Audio interface

  • Thread starter Thread starter David2000
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David2000

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Hi,

I have a m-audio delta 44 soundcard and a m-audio 'audio buddy' two channel input which I use for phanthom power for my behringer b1 condenser mic.

Unforunately the five year old audio buddy has died on me. I need to find another source of power. I can get a unit for around £30 that will do the job.

However i am also looking at buying a new audio interface. Maybe one with four channels as it would be useful to record more than myself and guitar.

An example would be the tascam 4 channel usb interface for around £80.

The usb interface presumably acts as a soundcard, thus bypassing my five year old maudio 44, would this result in an inferior sound? Is there a better option for an interface for around £100?(about 150 dollars).

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

Dave
 
Correction.....i should have said, instead i am looking at buying

i.e. i want the usb interface to have phanthom power
 
Hmmmmm not much of a response.

My main query is, would the interface i describe, be as good or better than using the delta 44 card with a cheap phantom power unit.

Any takers?
 
Unless somebody has owned both those particular units, and did some kind of semi-scientific testing of them both, it is really hard to say if one is going to make any appreciable different for the better compared to the other.

I don't think I am going out on a limb here by saying that they are probably comparable to each other in terms of how they sound.
 
tascam 4 channel usb interface for around £80.

What? With 4 phantom powered mic inputs? I'll have one!

I was going to suggest a second hand Fast track pro but then realized that the 44 (unlike the 66) does not have a S/PDIF input.

The Delta series always had a good name for conveter quality and you will not beat one for latency unless you go RME. You will not get a comparable usb or Fwire device under £150-200 so I suggest you keep the 44 and buy a small mixer. Plenty to chose from Yamaha, Behringer, Mackie, you might still find a Soundcraft Notepad with 4 spooked mic amps, last time I saw them they were about 50quid (cpc.co.uk).

Dave.
 
Hi Dave,

The tascam has only two mic inputs but has two seperate line inputs.

Thanks for your view on the converters etc. it is what i feared, to bypass the delta 44 would probably be retrograde. And also, latency is important to me.

If I went the cheap mixer route, Would a cheap mixer not degrade the signal before it gets to the delta 44?

The other thing to consider is using the 44 means i will stay with only two channels.

Hmmmm
 
David2000 said:
Hi Dave,

The tascam has only two mic inputs but has two seperate line inputs.

Thanks for your view on the converters etc. it is what i feared, to bypass the delta 44 would probably be retrograde. And also, latency is important to me.

If I went the cheap mixer route, Would a cheap mixer not degrade the signal before it gets to the delta 44?

The other thing to consider is using the 44 means i will stay with only two channels.

Hmmmm
Click to expand...

A small mixer will not degrade the signal as much as a very cheap AI IMHO!

The 44 can be set such that peak input/output is at +6dBV* (2volts) and that is well within the capabilities of any of the common £50 mixers, especially since you do not ever want to get CLOSE to peak input! At 24bits, average in will be -18dBFS and absolute peak -8-6dBFS. I have never found noise to be a problem on such mixers.

Yes you are stuck with just 2 mic inputs thru the mixer/44 (or more correctly, 2x2 panned mics) but you still have the 44s two other line ins available. OR! You might find a mixer in your budget that has channel inserts in which case, with the correct leads you have 4 discrete mic pre amps.

And "budget" is the operative word. I believe that within it a mixer and retaining the Delta 44 is the best option.

*If you could stretch to the A&H zed 10 you could work at the pro +4dBu level.

Dave. (you mention 80"pounds"? Are you UK based? If so I suggest this MO. Choose a mixer and download the manual to see the features and if it looks likley, ask here again. Then order same. A couple of days should tell you if it is OK. If not make use of the Distance Trading Regulation to ship it back.)
 
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Dave

Thanks a lot. You have been a great help.

I will aborb all that and follow your MO.

Cheers
 
Dave, you might do well to have a look on DV247 - they have some great deals on USB and F/W interfaces right now.
 
Dave

I am thinking of getting a soundcraft notepad 102 for around £60

Do i understand you correctly re outputs.......if i have two mics feeding into the mixer and pan one hard left and one hard right i will get two outputs into my delta 44? Ie two jack to jack connections between the notepad and the delta each with a different mic input.

Forgive please my slack terminology :)
 
David2000 said:
Dave

I am thinking of getting a soundcraft notepad 102 for around £60

Do i understand you correctly re outputs.......if i have two mics feeding into the mixer and pan one hard left and one hard right i will get two outputs into my delta 44? Ie two jack to jack connections between the notepad and the delta each with a different mic input.

Forgive please my slack terminology :)
Click to expand...
That is quite correct. The mixer will act as a mic pre amp.

Dave.
 
If you were to get a small mixer with insert jacks on the mono mic channels such as the Mackie 1202, you could use the insert jacks as direct outs and get 4 separate mic channels into your Delta 44.
 
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