Opinions on starter interface needed

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jmac509

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My son Nick and I are looking to start recording. We have a bunch of free stuff, almost enough to get us started, but no interface. Here's what we have so far:

Dell Inspiron 5100 laptop (to be dedicated for recording only)
4 mics (Shure SM57 & SM48, two other dynamic mics)
2 mic stands and various cords

We want to invest in a decent interface that we won't have to upgrade any time soon. Our budget is around $150. We're just getting into this, so we haven't really scratched the surface of what we want to do. We plan to do all the mixing on whatever recording software we get (probably Audacity or whatever comes with the interface, to start with). We'll upgrade the other stuff as needed. Just want to get started and see where it takes us. As you can see by our youtube channel, we also do a lot of videos (with a Q3HD) and want to step up our game there as well, splicing the video in with the recordings and stuff.

We've done some research and have narrowed it down to the following two. Leaning heavily towards the Akai at this point. My question is, will this work with the (somewhat old) laptop we're going to use, and is this the best use of our funds?

Akai Professional EIE I/O Audio/MIDI Interface With USB Hub
Lexicon Lambda USB Desktop Studio

(I would post links but I don't have 10 posts yet, sorry)

Any advice or recommendations you can give us will certainly be welcome.

Thanks!

Jesse & Nick
 
1st what are your recording??
Reaper is a very solid DAW $60, and Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 $150
 
What OS is on the laptop?
Are the laptop USB ports USB2?
The Focusrite Scarlett isn't bad at all. I've found it sounds quite good.
It'll also work as a decent DI for instruments.
It has decent preamps which the dynamics will need and phantom power if you eventually go condensor.
Reaper is REALLY good, quite cheap and from a company with a good moral compass.
 
jmac509 said:
My son Nick and I are looking to start recording. Our budget is around $150.
Click to expand...
Reaper software is good at $69 if you like open source products. But you'll still need an interface. The 2i2 is good & comes with Ableton software which may not be your cup of tea. The PreSonus AudioBox comes with Studio One software which is their own design & is simple to learn but has a lot of options too. At the $150 price range my advice is to go with the AudioBox. Keep it simple.
 
jaynm26 said:
1st what are your recording??
Click to expand...
All acoustic. Guitar and vocals for now, but with the possibility of adding more instruments to the mix. Mostly bluegrass, folk type stuff.

rayc said:
What OS is on the laptop?
Are the laptop USB ports USB2?
Click to expand...
I'll get back to you on that. We're still trying to get the laptop fired up. Can't find the power cord...

Thanks all for the recommendations, we'll look more into Focusrite and PreSonus. Anything anyone can tell me about the Akai? We really like it because there doesn't seem to be much in that price range with four inputs, and it seems like a solid piece of equipment.
 
If you want one with 4 inputs you could also take a look at the alesis io4, its a bargain at only about £100
 
Hey man your going to want to check a few things. First you will need a secondary 7200rpm hard drive to record on. Use the computers hard drive to run your daw. Second I would recommend one of two paths. The guy above mentioned the presonus route, definetly would recommend that! Second if you are intimidated to get into protools or other more advanced daws, don't be! For as little as $100 you can get an mbox 2 mini or maybe even the new mbox 3 mini on ebay. Make sure it comes with protools software. From here I would check out therecordingrevolution's tutorial videos on youtube and even his products as they will definetely help you out!
 
My son has the Focusrite Sapphire 6 USB, and it seems pretty good. I think we got it on sale for about $150.
 
Ok, let's get a little more specific. We're looking very hard at the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and the Akai EIE (not the Pro). Based on the research I've done I'm satisfied that both are reliable products, and both are within our price range. The Akai is obviously the more versatile of the two, with four inputs and extra USB ports and some other stuff. All the reviews are positive. The 2i2 is more basic, 2 in 2 out.

The big difference I can see is that the 2i2 offers 24-bit/96kHz, and the Akai only offers 16-bit/48kHz. In order to get the same sampling rate as the 2i2 we'd have to upgrade to the EIE Pro which we can't afford.

The question is, can our old laptop even handle the higher sampling rates? Obviously, if it produces better sound we're all for it. But if it's a moot point due to the limitations of our computer, why not get the Akai?

Also, to answer a previous question about my laptop, here's the OS:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional 2002, Service Pack 3

I don't know if I have USB 2's or not. How do I figure that out?

Thanks!
 
jmac509 said:
Ok, let's get a little more specific. We're looking very hard at the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and the Akai EIE (not the Pro). Based on the research I've done I'm satisfied that both are reliable products, and both are within our price range. The Akai is obviously the more versatile of the two, with four inputs and extra USB ports and some other stuff. All the reviews are positive. The 2i2 is more basic, 2 in 2 out.

The big difference I can see is that the 2i2 offers 24-bit/96kHz, and the Akai only offers 16-bit/48kHz. In order to get the same sampling rate as the 2i2 we'd have to upgrade to the EIE Pro which we can't afford.



The question is, can our old laptop even handle the higher sampling rates? Obviously, if it produces better sound we're all for it. But if it's a moot point due to the limitations of our computer, why not get the Akai?

Also, to answer a previous question about my laptop, here's the OS:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional 2002, Service Pack 3

I don't know if I have USB 2's or not. How do I figure that out?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

you find that out by researching about your own computer. look up your computer model and you can find the answer to those questions....
 
edit- just noticed you already have it down to the Akai or Lexicon, its looks like the Akai comes with Ableton daw.
 
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