Point me in the direction of a SIMPLE interface for live streaming (vocal + guitar)

[wborisenok]

I’ve been doing a lot more “live streaming concerts” (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube) these days and folks seem to enjoy them. I want to upgrade my sound with an interface that can go directly into my iPad/iPhone but I’m a little unclear as to which would be best for me. I’ll be using my Shure SM58 and my acoustic-electric. Here are a few I’ve looked at:

- iRig Duo Pro I/O
- Audient ID4
- MOTU M2

Seems like the iRig would be the simplest method to achieve my goal but it doesn’t have amazing reviews for some reason. The other two are rated better but I think would require USB power? Would love any and all input from folks who have experience with any of these units. Thank you!

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

I’ve been doing a lot more “live streaming concerts” (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube) these days and folks seem to enjoy them. I want to upgrade my sound with an interface that can go directly into my iPad/iPhone but I’m a little unclear as to which would be best for me. I’ll be using my Shure SM58 and my acoustic-electric. Here are a few I’ve looked at:

- iRig Duo Pro I/O
- Audient ID4
- MOTU M2

Seems like the iRig would be the simplest method to achieve my goal but it doesn’t have amazing reviews for some reason. The other two are rated better but I think would require USB power? Would love any and all input from folks who have experience with any of these units. Thank you!

I guess my iRig Pro Duo is an earlier model, it doesn't include "I/O" in the name if I recall correctly. But it has worked very satisfactorily for my needs. Here's a video I shot using the Pro Duo into an iPhone:



One limitation would be the separation of the vocal and guitar into left and right, with no option for mixing them. This will give a slightly odd soundstage I would think. And looking at the specs for the Audient and Motu devices they appear to have much lower noise performance than the iRig. I have not had issues with noise in my uses, but it's nice to have the cleanest signal possible.

Fran

[Mobilemike]

Originally Posted by Fran Guidry

One limitation would be the separation of the vocal and guitar into left and right, with no option for mixing them. This will give a slightly odd soundstage I would think.
Fran

This is going to be an issue with pretty much any budget interface, going into an iPad or iPhone, unless whatever software you use to stream allows you to mix the two channels.

If it doesn’t have that option, you would be better off using a mixer instead of an interface as that will allow you to actually balance your guitar and vocals properly, and avoid the panning issue mentioned above. Any small mixer with a USB output will work, they should all plug into the camera connection kit for the iPad or iPhone. Examples include Soundcraft Notepad series, Behringer Xenyx, or Yamaha MG10XU. Some have effects built in too you might like.

-Mike

[YamahaGuy]

The Yamaha AG03 or AG06 mixers are nice for use as an interface. Especially if you need to bring in sound from the supporting device.

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by Fran Guidry

I guess my iRig Pro Duo is an earlier model, it doesn't include "I/O" in the name if I recall correctly. But it has worked very satisfactorily for my needs. Here's a video I shot using the Pro Duo into an iPhone:



One limitation would be the separation of the vocal and guitar into left and right, with no option for mixing them. This will give a slightly odd soundstage I would think. And looking at the specs for the Audient and Motu devices they appear to have much lower noise performance than the iRig. I have not had issues with noise in my uses, but it's nice to have the cleanest signal possible.

Fran

Honestly, it sounds great! I’m a little confused about the left/right vocal and guitar…if people are listening to me on YouTube live, will they also hear it that way? Or will I just hear it that way in my monitor?

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

The Yamaha AG03 or AG06 mixers are nice for use as an interface. Especially if you need to bring in sound from the supporting device.

Super intrigued by these. They’re actually marketed as a “live streaming mixer” and interface. I am great at singing and playing guitar, but I’m horrible at recording and similar gear, hopefully I could figure this thing out!

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

Super intrigued by these. They’re actually marketed as a “live streaming mixer” and interface. I am great at singing and playing guitar, but I’m horrible at recording and similar gear, hopefully I could figure this thing out!

I teach High school. During Covid with Zoom meetings and Screen Castify it was a life saver. The hardest thing to do was to bring in the computer sound while recording, especially YouTube videos. My AG06 mixer worked great. With the right cabling, it can even being hooked to an Android phone so it should be compatible with IPhone too.

The reverb and presets were spot on.

WAY more versatile than a basic interface.

[martingitdave]

Not sure about your budget, but I was gifted the bigger brother (Procaster II) to this smaller unit. It's still expensive. However, I found mine very easy to use, update, etc. The manuals and support were very good in my opinion.

https://rode.com/en-us/interfaces-an...rodecaster-duo

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

I teach High school. During Covid with Zoom meetings and Screen Castify it was a life saver. The hardest thing to do was to bring in the computer sound while recording, especially YouTube videos. My AG06 mixer worked great. With the right cabling, it can even being hooked to an Android phone so it should be compatible with IPhone too.

The reverb and presets were spot on.

WAY more versatile than a basic interface.

I’ll be running it into either my iPad Pro or iPad Mini (newest gen) for YouTube live streams — any cable suggestions for that application?

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Not sure about your budget, but I was gifted the bigger brother (Procaster II) to this smaller unit. It's still expensive. However, I found mine very easy to use, update, etc. The manuals and support were very good in my opinion.

https://rode.com/en-us/interfaces-an...rodecaster-duo

Yeah this is a few hundred bucks out of budget but **** it looks good 😭

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

I’ll be running it into either my iPad Pro or iPad Mini (newest gen) for YouTube live streams — any cable suggestions for that application?

USB - B [out of the AG mixer/interface] to lightning [into the Apple device] should do the trick.

[necrome]

I personally use SSL2 after being unsatisfied with Focusrite and Presonus' offerings of the same price range. The SSL2 is far better than the 2i2 or 2|6 of those respective brands.

[thestubbyone]

I use the focus rite and it is simple and intuitive right out of the box. I had a 2 input one and went to the 14 input one to capture individuals for separate tracks. the interface goes into my computer and I save tracks in garage band where I mix. just learning all this stuff though now