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So I'm looking to buy an audio interface and it seems like everyone who's been asking for recommendations either is looking for something other than what I'm looking for or has waaaay more money to blow. I'm looking to spend about $300-400 CAD total (this includes a mic which will probably be an SM57 and run me about $125ish after taxes) this leaves about 175-275 for an audio interface. All of the interfaces people talk about start at $300+ and I really don't know what to look for. Is there some killer spec that separates good from the bad which I should be looking for? It's so overwhelming when you don't know poo poo. For the record I'm really only looking to record vocals and a guitar for now but I'd rather not neuter myself now and have to spend more money later. Does anyone have any recommendations? My absolute upper bound for price range would be 400 CAD and that would probably involve saving up for a bit. I usually don't ask this since I'm sure this question comes up really often but I've screwed myself over plenty of times by not asking questions and just doing research on my own. My Precious Violin Case fucked around with this message at 01:50 on Dec 2, 2008 |
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Dec 2, 2008 01:47
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snappo posted:What does it sound like? It certainly sounds like GSM noise, but I wanted to ask if it could be something more complicated. I definitely had my phone off, so I need to leave it in another room to test and see if it's a different kind of RF noise. I am close to an airbase, it could be a radar or something. If waffleimages is working you can see that it cuts through the vocals across all frequencies.
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Dec 2, 2008 02:34
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Vaporware posted:It certainly sounds like GSM noise, but I wanted to ask if it could be something more complicated. I definitely had my phone off, so I need to leave it in another room to test and see if it's a different kind of RF noise. I am close to an airbase, it could be a radar or something. Are all of your cables balanced? There may be unbalanced paths within your preamp/interface, you should try simplifying the setup to see if the GSM noise is related. I doubt it's latency related. Is the noise consistent or intermittent?
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Dec 2, 2008 18:22
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Vaporware posted:It certainly sounds like GSM noise, but I wanted to ask if it could be something more complicated. I definitely had my phone off, so I need to leave it in another room to test and see if it's a different kind of RF noise. I am close to an airbase, it could be a radar or something. What Rivensbitch said. Try to localize which piece of gear introduces that sound. Plug your mic into the Pretube and listen to the Pretube output with headphones while you talk/sing into the mic instead of connecting the Pretube to the Fastrack. Do you still hear the sound? Also, try plugging your mic directly into each of the Fastrack preamps and see if it still happens. Try recording a line-level source like an iPod into the various Fastrack inputs. Some things that jump to mind which could cause strange artifacts like that in your recordings are a wordclock sync issue, slow hard drive access time while recording, and faulty power to one or more of your devices.
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Dec 2, 2008 20:14
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My cables are balanced (three prong XLR is balanced, right?) until the M-audio outputs USB. It happens intermittently. Maybe twice in five minutes. I'll do some troubleshooting next week when I can get back over there for an hour or two.
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Dec 2, 2008 22:06
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I'm thinking about upgrading my "studio" since I've outgrown the number of inputs (two) on my M-Audio Fast Track Pro, but I'm having trouble deciding between a standalone mixer or a bigger, better mixer/interface combo. Basically, I'm becoming a synth nut and have too many hardware synths and other poo poo now so I can't record/play them all simultaneously. I'm kinda torn between the Alesis Multimix 8 Line and the Multimix 16 USB 2.0 (or firewire, but I can't find it anywhere now). With the 8 Line, I get all the stereo inputs I need (really just 3-4 at the moment, but it could change) for dicking around and then I could record each synth individually from the main outs connected to the Fast Track Pro. Sounds like it would work fine for me and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than the mixer/interface combo, but I wonder if I'd be happier with the extra inputs/convenience/relative portability of something like the Multimix 16? Right now all I need to record are my own keyboards and the occasional guitar bit when my buddy and I jam but I guess I also want to keep my options open and not spend cash on a quick fix that I'll just need to upgrade again later. Opinions? Also please feel free to recommend other similar devices.
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Dec 3, 2008 06:53
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I need gift ideas for my dad's birthday in a couple of days. He's a big fan of music (rock, metal and prog) and has been trying to make some sort of recording studio in his basement over the last couple of years. So far he bought (or received) the following : a computer with a pretty good sound card, since he listens to music from the computer, but he also uses it to record, a microphone (voice/singing), a midi keyboard, an electric guitar, a drum set, and a pretty drat good audio setup (amp, player and speakers). What else could I get him? I'd rather have suggestions that are not too expensive, but I'm open to anything. Considering that his birthday and Christmas are 2 weeks apart, I could shell out some more cash and/or ask my mom to chip in as well. I'd prefer if I could give him something new to play with, instead of say, a new cymbal or effects pedal. I was thinking some sort of mixer, but I'm far from an expert in that field. Thoughts?
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Dec 4, 2008 01:04
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Accessories!!! Hosa astro grip. It's an excellent way to wrap all of your cables and keep things clean. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AstroGrip Ebtec cable tester. Avoid phantom shorts! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SwizzArmy/ Galaxy SPL meter. Stop guessing how loud you are and get some reference! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CM130/ DBX RTA reference mic. Use this to measure the frequency response of your room! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RTAM/ EAW SMAART LIVE. Use this with your reference mic to sweep your room! http://www.eaw.com/products/software/index.html How about spools of cables and connectors? XLR cable http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/2condshldin/ XLR connectors http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MXLRconn/ male http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FXLRconn/ female How about short TRS to XLR cables? These are ALWAYS handy http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/STX102M/ trs to xlr M http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/STX102F/ trs to xlr F How about some $99 in-ear monitors? Use it for isolation tracking or your ipod! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SCL2/
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Dec 4, 2008 01:59
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It wasn't my cell phone, it was the wireless card in my laptop looking for a network.
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Dec 4, 2008 15:39
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How much an I looking to spend on an XLR cable? I only need about 6 feet of cable but I don't know what makes a good cable; is there any brand I'd spec I should look out for or are they all pretty much created equal (doubtful since it's an analog cable)
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Dec 4, 2008 17:52
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My Precious Violin Case posted:How much an I looking to spend on an XLR cable? I only need about 6 feet of cable but I don't know what makes a good cable; is there any brand I'd spec I should look out for or are they all pretty much created equal (doubtful since it's an analog cable)
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Dec 4, 2008 18:34
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My Precious Violin Case posted:How much an I looking to spend on an XLR cable? I only need about 6 feet of cable but I don't know what makes a good cable; is there any brand I'd spec I should look out for or are they all pretty much created equal (doubtful since it's an analog cable) I've been told that generally the thicker a cable is (1/4 in. or XLR in this case), the better quality. How true is this? Sorry if this sounds immensely retarded 
WAY TO GO WAMPA!! fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Dec 4, 2008 |
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Dec 4, 2008 18:58
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Thickness usually refers to the outer covering. The thicker the cable, the more protected the wires are from damage. Sound quality is unaffected by cable thickness, since all XLR cables use the same gauge of wire.
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Dec 4, 2008 20:03
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nimper posted:Thickness usually refers to the outer covering. The thicker the cable, the more protected the wires are from damage. This is wrong, mic cables come in many different gauges. Hosa sells spools at 22 and 24 ga, so I can only assume Belden and Mogami have similar offerings. However the good news is that since XLR applications are usually low impedance, it shouldn't matter that much as long as you're not getting too crazy. Honestly what matters most to me in my XLR cables is how easily I can coil them and how solid the connectors are. There's nothing worse than having to use those lovely connectors with the screws and no strain releif that come with those $10 bargain bin cables at your local music store. If the cable has switchcraft or neutrik connectors, and it coils up real easy, then I'm satisfied.
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Dec 5, 2008 00:58
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drat you RivensBitch! I'm trying to spread misinformation here and you aren't helping!
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Dec 5, 2008 02:05
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nimper posted:drat you RivensBitch! I'm trying to spread misinformation here and you aren't helping! Not in my thread bud.... that's my job!
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Dec 5, 2008 04:52
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So I'm looking to purchase a new microphone. It would more or less exclusively be used to record acoustic guitar and vocals. Currently I am using a Firebox and an SM57, but the low output of the SM57 with the Firebox isn't really cutting it and I'm looking for an upgrade. I'm willing to spend up to $300. Anyone have any suggestions?
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Dec 6, 2008 04:57
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I hope this is in the right place- I'm looking for a keyboard synthesizer that can be used as a MIDI controller and that also can be used to play back MIDI. I play a bit of piano, so the larger the range, the better- I'd rather have 88 keys than 61. I would use this as a keyboard to practice on, as well as a way to compose and playback songs on Encore (unless there is a more professional program that works like Encore- I use Encore essentially as a sequencer, but because it looks like sheet music, its much easier for me than using a step or pattern sequencer). I'm also limited on budget, so I top out at the 600-700 dollar range. I've been looking at a Yamaha MM8, but I have no idea what the quality is like on any of these products. I used to have an Alesis 6.1, which was alright, and I really liked the Alesis Quadrasynth back in the day, but I know the technology has probably come a long ways in 10 years. Thanks for your help.
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Dec 7, 2008 05:41
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Anything with MIDI can be used as a MIDI controller (except for a Yamaha DJX2 but that thing's retarded). You're probably looking for a digital piano. Problem: digital pianos generally don't come with rotary knobs and/or sliders. Solution: buy an extra USB controller with just knobs and use this in addition to the digital piano. Something like an M-Audio ProKeys might be an option v  v.As for quality: I've found that the budget spent on these things is sort of linear with the feeling of the keyboard, so there's no other way to check quality than to test. Manufacturers have their own ideas about what things are supposed to feel like, and those ideas may differ from yours.
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Dec 7, 2008 15:20
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I've recently made the decision that I would like hunker down this winter and get to know Ableton Live really well. My 4 year old Dell laptop has definitely seen better days, so I am ready to buy a new computer, and am considering my first foray into the Mac world. I think it would be pretty foolish to buy something new new new, but a lot of the used macbooks I've seen popping are about 3 years old with the slower frontside bus. I'd like to be able to run an instance of Pure Data concurrently,processing midi data/generating audio to be piped into Ableton or another DAW. I have an old MBOX 1 and Mic preamps to get me started. I plan on picking up the Akai MPD32 for midi input. So what I'm trying to ask is, what generation of older macbook would be good to look at to run ableton live decently ? Are the rumours of a new version of Ableton coming out soon something that should cause me to wait a few months? I've used PCs since I was 5 so I am not particularly well versed in gauging macs. but I am ready to dive in. glennnyc fucked around with this message at 18:36 on Dec 7, 2008 |
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Dec 7, 2008 18:34
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I know this is the 'home/computer' recording thread, but I've recently become interested in some more abstract electronica type stuff and wanted to try out field recording for a while because I far prefer playing with natural sounds than synthesized ones. Anyways, anyone got any recommendations for the cheapest setup I could get while still getting good sound quality from the recordings? Also god drat stereo mics are cool but probably useless. But yeah, minidisk the way to go or some other recorder? and what kind of mic?
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Dec 7, 2008 20:40
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Macbooks and ableton - I've been eyeing the used $1200 range 15" Macbook Pro 2.2ghz laptops for a while on ebay, not that I actually have any money but if I did I'd buy one of these as I've given up on my $600 toshiba as a music DAW. Field recording - MiniDisc has gone the way of the dodo. Stick with something that records to solid state media like compact flash or smart disc. Nicer brand recorders are sony, marantz... cheaper ones are zoom and roland.
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Dec 7, 2008 21:55
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Yoozer posted:Anything with MIDI can be used as a MIDI controller (except for a Yamaha DJX2 but that thing's retarded). Thanks! The problem with a digital piano, however, is that I want to be able to able to assign sounds on the synthesizer to different midi tracks, so that I can play back 8-16 midi channels through the synth. Is it better for me to look at a softsynth, and play back the midi tracks through it and go for a digital piano, or should I go for the full synth? I really don't know.
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Dec 7, 2008 22:20
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RivensBitch posted:Macbooks and ableton - I've been eyeing the used $1200 range 15" Macbook Pro 2.2ghz laptops for a while on ebay, not that I actually have any money but if I did I'd buy one of these as I've given up on my $600 toshiba as a music DAW. I know minidisc's way outdated, but they're cheap as hell these days. And I suppose more importantly, any advice on what kind of mic to use? Recording devices I can mostly figure out on my own but I know next to nothing about mics.
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Dec 7, 2008 22:30
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I have had a Line 6 guitar port for years along with the unreasonably simplistic Riffworks recording software that is made to be compatible with the guitarport USB interface. Recently I acquired both FL studio 7 and two Audix mics (also a XLR to 1/4" converter so I can plug the mics into the guitarport) through my own stupidity, I have been forced to record whatever sounds I wanted into riffworks and then save it and load it up in FL studio. (the two programs hate each other)Is there a way to use the guitarport as just a USB interface and record directly into FL? or is there a good cheap way to get a mic directly into FL?
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Dec 8, 2008 04:11
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RivensBitch posted:Macbook stuff Is it really necessary to buy a MBP to be able to run anything well? I'd really prefer to buy an older 13" model, for comfort/portability, and the possiblity of spending < $1000 on a computer alone. glennnyc fucked around with this message at 05:57 on Dec 8, 2008 |
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Dec 8, 2008 04:53
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Verbzilla posted:I have had a Line 6 guitar port for years along with the unreasonably simplistic Riffworks recording software that is made to be compatible with the guitarport USB interface. Recently I acquired both FL studio 7 and two Audix mics (also a XLR to 1/4" converter so I can plug the mics into the guitarport) through my own stupidity, I have been forced to record whatever sounds I wanted into riffworks and then save it and load it up in FL studio. (the two programs hate each other)Is there a way to use the guitarport as just a USB interface and record directly into FL? or is there a good cheap way to get a mic directly into FL? Possibly, when its plugged in through the USB and turned on or w/e, if you go to control panel --> sounds and audio devices --> audio tab, in the sound recording dropdown box is there anything besides your default mic/line in port? I'm using a firewire audio interface and while they do somewhat different things, I'd imagine they work in somewhat the same way, and when my interface is plugged in and on it shows up in that dropdown box. And if you don't want it to be the default recording device, then in FL Studio go to your ASIO preferences and specify which input you want to use.
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Dec 8, 2008 05:46
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paradigmblue posted:Thanks! The problem with a digital piano, however, is that I want to be able to able to assign sounds on the synthesizer to different midi tracks, so that I can play back 8-16 midi channels through the synth.  quote:Is it better for me to look at a softsynth, and play back the midi tracks through it and go for a digital piano, or should I go for the full synth? I really don't know. It all depends on how serious you are about the piano. If you insist on weighted keys, 88 of 'm, and getting lessons, I'd go the digital piano route simply because a computer screen distracts from playing and learning. If you don't, Proteus VX is a free (after registration) sample library with a big selection of sounds that'll do the job nicely for other instruments than piano.
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Dec 8, 2008 21:21
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mezzir posted:Possibly, when its plugged in through the USB and turned on or w/e, if you go to control panel --> sounds and audio devices --> audio tab, in the sound recording dropdown box is there anything besides your default mic/line in port? I'm using a firewire audio interface and while they do somewhat different things, I'd imagine they work in somewhat the same way, and when my interface is plugged in and on it shows up in that dropdown box. Right on, all of that worked. But I ran into one big problem. I get everything all set so I can record directly into the mixer. I press the record, then play button. At the time I hit play, It makes this awful screech noise. At the same time I get an error message saying "Unable to create new .wav file. Another program may be trying to run" or something very close. I do not have the actual Guitarport program running. So im not sure whats going on here. I think its the riffworks program giving me one last gently caress you for trying to replace it.
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Dec 9, 2008 02:12
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Verbzilla posted:Right on, all of that worked. But I ran into one big problem. I get everything all set so I can record directly into the mixer. I press the record, then play button. At the time I hit play, It makes this awful screech noise. At the same time I get an error message saying "Unable to create new .wav file. Another program may be trying to run" or something very close. I do not have the actual Guitarport program running. So im not sure whats going on here. I think its the riffworks program giving me one last gently caress you for trying to replace it. Hmm. Mind listing exactly what programs you have open while thats happening? I did something that sounds similar lately and the noise was caused to the same track recording and playing through the speakers so there were crazy amounts of feedback. Try just drawing a simple diagram of all the ins and outs you're currently using maybe.
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Dec 9, 2008 03:05
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It really was nothing but a blank computer when I did it. (spare maybe iTunes and a open firefox window) The actual guitarport program (amp and effect emulator) was turned off. The entire PCs sound is routed through the actual hardware. (I plug my headphones into the back of the unit) so it is always on. I would expect it to have a shitfit if the recording or the emulating program were running but I am at a complete loss on why it would have issues with this.
Bonefish fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Dec 9, 2008 |
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Dec 9, 2008 03:42
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Okay, this thread seems a good place to ask: anybody have any recommendations on a good desk solution for a home studio? I'm just looking for something simple where I can set up a (49 key) keyboard contoller and QWERTY keyboard + mouse at the same time without having to stretch awkwardly and without having too much extra clutter. I'm used to having the MIDI keyboard at a 90 degree angle but I'd like to get a proper stereo field from the monitors while I'm playing. I don't care if it's ugly (inexpensive is good), just something fairly compact and convenient to use. I'm sure I can figure something out, but figured I'd ask to see how others have attacked this situation. h_double fucked around with this message at 20:00 on Dec 9, 2008 |
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Dec 9, 2008 19:56
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I just recently went to search for the perfect desk or whatever and it's a pretty arduous process. This company makes the type of desk I have and I'm really pleased. If you're looking of the internet it can be difficult because the brands and models that different furniture retailers have can vary quite a bit. Really though the answer is just to decide what type of desk you want and search the description in google.
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Dec 9, 2008 22:47
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Ben and Stew posted:I just recently went to search for the perfect desk or whatever and it's a pretty arduous process. This company makes the type of desk I have and I'm really pleased. If you're looking of the internet it can be difficult because the brands and models that different furniture retailers have can vary quite a bit. Really though the answer is just to decide what type of desk you want and search the description in google. Oh, those look great; pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the pointer!
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Dec 9, 2008 23:59
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So gang vocals...any trick to it or just get a bunch of friends to scream the lines around a microphone a few times?
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Dec 10, 2008 01:19
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weekly font posted:So gang vocals...any trick to it or just get a bunch of friends to scream the lines around a microphone a few times?
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Dec 10, 2008 01:38
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Any good cheap midi controllers out there? Preferably something with some knobs but it's not biggy. It also doesn't matter about what it plugs in to. I'm looking in the sub-£100 but can go higher if needed. EDIT: Also I don't think I need more then 49-keys, even 25 should be enough.
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Dec 10, 2008 05:26
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weekly font posted:So gang vocals...any trick to it or just get a bunch of friends to scream the lines around a microphone a few times? IMHO, there's a right way and a wrong way to do this, just like everything else. Listen to Folly's 'Insanity Later' record. I think thats a bad way to do it, a million people with different voices, some yelling, some screaming, some just talking loudly. Now, listen to Folly's next record, 'Resistance is.." and it's much more unified. I think the trick is getting 3 or 4 people who can belt out a non-screaming yell in a similar tonal fashion. Triple this, and you have a 9-12 person recording that to me sounds pretty tight.
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Dec 10, 2008 05:51
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Really stupid question but it's been bothering the piss out of me: ProTools, OS X, most of the time command+space starts recording. However, every once in a while (especially if ProTools has been open for a while), then it just ACTS like it's recording but doesn't. It has the bar delay before it starts playing, but the record button doesn't light up and it doesn't record anything. Does anyone know what's going on? Is there something I could do to cause it to make it so that key combo just makes it play instead of record? It isn't spotlight, I've changed it to something else.
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Dec 11, 2008 20:27
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I have a coupon for $50 off ableton live if anyone wants it. I've already got it.
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Dec 11, 2008 20:36
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