Focusrite 2i2 system requirements

[Pikerman]

My son has been playing acoustic guitar for a while and is wanting to play about with recording and vocals,I know nothing about this kind of thing but want to support and encourage his talents,unfortunately circumstances mean this has to be done on a budget
I have read guides and reviews and narrowed it down to a focusrite kit.
The first thing is can he run it on a laptop we already have.
I will post the specs.

[Pikerman]

This is the laptop

[Pikerman]

This is the kit I'm thinking of to get him started,is it a good beginning or can it be better for the budget,obviously it depends on if my laptop is good enough.

[Chipotle]

That laptop has plenty of power (I see a 9th gen i5 and 16GB RAM). Install the Focusrite drivers and off you go. I have a 2i2 as well, which was used to record most of the stuff in my sig. It's a capable interface. Eventually he can upgrade the microphone, which IMO would be the next step up.

If he like Pro Tools (and industry standard), he can pay to continue or upgrade his subscription. There are other DAWs (digital audio workstations) that others here like--I use Reaper--and you can check out the stickied thread at the top of the recording forum for more info on that.

Tbh the real draw on the PC isn't the interface, it's the software. The laptop will be fine recording a few guitar/vocal tracks in Pro Tools with a reasonable amount of plugins for reverb, delay, EQ etc. Down the road, should he want to add heavyweight plugins or virtual instruments, he might want to upgrade the computer. But that bridge can be crossed later, should he get there.

[Pikerman]

Thanks that's a great help

[Pikerman]

Would doubling the ram help or is the processor limited?
I'm not very tech savy,sorry if these are stupid questions.

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by Pikerman

Would doubling the ram help or is the processor limited?
I'm not very tech savy,sorry if these are stupid questions.

The laptop isn't the weakest link. If you are prepared to spend more money consider buying the interface, mic, and headphones separately (not the kit you are looking at). Spending a bit more money on the mic, or mics, or also buying monitors may be a better use of the funds.

[Pikerman]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

The laptop isn't the weakest link. If you are prepared to spend more money consider buying the interface, mic, and headphones separately (not the kit you are looking at). Spending a bit more money on the mic, or mics, or also buying monitors may be a better use of the funds.

So I can get the 2i2 for around £110,the kit is £175.
I am looking to spend around £200-220,what would you recommend to spend the £110 on?
Need a mic but with decent headphones or monitors best to start off?
Any particular decent budget models?

[keith.rogers]

Here's a mic setup and pair of headphones that are popular. (Yes, I know the total exceeds your ￡110 budget.)

Mic, stand, popscreen:
https://www.gear4music.com/Recording...op-Shield/2IN0

Closed back headphones:
https://www.gear4music.com/Recording...eadphones/1ONJ

Why spend more? Well, simply because I believe that these are better options than what I see at the site you posted that kit from. Now, don't take this as meaning you shouldn't start recording with less, but as I think most folks here have experienced, the initial [home recording] results will likely leave you with a lot of questions, and ruling out equipment shortcomings at the start will make it easier to focus on the "skills" part, and maybe environment, without going on an endless gear hunt. (The endless hunt can't be ruled out at some point, but don't let it distract you from recording. People certainly get going with less, in fact, I did, using a used Shure dynamic mic to start with - that can save you the pop screen and shock mount requirement.)

You could spend a lot more, and I'd possibly look for a mic kit that included a shock mount if you get a large condenser, if that's possible. But you really have to have a pop screen when vocal recording, IMHO.

[Pikerman]

Thanks for the replys,lots to think about.
Decent mic and stand,decent headphones and he is good to go, can add monitors later if he sticks with it.
Music and learning guitar has been so good for him and helped with his asbergers so much,really appreciate your guidance.

[Neil K Walk]

I have a 2i2 running into a laptop. It’s wasn’t that expensive. Where you want to focus the expenses is on the microphone. It’s been awhile since I bought a microphone so I can’t really give advice on that.

As for memory/processor issues I typically don’t come across problems unless I’m running a video camera.

[ssstewart]

the focusrite2i2 will run fine on your laptop. i would buy the unit itself separately, instead of the kit ( i bought the kit as well and the headphones were horrible...the mic not very good either, but the 2i2 unit itself is awesome) you may be able to pick up a used one at a pawn shop for 1/4 of that price. But as a starting point the kit will do exactly what he needs and you can upgrade to diff mic/headphones as he progresses.

Reaper is an exceptional daw and just the one time fee for the permanent license ( i think i paid $97 Canadian for my lic)

[Pikerman]

Thanks I will buy the 2i2 and look at other bits separately,thanks for all your help and suggestions for alternatives.

[doctone]

I like my 2i2. You might be better off with the kit. Looks like a good offer to start with. I doubt that the included mic will sound worse than, say, an AT2020. Use the rest of your budget for a good K&M stand and a cable with an angled USB-C plug for the back side of your 2i2. It will save you from a lot of trouble.
(I bought a nice red one directly from China, like this here: https://www.ebay.de/itm/202988667923)

[ChuckS]

There is another thread in this Record sub forum by AcousticDreams and he is offering his old interface free. You might want to look into that. You could use your budget on a better mic and better headphones.