good starter audio interface for mics

[watson_barret]

looking to run two mics into computer, one guitar - one voice...

i was looking at the focusrite scarlett 2i2 or PreSonus AudioBox USB. both are $150 new...

Am i on the right track here or looking the wrong direction/place..

thanks for help!

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AudioBoxUSB

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Scarlett2i2

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by watson_barret

looking to run two mics into computer, one guitar - one voice...
...i was looking at the focusrite scarlett 2i2 or PreSonus AudioBox USB. both are $150 new...
Am i on the right track here

Hi watson...barret...

First of all Hello and welcome to the forum. Glad you joined. Sounds like it is time to start some recording to document your musical progress!

If you are using Windows (especially older versions) make sure you check out the system requirements for the software that goes with the boxes, as that is more critical with that operating system.

The small types of interfaces you listed are great, as are the Lexicon Lambda or Omega (which have dial in real time monitoring with the ability to dial down the latency). And Tascam, and M-audio etc.

The other critical element, is you need 48volt phantom to supply to condenser mics (to power them).

Hope you find the interface of your dreams...

[CrankyChris]

Generally the quality of pres and converters in those interfaces are going to be the same. I'd research and find which one works best with your computer. Are there reported driver problems? etc.

Good luck!

[watson_barret]

thanks for the help guys, i will be running it through a macbook...

i'm planning an adk a6 to mic my taylor 914 and a sure sm58 for vocals...

thoughts?

any value in adding the es pickup into the mix? if so would i need more inputs on the interface?

[dchristo]

Im using a alesis i02 it has worked perfect so far

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/iO2exp

[alohachris]

Aloha Watson,

Welcome to AGF.

The preamps on ALL the interfaces listed thus far are not very good. Let that sink in for a second. There is a much better place to start: The Apogee Duet.

http://apogeedigital.com/products/duet2.php

Fact: Mic preamps are critical to the first stage of capturing sound in an acoustic, miked recording rig.

If you're using a Macbook for recording, Watson, IMO, there really is only one way to go - get an Apogee Duet either the 1 or 2. It is one of the classic, game-changing pieces of audio gear to ever have come down the pike for home recording. One of the best in history really.

Considering the qualitative differences between the Duet & the other interfaces that novices often begin with, and the relatively small price difference? The Duet is THE CHOICE FOR YOU. And you WILL use it for years.

Save the extra money. You can find the classic, discontinued Apogee Duet1 used for around $300 & the newer Duet 2 for around $500.

Pay attention here: there is NO interface anywhere for under $1500 that can touch the Duet for the quality of its preamps or conversion. NONE!

The Duet offers two pre's & conversion that are part of its larger, big brother 8-channel interface, the classic & popular Apogee Ensemble that I use. I started on a Duet1 & still use it, often preferring its sound over the several pro level preamp's that I have in my studio. Depends on the musical style.

Add in the fact that Apple & Apogee have fully integrated the soft & hardware of the computer & interface & you also have what I consider to be the most stable computer/interface combo of all. That's very important if you don't want to screw around with compatibility issues but want to play. I haven't had a single crash in three years with my iMac/ Logic Pro 9/Apogee combo's.

That sound & stability will encourage you more as you get further into recording. When you hear your miked sound through the Duet's pre's & conversion it'll inspire you, Watson.

The Duet's have a very small footprint on a desk, are attractive & very portable, fit into a computer case, & have all the features you need for two- tracks-at-a-time acoustic stereo recording on your 914, or single track recording for vocals.

It also provides much better conversion, preamps & stability than ALL of the others mentioned above when used with a Mac. You can't beat it - even for your first interface, Watson. Really!

If you start out on lesser entry level gear (all of which have problems, IMO), you'll only wind up spending more money in the long run when you realize you need more pristine sounding preamps instead of the more compressed sounding cheaper pre's you get on the others. So think about that.

The Duet is MADE for your MacBook, Watson. Why look elsewhere?

I also highly recommend the ADK A6 condenser. Bravo - great choice! Very affordable, great natural open & easy sound, easy to EQ - a real sleeper among jack of all trade condenser mic's. A new pair of A6's will cost around $500 for stereo miking your guitar for solo pieces. One is a mere $249!

The Shure SM58 is the wrong choice for a recording studio. You want condenser vocal mic's for recording, ones that are clear, neutral & work with your voice. The very affordable 58 is a club & loud rock voice staple because of its durability, not its sound. And it's a LIVE dynamic mic, not a condenser often used for recording.

You could use the ADK A6 on your vocals as it is a medium diaphragm condenser. Much better than than the Shure for vocals, the A6 will kill the 58 for recorded vocals of any kind. The A6 is a great value in mic's. Great on voice & acoustic instruments.

Other affordable studio condensers I can recommend are the CAD M179 ribbon mic ($150) with variable patterns - a real plus, the MXL SP-1 LDC ($45) - what sound for that price, & the venerable classic AKG 535 live vocal condenser(used around $150) - my voice has always loved the 535 for gigging & recording, for over 30 years now.

Watson, you should check out several condensers in many price ranges at stores to educate yourself. And look for used values - not too old of a mic please (unless it's high-end vintage). Vocal mic's tend to get beat.

Because vocal mic's are also completely voice-specific, you should try many & let your voice make the final decision on a studio vocal mic.

All the best in your search, Watson.

A Hui Hou!

alohachris

PS: A good gear reference is the free Catalog from Sweetwater Pro. Order one at their site & keep it next to your toilet. Another great site for all types of recording tips at every level is gearslutz.com. Can't beat it! - alohachris-

[ukejon]

Recently switched from an M-Audio Fast Track Pro to the Apogee Duet 2. As Chris says, there is no comparison. Night and day difference in sound, with much more life and aural character from the Duet. Plus, the interface is absolutely brilliant. It is gorgeous and could not be easier to use. Love plugging my headphones through this little wonder.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by watson_barret

...thoughts?
...any value in adding the es pickup into the mix? if so would i need more inputs on the interface?

Hi watson...

If starter to you means $150 interface and a $500 pair of mics, then the low end interfaces you and I listed will do the job.

If starter means 'beginning a career in the recording industry and plan on spending as much to make recordings right out of the box as your MacBook or your best Guitar cost…' then you need to up your budget, and buy $1200 worth of mics, a $1000 interface and $1700 preamp.

Then you need to build/outfit a room to record in which is both dead-quiet, and treated to produce stellar recordings.

If 'starter' means, I'm exploring recording and need to know what I need to know, then I think you should begin eavesdropping in some serious recording forums, and reading some how-to recording books (from the library if available, because the good ones are fairly expensive).

I think there is a lot of latitude in what people consider acceptably good when ''starting'', and what their recording may or may not grow into later.

I can site more people who started out enthusiastically only to find they really don't like recording and all the tedium and attention it requires/demands if you plan to do it well, who have hundreds or thousands of dollars of recording equipment laying idle in a room of their house, than those who actually invested and then two years later had done anything of worth with said equipment.

I think starting modestly and getting your feet wet and seeing if you enjoy the process is to your liking before diving in.

The Apogee is not my first choice in preamps and interfaces either. I believe there are very good and compelling choices which are less dangly (the Apogees use a ton of adapters), and match the quality.

I really like some of the MOTU firewire (and now USB/Firewire) interfaces, which for the above discussed $500 will net you both decent preamps and the interface which will handle up to 6-8 channels. I also like some of the PreSonus rigs.

Hidden costs beyond the interface/preamps are:

• Decent mics
• Stands, mic mounts, pop screens, and other peripherals
• Monitors to play back and mix with
• Treated room to record in
• Baffles, go-bo panels, bass traps, etc. to help augment the room

Then there is the process of educating yourself in the art of recording guitar, and vocals, and editing, and adding effects etc.

Short sheet yourself on any one of these and your $500 interface can easily still turn out cheap sounding recordings…

I'm not trying to discourage you. There is much more to recording than the equipment you will use.

I operated a recording studio for 8 years, and the last thing I bought was the equipment. I actually bought a couple used Audio Technica mics (large and medium diaphragm side address) ahead of time, and one inexpensive tube preamp - all of which rarely got used.

The things I bought after I began to educate myself and built and treated the studio space were used all those years.

You did specify you are a 'starter' so you probably need to decide what you need to know to 'start'.

[ukejon]

Great advice, Larry.

The Apogee is not my first choice in preamps and interfaces either. I believe there are very good and compelling choices which are less dangly (the Apogees use a ton of adapters), and match the quality.

They do now make a breakout box. This is nice because you can then shoot the cables off the back of your desk and just work the Duet 2 right next to your computer or recording seat. Here is a quick video demonstration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV2nH...yer_embedded#!

[moon]

I'd have to agree with AlohaChris that, if you can get a good deal on a second-hand Duet, it will knock the socks off of anything at the same price. I've seen them sell for $165 on ebay, although more likely I'd expect to spend up to twice that. The audio quality is excellent. Even if I had an unlimited budget, I'd still be considering a Duet for a two-channel home studio.

I think the ADK A6 is a great acoustic guitar mic. It's also good for vocals, although that can depend on bit on the specific sound of your voice. The A6 is quite well-balanced and natural-sounding, with good transient detail. Mics with these characteristics tend to be very versatile.

If you're going to get one anyway, try it out on vocals and see what you think. If you like it, get another and then you've also got a spaced pair to record stereo guitar.

[watson_barret]

by start i mean somthing i can get going that is not too complicated to learn and can play back to see what i'm making that i like and those that i don't. i don't plan to cut any professional tracks obviously, just looking for something to mess around on that isn't junk. something "easy" to learn and practical. i'm sure any experienced recording can no doubt tell the difference in the 500-600 interfaces from the "cheap" starter ones, i'm just not sure i would. But if i'm wasting 150 to end up wanting a system that is 300-500 in 4-5 months obviously i don't want to waste my money. i know there is a lot of equipment out there and a l lifetime of knowledge that i don't have on recording process. I just want to get my foot in the door so i can start learning...

hope this helps with any advice on getting me started.

i have also considered the $199 apogee usb mic that just came out, again, i know nothing so i don't want to waste money, just looking for a point in the right direction, i feel like pulling my hair out already by all the products and different styles of recording already, sigh.....

[him]

Have you considered something like the Zoom h4n? Or one of the similar devices from Tascam et al?

It isn't exactly what you asked about (though from the specs I believe it will do what you ware asking for), and it doesn't have the quality of the Apogee, but it brings some additional functionality to the table that could stay useful even if you also get a more elaborate home recording setup later.

[moon]

Dude you've got a 914. A Duet and an A6 is the least you can do for that lovely instrument.



Depends what you want to do of course. If you want to be able to capture something of the richness and sparkle of your guitar (and voice) this set up will do a good job. It gets your foot in the door of decent audio quality where the audio coming out will sound like what you put in. A lot of low-end gear won't do that.

If you just want a kind of musical notebook, just about anything would do, even a USB mic. The thought of a USB mic would normally make me run away in horror but Apogee do know a thing or two about audio and maybe they've come up with something decent. It's just a question of did they really try (like they did with the Duet), or did they just put something together cheaply for a particular market segment?

[mutantrock]

Watson those are great choice for a starter setup and you will get excellent results. The results you can get from these inexpensive interfaces is amazing. One thought is too checkout the DAW software that comes with the interface and research which one is better and easier to use. I really like Ableton Live and found it very easy to learn

[mchalebk]

I have no doubt that the Apogee gear is top notch and well worth the money if you're looking to create pro (or near-pro) quality recordings on a Mac. I can easily see myself getting one in the future. Unfortunately, the Apogee interfaces are pretty pricey for someone wanting to make simple home recordings and I have a feeling that the OP is looking for something more affordable.

When my Presonus Firebox died, I considered some of the Apogee interfaces, but I'm not really in need of that level of quality at this time and I wanted more inputs and MIDI in/out. Furthermore, I just didn't want to spend that kind of money right now. I'm not trying to record studio quality tracks at this time and it just didn't make sense for me. I ended up getting a TASCAM US-600, which works really well with Garageband. The quality is more than good enough, I had no problems getting it up and running with Garageband and I can heartily recommend it to someone looking for an affordable interface.