Advice for a noob? Which Microphone and USB audio interface should I buy?

J

JOHN2013

New member
Hey everyone just want to start by saying hello, I just signed up to the forum and was hoping to get some advice.

Basically i'm a singer looking to record my vocals onto tracks I make, Iv already got Ableton live 8 and an Acorn Masterkey MIDI Keyboard to make beats but I have no idea what to buy for recording.

I have been told I will need a USB Audio Interface with Phantom Power and 2-3 XLR ports and iv got a budget of around £100-£150 for that.

Also I will need the best microphone I can get for around £100-£150 aswell. Iv heard shure are good?

Also i'm under the impression I will need an autotune box to get the perfect sound? I can sing and don't need autotune but pretty much every recording artist uses autotune even if its a tiny amount.

I hope iv explained everything properly, I would be very grateful for any advice you can give me.

Thanks guys :)

John
 
Don't listen to 'everybody' - they seldom know what they are talking about!

If you are only (ever) going to be recording using 1 microphone at a time, then you don't need an interface with more than 1 mic preamp.
Your budget will get a Presonus, Focusrite or M-Audio with 2 mic preamps.
Mic budget - will let you get a budget condensor mic. Everyone's needs are different because voices are different. You can try Shure, AKG, Audio Technica, see if you can get to a music shop and try out various mics with your own voice.
 
I would recommend the PreSonus Audiobox USB interface; it has two XLR inputs and phantom power for about 150 USD. M-Audio also makes pretty good audio interfaces.
As for a microphone, the MXL 990 is a good deal for a beginner condenser mic - I have one myself and it's well worth the price.
I wouldn't recommend autotune . . . in my opinion, it just takes away the life from the song. However, I guess that depends on your preferences. Don't do it just because everyone else does it.
 
I have the PreSonus Audiobox USB unit and it works well with 2 mics. Unfortunately I had also wanted to use it hooked up to the line level outputs from a mixer, and (despite what the Guitar center sales guy told me) it doen't work at line level. It works with mics only.
 
mjbphotos:

Thanks for your reply, That's a good point actually all I will be wanting to plug in is 1 microphone and possibly a guitar. I was looking at an M-Audio and that seems to be recommended alot aswell as PreSonus so I think ill choose between them 2.

Xaaron1377:

Again thanks for your reply, and also again M-Audio and PreSonus you have mentioned so I will look into those for me audio interface. And funnily enough I was looking at the MXL990 earlier. But you say its a good beginners microphone would that mean its not top quality? because i'm looking to get the best quality I can before my song gets mastered.

Also I have decided against autotune now as I don't like it and to be honest I don't need it, as you say don't listen to 'everyone' which is true.

RWhite:

Ah right so would I not be able to plug in an electric acoustic guitar aswell as my microphone into the PreSonus? because that is probably going to be one of the things I will be doing. And sales people sometimes know less that the person buying the product haha :P


Also another question to all:

I will be using a Condenser microphone but someone told me you can't use a Condenser with phantom power because it can blow the microphone, is this true or complete rubbish?

Thanks again guys this is really helpful and very much appreciated.
 
Condenser microphones need phantom power, it's dynamic mics that don't use it. The PreSonus Audiobox won't work with an acoustic-electric guitar plugged directly in, it doesn't seem to be made for that. But you could always look into buying another mic to record the guitar (in my opinion, it sounds much better that way). But if you need to record the guitar direct, there are interfaces such as the Apogee Jam that are made for that.
The MXL990 has a great sound for the price but if you're willing to pay more money, there are better ones. How much are you willing to pay?
 
In the price range, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 would do everything you want it to (mic in's and selectable instrument or line in's) although, Xaaron said, acoustic guitars tend to sound better recorded with a mic than they do just plugging them straight in. in terms of mics, i'm still a big fan of the sE range in general and the sE X1 is hard to beat for the money. Otherwise, things like the MXL V67i and V67g get great rep, the Rode NT1a gets a notable mention, and i'm personally a sucker for all things Avantone with the CK6 falling within your budget. There's a lot of mic's in the price range so it's always worth trying out as many as you can to see what sounds best for your needs/your voice. Alternatively, in the secondhand market your money may go further
 
Xaaron1377:

I have been researching all day about everything I need and I understand a lot more now, thanks for your input and advice. My budget is under £150
which leads me onto my next paragraph which is aimed at you aswell haha.

Justsomeguy:

After spending my whole day researching you have just mentioned the 2 EXACT things I have decided to go with funnily enough lol. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface and the Rode NT1-A Its in my price range and has better reviews compared to the MXL 990 which I was looking to buy at first.

Cheers for the advice about recording Guitar through a mic rather than directly aswell that will have saved me alot of hassle lol.

Thanks again guys I can't stress enough how grateful I am for your help
 
Good for you . . . the Rode NT1 seems like a nice mic. I was looking into getting one of those myself in the past and I probably will someday. Good luck, I hope things work out well for you!
 
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