Audio interface help?

GentryStuder · #1 08-27-2011, 09:46 PM

Presonus Audiobox 2X2 and the recording software that comes with it. Anyone work with it before? Any advice on something better within the $150 range for audio interface and mixing software? looking to set up my own home studio to get this whole producing thing going. Any advice would be great.

K-vegas · #2 08-28-2011, 10:53 AM

Make sure you get the I/O config you will need.

Presonus has some very usable entry level gear. Their support is decent and they have a forum that would be a great place to look for specific answers to their lineup. I started with similar model. The cubase LE that comes with it is fine - I won't brag on it but again - it's usable.

By usable I mean you can always spend more and get more, but with usable you shouldn't have regrets using it and it will last you a while before you feel the need to upgrade.

For $ to $ comparison you might look at focusrite saffire_6_usb Good company and tech support as well.

Best advice: Read/study all you can on the company web site faqs and product forums. Example: Having a computer with specs that match their guidelines will help you if you have startup issues to discuss with tech support. (ie. not your fault right off the bat)

alohachris · #3 08-28-2011, 11:05 AM

Aloha,

ALL of the entry level interfaces have crappy mic preamps. So if you're going to use mic's for recording you should be aware that you get what you pay for.

Questions: What will the rest of your signal chain & home studio look like? How do you see your "production thing" going? What's the goal?

Good Luck.

alohachris

Scott Whigham · #4 08-28-2011, 11:53 AM

Like Chris said, $150 interfaces just have crappy, crappy pres/converters (I'm sure someone, somewhere on the internet will be along any moment to take issue with that though). And, like K-vegas said, you'll need to tell us how many simultaneous channels you need first or there's no way we can help. Personally I don't think a $150 interface is an upgrade from ANYTHING. I'd suggest you save your pennies up to the $250-$400 mark.

For future reference, you might bookmark this: Home Studio Budget Estimator Tool

It's something I put together last week to help newbies get an idea of what pieces of the puzzle there are and how much each will cost.

K-vegas · #5 08-28-2011, 12:54 PM

Quote:

ALL of the entry level interfaces have crappy mic preamps

The limitations of entry level pre's. It's the main reason I upgraded. It's probably the reason I'll upgrade again someday.

I started on 'crap' entry interface, made some pretty good recordings(I thought), learned a ton, and don't regret it. 2 years later, when I upgraded I kinda knew what I wanted.

I started out on a $300 guitar. 3 years later, when it came time to decide on a better guitar I had some understanding and appreciation for chosing something right for my style/needs. Starting out it would have just been an expensive guess.

Spending more should get you more, but until you master the basic essentials to recording you will probably sound like 'crap' on the best gear money can buy. And until you move up the leaning curve a good deal, the pre's in the above mentioned gear might be the least of your concerns. IMO

I'm not saying it's the correct approach - but it's a option.

muscmp · #6 08-28-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K-vegas

Make sure you get the I/O config you will need.

Presonus has some very usable entry level gear. Their support is decent and they have a forum that would be a great place to look for specific answers to their lineup. I started with similar model. The cubase LE that comes with it is fine - I won't brag on it but again - it's usable.

By usable I mean you can always spend more and get more, but with usable you shouldn't have regrets using it and it will last you a while before you feel the need to upgrade.

For $ to $ comparison you might look at focusrite saffire_6_usb Good company and tech support as well.

Best advice: Read/study all you can on the company web site faqs and product forums. Example: Having a computer with specs that match their guidelines will help you if you have startup issues to discuss with tech support. (ie. not your fault right off the bat)

after spending a week trying to get an maudio ultra to work with his system, a friend of mine took it back and got the focusrite saffire up and running right away.

Scott Whigham · #7 08-28-2011, 04:30 PM

Just realized I goofed up the link:

Home Studio Budget Estimating Tool

GentryStuder · #8 08-29-2011, 04:20 PM

Well as of right now I only need maybe two channels. I'm brand new to the whole idea and I've been doing nothing but researching. The whole point is to record my own personal music and friends as well. Not anything I can't record one track at a time and mix it all together later. So if my budget is per se that 400 dollar range what would you recommend? Good preamps for a st55 condeser mic and then of course the 1/4 input jack. Also needs to be usb.

Scott Whigham · #9 08-29-2011, 04:32 PM

If you are on a Mac, I don't think you can get better than the Apogee Duet. You can get different but not better IMO.

If you are on Windows, I don't think there's anything in the $400 range of that quality but there are some good options. The M-Audio Fast Track Pro would be good.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FastTrkProMP9/

If you buy new, you'll pay 25-50% more so I almost always buy used for this kind of thing.

Pick up a copy of Reaper as well - that's the software you'll use: http://www.reaper.fm/

GentryStuder · #10 08-29-2011, 04:36 PM

So don't use the pro tools that comes with the fast track (i'm on a PC for now) get reaper?

Scott Whigham · #11 08-29-2011, 04:38 PM

Didn't notice it came with PT - it's your call. Reaper is free to download, use so you could try both!

GentryStuder · #12 08-29-2011, 04:48 PM

Okay thanks!

muscmp · #13 08-29-2011, 11:25 PM

even tho i don't know reaper, that version of pro tools is a lite version that i have used before and it is very good. make sure to take advantage of it.

rhancox · #14 08-30-2011, 08:28 AM

I'm no expert, so take this for what it's worth.

When I bought my interface last year, I did a lot of research as well. The issue given a lot of attention was preamps, of course, and the nod was almost always given to the Focusrite product line. I even had a salesman tell me the same thing, and I hadn't even asked the question. His comment was, in that price range, ~$200, you won't find a better set of preamps in an audio interface.

Now, I couldn't tell you outright, that the Focusrite product is technically far and away the best on the market, but a lot of professional reviews touted Focusrite.

For me, I only needed the two inputs and the price of the Saffire 6 was in my ballpark and comparable to other units. It was a no brainer.

rhancox · #15 08-30-2011, 08:31 AM

Oh, and +1 on Reaper. Why mess around with a Lite version of anything. Reaper will do a lot more than you'll ever figure out you need and it's pretty easy to figure out.

I found Abelton Lite (that comes with the Saffire) to be difficult to figure out after using an old copy of CuBase LE for so long. But with Reaper, it all just made sense from the git go.