M-Audio Fast Track Mk. II vs Behringer Guitar Link

  • Thread starter Thread starter elzafir
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elzafir

New member
Hi all,

I need help on deciding which equipments I should buy in building my ultra-budget home recording system. I'm trying to avoid unnecessary spendings on features I don't need right now.

What I'm after is to be able to record vocals, guitar, bass to my computer. Ultimate sound quality is not a must; I just need "good enough" quality recording.

Right now, I already have the following equipments:

Microphone: M-Audio Producer USB ($95)
Monitoring Headphones: Samson SR850 ($30)
Guitar: Washburn Rocker Series WR120 ($210)
Guitar Amp: Washburn Bad Bog BD8 15W (bundled with guitar)
Acoustic Guitar: Yamaha F-310 ($95)
PC: Intel Core i3-2100 with on-board RealTek ALC892 sound card, 4GB RAM, 2TB harddisk ($450)

Since my mic is a USB condenser, I can record vocals straight away. But I need some kind of audio interface for my guitars (and bass).

I'm considering the following two products,

M-Audio Fast Track Mk. II ($120)
OR
Behringer Guitar Link UCG102 ($50)

I also intend to use Native Instruments' Guitar Rig software for effects.

So, the questions are:
  1. Which is better in terms of sound quality between the two products?
  2. Which will be recognized by Guitar Rig as an input?
  3. Can they record bass guitars?
  4. For recording acoustic guitar tracks, which would be better for me in terms of value/money/quality ratio: 1. Record acoustic guitar with my USB condenser mic, 2. Buy an electric acoustic guitar and record them with the AI, 3. Record with a dynamic mic like Shure SM57 through an AI, 4. Buy an acoustic pickup and record through AI.
  5. Besides the two AIs i mentioned above, I also considered the Behringer XENYX 1204USB mixer which goes for around $195. Price-wise, I could still afford it if I don't go clubbing next weekend, but I don't think I need a mixer for just recording guitars, bass, and vocals, right? unless I buy a MIDI controller or electric drum kit, that is.
  6. Just out of curiosity, which would you buy, the Behringer XENYX 1204USB mixer or the M-Audio Fast Track Mk. II, if you only have $200 to spare? Is it true that USB mixers mix down the channels to stereo when recording multiple instruments simultaneously? Is there an advantage the Fast Track has over the XENYX? One I could think of is the integrated soundcard, which would allow for easier setup if I ever decide to buy studio monitors.




Thank you.
 
Define 'good enough' sound? What DAW (recording software) are you planning on? The M Audio interface is going to give you a lot better A-to-D conversion than the Behr.
 
LOL, I forgot I was making a post in a recording community forums. There's no "good enough" for you guys :p

Okay, so what I wanna do is record vocals and guitars mainly for YouTube consumption. I really like the sound quality of Mike Tompkins - Teenage Dream & Just the way you are - Acapella Cover (YouTube /watch?v=wlW5c4tInvY). I don't necessarily have to achieve major label-grade recording quality, but I would love to record a song nearing the quality of Mike Tompkin's songs, of which I gather is made with a home recording rig.

As for DAW, I was used to "borrowing" CuBase back in the day (around 9 years ago), lately as I haven't really got time to do proper recording, I've been messing around with Audacity. But, since my mic comes with ProTools SE, I probably would use that. Another option is to buy Logic Pro 9 for $199, but I haven't decided yet, since my Windows box is much better spec'ed than my Mac.

How would you define Fast Track's "better A-to-D conversion" compared to Behringer's?
 
I'm not a fan of Behr equipment, so you don't want me to answer that last one!

You might want to consider Reaper as your DAW - for $60, its fully featured.
 
I see. Behringer's reputation is not that good. Okay, I'll get the Fast Track over the Guitar Link.
Could you please answer my other questions? Help is very appreciated.

elzafir said:
Hi all,


I also intend to use Native Instruments' Guitar Rig software for effects.

So, the questions are:
  1. Which will be recognized by Guitar Rig as an input?
  2. Can they record bass guitars?
  3. For recording acoustic guitar tracks, which would be better for me in terms of value/money/quality ratio: 1. Record acoustic guitar with my USB condenser mic, 2. Buy an electric acoustic guitar and record them with the AI, 3. Record with a dynamic mic like Shure SM57 through an AI, 4. Buy an acoustic pickup and record through AI.
  4. Besides the two AIs i mentioned above, I also considered the Behringer XENYX 1204USB mixer which goes for around $195. Price-wise, I could still afford it if I don't go clubbing next weekend, but I don't think I need a mixer for just recording guitars, bass, and vocals, right? unless I buy a MIDI controller or electric drum kit, that is.
  5. Just out of curiosity, which would you buy, the Behringer XENYX 1204USB mixer or the M-Audio Fast Track Mk. II, if you only have $200 to spare? Is it true that USB mixers mix down the channels to stereo when recording multiple instruments simultaneously? Is there an advantage the Fast Track has over the XENYX? One I could think of is the integrated soundcard, which would allow for easier setup if I ever decide to buy studio monitors.
Click to expand...
 
1) Yes, Guitar rig should recognize the inputs
2) Bass is just like guitar, but lower! :)
3) A lot will depend on what the guitar sounds like. Sorry, but a $95 acoustic, is going to sound like a cheap acoustic no matter how you do it. Forget the USB mic, better to use a half-decent dynamic like an SM57.
4) No, you don't need a mixer - read the sticky thread at the top of this forum section called Mixers and Home Recording. Read all the other sticky threads, too!
5) I bought a Xenyx mixer last year and returned it the next day - the preamps were crap in the one I bought. Again, read the sticky abut mixers.
The M Audio lists for $149, you should be able to pick up a barely-used one on Ebay for less than $99. A SHure SM57 can be had for less than that, there's a much better $200 spent than the Xenyx. Try to sell that USB mic for whatever you can get for it and use it toward better equipment.
 
Thank you for your answers!!!
Okay, I will scratch the XENYX off my list.

Another question, do I need a dedicated soundcard for mixing and monitoring, or will the quality from Fast Track suffice? (it does have RCA stereo output)

What's wrong with my USB mic? The mic is made by M-Audio (before it was known as "Pro Tools Vocal Studio", it's now called "Avid Vocal Studio"), its part of their "beginner's recording systems", I got it because it's a condenser and made by a trusted brand. My only options in the same price range were only Behringer C-1 and Samson C01, both brands have mediore-to-questionable reputations.

Would I gain much better quality when recording vocals using the Shure SM57, albeit it's a dynamic mic?

If I do decide on the Fast Track, I will sell my USB mic later this year, just to make use of the XLR input on the Fast Track.
Therefore, could you recommend a good cardioid condenser for vocal recording under $150?
 
The Fast Track should be fine... If I'm not mistaken, AIs have their own sound card, which I'm almost certain will be better than what I can assume is an on board sound card for your computer.
Haha, just because a mic is made by a company like M-Audio doesn't mean it'll be fantastic. ;)
There's a forum somewhere on here talking about just why USB mics are so bad, try searching for it, it'll give you a lot more information than I can.
You'll probably get better results from the 57 than the USB mic. And don't discredit mics for vocals (or for anything, for that matter) simply based on dynamic/condenser. Michael Jackson was recorded with an SM7b, which is a dynamic mic made by Shure as well. You tell me how his vocals sound on his music.
Good cardioid condenser? Personally, I always liked the AKG Perception series... I'd try going for the Perception 220. You can find one on eBay for about $150. Someone else on here probably has other suggestions, but it's just what I use. =]
 
Then, I will probably buy the SM57, but after test-driving my USB first, record a few songs first, and analyzing the results. I'm a little strapped on the budget side here, so I would like to maximize whatever equipment I have until I have more money.

I already decided I don't want a cheap mixer, so, in your opinion, is the Fast Track the best product for me to buy at this point?

My upgrade path would be as follows:

1. Buy M-Audio Fast Track Mk. II (to record guitar, bass, and vocals)
2. Buy Shure SM57 (to record vocals and acoustic guitar)
3. Sell my M-Audio Producer USB (so I can afford food for a few days)
4. Buy a cheap-ass electric bass guitar (I'm not a bass player; just need basic bass lines for my songs)
5. Buy a Digital Drum Kit (probably Yamaha DD65; its cheap and small, and I'm not a drummer, so I could care less about "authenticity" or "feel", just gotta get those drum lines into my songs)
6. Buy a pair of studio monitors (I'm thinking the Studiophile AV30 from M-Audio or ESI nEar 04, what do you think?)
7. Buy a MIDI controller (I need to learn playing keyboard/piano first)
8. ???
9. PROFIT.

Please share your thoughts on my upgrade plan. Is there any elements I'm forgetting? At the same price point (and I really need to keep it low), is there a better approach in building a mixer-less rig? Choosing the right product for point no. 1 is the most essential decision, IMHO. And 99% of the time I will only record one instrument at a time.

By the way, does an amplifier need be placed between guitar and the Fast Track? Or it can be connected directly to the guitar?
 
Last edited:
elzafir said:
I don't necessarily have to achieve major label-grade recording quality
Click to expand...

Good to know... I'm fairly sure you're not going to reach that level any time soon.

Frankly, at this end of the spectrum, it doesn't matter all that much. Get enough to start recording and then you'll either love it so much that you want to trade all your cheap stuff in on more expensive stuff, or you'll be so disheartened that you walk away.

And don't buy a drum machine. Use software drums via a MIDI editor, which your DAW, which you haven't mentioned yet, will probably already have.

Profit? Good luck with that.
 
As Armistice said, forget the cheap digital drum set, go with software instead (I'm using EZ Drummer, pretty good to use, and I picked it up on sale cheap a few months ago.

For the electric guitar, either you use a mic to pickup the sound of the amp its plugged into, or you plug direct into the audio interface.
Do a lot more reading here before buying anything, save yourself buying more things that you end up trying to sell (like the USB mic).
 
mjbphotos said:
As Armistice said, forget the cheap digital drum set, go with software instead (I'm using EZ Drummer, pretty good to use, and I picked it up on sale cheap a few months ago.

For the electric guitar, either you use a mic to pickup the sound of the amp its plugged into, or you plug direct into the audio interface.
Do a lot more reading here before buying anything, save yourself buying more things that you end up trying to sell (like the USB mic).
Click to expand...

Nah, the USB mic was very useful when I was on-the-road recording sound samples for my movie project.
I just thought might as well use it for recording, I thought I would get somewhat decent sound from it.

What do you think of my upgrade path?

Armistice said:
Good to know... I'm fairly sure you're not going to reach that level any time soon.
Click to expand...
Maybe not soon, but someday...

Armistice said:
Frankly, at this end of the spectrum, it doesn't matter all that much. Get enough to start recording and then you'll either love it so much that you want to trade all your cheap stuff in on more expensive stuff, or you'll be so disheartened that you walk away.
Click to expand...
I'm now trying to "get enough" equipment to start recording, but I wanted to hear your opinions, since y'all have much more experience than I do.

Armistice said:
And don't buy a drum machine. Use software drums via a MIDI editor, which your DAW, which you haven't mentioned yet, will probably already have.

Profit? Good luck with that.
Click to expand...

The digital drum set is not good? I thought it would act like a MIDI controller, but I could beat it with drumsticks (much more comfortable and easier to achieve drum lines than with software, IMHO). My DAW is Pro Tools SE.

"???-PROFIT" thing is a Simpsons joke.
 
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Hi,
I really like the Al-2500's because they are made with a bit better materials than the Al-2000 and I like the look of the single white binding on the headstock over the plain head of the Al-2000. What can I say, I appreciate the little details and there is something to me about the binding on the head that just completes the guitar. These are great cheap electric guitars for sale.
 
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