Buying My First Audio Interface

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EditTheSadParts

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Hey everybody!

This will be my first post on any forum, I thought I would come to you guys as I dont know anybody who knows about this stuff and the employees at the local music store tend to be rude and tell me what will benefit them and not me haha.

Okay, so I know this topic has been discussed to death, but I have been looking into buying my first audio interface. I have been using a Behringer Xenyx mixer going into Mixcraft 6, but I find myself dreading using the mixer as it doesn't deliver the quality I want and its a pain in the ass to set up with all the cords and what not haha, I think it would get me actually excited to record if I had something as simple as an audio interface.

I need it to be USB and I need it to have at least 4 mic pres, 8 would be awesome. My budget is 500 as of now.

Ive heard a ton about Focusrite Scarlets so Ive been looking into the 18i8, also the Steinberg UR44 and the MOTU 4pre. I dont want a "good for the money" interface, I just want a good one, I'm willing to save a little more too if need be.

Does anyone have any experience with these that could give me some pros and cons for each or suggest other models for me to check out? I'll be recording drums, vocals, guitars and bass, and I'm hoping I can find one to record at least four mics at a time!

Thanks for taking the time to read!
 
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Without going too much into it, there is a sticky at the top of the newbies section that lists quite a few, if not the majority, of any interface that could be within the budget of a home recording hobbyist. You might find a bit more than what you're looking for in that list - it's actually pretty cool. Personally, I've only used Tascam and Focusrite and have nothing bad to say about either.

Are you planning on running the bass and/or guitar direct or micing up one or the other?
 
None of them have an automatic post-paragraphing feature, alas, you'll have to learn that on your own. :thumbs up:
 
Thank you very much for the response! I will definitely check it out right now. Like I said, I'm new to the forum world so I wasn't too sure what a sticky was when I saw it hahaha. For guitars and bass I will most likely be micing the amps, I kinda like the sound a bit more!
 
^I would +1 this^

I have not had experience with the new Tascam line, but I spent thousands of hours with the earlier models (US1641 and US1800).

Both were completely reliable on my PC's. I upgraded to other because I needed 24 input tracks in my studio.
 
To the OP: As this is your first foray into serious sound recording you would IMHO be well advised to play safe and get a Tascam 1800 or the new one.

A year or so with that should teach you the basics (and the MP3 clinic will pick your bones!) after which you could think about the next step. RME with an ADAT pre amp bank? Even a Rednet system?

Jimmy: I think you should be able re name people as it suggests NASA does on Big Bang Theory? This guy could then be "Lack of Clarity" and maybe I, "Ubiquitous, Pedantic Old Fart"!

Dave.
 
The interfaces from reading on this board and what I have worked with are pretty much, Presounus, Tascam, Focusrite seem to all hit high marks in most of our budgets. Not saying others aren't as good, just the ones listed tend to be top purchases and positive feedback.

@Jimmy - you are too good for us lot :)
 
ecc83 said:
To the OP: As this is your first foray into serious sound recording you would IMHO be well advised to play safe and get a Tascam 1800 or the new one.

A year or so with that should teach you the basics (and the MP3 clinic will pick your bones!) after which you could think about the next step. RME with an ADAT pre amp bank? Even a Rednet system?

Jimmy: I think you should be able re name people as it suggests NASA does on Big Bang Theory? This guy could then be "Lack of Clarity" and maybe I, "Ubiquitous, Pedantic Old Fart"!

Dave.
Click to expand...

I think I am going to go with one of the Tascam models! They seem to be great from what I've heard and actually may save me a bit of money, maybe put it towards a better DAW or something?

Sorry for not paragraphing guys, I wasn't too sure how this all works, I was sending from my phone and in my left arm was a screaming 7 month old hahaha. All I was thinking about was getting my question typed so I could get her to relax a bit! But hey, now I know right?

Thank you to everyone for the advice and for making me feel welcomed to this forum. I must admit I was nervous to see what responses I'd get but that is long gone now :D
 
I haven't used it and it's at the very, very top of your budget, but a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 would probably be nice. It's $499.

I have a TASCAM US 16x08 and I like it. I really recommend it. It's $299.

If I had to go back and get another interface, I'd get the Focusrite. I'm not saying the TASCAM is bad, because it's not. If you ever choose to get a Shure SM7, having 60 dB of gain, which the Focusrite does, would be beneficial. The TASCAM has just under 60 dB at 57 dB, but it works alright with an SM7.
 
COA23 said:
I haven't used it and it's at the very, very top of your budget, but a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 would probably be nice. It's $499.

I have a TASCAM US 16x08 and I like it. I really recommend it. It's $299.

If I had to go back and get another interface, I'd get the Focusrite. I'm not saying the TASCAM is bad, because it's not. If you ever choose to get a Shure SM7, having 60 dB of gain, which the Focusrite does, would be beneficial. The TASCAM has just under 60 dB at 57 dB, but it works alright with an SM7.
Click to expand...

I was considering getting the 18i20 for a while, but I hear alot about the knobs falling off after a while so I wasn't sure.

I actually was planning on getting the SM7 as my next mic since its such a legendary mic, but if the gain comes up short on whatever interface I get I was thinking I could use a Cloudlifter!

Im thinking either the Tascam 16x08 or the 1800 are what Im gonna go for. I havent heard anything bad about either!
 
If you are saving money wiht your inteface, think (seriously) about acoustic treatment for your tracking/mixing room. Every room needs it and the more the better.
 
EditTheSadParts said:
I was considering getting the 18i20 for a while, but I hear alot about the knobs falling off after a while so I wasn't sure.

I actually was planning on getting the SM7 as my next mic since its such a legendary mic, but if the gain comes up short on whatever interface I get I was thinking I could use a Cloudlifter!

Im thinking either the Tascam 16x08 or the 1800 are what Im gonna go for. I havent heard anything bad about either!
Click to expand...

The 1800 has 60 dB of gain, which is just the amount you need for an SM7. The SM7 worked fine to me when I used it on a US 16x08. I still have to figure out how to keep it from overloading on loud vocals, so an external preamp will be in my future. Lol.
 
COA23 said:
The 1800 has 60 dB of gain, which is just the amount you need for an SM7. The SM7 worked fine to me when I used it on a US 16x08. I still have to figure out how to keep it from overloading on loud vocals, so an external preamp will be in my future. Lol.
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Turn down the gain? Back off the mic? How would another preamp help?
 
mjbphotos said:
Turn down the gain? Back off the mic? How would another preamp help?
Click to expand...

Grannies and eggs aside Mike, of the few ways that expensive mic pres can be better than those in a modest AI is dynamic range. For any given gain setting $1000 SHOULD buy you several dBs of headroom over an 1800's amps. Supply rail restrictions, volts and amps cost, make AI electronics something of a compromise.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
Grannies and eggs aside Mike, of the few ways that expensive mic pres can be better than those in a modest AI is dynamic range. For any given gain setting $1000 SHOULD buy you several dBs of headroom over an 1800's amps. Supply rail restrictions, volts and amps cost, make AI electronics something of a compromise.

Dave.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but 'overloading from loud vocals' is a whole 'nother thing.
 
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