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What is an audio interface? An audio interface should be the first thing you buy when you are starting a recording setup. An audio interface is a lot simpler than a lot of people think. Long story short, it is a box that takes audio and converts it to a digital form so that your computer can record it. ANY piece of recorded audio on your computer would have passed through your audio interface at some point in time. Every piece of audio gear in your recording setup will be connected to your audio interface somehow. This thread will look at audio interfaces (Beginner or shiny pro stuff) and help you figure out which interface to buy  How do I know which interface to buy? A common misconception is that the audio interface you choose will have a drastic impact on your sound. It's true that you will get a better quality sound out of an RME compared to say a Behringer, but with interfaces, You get what you pay for. That means that most interfaces at around $150 bucks are going to give pretty much the same results. An Audiophile in an acoustically treated room with an amazing setup might be able to squint and hear the difference, but it's not guaranteed. Even then, it wont be a case of: "The audio recorded with the Focusrite sounds better than the audio recorded with the M-Audio" For those of us just starting to record? You are going to get the same results using a entry-level interface as you would a uber-shiny interface. Recording is a skill which involves a lot of technique, a lot of ear-training, experience and know-how. Buying an RME interface will not make your recording sound noticeably better than a Focusrite interface. The most important questions you need to ask of your audio interface is: - What devices do I want to plug into it? - What sort of plugs do they need? - How many speakers are going to be plugged into it? - Firewire\USB? - PC\MAC? Basically, the most important thing with an interface is the I\O (Input\Output) capabilities. =========================================================== Question 1) What devices do I want to plug into it?  Have a think about what you want to get out of your interface. Are you wanting to record a full band or just one instrument at a time? Are you happy to plug instruments straight into the interface or do you want to use microphones? Do those microphones need phantom power? How many things am I going to record at once? Do I need MIDI? Remember that any noises you record on your computer are going to pass through your interface. You want to make sure that your interface can accept all the noises you want to put into it. Question 2) What sort of plugs do they need?  There are many different cable types and input types. The most common are XLR and 1\4" inch jacks (standard microphone\instrument cable respectively) but there are also things like S/PDIF and other digital formats out there. Not to mention MIDI. If you're going to run external preamps, make sure that your interface has line-level inputs. While this is tied in very closely to Question 1, before buying an interface, MAKE SURE that it can handle all the different types of devices that you want to throw into it. Double-check. Question 3) How many speakers are going to be plugged into it?  Basically, how many outputs do you need? Are you listening on one set of speakers or more? Do you need a headphone jack? How are you going to listen to all those wonderful noises that you made? Question 4) Firewire vs. USB?  This question used to be a bigger deal than it is now. First thing to get out of the way, there is no audible difference between Firewire and USB. The difference between Firewire and USB is referring to how many different things you can record at once. Firewire used to be able to record significantly more tracks than USB 1.0, however most people manage to record up to 26 inputs on USB2.0 with no worries. Nowadays, the real reason why you want to ask this question is to figure out whether or not you need a firewire card or if you can stick to USB. Note: Not many interfaces have taken advantage of USB3.0 or Thunderbolt drives yet. Again, this won't make any difference of the "quality" of the inputs, but make sure that you can plug your interface into your computer regardless of what format you are using! Question 5) PC vs. Mac?  First of all,  DO NOT GET INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT PC OR MAC IS BETTER FOR RECORDING! That's an unending discussion. This thread is about the interfaces only. Very long story short? That comes down to personal preference. Some people prefer PC? Some people prefer Mac. I prefer PC. You may prefer Mac. The reason why this question is important is because some interfaces only support Mac, some interfaces are PC only. Double-check before you buy.So long story short? The most important thing with your audio interface is "Can I use all the gear I want to use?" rather than: "Will this interface make me sound like Phil Spector?"  How do I find out what I need? Look at what connectors are on the device that you want to use. If you're not sure, ask here! That's all fascinating. I'm just starting out though. What would you recommend? Personally, I started off with a Focusrite Saffire and it was solid as a rock. I would recommend anything by Focusrite. The USB version of the Saffire is the Scarlett and that's been getting great reviews. The Native Instruments Komplete 6 looks like a good starting point as well if you're interested in DJ\Electronic stuff as it's USB and it has a bit more I\O than the Focusrite Scarlett. Probably the most popular starting interface would be anything by M-Audio so those are worth a look too. You could also have a look at this: http://www.recordingreview.com/soundcard/soundcard_wizard.php Remember: The most important thing with your interface is whether or not you can plug in all the stuff you want to plug into it. H13 fucked around with this message at 11:11 on Jan 13, 2014 |
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Jan 3, 2014 01:31
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Reserved for real nitty-gritty information ====ADAT and S\PDIF==== C2C - 2.0 posted:ADAT (not to be confused with an ADAT, which is a fairly old Alesis machine. However, it introduced the protocol)
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Jan 3, 2014 01:31
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Radiapathy posted:If the OP is going to recommend brands/models, I challenge the blanket suggestion of Focusrite interfaces. No experience with the Saffires (although I hear they're good), but the entry-level Scarletts (2i2, 2i4) have quite possibly the worst latency on the market, and generally have fewer features and less impressive specs than several other current interfaces for the same price. I'm hoping that when Steinberg finally starts shipping their new UR44 it will price competitively with the 2i4 like the UR22 does with the 2i2, because there aren't a lot of good affordable interfaces with more than 2 ins and outs. To my last dying breath, I would never ever recommend somebody buy a Steinberg interface. I had an MR816 and it was horrible. Drop outs, stutters, no line-level inputs, and absolutely NO support from Steinberg or Yamaha. If you buy a Steinberg and it doesn't work out for whatever reason, you're on your own. That's the main reason why I'd never suggest a Steinberg for a first interface. You have to rely on internet nerds helping you instead of the company that made it.
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Jan 3, 2014 09:25
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Radiapathy posted:I don't have sweeping opinions on any vendor. My position is based on actual experience with specific interfaces. Yup. So am I. I owned their flagship the MR816 and they weren't giving technical support on that. Nor was it reliable or very good. I actually went BACK to my Focusrite Saffire after owning the MR816 and trying to get it to play nice for about a year. Then I bought an RME UCX and it was literally plug and play. I wouldn't say an RME is a great first interface or anything, but just saying...
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Jan 4, 2014 04:14
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Just added this to the OP: http://www.recordingreview.com/soundcard/soundcard_wizard.php
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Jan 13, 2014 11:11
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By the way, did anybody grab a Universal Audio Apollo? Those things were going to "change everything". I kinda like the idea of on-board plugins that'll save a boatload on CPU power, but doesn't that date the device a lot? In 5 years time, is anybody going to be using those plugins? It seems really expensive for something that you'll have to continuously update...
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Jan 21, 2014 06:37
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HollisBrown posted:I'm having a hard time deciding between getting an Apogee Ensemble and a RME FireFace 800. It would be be my main interface and I'd probably switch my 003r+ to being my ADAT in. I'm on OSX and they seems to go for about the same amount used. I've never used Apogee stuff, but I can vouch for RME. I've got a UCX and it was basically plug and play. Never had a single issue with it. It seems to be bulletproof and it worked straight away.
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Feb 24, 2014 06:53
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I think what you're actually looking for is an SM7.
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Aug 15, 2015 03:11
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Check your levels in Mix Control. If it's getting a signal, then it's all working, so it's just going to be some bullshit setting somewhere. In other news, my old man wants to get into recording. He wants to track everything, then give it to me to mix. I'm suggesting he gets an M-Audio Fast Track because then he gets the basic version of Pro Tools, so he'll be able to give me his session files and it's real easy for me. If you're just after a maximum of 2 input tracking and super basic, will the Fast-Track work? I've heard mixed things...
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Aug 22, 2015 10:02
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As I said earlier in the thread, I cannot ever recommend Steinberg anything. I had their flagship interface and it was an utter pig. Unreliable, stuttered like a bitch and the preamps are seriously over-rated. Steinberg support was non-existent so if you have an experience similar to mine, you're hosed.
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Sep 10, 2015 13:46
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If you're miking an amp, you need an SM57. That also works pretty decently for vocals. They're normally around $100 bucks and it's pretty much the best mic for guitar cabs, so you don't need to set aside a huge amount of money. If you want a mic that's great for vocals, grab a Shure SM7 as well (Normally around $350) I've never used an Onyx, but a lot of people seem to like 'em. I've heard some people having driver issues, but if you've tested it, and it works, it sounds like a winner. Just double-check that it's got all the I\O that you need.
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Nov 15, 2015 12:05
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