Audio Interface Questions

Hi
I have been looking to get an audio interface to record some guitar ideas and it seems I am way out of my depth with a few things that have left my baffled.
1. How do people record drums with seven or eight mics and have all of the different mics come up as different tracks on their DAW. Do they have an audio interface with seven inputs?

2. How do you tell before buying that an audio interface is good, and has good quality preamps, is there something to look for amongst this;

Audiolink II technical data and features:
Simple computer connection via USB
"Class Compliant" device - NO driver installation necessary, runs directly under Windows XP
SP2, Vista and Windows 7 32 and 64 Bit
16 Bit AD/DA Converters, supported Sampling frequencies (Hz): 8000, 9600, 11025, 12000,
16000, 22050, 24000, 32000, 44100 & 48000
Frequency response 10 Hz to 20 kHz, ± 1 dB @ 44.1 kHz sample rate - 10 Hz to 22 kHz, ± 1
dB @ 48.0 kHz sample rate
Outputs Stereo: Dynamic Range: >95 dB (typical, -60 dB input,A-weighted)
- S/N Ratio: >95 dB (typical ,A-weighted) - THD: -90dB (typical)
Input XLR MIC: Dynamic Range: >90 dB (typical, -60 dB input,A-weighted) - Signal-to-
Noise Ratio: >90 dB (typical,A-weighted)
Inputs INSTR/LINE: Dynamic Range: >90 dB (typical, -60 dB input,A-weighted) - Signal-to-
Noise Ratio: >90 dB (typical,A-weighted)
Crosstalk -77 dB @ 0 dBV, 1 kHz
Dynamic range: >95 dB (typical, -60 dB input,A-weighted)
Adjustable stereo input for LINE level devices. +40 dB max
Stereo output for LINE level devices. (-10 dBV nominal, +1.7 dBV max)
HI-Z instrument input.
MIC input and MIC with +48V phantom power input switchable
Adjustable stereo headphone output for headphones.
USB Powered, i.e. power supplied via USB connection of the computer
Indicator-LEDs for peak and signal, 48V phantom power and USB power

And could anyone advise a good audio interface (usb) to work with a pc below £80?
Thanks

1. How do people record drums with seven or eight mics and have all of the different mics come up as different tracks on their DAW. Do they have an audio interface with seven inputs?

Yes, although you could get by with less (kick, snare/hat, overhead pair). The more channels, the pricier.

2. How do you tell before buying that an audio interface is good, and has good quality preamps

Actually, the price point is a pretty good indicator. At the low end, there's not a whole lot of difference in converter/preamp quality among models in the same price range. ... The Audiolink you're looking at will get you going for guitar and vocals, but for live drums you'd need to submix through a mixer ... a bit of a crapshoot with lots of trial-and-error involved.

Actually, the price point is a pretty good indicator. At the low end, there's not a whole lot of difference in converter/preamp quality among models in the same price range. ... The Audiolink you're looking at will get you going for guitar and vocals, but for live drums you'd need to submix through a mixer ... a bit of a crapshoot with lots of trial-and-error involved.

For recording guitar how many mics is the norm?
I have started looking up at the more expensive interfaces and I am still baffled as to what to get.
I was looking at two mic inputs prices start about £70 for this http://www.thomann.de/gb/alesis_multimix_4usb.htm
(No idea of the quality of any of these ftw)
http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_xenyx_1204_usb.htm 4 inputs.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/presonus_audiobox_usb.htm 2 inputs

http://www.thomann.de/gb/lexicon_lambda_studio.htm 2 inputs

And the list could go on.

Drums: Depends on the interface and the number of inputs. Like Woodman said you can make do with less. I use 2 overheads, 1 HH, 1 Snare, 1 Kick.

I just bought a Tascam u1800: Very cheap, $2-300. For a home studio its a tremendous bang for the buck.

I have to tell you though; I am migrating from a Tascam 2488 which is an all in one console. The plus side of the all in one is it's relatively easy to use. There is a learning curve and can be challenging but it is minor compared to using a DAW. The downside is it has limited capabilities for mastering.

The DAW on the otherhand can be as bugy as any other piece of software developed to run on Microcrash Windows. It is also many times more complex to get results. That being said the results are much better than those of the console. A good middle ground is recording on a console and migrating to the PC for mastering which is what I'm kind of wishing I had done in the first place but now I've already sold the 2488.

I would say the preamps are decent. Not what you would find in a pro studio but then again for the price it's great. Keep in mind for it to really make sense to worry much about the pre's everything else in the chain needs to be a reasonable quality too and that ads up to big bucks fast.

For recording guitar I've heard illustrations from as few as one mic to as many as three or four. One in front slightly off center, one in the distance, one on the back out of phase, etc. For a home recording I would use one mic and let effects add spaciousness. To start you can get phase problems with multiple mics and are likely to give yourself more headaches than its worth.

Personally I like using my Roland GT-8 and go direct. It elliminates all the room noise and is easier to get a good basic sound with the least number of problems. Save the mics for Drums, aux perc, vocals, etc. I go direct with keys and bass too.

Drums: Depends on the interface and the number of inputs. Like Woodman said you can make do with less. I use 2 overheads, 1 HH, 1 Snare, 1 Kick.

I just bought a Tascam u1800: Very cheap, $2-300. For a home studio its a tremendous bang for the buck.

I have to tell you though; I am migrating from a Tascam 2488 which is an all in one console. The plus side of the all in one is it's relatively easy to use. There is a learning curve and can be challenging but it is minor compared to using a DAW. The downside is it has limited capabilities for mastering.

The DAW on the otherhand can be as bugy as any other piece of software developed to run on Microcrash Windows. It is also many times more complex to get results. That being said the results are much better than those of the console. A good middle ground is recording on a console and migrating to the PC for mastering which is what I'm kind of wishing I had done in the first place but now I've already sold the 2488.

I would say the preamps are decent. Not what you would find in a pro studio but then again for the price it's great. Keep in mind for it to really make sense to worry much about the pre's everything else in the chain needs to be a reasonable quality too and that ads up to big bucks fast.

For recording guitar I've heard illustrations from as few as one mic to as many as three or four. One in front slightly off center, one in the distance, one on the back out of phase, etc. For a home recording I would use one mic and let effects add spaciousness. To start you can get phase problems with multiple mics and are likely to give yourself more headaches than its worth.

Personally I like using my Roland GT-8 and go direct. It elliminates all the room noise and is easier to get a good basic sound with the least number of problems. Save the mics for Drums, aux perc, vocals, etc. I go direct with keys and bass too.

Thanks for the in depth response there.
If I ever recorded drums I probably just make do with two overhead mics, seems you can get away with doing that.

And that Tascam looks amazing! :shock: All those inputs!

I think what I am going to do is buy a 2 input interface for flexibility in the long wrong and so I don’t have to upgrade and start with using one mic, and if I ever need to go up to two I can do it.

Another question; what is the difference between a mixer with USB and an ordinary audio interface?

Thanks

Great question. I don't own one but I have a few thoughts about them.

"IF" it has discrete individual channels then it is an interface with more external control which is pretty cool.

If it has a stereo bus then it is less useful. You could put multiple mics on a drum kit for example and pass a stereo mix to the PC for recording. Nothing wrong with that but it limits your mastering capability.

Another question; what is the difference between a mixer with USB and an ordinary audio interface?


A mixer/interface adds impressive versatility to your operation ... for instance, I have channels set up for at ballpark levels for a mike, guitar, bass and drum machine. If I get an idea for a tune, I can quickly put down quickie scratch tracks without unplugging/plugging anything and readjusting the interface. Most have aux send/returns that come in handy for (among other things) routing your signal so you monitor from the outputs instead of the interface itself, reducing latency. You also have multiple gain stages that might come in handy, and you can patch in outboard hardware devices. I love mine and wouldn't want to go back to the straight interface days.

You tell the DAW what input goes where. As for drums I'd rather use one overhead and one in front of the kick than 2 OH. Also, some people record one drum at a time. Personally I don't like this but I guess never say never. We recently tried midi drums run through SD and they sound great and we can sit an talk while we're all playing and don't even need headphones.

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_11387282

Great question. I don't own one but I have a few thoughts about them.

"IF" it has discrete individual channels then it is an interface with more external control which is pretty cool.

If it has a stereo bus then it is less useful. You could put multiple mics on a drum kit for example and pass a stereo mix to the PC for recording. Nothing wrong with that but it limits your mastering capability.

I was just about to invest in a USB mixer thinking I would get 12 channels in my DAW. They really don't mention it's only a stereo feed into the computer. Be sure you know what you're getting.

Anybody else using that Tascam 1800? Looks like just what I need.

I'm using the Focusrite Sapphire Pro 40 (http://www.focusrite.com/products/audio_interfaces/saffire_pro_40/). Depending on the DAW you have to assign the input to a track. So if your using Logic you create a new track and Logic will ask what you are using as a source (audio, software instrument, MIDI, ect) it is there you pick the source and what input it is coming through from the I/O.

If you want the flexibiltiy of more inputs you have to expect to pay the money for it, there is no two ways around it.

I have had a Lexicon U22 for a year and about to sell now that I've bought the M-Audio Fast Track C600. 6in/8out is what the literature lists but really it's 4 combo XLR/1/4" inputs, each with the excellent Octane™ technology preamps with +48v phantom power. Probably one of the best deals on the market that also includes two headphone outs, built in DSP for headphone mixes and zero latency. It also has transport controls, multiple monitor selector (3 different sets of monitors can be used) and user programmable buttons. all for $349!

I wanted to get 4 inputs to also do some drum work. I plan, as said above, to just use two overheads, kick and snare mics. I'm pretty happy with that sound for my needs.

Check it out:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821338-REG/M_Audio_9900_65164_12_Fast_Track_C600.html

Anybody else using that Tascam 1800? Looks like just what I need.

Thats what I've got. It's pretty good except one problem. I get occasional crashes with the driver set on low latency. I'm using Sonar 5 and it seems that is was a fairly common reported bug with that software. I'm not convinced it's Sonar. It is just as likely to be the driver.

I think the recording quality is decent. At least it is for home studio use.

I plan on using Reaper for my DAW, heard such good things about it and for only £40 bargain!
Has anyone had personal experince with any of these? My list of interfaces I could find that fit under my budget.
ALESIS MULTIMIX 4USB
BEHRINGER XENYX 1204 USB
LEXICON LAMBDA STUDIO
MIDITECH AUDIOLINK II
PRESONUS AUDIOBOX USB

Those are the ones I have found within my budget that would suffice.
I was less lenient towards to mixer interfaces because they are cheaper but have more to them and more inputs (Suggests a lack of quality perhaps)
Question; I have been looking at hundreds of home studio video guides on YouTube (as you do as a newb) and they all seem to have the "normal" interfaces.
If usb mixers are amazing why do they not use them? Not doubting anyone’s knowledge just curious.
Thanks

Going to be recording acoustic and electric guitar, vocals and occasional drums.

I plan on using Reaper for my DAW, heard such good things about it and for only £40 bargain!
Has anyone had personal experince with any of these? My list of interfaces I could find that fit under my budget.
ALESIS MULTIMIX 4USB
BEHRINGER XENYX 1204 USB
LEXICON LAMBDA STUDIO
MIDITECH AUDIOLINK II
PRESONUS AUDIOBOX USB

Those are the ones I have found within my budget that would suffice.
I was less lenient towards to mixer interfaces because they are cheaper but have more to them and more inputs (Suggests a lack of quality perhaps)
Question; I have been looking at hundreds of home studio video guides on YouTube (as you do as a newb) and they all seem to have the "normal" interfaces.
If usb mixers are amazing why do they not use them? Not doubting anyone’s knowledge just curious.
Thanks

I use a Multimix 8 firewire and have been pretty happy with the Alesis quality. The 4 USB you're looking at appears to be a pretty good deal.

I use a Multimix 8 firewire and have been pretty happy with the Alesis quality. The 4 USB you're looking at appears to be a pretty good deal.

I have just found this and its tempting me http://www.thomann.de/gb/presonus_1_box.htm

Hi
I have been looking to get an audio interface to record some guitar ideas and it seems I am way out of my depth with a few things that have left my baffled.
1. How do people record drums with seven or eight mics and have all of the different mics come up as different tracks on their DAW. Do they have an audio interface with seven inputs?




As usual I too have a response, but I can't help but focusing on the first line above..what is the goal here ? Guitar idea's for simple recording or a full fledged " bring in the 12 piece drum kit" ?

My rig contains a two channel Maudio hard card interface and I can count on two fingers the number of times I have brought a drum kit into my "space". My recording space is built around "me" and the simplicity of firing it up on any given moment with everything within arms reach, the space is not built to deal with live drums..but can be...

An option to deal with drums ( or multiple instruments at the same time) is to use yet another outboard unit, such as the mentioned R24 or R16, these units have multiple inputs and record 8 tracks at a clip as separate wav files. Bring the recorder to the drums. The greatest asset of these R24/R16's is that they record in separate wav files so you can drag the completed tracks into your DAW session in a NY minute.

Historically you can get a very nice drum mix with 4 mics, I have been reading where some studio's are now going to 3 mics and even 2 !

For a home studio, space is paramount, although I have room to bring drums up to my "space", I prefer not to, in fact I don't need to. I use an R16 for these once a year excursions...

In light of the above, I would consider a 4 input interface as appropriate but I would still deal with the "occasional drums" in a different manner..


Qualifier...

I too came from a 16 track , 32 inputs, record 8 tracks at a time Workstation before going to the DAW...I initially was trying to build my PT DAW system to compete with the 16 track workstation and all that it offered until I came to the conclusion that my typical and normal routine was to record 1 or 2 tracks at a time. The addition of the outboard R16 pretty much took care of anything else that may come up...My space is about me, not the drummer ! :lol:

I'm another proponent of a mixer having used both an Alesis Multi-mix 12 Firewire and more recently the Alesis Multimix 16 USB 2.0; which supports 16 + 2 out. You get 16 direct channels pre or post mix and then the 2 channel mix down as well. I started with an M-audio and exceeded its functionality pretty quickly. It is a pretty big jump is price, but there are lots of used and refurbished USB/Firwire mixers available at reasonable prices. Most all the stuff you bring in either through RCA or 1/4" or USB/Firewire will be supported by the vast majority of DAW software.

I have just found this and its tempting me http://www.thomann.de/gb/presonus_1_box.htm

Hi. I just took a look at the site you linked. I would suggest taking a look at Focusrite stuff in your price range, as well.

One of the things you should be on the lookout for in general is the drivers for any interface you are thinking of getting. Good solid drivers vs crappy drivers can make all the difference in your recording experience. Both Focusrite and Presonus have reasonable, but not outstanding, histories on drivers (that's good for this price range).

You might also want to check out the Gearslutz.com site -- look in the "Low End Theory" forum.

Also, I just started using Reaper, and find it very flexible and good quality.

Best of luck!

Hi. I just took a look at the site you linked. I would suggest taking a look at Focusrite stuff in your price range, as well.

One of the things you should be on the lookout for in general is the drivers for any interface you are thinking of getting. Good solid drivers vs crappy drivers can make all the difference in your recording experience. Both Focusrite and Presonus have reasonable, but not outstanding, histories on drivers (that's good for this price range).

You might also want to check out the Gearslutz.com site -- look in the "Low End Theory" forum.

Also, I just started using Reaper, and find it very flexible and good quality.

Best of luck!

Driver being the software the recognises the interface?
Also at that hundred pound mark is there much differnce between the quality of the interfaces?

Driver being the software the recognises the interface?
Also at that hundred pound mark is there much differnce between the quality of the interfaces?

right! the drivers are hardware specific and the quality of them makes a big difference in the stability of operation.

Regarding your other question.... I doubt it. Just buy something from a known quality product mfg'er that has a good reputation and support. I'm going to assue you are in the PC camp. From a quality point of view, RME Audio in Germany is second to none and their support is excellent and their drivers are rock solid. I don't know if they have anything within your budget but do check them out.

Driver being the software the recognises the interface?
Also at that hundred pound mark is there much differnce between the quality of the interfaces?

Yep, what 64 Strat said concerning drivers. I've had a Presonus Firepod running under Windows for a number of years with no real problems. I use ASIO4All (http://www.asio4all.com/) as the driver.

I wouldn't think there would be that much difference in audio quality at this level. RME has an excellent reputation. However, if you have limited funds, like me, then you can do decent stuff with Presonus and some of the other devices.

I wouldn't think there would be that much difference in audio quality at this level.

This here:^^^^^^^ ... It's more about the features you need (number of simultaneous tracks, MIDI port, phantom power etc.) At the higher end, it's a different story.

Blackstars26, if you're fairly new to recording and mixing, I'd recommend reading something like Senior's "Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio." It'll give you a jump start on the learning process.

Blackstars26, if you're fairly new to recording and mixing, I'd recommend reading something like Senior's "Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio." It'll give you a jump start on the learning process.

Actually thats a great shout, I do need a book that answers everything really, or even two.
Any other suggestions?

You'll probably want a book on your DAW too ... manuals will give the essential info, but a good well-indexed reference book will cut through a lot of the fog.

You'll probably want a book on your DAW too ... manuals will give the essential info, but a good well-indexed reference book will cut through a lot of the fog.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/REAPER-Power-FRANCIS/dp/1598638793/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327085842&sr=1-1
Done

24-bit is pretty standard these days. No reason really to get a 16bit interface.

Here's a good article about why you should record in 24 bit.

http://www.tweakheadz.com/16_vs_24_bit_audio.htm

http://www.audioforums.com/forums/

Worth a visit on specific hardware and software. Good newbie section as well. Download the manuals from the software and hardware manufacturers you are interested in. They are almost always freely available.

Another question; Which company makes the best drivers?
M-audio
Tascam
Presonus
Lexicon
Foucusrite

And same company's with Pre amps

Another question; Which company makes the best drivers?
M-audio
Tascam
Presonus
Lexicon
Foucusrite

And same company's with Pre amps

I don't think there's much difference in preamp and converter quality in the lower price ranges — from what I've been able to learn, they're all pretty comparable. As for drivers, as long as you've got the current one for your particular hardware, it shouldn't be a big issue, especially in the early going.

I don't think there's much difference in preamp and converter quality in the lower price ranges — from what I've been able to learn, they're all pretty comparable. As for drivers, as long as you've got the current one for your particular hardware, it shouldn't be a big issue, especially in the early going.

This is what I needed to hear-good news for me.

I went from a Tascam US122L to a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 and there was a big difference in the sound of the converters but that was from a $150 unit to a $380 unit. The pre amps on the Focusrite are comparable to those on my DMP3 (mic pre) ie. they can be turned up with next to no noise. I can certainly recommend Focusrite. Also their back up service if you have any queries re. the operation of the units is good.

Also worth considering is the fact that further down the track you may want more than two inputs (drums maybe).

I went from a Tascam US122L to a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 and there was a big difference in the sound of the converters but that was from a $150 unit to a $380 unit. The pre amps on the Focusrite are comparable to those on my DMP3 (mic pre) ie. they can be turned up with next to no noise. I can certainly recommend Focusrite. Also their back up service if you have any queries re. the operation of the units is good.

Also worth considering is the fact that further down the track you may want more than two inputs (drums maybe).

My budget of around £120 (went up a little more) was looking to the future. I am going to start recording using just one mic, and then in the future upgrade to two, trying to get away with recording drums with two mics.
If I were to go up the next thing I can see is the Akai EIE, anyone used one?

Re bumping this since I found out that the audiobox usb uses usb 1.1 ( I think) have a look http://www.presonus.com/products/detail.aspx?productid=53
There are a couple of different audiobox models I think thats the one that comes with the 1 box, should I look for a different interface now?

Not wishing to push the Focusrite brand (but have had good experiences) if you are looking for a USB2 two channel interface there is a Scarlett that might be in your price range. http://www.focusrite.com/products/audio_interfaces/scarlett_2i2/ Another plus is you get four bundled plugins with the unit. I use the compressor all the time.

One gripe about the Focusrite is that is doesnt have midi.