[SOLVED] [Voiceover/acting] Upgrading from beginner set. Audient iD22 + interface questions...

[chaoshead]

So. I am a semi-pro voiceover artist/VA as well as a live streamer who's looking to up my current gear a little so it will be even better for me to do my VO projects + live stream + eventually do some podcasting too.

Right now, im using a Behringer UMC202HD interface. nothing else. the mic (NT1) is connected to that and then the usb to the pc. I see several VAs and live streamers use either the Audient iD22 or the DBX 286s... While some use the latter one + additional audio interface (like this guy:
YouTube)

Now, which one of those to go for? According to other VAs and live streamers, it seems like the Audient iD22 does the job without the need of an additional audio interface... The Audient iD22 costs a tad bit more than the DBX, but it's within my budget range.

Is Audient iD22 the one to go for, or are there better alternatives for my purposes when it comes to interfaces and pre-amps?

It should be noted that i am also upgrading my mic to an Neumann TLM 102 or 103 (haven't decided on that, since my voice isn't that "deep").

Any help and advises would be greatly appreciated, of course.

 

[jamesperrett]

Acoustic treatment for your recording space is going to be far more important than your choice of interface. Yes, the Audient preamps are very good but the difference between preamps is tiny compared to the difference between a normal room and a well treated recording space. It is only worth upgrading once you've created a decent recording environment.

Of course the other major consideration is the quality of your vocal performance - have you thought about taking some voice coaching lessons? In fact your performance is probably the most important factor in creating a successful voice recording. A great voice would still sound great speaking into an SM58 plugged into a Behringer interface.

 

[chaoshead]

Yes, i am also going to upgrade the acoustics around here, so that'll be taken care of as well, ofc. But yeah, i was mainly just focusing on the interface/pre-amp for now. And since a lot of others seem to be using the Audient iD14, it seems to be a good and a nice choice for me as well.

And yes, i am also taking several different voice classes and such.

The reason i am asking about the Audient iD14 is because i might be able to get it for a cheap price from a friend who don't use it any longer. How'd it be compared to my Behringer UMC202HD?

 

[DaleVO]

Chaos,
My rig is a Symetrix 528e to iD22. I can bypass the pres, on the iD22 via insert. The iD14 does not have that option. Because I am too pragmatic, I use the pres on the 528e, even though the pre on the Audient is quite good. I just choose to let the Audient be a converter.

I do not podcast, but have used this rig for Zoom webinars. All that said, I have used the iD22 pre, for recording, and would not hesitate to use it standalone. I like knowing that I have a capable backup, if the 528e decides to tank on me.

Although it may not appear, my philosophy is to keep a rig as simple as possible.... As close to a direct mic-to-DAW connection as possible. For your rig, it sounds like you want to multi-task your setup. The iD14 should give you the capacity to do what you are attempting, with good results.
Just my .02¢
Dale

 

[chaoshead]

Chaos,
My rig is a Symetrix 528e to iD22. I can bypass the pres, on the iD22 via insert. The iD14 does not have that option. Because I am too pragmatic, I use the pres on the 528e, even though the Burr Brown pre on the Audient is quite good. I just choose to let the Audient be a converter.

I do not podcast, but have used this rig for Zoom webinars. All that said, I have used the iD22 pre, for recording, and would not hesitate to use it standalone. I like knowing that I have a capable backup, if the 528e decides to tank on me.

Although it may not appear, my philosophy is to keep a rig as simple as possible.... As close to a direct mic-to-DAW connection as possible. For your rig, it sounds like you want to multi-task your setup. The iD14 should give you the capacity to do what you are attempting, with good results.
Just my .02¢
Dale

Gosh. This is embarrassing... I actually meant iD22, NOT iD14! At first, i found my way to iD14, but then i started to see more and more serious VAs are using iD22, so that's what i will aim to go for, as that seems to be fitting my purposes just nicely. I just wanted to hear some inputs from others before i make a decision.

So... IF i would go for iD22, would i need a secondary audio interface, such as my Behringer UMC202HD, or will that iD22 work fine for every purpose for my preferences?

Thanks again.

 

[DaleVO]

So... IF i would go for iD22, would i need a secondary audio interface, such as my Behringer UMC202HD, or will that iD22 work fine for every purpose for my preferences?

Thanks again.

Chaos,
You will not need a separate interface, like you did with the 286s. The iD22 has USB to your DAW and is a turnkey audio interface. It has ASIO drivers and a software mixer application to configure Ins/Outs. That was a bit horsey to adjust, because the owners manual is not much help. Once you get Windows to see the 10 ins and 14 outs correctly, you can save that config file, in case you have to reset.
Dale

Afterthought: I seem to recall that I had to make sure the Windows Sound Properties bit and depth rates were set the same as the iD22's bit/depth rates. I recall it making the iD22 fuss while trying to detect them.

 

[DaleVO]

Chaos,
I failed to answer your second part of your question re: "... Are there better alternatives...." Since I can only speak from my own experiences, I cannot advise you.
Dale

 

[jamesperrett]

Yes, i am also going to upgrade the acoustics around here, so that'll be taken care of as well, ofc. But yeah, i was mainly just focusing on the interface/pre-amp for now. And since a lot of others seem to be using the Audient iD14, it seems to be a good and a nice choice for me as well.

Just about any audio interface with a mic input offering phantom power will work well with the mic you mention as a high output condenser mic doesn't require much gain and the mic itself may well be noisier than the preamp. You may feel a bit better about using an Audient but it won't make much difference to the actual sound.

If you really want a new interface then go for one that will give you the best driver performance and be supported for years which means you should be looking at RME - again, the sound won't be vastly different but the latency will come down and you'll have access to Totalmix which some people find extremely useful.

 

[chaoshead]

Chaos,
I failed to answer your second part of your question re: "... Are there better alternatives...." Since I can only speak from my own experiences, I cannot advise you.
Dale

Upon further reading, i am even more certain that iD22 is THE interface for me to go. I am no longer at the beginner stage of this. Time to upgrade a little, so iD22 seems to be the logic and correct step for my voiceover purposes.

Thanks for the inputs and advises.

Thread solved.

 

[DaleVO]

Chaos,
I have been very pleased with my iD22. I will tell on myself: the first time I fired it up and got it dialed in, I was pissed and thinking I was dealt a dud. It was so electronically quiet that I thought it dead on arrival. It made me realize how noisy my previous AI was and interjecting into my recordings. I had never owned good quiet converters before, to compare against. I had become accustomed to the introduced noise and learned to deal with it, in my post-processing. When I added the iD22, I no longer had to deal with the added noise and my noise floor bottomed out. I was definitely a happy-camper, once my blood pressure dropped.

I hope you get to realize the same experience. I want to also second the sage advice of [MENTION=137394]jamesperrett[/MENTION] regarding room treatment. Until you get that tamed, you may always be chasing your tail. (speaking from experience)
Dale