What the point of an audio interface?

[karambos2]

Hi,

I have a problem trying to understand what audio interfaces are for. As far as I understand, an audio interface (like something by MOTU or the PROTOOLS 888) sits inbetween the mics you are using to record with and your audio card. Or does it sit between the mics and the desk?

If you are recording a drumkit with, let's say, eight mics, then you could just plug the mics directly into the mixing desk, surely? What's the advantage of having an audio interface to plug your mics into?

THere must be a technical reason but I can't see what it is. Maybe it's just for the convenience of being able to cable any mic to any input on the desk. Is that right?

Please can someone explain why people pay so much for these things?

Thanks

 

[Hawking]

When you are using a computer to record, you need some way to get that audio into the computer. The interface is simply another name for a sound card used for recording. Usually they have multiple inputs and outputs, but sometimes they just have stereo in and stereo out. The mixer (desk) is optional. If you have a mixer, you still need the interface to get the sound into the computer. The mixer just lets you leave all of your mics, effects, keyboards, etc.. plugged in all at once. It lets you, for example, take microphone number 3 and route it to input number 6 on your interface. You could however simply plug and unplug the appropriate cables to do the same thing. Lots of times, people will use either a mixer or a stand alone unit just for the microphone preamps if their interface doesn't have them or maybe not enough of them or maybe they don't sound as good.

If your computer has a soundcard already (it could be built into the motherboard) then you alread have an audio interface. Chances are it only has 1 stereo input and 1 stereo output. Although the quality of the sound you get will vary greatly from card to card, you should play around with it. You might be surprised what you can do with the equipment you didn't know you had...