stratmatt777
New member
Hello, this is my first post.
I want to produce studio quality music (vocals and guitar).
I just bought an ASUS M51AD with Intel Core i7-4790 @3.20 Ghz
with 12 GB RAM. 64 bit operating system
and Windows 8.1 (which I can't stand, but I have unchecked the box so that it boots to desktop instead of the Win8 screen)!
It's the "Gamer" model at Best Buy and was on sale for $170 off.
I have an Axiom 61 controller.
I'm running SONAR X3 and have done almost nothing with it other than some guitar and vocal audio recordings and some experimentation with the synths.
I've got an Octavia MK-319 Condenser Mic I bought at Guitar Center in 2004 for $50 (they go for $350 now).
I've read all the posts on Mixers vs. USB interfaces and am still unsure if the mic pre's in my 2004 Mackie Tapco 6306 Mixer (and running into my computer's RealTek High Definition Audio soundcard) is going to be a lower sound quality than running a USB interface into my computer?
Is USB sound quality superior to Line-in Sound quality?
I found a write-up about my mixer which describes the preamps- Mackie Tapco 6306
" it is well-specified, with quiet mic preamps (-128dB EIN), adequately low distortion (less than 0.025 percent) and an extended frequency response flat within a decibel from 20Hz to 20kHz, and only 3dB down at 10Hz to 80kHz. The maximum rated output level is +18dBu with the main, aux and control room outputs operating at a nominal +4dBu."
Is this good enough for studio quality or should I buy PreSonus | AudioBox 22VSL
(It says "XMAX preamplifiers are built with three key elements:
High Voltage. The XMAX preamplifier runs on power rails of 30V. Most off-the-shelf, op-amp-based designs run on power rails of 10V to 18V. Higher-voltage power rails deliver more headroom, deeper lows, smoother highs, and a richer overall sound.
Discrete components—not op-amps. We only use genuine transistors, resistors, and capacitors. Op-amps add noise, coloration, and harshness to a signal. Our discrete design delivers ultra-low noise and transparency.
Class A. Class A circuits have no crossover distortion and deliver purer, clearer, and more musical results than the Class AB designs that are found in many preamps.
The net result of the XMAX preamp design is high headroom, low noise, wide dynamic range, extended frequency response, and—most important—musicality and transparency, with smooth highs, solid deep lows, and everything in between. "
So should I spend $176 to replace my Tapco mixer with this USB interface because it will increase the sound quality to studio level? Or am I already there?
Thank you so much for your assistance!
I want to make sure I have studio quality before I record an album I want to sell online.
Now, back to figuring out to get a good sound out of the synths in SONAR X3...
I want to produce studio quality music (vocals and guitar).
I just bought an ASUS M51AD with Intel Core i7-4790 @3.20 Ghz
with 12 GB RAM. 64 bit operating system
and Windows 8.1 (which I can't stand, but I have unchecked the box so that it boots to desktop instead of the Win8 screen)!
It's the "Gamer" model at Best Buy and was on sale for $170 off.
I have an Axiom 61 controller.
I'm running SONAR X3 and have done almost nothing with it other than some guitar and vocal audio recordings and some experimentation with the synths.
I've got an Octavia MK-319 Condenser Mic I bought at Guitar Center in 2004 for $50 (they go for $350 now).
I've read all the posts on Mixers vs. USB interfaces and am still unsure if the mic pre's in my 2004 Mackie Tapco 6306 Mixer (and running into my computer's RealTek High Definition Audio soundcard) is going to be a lower sound quality than running a USB interface into my computer?
Is USB sound quality superior to Line-in Sound quality?
I found a write-up about my mixer which describes the preamps- Mackie Tapco 6306
" it is well-specified, with quiet mic preamps (-128dB EIN), adequately low distortion (less than 0.025 percent) and an extended frequency response flat within a decibel from 20Hz to 20kHz, and only 3dB down at 10Hz to 80kHz. The maximum rated output level is +18dBu with the main, aux and control room outputs operating at a nominal +4dBu."
Is this good enough for studio quality or should I buy PreSonus | AudioBox 22VSL
(It says "XMAX preamplifiers are built with three key elements:
High Voltage. The XMAX preamplifier runs on power rails of 30V. Most off-the-shelf, op-amp-based designs run on power rails of 10V to 18V. Higher-voltage power rails deliver more headroom, deeper lows, smoother highs, and a richer overall sound.
Discrete components—not op-amps. We only use genuine transistors, resistors, and capacitors. Op-amps add noise, coloration, and harshness to a signal. Our discrete design delivers ultra-low noise and transparency.
Class A. Class A circuits have no crossover distortion and deliver purer, clearer, and more musical results than the Class AB designs that are found in many preamps.
The net result of the XMAX preamp design is high headroom, low noise, wide dynamic range, extended frequency response, and—most important—musicality and transparency, with smooth highs, solid deep lows, and everything in between. "
So should I spend $176 to replace my Tapco mixer with this USB interface because it will increase the sound quality to studio level? Or am I already there?
Thank you so much for your assistance!
I want to make sure I have studio quality before I record an album I want to sell online.
Now, back to figuring out to get a good sound out of the synths in SONAR X3...
