Can you recommend an audio interface & DAW?

epicturkey

New member
I have:
Condenser Mic & Phantom Power unit
Acoustic Guitar with 1/4" out
Electric Guitar 1/4" => amp with 1/4" out
Alesis V49 Keyboard\Midi Controller w\ 8 [Drum] pads
PC w\ ASIO drivers, running FL Studio, Audacity & Ableton Lite (from my V49 box), and enough "X-toUSB" cables to connect everything to my PC at once, and I can record.
and a Ditto X2 Looper pedal

Ideally, I would love to feed my Ditto X2 looper pedal from an Audio Interface that allows easy switching between my instruments and microphone during the "Creative" phase. I'd be wearing the pedal's Phone Out. For the most part, this seems fairly simple.
My first issue is my midi controller. Here's what I *THINK* - I need to set up V49 => PC => PC Out to Audio Interface (& make sure delay isn't an issue). Is that the best way to get the real sound\samples to my looper pedal from my midi controller? I have not finished reading the documentation that came with it.
Secondly, I assume that I will want some kind of basic level\mixer control over the Audio Interface's inputs, so I can have some basic control over the mix coming out of the Looper pedal.

So, I need a specific type of Interface or Mixer... I'm looking to stay low-budget.

Also -> Given my setup, I'm considering purchasing Pro Tools, Reason 8 or Sonar X3, but I'm not sure which would be best for my current setup, or if I should stick with FL Studio. I want to be able to quickly dump from my looper pedal, into audio tracks and immediately begin mixing, adding effects, splicing & whatever else.
* MOST important in a DAW, I want INTUITIVE control over automations - like being able to "Bow" or "bend" the velocity over time, rather than plotting the individual points on a roll\graph.

Any recommendations? Thanks!
 
Is this for recording or live playing? Not clear what you want to use the Ditto for.
I just got an X2, and I just looked up the online manual - you can't use the USB 'live', it's only for sending loops/files one way or the other (into or out of the looper), so I guess you are thinking of sending audio from the interface to the looper, then back to the interface? Note that the Ditto's inputs are made for instrument-level signals, so you may need to reverse-DI the line outputs from the interface to it. The interface would not only need instrument input for your guitar(s), but also for the output(s) of the looper.
 
Hey, mjbphotos, thanks for the reply.

So, first off I've settled on the FocusRite Scarlet 6i6 Audio Interface. I'm using this setup for recording - specifically to reduse overhead in the "Creative" phase of writing. The ditto pedal has a stereo out, which my headphones are connected to, but yes I would record loops until I was ready to dump them to computer via usb, then continue working on the project. The looper pedal is the END of the recording phase, once dumped to PC the audio interface is more or less inconsequential.

That being said, I'm still having trouble choosing a DAW. I'm looking for a simple interface, and "bowing" and "bending" automatons is a necessity for me. I really don't like how most PC\Windows DAW's handle [point-by-point] automation.
 
i use Sonar.

really dig it.

but i've used Nuendo as well, and liked that....
pro tools....


REAPER is a good beginner DAW, it's free to try out, and has a lot of support


sonar is awesome for automation.
 
Hey, mjbphotos, thanks for the reply.

So, first off I've settled on the FocusRite Scarlet 6i6 Audio Interface. I'm using this setup for recording - specifically to reduse overhead in the "Creative" phase of writing. The ditto pedal has a stereo out, which my headphones are connected to, but yes I would record loops until I was ready to dump them to computer via usb, then continue working on the project. The looper pedal is the END of the recording phase, once dumped to PC the audio interface is more or less inconsequential.

That being said, I'm still having trouble choosing a DAW. I'm looking for a simple interface, and "bowing" and "bending" automatons is a necessity for me. I really don't like how most PC\Windows DAW's handle [point-by-point] automation.

I guess I still don't understand where the interface fits into your plans. It sounds like you'd want a mixer so you can plug multiple instruments into the stereo input of your looper. Then xfer the looper's recording onto your computer via the USB connection. Then use a DAW to manipulate it from there. I'm not sure that an AI is your best solution here, sounds more like a stereo mixer would be more applicable. That's if I'm understanding your ambitions correctly...
 
I guess I still don't understand where the interface fits into your plans. It sounds like you'd want a mixer so you can plug multiple instruments into the stereo input of your looper. Then xfer the looper's recording onto your computer via the USB connection. Then use a DAW to manipulate it from there. I'm not sure that an AI is your best solution here, sounds more like a stereo mixer would be more applicable. That's if I'm understanding your ambitions correctly...
Thanks for the reply!
I agree, I'm not dead set on an audio interface, I think either an AI or a Mixer will suite my needs, depending on features & output - I started off trying the Behringer Q802USB, but it outputs SUPER low quality and low levels. Can hardly pick up the sounds on my pedal and PC without maxing the gain, but then it's all kinds of distorted & awful sounding. ANYWAY...
I don't need the full featureset of a mixer - most of my production work will be done on my PC, and most low-budget mixers output CD quality sound at best.

In the end - I need fast switching between inputs, feeding the looper pedal, with some basic control over the input level\volume coming from the AI\Mixer. I think I can achieve what I want with the Scarlet 6i6
 
Thanks for the reply!
I agree, I'm not dead set on an audio interface, I think either an AI or a Mixer will suite my needs, depending on features & output - I started off trying the Behringer Q802USB, but it outputs SUPER low quality and low levels. Can hardly pick up the sounds on my pedal and PC without maxing the gain, but then it's all kinds of distorted & awful sounding. ANYWAY...
I don't need the full featureset of a mixer - most of my production work will be done on my PC, and most low-budget mixers output CD quality sound at best.

In the end - I need fast switching between inputs, feeding the looper pedal, with some basic control over the input level\volume coming from the AI\Mixer. I think I can achieve what I want with the Scarlet 6i6

I think it would be simpler to use a mixer. Plug all of your instruments and mics into it, send the stereo bus out to your Ditto, and there's no switching required. Once you get your levels set, it's just a matter of playing each instrument. They're all routed out the main stereo out of the mixer.

Also, don't confuse the specs on USB mixers. The mixers themselves have an analog signal path. So whatever is output from the main outs is still analog. But the USB output has been converted to digital, which is where the "CD quality" would enter the picture. And maybe Behringer isn't a good example to gauge budget mixers by. I'm a fan of the little Yamaha mixers myself: Yamaha MG10 | Sweetwater.com

In the end it's up to you. To me it seems that for the process that you described, the 6i6 is overkill for the situation. Although the 6i6 has far more usefulness if you ever start to multitrack in your DAW (which is basically what you're doing on the x2 currently). In a home environment, it's a lot more flexible to record each track through an interface and layer them in the DAW than letting a pedal do that work.
 
I think it would be simpler to use a mixer. Plug all of your instruments and mics into it, send the stereo bus out to your Ditto, and there's no switching required. Once you get your levels set, it's just a matter of playing each instrument. They're all routed out the main stereo out of the mixer.

Also, don't confuse the specs on USB mixers. The mixers themselves have an analog signal path. So whatever is output from the main outs is still analog. But the USB output has been converted to digital, which is where the "CD quality" would enter the picture. And maybe Behringer isn't a good example to gauge budget mixers by. I'm a fan of the little Yamaha mixers myself: Yamaha MG10 | Sweetwater.com

In the end it's up to you. To me it seems that for the process that you described, the 6i6 is overkill for the situation. Although the 6i6 has far more usefulness if you ever start to multitrack in your DAW (which is basically what you're doing on the x2 currently). In a home environment, it's a lot more flexible to record each track through an interface and layer them in the DAW than letting a pedal do that work.

That MG10 looks amazing. Like what I wanted in my Q802USB. I'm looking into it. Thanks!
 
i use Sonar.

really dig it.

but i've used Nuendo as well, and liked that....
pro tools....
REAPER is a good beginner DAW, it's free to try out, and has a lot of support
sonar is awesome for automation.

Thanks, Gonzo! I've been leaning towards Sonar for other reasons, will have to give the demo another good try once I get my Mixer\AI set up
 
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