Thinking About Upgrading My USB Interface, Need Your Help

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ThoriumEx

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Hi guys, I own a Shure SM57 and a crappy Lexicon Alpha.
I have managed to record with it some good stuff for a couple of years, but I think I cant take it anymore! lol!
The signal is really noisy, and full of bleed from the channels and from the playback.
The mic is acting weird...
If i put some headphones on and set the gain to around 2 o'clock,
i can hear someone talking in the other room, but if i crank the gain and put the mic like 1 inch from an acoustic guitar, i can bearly get a signal, and its full of static noise and room noise (from monitors).
Also, the sound is full of treble and high-mids.

So my question is, will a better usb interface solve my problems? Giving me better quality and sound?
How much of a difference is between different usb interfaces? I couldnt find any shootout video.
 
lol I just deleted that first comment, you state you already have a sm57...so wth?


again, it might be your interface crossing channels?, but Ive never encountered that happening.

poor mans method might be move to a closet and get some blankets and pilloiws and find a silent spot and make sure your headphones arent leaking into the room, get closed solid back headphones.
 
Are you trying to record WITH your monitors going? You can't do that, you need to be on headphones while recording and monitors OFF.
 
ThoriumEx said:
It doesnt matters in this case.
Click to expand...

Actually, yes it does if you have monitors on while recording in the same room.

Anyway, I have had some beat up 57's from bars that had the same issue. You can usually beat the hell out of them, but everything has its limit. You may need a new mic if you are only getting high mids or high end from the mic.

Then there is also the fact that the Alpha is not known for it's quality preamps or reliability. I would start with a new interface anyway, though I did have a period starting out where the Alpha was ok. Steinberg UR22 or something in that range.

If you have a friend with another interface, test the mic to see if that is an issue. Hell, take it to Guitar Center or whatever music store you have in your unlisted country and give it a comparison test.
 
jimmys69 said:
Actually, yes it does if you have monitors on while recording in the same room.

Anyway, I have had some beat up 57's from bars that had the same issue. You can usually beat the hell out of them, but everything has its limit. You may need a new mic if you are only getting high mids or high end from the mic.

Then there is also the fact that the Alpha is not known for it's quality preamps or reliability. I would start with a new interface anyway, though I did have a period starting out where the Alpha was ok. Steinberg UR22 or something in that range.

If you have a friend with another interface, test the mic to see if that is an issue. Hell, take it to Guitar Center or whatever music store you have in your unlisted country and give it a comparison test.
Click to expand...
It doesn't matter in this case = same problems happen with or without monitors.
My mic is perfectly fine, sitting on the stable mic stand without getting hit or getting out of the house.
I'm not getting ONLY high mids.
If I could I would check with another interface, but no one can give me simple answer to how much does the interface affects the sound...
 
Short answer, unless you want to drop BIG money, not so much.

The converters and circuitry in low-medium priced interfaces is pretty much the same quality.

You want to find something with reliable asio drivers compatible with your os more than anything else.
 
TimOBrien said:
Short answer, unless you want to drop BIG money, not so much.

The converters and circuitry in low-medium priced interfaces is pretty much the same quality.

You want to find something with reliable asio drivers compatible with your os more than anything else.
Click to expand...
So 60$ and 200$ sound the same?
(both small 2 channel interfaces)
 
ThoriumEx said:
but if i crank the gain and put the mic like 1 inch from
Click to expand...

What signal levels are you getting? Cranking the gain is probably overdoing it.
If you were clipping the converters or hitting some built in protection limiter it'd certainly sound like ass.
 
Steenamaroo said:
What signal levels are you getting? Cranking the gain is probably overdoing it.
If you were clipping the converters or hitting some built in protection limiter it'd certainly sound like ass.
Click to expand...
Really low signal.
 
Compared, or with reference to what?

This takes two. Look for the peak or average readings from your channel meter.
 
You'd get SOME improvement over the Lexicon by going to something like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 but...

From your description you have something funny going on in your recording setup. Insufficient gain and too much noise with an SM57 only an inch from your guitar? The Lexicon isn't THAT bad. I've seen it used in some semi pro studios where phantom power wasn't an issue.

I think before you spend some money you need to do some trouble shooting. Maybe your Lexicon is faulty--but maybe you have a bad cable or microphone or something.

Do you have a different mic and/or different mic cable to try?
 
The problems that Thorium has don't sound like interface quality problems. Noise, bleed from channels and playback?

They sound more like set up and workflow problems. I would check the setup. For example, try and record nothing and see what problems emerge.
 
gecko zzed said:
The problems that Thorium has don't sound like interface quality problems. Noise, bleed from channels and playback?

They sound more like set up and workflow problems. I would check the setup. For example, try and record nothing and see what problems emerge.
Click to expand...
Didn't fully understand what you said...
Bobbsy said:
You'd get SOME improvement over the Lexicon by going to something like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 but...

From your description you have something funny going on in your recording setup. Insufficient gain and too much noise with an SM57 only an inch from your guitar? The Lexicon isn't THAT bad. I've seen it used in some semi pro studios where phantom power wasn't an issue.

I think before you spend some money you need to do some trouble shooting. Maybe your Lexicon is faulty--but maybe you have a bad cable or microphone or something.

Do you have a different mic and/or different mic cable to try?
Click to expand...
I dont have other gear to check with, but the mic and cable are perfectly fine. I can record my amp with ok quality and volume, it's just weird with acoustic guitar. But there is always channel bleed.
 
FWIW, I just did the research on a new interface (mine is failing intermittently) and decided on the Native Instruments KA6. If you decide that a new interface is the way to go, this is the one that got the best reviews and the best support from the people that responded to my post here.
 
BroKen_H said:
FWIW, I just did the research on a new interface (mine is failing intermittently) and decided on the Native Instruments KA6. If you decide that a new interface is the way to go, this is the one that got the best reviews and the best support from the people that responded to my post here.
Click to expand...

If i get a new one it would be the Scarlett 2i4.
 
ThoriumEx said:
I can record my amp with ok quality and volume, it's just weird with acoustic guitar. But there is always channel bleed.
Click to expand...

You will need to post a sample so we get to hear what you hear. I'm stabbing in the dark. Where's the bleed coming from? Is it previously recorded tracks, and are they leaking through your headphones?

Do you have your gain too high?

How do you have your monitor mix knob set? Perhaps it is too far towards 'playback' and not enough on 'direct', and that is tricking you into increasing the gain.
 
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