Audio Interfaces/Preamps

[chad kennith]

What's the difference? Do you need both? I'm looking to record vocals and instruments. Does your mic go into the preamp, then into the interface, then to your computer? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Also if you get a plug-in preamp how do you use that?

 

[ecc83]

What's the difference? Do you need both? I'm looking to record vocals and instruments. Does your mic go into the preamp, then into the interface, then to your computer? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Also if you get a plug-in preamp how do you use that?

A common area of confusion Chad. Almost all Audio Interfaces have built in mic pres, there ARE line in only AIs but they are rare.
But are the pre amps any good? In most cases yes. The likes of Steinberg, Focusrite, Native Instruments and many others now fit very acceptable mic amps to their products.

There are a few reasons people use external pres. One is to get more clean gain for say a ribbon mic. Another is to achieve some "attitude" in the sound with pres like Neve with transformers or ones containing valves (NB! Just because a pre amp uses valves or/and transformers does not NECESSARILY make it "dirty"! There are some very clean amps with front end traffs, the Focusrite Red e.g.).

You say you want to record " voice and instrumentS"? More than one at a time, i.e. a group? This would need an AI with more than two mic inputs. There are 4 mic in AIs but the 8 in Tascam 1800 is THE most cost effective solution. Also any conventional AI will have a high impedance input for the direct connection of passive electric guitar, usually two.

There is a stickie listing lots of interfaces. Read, learn and inwardly Digest. In another post you mention drum loops? Look for AIs with MIDI ports.

Dave.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Most audio interfaces, especially the smaller ones, have built-in preamps. Mic -> XLR cable -> interface -> USB cable -> computer.

Not sure what you mean by plug-in preamp. If you mean a digital plugin for a DAW, it's an effect simulating what a preamp does tonally but not really functioning as a preamplifier.

I'm betting that there's a sticky covering all this.

 

[chad kennith]

Thanks. What would be a good interface with a nice sounding preamp? As far as DAW compatibility, I have garageband, but wouldn't mind stepping up to Pro Tools or Logic. I wouldn't need more than 2-4 inputs, and would need phantom power.

 

[RFR]

You say you want to record " voice and instrumentS"? More than one at a time, i.e. a group? This would need an AI with more than two mic inputs. There are 4 mic in AIs but the 8 in Tascam 1800 is THE most cost effective solution.

Dave.

The tascam seems to be highly regarded around these parts. It may be more inputs than you currently need.....but heck for a good interface in the 200 buck range, you can't beat it. I'm sure you could grow into the inputs. Remember it's better to have too many, than not enough.

 

[ecc83]

Thanks. What would be a good interface with a nice sounding preamp? As far as DAW compatibility, I have garageband, but wouldn't mind stepping up to Pro Tools or Logic. I wouldn't need more than 2-4 inputs, and would need phantom power.

Pre amps do not, or should not have "a sound". The exception is those I mentioned that are deliberately designed (or by happy, historical accident!) to produce pleasant "distortions". You don't want to mess with those yet!

The cheaper (C £100) AIs used to suffer low gain, noisy pre amps, especially the USB types but the makers have upped their game and now even the very cheap M-Audio M track is said to have very decent mic amps.

So, choose your AI by track count, facilities, (do you want S/PDIF? ADAT? DO get MIDI!). Read lots of reviews. Pay attention to reports about "latency" this may or may not be important to you, almost always is.
There aren't any really "bad" AIs any more, at least I don't know of one.

But don't take too long! MUCH more important to get it and get going!

Dave.

 

[suprstar]

Mic -> XLR cable -> interface -> USB cable -> computer.

I know you know this, but I would clarify that by saying:

Mic -> XLR cable -> preamp -> interface -> USB cable -> computer

A preamp boosts a mic signal usually to line level. An interface converts a signal and sends it to your computer so you can record it. For any xlr jack on any mixer / interface, the next hop is a preamp.

 

[mjbphotos]

I know you know this, but I would clarify that by saying:

Mic -> XLR cable -> preamp -> interface -> USB cable -> computer

A preamp boosts a mic signal usually to line level. An interface converts a signal and sends it to your computer so you can record it. For any xlr jack on any mixer / interface, the next hop is a preamp.

You may be confusing the OP - as already mentioned, most interfaces HAVE mic preamps, so you don't need an external one.

To the OP: HERE is the thread that compares the AIs and features.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

I know you know this, but I would clarify that by saying:

Mic -> XLR cable -> preamp -> interface -> USB cable -> computer

I was talking about built-in preamps, but in the case of an external preamp:

Mic -> XLR cable -> preamp -> TRS* cable -> interface -> USB cable -> computer

*Or whatever cable is appropriate. It could be a digital connection.

 

[Paschalis I.]

What's the difference? Do you need both? I'm looking to record vocals and instruments. Does your mic go into the preamp, then into the interface, then to your computer? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Also if you get a plug-in preamp how do you use that?

An audio interface does actually 2 jobs. One is to convert the analog signal to digital so the computer can understand what's happening (audio).

The other is to receive and boost signal (preamp).

People with higher budgets separate the 2. They spend thousand of dollars for just a pre-amp (they like the color it gives to the sound) and
thousands of dollars for an external converter.

Now... do you need to buy all these? Nope. Can you emulate the analog sound to your digital world? Yes.

Just go get a home recording low budget audio interface and start practising,
no need to spend thousands of $$$ without the experience to use all this stuff.

Hope this clears some things up