150$ priced interfaces, should I?

Q

Qohs

New member
Hello guys, it's my first post here, and I really really need your help with this I have no idea who else to ask..

My questions in a nutshell:
Do 150$ priced USB audio interface guitar/voice recordings sound clearly better than recording directly connected to a mediocre laptop's Mic in?

If the recordings do sound clearly better, will using a mediocre microphone/guitar and guitar amp stop it from sounding good either way?



That's it. I'm on a really tight budget and I'd like to improve my recording quality, but I'm sort of scared of spending money on one of these and the difference being barely noticeable. I don't have any latency issues or anything either, the only time I did was when I experimented with connecting my guitar directly to the laptop via USB, even using ASIO.


For reference on my current recording quality I'll post these songs I've done, (might be worth noting I'm a beginner when it comes to mixing):

Recorded with my guitar amp connected to the Mic in:
soundcloud.com/conhecido/eight-hour-trips-back-and

Recorded with my guitar directly connected to my laptop through USB, no amp:
soundcloud.com/conhecido/hometown

Please note I'm not trying to promote my music, don't listen to them if knowing how my recordings are sounding doesn't help in this subject. :(


Thanks in advance, sorry if this is an extremely asked question here. I did check out the first 3 pages but couldn't find what I needed.
 
I'm not able to listen to your recordings right now since I'm at work but using a dedicated interface instead of a computer mic port will always sound better.
 
Qohs said:
My questions in a nutshell:
Do 150$ priced USB audio interface guitar/voice recordings sound clearly better than recording directly connected to a mediocre laptop's Mic in?

.
Click to expand...
Yes and I am 100% sure of this fact as I have done it and seen it happen myself.
 
Well if your on a budget down load Reaper HERE it's a full function DAW that you can use for free until your sure that it's for you and then to purchase it only cost I think $40.
 
Will it sound better? The quick answer is...it depends what you mean by better. It will definitely sound different. Thing is an interface will open up other recording options - true instrument level inputs, condenser mics, vocal recording quality, monitoring options, etc. Also most of them (Focurite, M-Audio, Presonus) include free versions of name brand recording software.
 
Thank you for your help so far guys, but I'm still not sure of what to do.

I've checked other sources and it seemed everyone insisted I should record the guitar amp through a condenser mic connected to one of these interfaces. I can see how that would certainly give the sound a whole other dimension, specially with multiple mics, but right now it's really more practical for me to record directly digitally.

So I really to make sure guys, if I connect my amp or guitar to the interface, will it sound obviously better/different? I'm not willing to spend 150$ just to get a barely noticeable difference in quality, and the other features available with these interfaces won't exactly benefit me right now.

Just need a final definite yes or no.

Sorry if I'm being annoying, specially since 150$ is cheap as hell for something like this.
 
Then don't sweat it. Your stuff sounds cool as is. Keep working your technique & take the next step when you have the cash & a better idea of what you want. Think Jack White. He sounds great on $20 worth of gear.
 
Going direct certainly has it's own sound. Do I personally find it better than a good old SM57 in front of a tube amp? No.

But does it sound bad? No.

Odds are however plugging your amp into the interface is a bad idea because if it doesn't nuke the interface there is no speaker simulation and it will just come out like shitty fizz. So no matter what my vote is not to involve the amp unless your using a mic.
 
If you were recording with a mic in front of your guitar amp, there's no doubt it would sound better. The mic pre amps in lap tops are absolute rubbish and you'd have a major difference.

Plugging in an instrument level source or a line level source directly to either your laptop or a USB interface won't be nearly as different. Basically, you're feeding a much louder signal in so you won't notice the noise and rubbish generated by the laptop mic pre nearly as badly.

Until you get to the stage where you can get a USB interface AND a microphone to go with it, I suspect the purchase of just an interface would be a disappointment for you.

Most guitarists feel their "sound" is a mix of the guitar itself plus the amplifier. However, there are some who like the clean sound of the guitar without the effects of an amp. Others use some sort of amp modelling tool to simulate the amp sound. Only you can know the sound you ultimately want to record. However, the classic, electric guitar sound is generally achieved with an amp, mic and interface so that might become your longer term goal.
 
musicmachine said:
Then don't sweat it. Your stuff sounds cool as is. Keep working your technique & take the next step when you have the cash & a better idea of what you want. Think Jack White. He sounds great on $20 worth of gear.
Click to expand...

Thanks dude, funny that you're mentioning him. Was one of my favorite bands for like 2 years, their first album still amazes me. It´s so simplistic and lo-fi yet it creates such an amazing atmosphere.


So, I've made my mind up then, thanks guys. You've been really helpful.

Cheers!
 
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