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Old 02-17-2017, 11:23 AM
ericmeyer4 ericmeyer4 is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2010
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The Focustrite Scarlett interfaces have gotten great feedback. I have the 2i2 and have been happy with it. They have pretty decent preamps in them as well. The latest ones come with software bundles including stripped down versions of Ableton and Protools DAWs. I will say I am looking into Reaper as I found the included software has a steep learning curve and limited capabilities. If I'm going to take time to learn how to use the software I would rather spend it learning Reaper as it is a more robust DAW. However, if you do not want keep within a budget, the included software are fine programs. Personally, I found Ableton more intuitive of the two to use.

The single channel version of the Focusrite is $100 and the dual channel is $150. You can also get packs that include headphones and a microphone. The bundle with a single channel interface is $200 and the dual channel is $250. I did not go for the bundle because I already had headphones and mics I was using so I cannot comment on the quality of those.

If you will be recording one instrument with one microphone at a time then the single channel interface will be fine. However, if you want to record two instruments at once or record one instrument with multiple mics at a time you will want something with multiple channels.

I opted for the dual channel interface because when I record it is just me. The second channel is nice if I ever want to throw a second mic on a source. Usually, it goes unused, but it is nice to know it is there.

The one (potential) negative about the Focusrite is that if you are using a dynamic mic, like a Shure SM57/58, you will need to turn the level way up. This can introduce some extra noise into the recording. The fix seems to be run those types of mics with an external preamp or a booster (like the cloudlifter/fethead). However, the interface works fine with condensers as it can supply 48v power. I'm not sure if needing more power for dynamics is exclusive to the Focusrite or an issue that is shared among most interfaces.

Last edited by ericmeyer4; 02-17-2017 at 12:15 PM.
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