soundcard/audio interface... help please

  • Thread starter Thread starter markharding
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markharding

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Im fairly new to recording and am looking to set my home studio up with a decent soundcard/audio interface (are they the same thing????). I was recomended either the Prism Orpheus or an Apogee. Ive looked these up online and they are well out of my price range. I dont really want to spend over £500.

Ideally I would like 3-4 inputs and Phantom power. Most of the recording I do is guitars, I sometimes mic up my amp but mainly D/I the guitars and use amp modelling software or send off the files to be reamped elsewhere.

I have seen the steinberg mr816, is that any good?

Thanks

Mark
 
by the way... Im using Logic Pro 9 and my current soundcard is the Mbox mini. Would the Steinberg unit work with Logic 9?
 
markharding said:
my current soundcard is the Mbox mini
Click to expand...

A question of semantics I think. He's already using an interface.

Mark,

Soundcard and Interface in this context accomplish the same thing. I think the usual nomenclature is that when you call it a soundcard folks will generally presume you mean a literal PCB card that plugs into the motherboard of your computer and when you say Interface its an outboard device the connects to your computer by USB or Firewire. Most folks would call your Mbox Mini an interface rather than a soundcard. There are "true" soundcards that will work and work well, but usually (practically always) with those you still need some kind out outboard hardware to provide phantom power for condenser mics and serve as your pre-amp. Often a small mixer is used for this purpose. This "old fashioned" setup works well - with a really good sound card and a decent mixer - but as mjbphoto says, if you need an outboard device anyway, why not stick with the audio interface approach where everything is contained in one unit. They don't cost anymore than a mixer worth having anyway so...

I can't comment as to which interface you should use, (cause I have a mixer and soundcard that I've had for a long time and have never felt a need to go away from), but do some research on these forums. There's lots of commentary about the various options from folks that use them. FWIW... The one I've thought about getting is the M-Audio Fast Track Pro. ~$200US. Specs vs price look like a good value to me. I'm looking because my computer is really old and when I get a new one, I don't want to stay with the internal soundcard setup...

J
 
Great, thanks a lot for your help, it has really cleared some things up for me! I will keep looking!

Thanks again

Mark
 
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