2nd AI Choice

JDOD

JDOD

therecordingrebels.com
Work have finally given me a new laptop so I can record while I am away during the week and take it home with me on the weekend for re-tracking where necessary.

Its HP Probook - Windows 7 Pro - 2.2GHz - 4GB RAM - 64 Bit.
I'll be installing Reaper.

I will be needing another AI as I know it will do my nut in if I end up having re-set up my home set up every weekend.

I have two choices:

1. Keep the home system as it is, using an old TonePort UX2, with Gearbox (v old Sim - but it allows real time monitoring with a bypass of its "Tone Engine") and get a small portable AI which which I can just stick in my laptop bag.

2. Use the TonePort with Gearbox as my travelling system (Might actually be nice to have my sims with me) and get another system for home.

I actually only tend to use one input at at time, either a mic or a guitar, so I don't need something really complex - I just want something that works and works well. With headphone monitoring.

Was looking at a really small focusrite in a shop earlier and I also know that the KA6 is held in pretty high regard.

Any other suggestions?

The main idea during the week is to build my tracks, get my drums and basslines sorted with a guide guitar so I can record the proper guitar tracks on the weekend.

Additionally, me (lead elec), the singer (+accous) and drummer (playing a Cajon) do stripped down versions of our set live and I was thinking of trying to capture some of this live. This would need 3 or 4 mic inputs. You think I could get away with recording a whole set like this? What sort of AI would be suitable?
 
Do you need to capture all of the inputs discretely, meaning that you will have a separate track for each input, or are you just looking to get a basic premixed stereo (or mono) representation of the shows?
 
notCardio said:
Do you need to capture all of the inputs discretely, meaning that you will have a separate track for each input, or are you just looking to get a basic premixed stereo (or mono) representation of the shows?
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I was gonna stick a mic in front of everything and capture each mic discretely if possible.
 
Guys, did any of you had any thoughts on what to use as a reasonaly priced AI that I can use for tracking guitars and might work with a cheap sim.

I've obviously got the cheaper stuff by Focusrite and a KA6 on my radar, just wondering if anyone had any other bright ideas. It'll mainly be used for pulling ideas together so something that ships with a basic sim would be handy. Although I will probably install Gearbox if I can (its bloody old now) as I have a few pre-sets saved that work OK on their own and with my pedal board.
 
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I don't think Gearbox is avaialble anymore from Line 6 (maybe you have a copy on disc?)
How about the tascam US1200? Sweetwater has it for $118 right now.
 
For a quick easy interface, I use an Audiobox. It is powered by USB, has phantom power, Stick my cables, mics, USB interface into my laptop bag, grab a two mic stand off and running. I can even run on batteries for maybe an hour or two (I haven't pushed it yet). I use the Tascam 1800 for larger mobile projects.

Something along those lines would be the way to go.
 
JDOD: this

I have zero complaints with this. I have had a few 'budget' Audio Cards in my day and this little guy beats all of them hands down. The preamps are worth their weight in gold. If i had ot find one thing wrong with it is the headphone doesn't seem to really output as loud as i like it to a time. But that could just be me. That aside i find very little wrong with this.

It doesn't ship with any sim that i recall but there is a ton of sims out there for demoing and songwriting purposes. Hell, even reaper has some amp sims that are useable for just writing and compositional purposes. Failing that if you wanted something better just grab the free Amplitube.
 
My vote is for the KA6, I have one, & to me, it's a good AI...I've had mine for a few years now & it's been really solid...I can't remember what all software came with it, other than Cubase LE5, but I think it comes with the stripped down version of Guitar Rig 5 now, not sure...

Something you might wanna think about is extra hardware outputs for re-amping. I know you finally got your Blackstar amp, maybe some of the di's you record on the road you could just re-amp 'em insted of re-tracking 'em. It's possible with other AI's, but with the KA6, I leave all my cables plugged in at the house, & it's ready to go as soon as I fire up Reaper. With the other interfaces, you'd have to swap cables back/forth, which isn't hard, just an inconvenience....And yes, it's about $100 higher than some of the AI's, but to me, it's worth it...YMMV...

I know you want this to be portable too, but I'd still go with the KA6 because of the extra outputs (that you can assign in Reaper to be saved as your re-amp out)...Again, YMMV...

On the ampsim thing, there are lots of freebies out there (Poulin, AT3 free, etc), & you shouldn't have a problem getting a tone decent enough to track with IMO...
 
Cheers miner, that's really worth some thought.

Regarding the KA6. So you can set it up to record whatever sim track you're working on and keep a totally dry track to be reamped later and it also has a setting to do the reamping? Is that right?
 
ShanPeyton said:
JDOD: this

I have zero complaints with this. I have had a few 'budget' Audio Cards in my day and this little guy beats all of them hands down. The preamps are worth their weight in gold. If i had ot find one thing wrong with it is the headphone doesn't seem to really output as loud as i like it to a time. But that could just be me. That aside i find very little wrong with this.

It doesn't ship with any sim that i recall but there is a ton of sims out there for demoing and songwriting purposes. Hell, even reaper has some amp sims that are useable for just writing and compositional purposes. Failing that if you wanted something better just grab the free Amplitube.
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Cheers Shan,

I've even looked at the really cheap most basic version of the Focusrite - its only got the one mic and one guitar input but its 65 quid from Andertons.

I do still have Gearbox on disk somewhere - I will try and install it on my laptop this weekend. All I really need out a sim is a decent somewhat usuable clean tone that I can plug my pedal board into.
 
JDOD, definitely go for the KA6 if you can. I don't think anyone has mentioned the very low latency?
This will allow realtime use of amp sims. The box has excellent mic amps and good H Z inputs with plenty of headroom (some "cough" AIs don't yer know!) Cubase LE6 (might be LE7 now) and that, AFAIK has a version of Amplitube in it?

If you really can't run to the £160 KA6 don't buy a stupid one lunged job with crappy RCA outputs. For the same money you can get the Alesis i02, fab' value for money. Step up to 100quid and the Steinberg beats the pants of much else at that price.

Dave.
 
Meant to say, we are all quite civilized over at the Recording section you know?

We don't see Greg there very often...Bonus!

(love you really man!)

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
Meant to say, we are all quite civilized over at the Recording section you know?

We don't see Greg there very often...Bonus!

(love you really man!)

Dave.
Click to expand...

Haha, I'll keep that in mind next time Greg reminds me that the ONLY way to get a tone is to use a full stack and turn it up to 11.
 
ecc83 said:
JDOD, definitely go for the KA6 if you can. I don't think anyone has mentioned the very low latency?
This will allow realtime use of amp sims. The box has excellent mic amps and good H Z inputs with plenty of headroom (some "cough" AIs don't yer know!) Cubase LE6 (might be LE7 now) and that, AFAIK has a version of Amplitube in it?

If you really can't run to the £160 KA6 don't buy a stupid one lunged job with crappy RCA outputs. For the same money you can get the Alesis i02, fab' value for money. Step up to 100quid and the Steinberg beats the pants of much else at that price.

Dave.
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Cheers,

The 160 quid for a KA6 or the equivalent Focusrite would probably be my limit at this stage. I do want it to be highly portable so it will fit in my laptop bag - I do travel with a huge bag with my pedalboard, plugs and cables but it would get knocked about in there. The exceptionally low latency of the KA6 might be handy actually as I couldn't get Revalver to run with the UX2 as the latency was too high.

Saying that, I don't really need Revalver - its huge overkill for my needs.
 
Yes, Thomann have the KA6 at £165. They do the UR22 at the incredible value price of £86! I don't know how good that is for latency but if it is designed with Cubase and MIDI in mind it can't be too shabby? I have certainly never read a bad report about it.

I have not so far checked my i02 for latency but it would be too much to expect 32sample working at the price I think! Bobbsy uses his a lot, maybe he can help?

Dave.
 
JDOD said:
Cheers miner, that's really worth some thought.

Regarding the KA6. So you can set it up to record whatever sim track you're working on and keep a totally dry track to be reamped later and it also has a setting to do the reamping? Is that right?
Click to expand...
Not really man, the KA6 has 2 extra 1/4" outputs which are hardware outs, meaning if you have monitors you can leave them plugged into 1/2, then use 3 or 4 as a send to your amp...

This is how I have mine set up:

Output 1: Left monitor (1/4" TRS cable)
Output 2: Right monitor (1/4" TRS cable)
Output 4: Re-amp box (1/4" TRS to XLR cable)

What I mentioned about Reaper is I have my di tracks set up as a track template so the signal always goes to Output 4 (which is my re-amp box)...
 
I have the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for around and about. I came in a package with a mic and h/phones. useful set of gear but needs w7 or better to run the box.
I have a bigger Scarlett downstairs in perm set up. The interface is good, the software, once I got my head around the software mixer, is solid & dependable. It works beautifully with Reaper. Also both are pretty solid - anodized aluminium case for the 2i2.
 
minerman said:
Not really man, the KA6 has 2 extra 1/4" outputs which are hardware outs, meaning if you have monitors you can leave them plugged into 1/2, then use 3 or 4 as a send to your amp...

This is how I have mine set up:

Output 1: Left monitor (1/4" TRS cable)
Output 2: Right monitor (1/4" TRS cable)
Output 4: Re-amp box (1/4" TRS to XLR cable)

What I mentioned about Reaper is I have my di tracks set up as a track template so the signal always goes to Output 4 (which is my re-amp box)...
Click to expand...

Interesting.

Miner, i thought you also has a dedicated reamp box too? I recall you educating me on one a while back? So, would this KA6 also replace the need for that reamp box? Or work alongside the reamp box?
If i could kill two birds with one stone i'd definitely consider replacing the focusrite with a KA6 for that price!!
 
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