USB audio interface

[rvai]

Well I´m starting a new band with some friends and I´d like to be able to start making some recordings with something a little better than my laptops mic, so I´ve been looking at some USB interfaces and Í´d like to hear your opinion on some of these:

M-audio mobilepre studio bundle---- $400 and comes with interface, monitors, a mic and ableton live lite

Lexicon Omega---$300 comes with cubase and I´d buy a cheap microphone to mic guitars

TASCAM US-1641 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Computer Interface---$400 and guitars would be recorded from the output of a digitech rp500 that I´ll get soon and going into an input of the tascam

what do you guys think? I´d like to keep it under $400 but if the difference in quality is really big I guess I could stretch a little more

I´m also considering buying a SM57 or one of those shure microphone and stand 3 pack or 6 behringer XM8500 lol, those three options are around the same price

I know NOTHING about this and thats why I´m asking you guys as I´m shure you know way more than me, also bear in mind that I´m 16 and can´t spend a lot of money, but I could go up to $700
thanks in advance

[albee1952]

How many channels you wish to record will matter here. If you are okay with stereo, then the ones you mentioned will do as will the Tascam USB-Pre (which I had and it broke) and the M-Audio Fast-Trak Pro (which I have now and like a lot). I kind of wish I could upgrade to the Fast-Trak Ultra for the extra ins and outs and its still under $400. You will need to buy software (unless you have a Mac and Garage Band) so budget for that too. CuBase or Protools M-Powered (only if you buy an M-Audio interface) are 2 good choices. In any case, a 4 input interface would allow you to record with 2 room mics AND a stereo feed from your PA mixer.

[rvai]

I forgot to mention that my laptop´s OS is vista, so I also need something that will work with vista, about the number of channels I don´t know, hoy many channels do I need to record drums?
ok so please recommend me something thats under $400 and includes software and can record drums, also some mics, like enough to mic drums for recording
are line 6 interfaces any good? because they are cheap and come with software lol

[badguitarist]

Get a Presonus Firebox and you'll have Cubase LE4 which I think is enough for home recording. Cubase LE4 supports up to 48 tracks so I think that's enough for drums recording.

[jb4674]

Just remember that Cubase LE supports only 8 simultaneous tracks at once. While 48 tracks may be the limit, it's not as nice as it sounds.

Jimmy

[albee1952]

To record drums, you really need 8 channels and USB will not be the way to go. A firewire interface with 8 mic preamps will be a better choice. Presonus has a few Digimax and Firestudio models that you should look at and the full version of Cubase would be a great choice. I use protools myself but while I prefer it to Cubase, I understand that it is a more expensive route to go(must use Digidesign hardware as the main interface and protools is VERY picky about computer specs).

[jb4674]

Originally Posted by albee1952

To record drums, you really need 8 channels and USB will not be the way to go.

That's not necessarily true. You can use an analog mixer, plug your drum mics and then send it to the usb interface as a single channel and transfer it that way.

Originally Posted by albee1952

A firewire interface with 8 mic preamps will be a better choice. Presonus has a few Digimax and Firestudio models that you should look at and the full version of Cubase would be a great choice. .

Do you realize that he's only got a budget of 700 max? The Cheapest digimax is going to cost at least 400 bones and you're not even including mics and cables.

Jimmy

[rvai]

ok so I did a little research on thr presonus firesudio, its $500 so I could buy that and 2 mics, but I have some questions
In the system requirements section it mentios pentium and celeron above 1.6ghz, my laptop is dual core, but it doesn´t have a firewire port, my pc does, but if has an athlon dual core processor, is it ok if it isn´t pentium or celeron?
will it work on vista?
It also mentions a firewire card with TI chipset, how can I know if my computer has a TI chipset?

[jb4674]

1. Find out the specs from your laptop manufacturer.

2. Your desktop should be able to work with the firestudio.

3. I wouldn't use vista to record music with. XP Pro is still the preferred choice for a recording computer by most people who use pc's.

4. You might be able to find out more details on your firewire card by right-clicking on my computer and clicking on "manage". Once the window pops up, click on "Device Manager" and look for the IEEE1394 device listed and then double-click it to bring up its properties. Look around in there to find out more information about it. It might tell you who the chipset was made by or it may not.

Jimmy

[albee1952]

If you go here, Protools requires the same firewire chipset so see what they recommend for a PCMCIA firewire card.
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?...23954&langid=1
My comment about 8 inputs for drums is because recording a stereo mix from a mixer destroys any chance of remixing, repairing or replacing any parts of the drum track(a major benefit of recording on a DAW). Also most folks on a budget will only have access to a cheap mixer and recording drums thru a cheap mixer will sound.......cheap. Another great solution would be record using a 2 channel interface but do drums on a Roland midi kit and use something like ezdrummer on the computer for all the actual sounds. This works great on my protools rig but not all drummers like playing pads.

[rvai]

ok I don´t wanna go through all the trouble of getting a new firewire card, so I think I´ll get the tascam which is usb, what do you think of that interface?

[albee1952]

My 2 cents; recording drums on 2 tracks is not taking advantage of all the a good DAW package can do. Once you have worked with multiple inputs, you will never want to go back. Now a 2 channel USB interface is still handy and I use one(M-Audio Fast-trak Pro) for live stereo recording off the console as well as system tuning with SMAART Live software and a reference mic.

[jb4674]

I agree. USB has limitations when it comes to recording music. A firewire card is not going to set you back thousands of dollars, just make sure the chipset is the one that's recommended by whatever manufacturer you decide to go with.

Jimmy