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Noobie Production Question Concerning Audio Interface
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| djkoifloor |
Hello all, I did a search on this topic but went through the first 5 or 6 pages and didn't see anything on it.
I'm setting up my first studio and just bought my first pair of monitors, nothing too fancy just some M-Audio BX-5s. Currently, I am using some unbalanced cables directly into my laptop so I know the sound quality isn't what it should be. I went to the store today to buy some balanced TSR cables and an audio interface and realized I didn't know about what I was buying.
So, what is everyone's opinion on a suitable audio interface that won't break the bank? Is there an industry standard for this type of thing? Don't really know where to start. Thanks for all the help. |
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| clay |
| Do your computer have firewire? If thats the case you could get an Echo Audiofire 4. Really good and cheapo device. For those monitors I wouldnt bother getting anything more expensive either but you could look at USB variant. RME FireFace UC is a good USB alternative but abit more expensive. If u have space in your desktop copmuter theres also internal solutions which are decent but probably not balanced. Like m-audio stereophile 2496. Ok entry card. ESI Maya 44 is another decent usb device. or U24 XL. But then theres USB3 and Thunderbolt technology on its way. Id wait. What did u get? |
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| Juan Paulino |
| When is the USB 3 and thunderbolt coming? |
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| clay |
| usb3 and thunderbolt soundcard u mean? theres probably something available already i dont know, im waiting myself for a cheap usb3 balanced soundcard. |
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| DJ RANN |
Clay is right. Don't get too hung up on audio quality when you're using 5inch M-audio monitors. Balanced cables aren't really going to help you becuase A) your soundcard doesn't have balanced outs, and B) Your speakers are one notch above PC speakers so unless you;re getting serious EFI or EMI (which can be solved in most cases by running unbalanced cables away from power cables) then again, there's not point worrying about it.
I have the ECHO AF4 and it's been great. Great sound quality, never crashed and stable as hell, with usable (not amazing) ore amps for mics. Best of all it's $250.
An interface will also help with performance issues of your DAW (drivers are more efficient thus less demand on your CPU etc).
AF4 would be a good place to start, then think about better monitors at some point in the future but for the time being, just have fun producing and get to know your DAW inside out and focus on content, not audio signal quality for now. |
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| Looney4Clooney |
apogee symphony has a thunderbolt converter.
USB 3 won't do anything for audio devices. |
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| djkoifloor |
I haven't gotten anything yet. I decided to go home home with some unbalanced cables and do some more research.
I like how the Echo A4 sounds but it doesn't look like I have a firewire port. Does anyone know anything about the Echo Gina 3G? Or the M-Audio Delta 66 PCI? |
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| djshire |
| What kind of music are you making? That's the first thing that you should ask yourself when buying an audio interface. If you're recording a band, you need a lot of inputs. Transmitting MIDI to a hard synth (and back)? Need MIDI I/O. Does your computer have FireWire? If so, try and opt for an interface that connects with FireWire, but they can be more expensive than a USB interface. What's your price range? That's one of biggest determining factors to what you are getting, because there are some really nice, but really expensive, interfaces out there. Mac or PC? Some cards work better than others on one or the other, and some, like Apogee, are Mac only. Do you need preamps? Some companies are known for their pres, and if you're recording vocals, a good pre is a necessity. Some companies have good pres in their cards, others not so much. |
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| tehlord |
Save your money and grab a used Saffire 6 off ebay.
And then start saving for some better monitors, because the ones you have now are rubbish.
Or just get some good headphones. |
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