Audio Interface recommendation for recording vocals and guitar input

S

sega2020

New member
Hi there,

Apologies if this is not the correct forum but I was wondering could someone recommend a good quality audio interface/pre-amp that I can connect a microphone and guitar input into to record into Cubase?
I currently have an 80 Euro audio interface that allows me to connect my guitar and Shure SM58.
However the sound signal quality that I get from the interface into Cubase is really amateur and I've always wondered how did people record both their vocals and their instruments at home in Cubase but make them sound professional? (I have lots of VSTs such as compressors and limiters etc that I thought would improve the quality of the signal but it doesn't really fix the weak sound signal.)

For example Kevin Parker from Tame Impala records his albums with a desktop PC but I don't really understand his set-up

I was wondering could somebody recommend a good set-up for what I've described above? My budget is flexible. I know that Kevin Parker uses an "MOTU Ultralite MK3" as an audio interface. It costs 600 Euros approximately and I was thinking of getting something like that with a good studio microphone instead of using my SM58.

Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated!

Kind regards
 
I think we need to hear your problem because it's actually quite possible to produce great sounding recordings with a basic interface and SM58. So it sounds like you're doing something a bit non-standardly? It's difficult to post links as a new member, but if you're crafty, you can find a way to give us a soundcloud, or YouTube address so we can listen. 30 secs or so is usually enough for us to comment. You mention 'weak' sound, but of course we have no idea if our 'weak' is the same as yours?
 
sega2020 said:
Hi there,

Apologies if this is not the correct forum but I was wondering could someone recommend a good quality audio interface/pre-amp that I can connect a microphone and guitar input into to record into Cubase?
I currently have an 80 Euro audio interface that allows me to connect my guitar and Shure SM58.
However the sound signal quality that I get from the interface into Cubase is really amateur and I've always wondered how did people record both their vocals and their instruments at home in Cubase but make them sound professional? (I have lots of VSTs such as compressors and limiters etc that I thought would improve the quality of the signal but it doesn't really fix the weak sound signal.)

For example Kevin Parker from Tame Impala records his albums with a desktop PC but I don't really understand his set-up

I was wondering could somebody recommend a good set-up for what I've described above? My budget is flexible. I know that Kevin Parker uses an "MOTU Ultralite MK3" as an audio interface. It costs 600 Euros approximately and I was thinking of getting something like that with a good studio microphone instead of using my SM58.

Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated!

Kind regards
Click to expand...
As [MENTION=178786]rob aylestone[/MENTION] says, hearing the problem will help us. And knowing the exact interface you are using. You do not have to spend 600€ to get a pretty darn good interface for what you want to do, maybe 1/3 of that (and what you have may be fine for starters!).

Many home recording noobs pay no attention to, or do not understand the importance of, room treatment, mic placement, gain staging, i.e., how mics and preamps work, and that can make it difficult to turn even the best performance into a good recording.

And then there's the problem with listening to ourselves, so posting your results will get object feedback.

You can put files in Dropbox, etc. and get the "Share" link and paste that into your post. Then, *REMOVE* the https:// part of the url. We can get to the file that way.
 
My former teacher always said, a good mix comes from 10% gear, 90% mixing engineer. I stand by that. As one of our projects my classmate made a 3 song demo using only Audacity, a cheap $60 interface and two SM57's. It blows a lot of mixes i hear on HR out of the water. This proved that there is a lot more than just gear involved to get a good sound/mix.

Just something to think about.
 
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I agree with the others above. In fact if the interface is just a mic input plus instrument input, 80 sovs actually buys you a decent unit. Eg the Behringer UMC 22.

However, you say "guitar"? Electric or acoustic? If you are trying to record the latter with a dynamic mic you are pretty much doomed. Well, heavy strumming on a Jumbo steel-strung would be ok but any kind of folksy picking? Nah.
You can record electric straight in but you will need some software to sweeten the sound. Raw 'lectric is harsh man.

Dave.
 
reinmj said:
My former teacher always said, a good mix comes from 10% gear, 90% mixing engineer. I stand by that. As one of our projects my classmate made a 3 song demo using only Audacity, a cheap $60 interface and two SM57's. It blows a lot of mixes i hear on HR out of the water. This proved that there is a lot more than just gear involved to get a good sound/mix.

Just something to think about.
Click to expand...

I would add to that the experience of an engineer knowing what is important on the way in. They already know what might and might not work in regards to room, and input chain.

An experienced engineer can make shit work to a degree, but also cannot fix 'shit'. Somewhere here in between, is the benefit of experience. I am still learning myself...

That being said, there are basic steps that any engineer with any real experience will demand from the start:

Quality of: Performance, instrument, gear that is involved in tone to be capture is the obvious start. All of them can lack in quality 'except' for the performance/talent. That can't be fixed...
 
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