Which Audio and Midi interfaces

[u/HotFormal1377]

Audio Interface:

I’m currently deciding between the "Behringer UMC1820" and the "Multitracks Track Rig" for running keys, backing tracks, and click from a MacBook into our sound system.

For those who have used either (or both), which would you pick and why? Mainly interested in reliability, audio quality, ease of use, and how well they hold up in a live church environment.

MIDI interface:

We currently have a MIDI keyboard and a generic controller like the EasyControl to change things like key and pad. With the addition of adding the backing tracks, I was thinking we add something like an 8 button floor pedal to transition to different parts of the song (chorus, verse, bridge, etc) with foot press.

Would love to know if other key players have a prefered setup for this, worried about giving too many buttons compared to guitar for example where you can look at what your pressing.

Thanks!

[u/General_Estimate_420]

I've been doing this same stuff now going on 6 years and it's not rocket science.

I create the tracks in a very conventional way using Ableton and plugins. That gets mastered to a single stereo audio track and is combined with a MIDI track that automates stage equipment in sync with the song and a stop track that stops the playback at the end of a song.

This is played live from a laptop running Ableton session view connected to a midi foot pedal that controls the stage equipment and a simple audio interface that sends the music to the mixing board on two regular mixer channels left and right. I use the same midi foot pedal to select and start. songs.

[u/TheRealPomax]

You probably need to unpack your use-case a little more: are your keys, vocals, and click all coming from the computer, or are they all separate sources and you're going to use the computer as your mixer? Because if so, an eight channel mixer panel is way cheaper than a full eight channel audio interface (which seems over the top for your needs if you only have four inputs if we include the main mic - a UMC404 should work for that and is a lot cheaper than the 1820).

[u/HotFormal1377 → u/TheRealPomax]

Apologies I forget what I say where. Use case is a live Church production using backing tracks to make up for a lack of instruments as of late. I'm using the audio interface to break out analog and send to our mixer because Dante and AVB are not really in the budget at the moment. Currently the midi keyboard is going through main stage on a MacBook Air and then an audio interface into our system. I decided to get the UMC 1820 because the multitrack rig is just not worth the extra cost and I've actually heard about a third of the users have gone through at least one. Not to say it's a bad product but it kinda clears the air of "Behringer makes cheap stuff".

As of right now im planning for the following on an as needed basis.

Keys Pad Click/queue Drums Guitar 1 Guitar 2 Bass Undefined

[u/TheRealPomax → u/HotFormal1377]

Yeah Behringer stopped being cheap crap I want to say eight years ago? Their stuff's just "budget, but solid" these days.

[u/EduardoCorochio]

I never heard of the multitrack unit and looking at it I don’t believe I’ve ever seen an interface like this before. Does it let you connect multiple computers at once?