cashcohen
Jewnior Member
Hey all. I'm a singer/songwriter new to home recording. I've been doing some research, and I'm ready to buy a few mics and an audio interface. I'll leave the mics to a separate post. I'm here to ask about the audio interface.
I will be using this interface primarily to record one vocalist and one acoustic guitar. That's it. I plan one using one mic on the vocal and two on the guitar, so I need something with at least 3 inputs.
I'm considering an M-Audio interface, since they seem to work best with Pro Tools, but I'm a little confused. Most of their introductory models have 2 XLR inputs. I don't know anything about preamps, but I've gathered that these inputs are routed through built-in preamps. I want to record from 3 mics at once (1 for vocal, 2 for guitar). If an interface has only 2 XLR in, do I need to buy a separate preamp for the third mic? What should I get, and how do I connect this to my interface?
Obviously, I'd consider an interface from a company other than M-Audio. However, I want something that works seamlessly with Pro Tools (which I plan to purchase).
BTW, I use a Dell Studio 17 laptop running Windows 7, with an Intel Core i7 @ 1.6Ghz and 4GB RAM. As a matter of fact, it's only two weeks old.
For an audio interface, my budget is ~$400. But I'm flexible, since I want this to last awhile.
I'm totally new to this, and I know nothing but what I've been told and what I've read (which is limited). Anything helps! Thanks.
I will be using this interface primarily to record one vocalist and one acoustic guitar. That's it. I plan one using one mic on the vocal and two on the guitar, so I need something with at least 3 inputs.
I'm considering an M-Audio interface, since they seem to work best with Pro Tools, but I'm a little confused. Most of their introductory models have 2 XLR inputs. I don't know anything about preamps, but I've gathered that these inputs are routed through built-in preamps. I want to record from 3 mics at once (1 for vocal, 2 for guitar). If an interface has only 2 XLR in, do I need to buy a separate preamp for the third mic? What should I get, and how do I connect this to my interface?
Obviously, I'd consider an interface from a company other than M-Audio. However, I want something that works seamlessly with Pro Tools (which I plan to purchase).
BTW, I use a Dell Studio 17 laptop running Windows 7, with an Intel Core i7 @ 1.6Ghz and 4GB RAM. As a matter of fact, it's only two weeks old.
For an audio interface, my budget is ~$400. But I'm flexible, since I want this to last awhile.
I'm totally new to this, and I know nothing but what I've been told and what I've read (which is limited). Anything helps! Thanks.