A cable length question

[mashers]

Hi all

I've just swapped my bedroom and studio, so the bedroom is the tiny box room and the studio is the biggest room in the house I'm setting all my hardware up on an island in the middle of the room. This includes several hardware synths, a controller keyboard, and a little mixing desk. I'm now just ordering the cables I need to get everything from the desk with my laptop running Reason to the island with the hardware on it.

I'm using a USB audio interface, so at this point I have a choice. I can either keep the USB audio interface connected directly to my laptop, and run an audio cable from the mixer on the island to the audio interface. Or I can move the USB audio interface to the island and use a really short audio cable running from the mixer to the audio interface's audio input, and then run a USB cable from the island to my laptop.

I'll need to run a USB cable either way in order to connect my controller to the laptop. So I could utilise the same USB cable and then use a USB hub on the island.

So, I'm after opinions on which method would be best in terms of audio quality and latency.

Thanks in advance!

[boingy]

Keep your USB cable to 3 metres or less and use balanced audio cables wherever your hardware allows.

Apart from that, do whatever you like!

[mashers]

Keep your USB cable to 3 metres or less and use balanced audio cables wherever your hardware allows.

Apart from that, do whatever you like!

Thank you! Hm, I think I'd need more than 3 metres of USB cabling so I'd better leave the audio interface where it is and use audio cables from the mixer to the interface. Cheers!