How to input to computer

S

sjaguar13

New member
How do I record my guitar to my computer. I would prefer a USB audio interface. Here's a list of ones that look good:
Roland (Edirol) UA-30 (Been looking at that the longest)
Yamaha UW500
M-Audio USB Quattro
Tascam US-428

What would get the best quality? I want to record our band's CD. We play mostly heavy stuff, a lot of distortion and low stuff. My computer is a Compaq, PIII 550 MHz, 140 gig (3 hard drives). I just bought the Line 6 POD and the floor board yesterday. Money is kind of an object, but I guess I'll eventually save up enough. What one would work the best? I've been looking at the UA-30 for a while, but I recently came across the others. It's the cheapest, but would it give me good quality?
 
You don't need an external slider box to record with. You can use the sound card that came with your computer, download a multi-track program (many good shareware ones available), and do it right now without spending a dime.

However, if you want to do it the right way, you'll need a good quality sound card, and a good quality recording program like Sonar, Cubase, Pro Tools, or Logic Audio. Also, if you want to record the whole band together at one time, you'll need a multi-input sound card, like the Delta 1010 or the C-Port.
 
Why would you want to go with USB?
It is really too slow for pro audio, You can only do 2 in/2out at a time and their are issues.
(Just as a note, right now the quattro is mac only)

M-Audio Delta series are the best bang for the buck going right now. They are 24bit/96khz pci cards. Don't be afraid to open the computer up to install a pci card. There is nothing to it.

I have a Delta 44 and I'm going to get a delta 1010lt after xmas. The Delta 1010lt is the lastest addition to the Delta series. It has 8 analog in and out. The first two inputs have mic preamps and the card also has digitial I/O and midi. Best of all its only $440.

I would stay away from roland, yamaha and tascam. They build less than quality products IMO. I can't find anything on the UA-30 on roland's website. The yamaha one dosn't look too bad except for the 1/4" mic inputs, mic inputs should be xlr. The tascam one looks good to me. It comes with good software, its a control surface, xlr mic inputs(no phantom power :( ), 1/4 gtr inputs, the major down side is the price tag.

Right now I would stick to PCI, USB is currently too slow, now with USB 2.0 we might have something useable down the road.
 
I will be recording to different computers. I need something that is easily swappable. One will be a laptop. I'm not affraid to open up my computer to do anything, but I don't want to have to keep taking it out, and it won't fit in the laptop. The only PCMCIA card I found was really expensive. I thought USB would be the best way.
 
USB devices for audio basically suck!

If you look at the USB interface specs, it can only transer data @ 12Mbits(not bytes)/sec. Firewire's bandwith is 400Mbits/sec. Considering most HDs transfer data at around 30Mb/sec and you can still get dropouts with that, you can see how that could be a problem.

Once you start doing 24bit audio with them, you will definetly run into problems.
 
Should I just get the cheapest one I can find until I get a computer with a good soundcard, or should I just continute to use the mic inputs instead of getting a cheap usb interface?
 
Garak said:
Why would you want to go with USB?
It is really too slow for pro audio, You can only do 2 in/2out at a time and their are issues.
(Just as a note, right now the quattro is mac only)

M-Audio Delta series are the best bang for the buck going right now. They are 24bit/96khz pci cards. Don't be afraid to open the computer up to install a pci card. There is nothing to it.

.
Click to expand...

?? the Quattro is for Pc too. 4in/4out w/midi and usb... its $259

i'd have to say Hoontech/Staudio are the best bang for the buck. also terretec... the ews88mt is only 399 now
 
Garak,
Here's a link the the newest version of the UA-30, the UA-3. http://edirol.com/products/prosheets/ua3.ddp?session=9497470&itemcode=362169

Here's what I'm thinking, I will get a cheap one, probably the UA-3 or 30. Then, play around with it a bit (I played around with recording, but never got all that serious) Then, I will build a computer to just record with and put in a good sound card. That way, I can get good quality, and I should be better at recording by the time I have it finished. Right now I basically need it for sending songs I wrote and stuff to our drummer. The USB would work for that right? Then, when were are done with the songs and ready to record the whole band, I should have enough for everything I need to get better quality.
 
sj, if you go with the Edirol, once you build a new computer with a good soundcard, the Edirol will be trash....

get a M-Audio Audiosport Duo and you can still use it for 2 channels of very nice preamps and converters.....

eventually when you do get a soundcard, get one that has S/PDIF inputs, like a Delta 66...you can use the regular 4 inputs and use the Duo into the S/PDIF to access the additional 2 inputs......
 
Why would the Edirol be trash?

The Audiosport Duo is going for like $250? So once I get the sound card, if it has that one jack thing, I could still use it, like if I got the Delta, I would have the 4 input jacks from it, plus the 2 from the USB interface, so I can play 6 things into it at once?

This seems like the best one, you know where I can buy one? The place I found says "Out Of Stock"
 
The Duo and the quattro PC version are not shipping yet. One day last week I was bored and went on to midiman.de with bablefish and there is a little traffic light there that gives the status of the product. The Duo and the quattro PC version both had yellow lights. Some retailers have jumped the gun or m-audio seem to have deciced to hold back the releases.
 
so the best thing for me to do is get the Audiosport Duo, play/practice/learn on that, then when everything is ready to record, get a better system with a Delta 66 sound card?
 
not necessarily the Delta 66...i was just using that as an example.....it will depend on your needs at the time.....

but whatever card you get, as long as it has S/PDIF inputs, you have access to two more channels with 2 awesome preamps....the preamps in that unit sell for almost $200 alone......
 
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