SP3 and Wista 32bit Home Premium SP1, and it just works.

I did have my first unit replaced due to "motorboating" issues and have never had the problem since.

 

I think Omar's on the right track in respect of hardware, it really needs to be good quality components and the right firewire chipset, at least it seems to work that way for me.

[p_bojanowski]

Hi there!

I'm totally new to this poll. I have a MacBook intel dual core. I have read a lot about the iO26. The showkeeper in a music store told me that it is THE ultimate recording gear for this price.

On this forum, a lot of people talked about their problems with clicks while they turn on iTunes. I would like to use my computer both for recording and fun (iTunes, Safari, mail, some graphic programms).

As I hadn't the courrage to read the entire poll (74pages!!!!), I wanted to ask you if something got better with the drivers? is the iO26 reliable?

 

I would love to have an interface that I wouldn't have to unplug each time I want to listen to my music on iTunes!

 

thanks a lot

sorry for my lame post

[CyrNoodles]

Hi there, I'm french, so please excuse my poor English, I try as best as I can ! So, I've bought an Alesis iO|26, and for a couple of hours I'm trying to install it. I've read the Quik start manual and the Reference one. I installed drivers from installation CD, then - when a pop-up asked me to plug the device - I attached device to the computer, but nothing happened. Well, in fact, the middle led and other ones lit, and the middle one stayed lit. You know, I own a sound card, M-Audio Revolution 5.1. I thought there was some conflict between those, so I uninstalled drivers and unpluged M-Audio, cleaned Reg, etc... re-installed Alesis drivers from the CD AND from the website, rebooted, etc..., but nothing ! After many tries, and research on the Net, I've decided to ask you some solution... . My configuration : - Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E4500 @ 2.20GHz - MotherBoard AB9 QuadGT(Intel965+ICH8) - 2.00Go RAM - Windows XP - SP3 --- I read something about writting any F.A.Q about this device, may be it is not a bad idea ! Hoping someone has an idea for my issues.

 

 

Ok, problems are solved.

My mother-board got an audio chipset, Realtek audio HD. This one blocked any installation of Alesis drivers. After removing Realtek drivers in BIOS, Alesis drivers were able to be installed.

Now it's working.

[orbm1]

Ok, problems are solved. My mother-board got an audio chipset, Realtek audio HD. This one blocked any installation of Alesis drivers. After removing Realtek drivers in BIOS, Alesis drivers were able to be installed. Now it's working.

Good For you!!!(Tres bien )

I'm glad that you find the solution, and it did not have nothing to do with the interface.....

Let's go and make some music!!

Merci!!

Thanks

Omar

[selektah]

Hi, I'm wondering if there's still problems with this interface and Windows Vista 32-bit? Anyone with good experiences, or is it all just a big no-go? I'm planning to run it with a Dell XPS M1530. I've searched around quite a bit and found people having problems, but I thought I might try bring out someone with positive experience in here...

 

And also, are there any similar products to this one that can be an alternative?

 

Cheers

[NIXin]

Hi, I'm wondering if there's still problems with this interface and Windows Vista 32-bit? Anyone with good experiences, or is it all just a big no-go? I'm planning to run it with a Dell XPS M1530. I've searched around quite a bit and found people having problems, but I thought I might try bring out someone with positive experience in here... And also, are there any similar products to this one that can be an alternative? Cheers

It depends on the hardware, but there are still major issues with this interface. The drivers are badly written (unstable) and there has been no update for almost a year now.

[telecaster220]

I have mine running under Vista 32bit and sp1, but only used for system sounds and music playing no recording, and so far no problems.

 

I am running it under Windows Xp SP3 with the January drivers, and used for recording in Sonar, SF9, etc. again no hickups at all as far as I can tell.

 

Cheers

Mike

[selektah]

This might be a long shot but has anyone tried using it with the beta version of Windows 7 that is out now? I read it was supposed to have better driver support than Vista.

[NIXin]

This might be a long shot but has anyone tried using it with the beta version of Windows 7 that is out now? I read it was supposed to have better driver support than Vista.

 

 

Yes, I've tried it. The driver installs, but you get dropouts every minute or so. So not really usable.

[brisu75]

Hi all, first post here :-)
First of all, a LOT of thank you for the beautiful posts about "Alesis io26"...

Only a question...
I like to play with my band in a room, all of us with headphones and electric drum, in a completely "silent way"... I think to attach every instrument to the alesis (that records every instrument in one diferent track). And here, everything is ok.
But in the posts I read nothing about the possibility to have 8 different output, with different mixing... is it right? For example... if in the IN there is guitar + voice + bass + keyboard + drum... in OUT1 I want the guitar aloud then other intruments (so the guitarist listen well his guitar...)... in the OUT2 I want voice high, so the singer listen very well his voice, etc... Is it right? Can I do something as this? THERE IS NOT SIGNIFICANT LATENCY? Can I use these outputs to play live? Or it's not possible?
THANX IN ADVANCE,
Brisu from Italy

[brisu75]

..

[NIXin]

Yes, it's possible to set up the routing like that.

There is no latency when you use the hardware monitoring.

[xtrchessreal]

 

I wonder about your NIC. Do you have this recording workstation connected to the network? If so, is it setup where others on the network can share any drives, access the internet through this computer, share a printing spool, etc.

 

Is the network card embedded with the mobo or is it a PCI addition?

 

Can you post your computer hardware setup? Mobo, CPU, Mem, PCI cards, and associated specs with each i.e. USB 1.0 or 2.0, Firewire 1394, 1394a, or 1394b. Does Mobo support PCIe? etc.

 

I ask so I can see if any architectural issues may be present.

[skauss]

Hi all,

I've bought IO26 and I am having this issue I can't solve:

No sound is coming out from the main outputs (1-8). Headphone outputs are working normally, the routed signal from my DAW (Sonar - WDM) can be seen in the main bus in the direct monitor in all four outs 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (and heared in the headphones), but wherever I route the signal in my DAW I can't hear it.

I have tried reinstalling the drivers to no avail.

 

Maybe I've just missed something.

Thank you very much for your help!

Chris

[orbm1]

Hi all, I've bought IO26 and I am having this issue I can't solve: No sound is coming out from the main outputs (1-8). Headphone outputs are working normally, the routed signal from my DAW (Sonar - WDM) can be seen in the main bus in the direct monitor in all four outs 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (and heared in the headphones), but wherever I route the signal in my DAW I can't hear it. I have tried reinstalling the drivers to no avail. Maybe I've just missed something. Thank you very much for your help! Chris

I am not familiar with sonar, but try asio drivers....

and do not forget to set up all the monitoring with sonar....

any other ideas out there?

Omar

[skauss]

thanks for your help! I managed to figure out the problem, and it's still hard to believe that it was it. I saw this post at http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showpost.php?p=28625030&postcount=1410 and thought maybe...who knows.
I opened up the chassis and voila!! a ribbon cable going straight to the outputs was unplugged, obviously a factory neglection. Furthermore, a lose capacitor was in there too, hard to tell if it got disconnected or if it was there as a ...spare I'll try to figure out if that causes any issues and report my findings here.
I am pretty stunned, don't know how I should react to this, it's the first day I am using my IO26.

[Mario_Rodriguez]

I've recently purchased the presonus digimax Fs to expand my inputs for my Alesis io26. I'm connecting the FS and alesis through lighpipe and i'm using Logic Pro as my DAW.
I can't seem to make these devices work together. Logic pro picks up the alesis but doesnt pick up any of the extra 8 FS inputs. Could you please help.
I've contacted Alesis and Presonus and they dont seem to help out much.

[mamun]

They've done Firewire and USB mixers, and I suspect the io26 and io14 are a logical outgrowth of this R&D.

[miklogik]

Has anyone had any success sending 5.1 surround direct passthrough via the S/PDIF connection. Specifically I'm trying to send AC3 (DVD Dolby Digital surround or AC3 files) 5.1 via the S/PDIF to a receiver that can decode the channels. So far all methods end up with the signal downmixed to stereo. I've tried AC3filter in various permutations, but there are many variables and also the IO26 control panel settings to contend with...

[xtrchessreal]

I think more details are necessary. SPDIF can be transferred between devices with three different mediums, midi, rca coax, and optical. The from and to connections need to be described in more detail.

[miklogik]

I think more details are necessary. SPDIF can be transferred between devices with three different mediums, midi, rca coax, and optical. The from and to connections need to be described in more detail.

 

 

Thanks for replying. I was referring to the RCA/Coax output on the IO26. My wish is to send multichannel sound via the coax SPDIF out, into the SPDIF input on my receiver (for discrete multichannel Dolby Digital or DTS as opposed to a stereo encoded Dolby Pro Logic). But I believe that the IO26 is downmixing any multichannel encoded material (in my case DVD AC3 audio) into a stereo encoded stream - this is verified at the receiver end, because DD or DTS is never activated, but rather Dolby Pro Logic, and only the L and R inputs activate, indicating that a multichannel signal isn't coming in.

 

Using AC3filter and it's various SPDIF options doesn't seem to change the situation, but there are many options in the filter to choose from. Direct Passthrough would seem to be the way to go, but I haven't had any success that way either.

The SPDIF side of things is covered in detail here:

http://ac3filter.net/guides/ac3filter_spdif

 

 

I was hoping someone had used the SPDIF for multichannel output with some success.

 

I appreciate the input.

[ececilio]

hello,

i'm just one more guy that is having problems with this unit.

the io|26 simply quits ... turns completly off after about15/20min...

...and it's impossible to work with it like this, as you can imagine.

any help with this wil be VERY welcome.

thanks
emanuel

[Doogleman]

I don't have this problem (my io-26 stays on), and on my mac it works perfectly with garageband.
However with Logic Express 7 I'm having some major issues! I can record files into Logic, and monitor the live recordings on the Alesis headphone output, but when it comes to listening to the track I can't hear anything . The only way I can play back the track is after unplugging the Alesis entirely and using the mac speakers (which incidently won't work with the Alesis plugged in!). I've been through Logic with a toothcomb and found no answer.

Anyone know if this is the Alesis or Logic settings???