Cheap Home Studio 2021 for those behind the curve

[JimmyM]

I decided to skip the mixer and get a better quality interface to minimize the signal path and equipment clutter. Don't let anyone tell you that there isn't any difference in the sound quality differences between interfaces- there is. I went through a few cheapies before deciding to get serious and get a Universal Audio. I use Apple Logic Pro as a DAW and it's fantastic. The learning curve is a bit steep, but you just have to keep at it.

Oh, I believe there is a difference for sure. But dang, those are some prices to pay for something that won't make me any money! Was a relief to find that I didn't have to get a board to do what I want. And honestly, I'm second guessing the Scarlett now, too. I don't think I want to pay even that much. I think I could do just fine with the Behringer. I have enough tube stuff to overcome it I get an interface and an external drive and I'm in business.

 

[Gizmot]

Oh, I believe there is a difference for sure. But dang, those are some prices to pay for something that won't make me any money! Was a relief to find that I didn't have to get a board to do what I want. And honestly, I'm second guessing the Scarlett now, too. I don't think I want to pay even that much. I think I could do just fine with the Behringer. I have enough tube stuff to overcome it I get an interface and an external drive and I'm in business.

Get yourself an Audient interface and you'll be golden. They sound pretty good and aren't expensive. Jimmy - life's too short to mess around with junk!

 

[Bertr]

Here´s my set-up Jimmy:
1 computer with Cubase elements / Interface Scarlett 6i6 / 2 Mixing desk Soundcraft (about 30 inputs total), auxiliaries PRE feeding the inputs of the Scarlett / Palmer sims, Mics, kbds, Drum machine, E-drums, PF50T, GTR/Bass DI etc... connected to the desks.

Anything that has midi connected to a USB hub itself connected to the computer.

I like the idea of desks: It is flexible. You do not have to re-cable the stuff everytime: just use the Aux of the channel to feed the input of the Scarlett. And with the inserts you can record with outboard compressors (safety to avoid peaks on vocals).

Ge the gear that you feel comfortable with: Alan Parson would have killed to have a 30$ interface of today and Reaper/Cubase Elements in 1973...

 

[knumbskull]

Just to say, I've had the Behringer U-Phoria 8-input interface for about a year and used it pretty regularly. It works really well for what I need (recording bass, guitar, synth, plus some programming) and sounds good. I use it with Ableton.

 

[W_R]

Jimmy, here is a slightly different take for you to consider. The Line 6 Helix and studio monitors with your PC. The Helix's inputs/outputs and USB link with a PC, its internal processing (i.e. not relying on PC CPU), guitar and bass effects, signal path routing options and adjustability make it quite capable and simple to change stuff around, re-amp later etc. I haven't gotten far into the MIDI over USB yet but it's in there. Consider Bandland/Sonar/Cakewalk for the DAW. There's enough IO such that you can feed in your electronic drums in later as well. Studio monitor choice is another matter based on your room, but very easy not need any amps in your studio to do stuff. Also, you can power up just what you're using at the time.

 

[Basslice]

I want everything to be plugged in and ready when I want to do something, and be able to accomplish my tasks quickly. I plan on doing some programmed instruments like keyboard and drums, and would like to add a decent little electronic Ringo kit eventually so I can actually get back into playing drums some more. Any keyboards, however, would certainly be programmed. Can't play keys very well but I can program like a son of a gun.

Here are my thoughts. I have a Scarlett 2i4 (1st gen) and a Scarlett Solo (3rd gen). Both work very well. I like them. They 3rd gen sounds slightly better, but I freely use either. I use Pro Tools, but I could probably use any DAW so I would not worry too much about that.

Portability has its drawbacks. The Scarlett two input boxes have some things that I don't like. (1) small and light so they move around a lot - I'd prefer something anchored down. Cords and stuff make it a bit chaotic. (2) I record solo so I don't really need more than 2 inputs, but I really hate having to unplug and plug things in (say switching from a bass to a guitar). When combined with #1 it can be a real inconvenience.

So in my ideal setup, I'd have a sturdy, rack-mounted interface where I have dedicated channels for the things I use the most. Like dedicated channels of two guitars, two basses, two mics - so that would mean I would prefer at least six channels. One needs to balance cost/feature ratio. I never expected several years ago that I would get into DAW recording as much as I have. So if I had to start all over, I would probably get a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 (3rd Gen) $420 or Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 (3rd Gen) $550. The 18i20 is rack mountable and would be my preferred way to go.

As far as midi - midi is my relatively new best friend. I have a Launchkey mini keyboard (and a full sized Casio too). The mini is priceless. It is small and I can tap out simple drum patterns or add strings or other things. I use it all the time. I have a Roland Midi drum kit, but to be honest, I can make better beats into the DAW by hand.

 

[Aloe]

And honestly, I'm second guessing the Scarlett now, too. I don't think I want to pay even that much.

I've tried some cheap interfaces and mixers. but only when I got a Scarlett I realized 'wow, I don't need to heavy EQ all the signal anymore'. so IME good interface is great as it saves my time.

18i8 is a killer unit, it has enough inputs (4 mic/inst pres + 4 line in), ADAT to connect more preamps and even two headphone preamps (you can make different mixes for both people plugged in).

the only reason I parted with my Scarlett was I got a more expensive interface from Focusrite (sounds very close, but uses Thunderbolt and is much faster). I still own a couple of non-Focusrite audio interfaces, but don't use them for recording as I just love the out-of-the-box sound of Focusrite units. YMMV.

 

[Highroler79]

Good advice. Got good headphones, and that will have to do for now, but a good little set of monitors is in the cards.

Have to ask what the external drive would be needed for, though. Just storage? Or does it help with latency issues or something?

BTW, better pres are enough for me. Scarlett it is.

Yamaha HS8's are amazing for the price, I hear good things about the Kali's, make sure you do some acoustic treatment to your room. 4 inch bass traps in the corners and 2 inch panels on the main reflective surfaces, and ceiling. You can make them for about $50 a panel (I can't recommend this enough to treat your space)

 

[4stringfarley]

Have to ask what the external drive would be needed for, though. Just storage? Or does it help with latency issues or something?
.

External HD is for storage, your CPU is going to be the main factor in latency.

 

[dwizum]

I came here to ask an almost identical question, this thread has been very helpful. I haven't really thought about recording in any serious fashion in 20-ish years and a lot has changed.

@JimmyM I hope you don't mind if I kinda-borrow your thread?

I'm mainly interested in recording one or two tracks at a time. My goal is to be able to record good sound samples for comparisons or demos of instruments, pickups, amps, etc. I need to cover a range of configurations including acoustic and electric instruments, but probably only one or two channels at a time, i.e. direct from one electric bass or guitar, or an acoustic instrument with two mics, or a mic on a guitar amp, etc. I don't really want to do a lot of complicated work beyond that but it would be nice to have room to grow (post covid).

I had started out looking at simple USB audio interfaces, like the Scarlett 2i2 or similar. But now I've noticed that there are cheap mixers with more I/O, USB, and digital effects. Something like the Mackie PtoFx6v3 - which is cheaper than the Scarlett, and seems to offer way more functionality. Specs seem generally similar and both are good brand names so I'm sure they're both good units. But what's the deal with that? Now I'm thinking, why go with the Scarlett? I probably don't need the functions in the Mackie but it seems almost silly to ignore it.

 

[ctmullins]

My approach is a good clean signal into the DAW, and all processing done inside Logic. For this, the Scarlett does what I need. I'm sure others feel differently!

 

[Aloe]

I had started out looking at simple USB audio interfaces, like the Scarlett 2i2 or similar. But now I've noticed that there are cheap mixers with more I/O, USB, and digital effects. Something like the Mackie PtoFx6v3 - which is cheaper than the Scarlett, and seems to offer way more functionality. Specs seem generally similar and both are good brand names so I'm sure they're both good units. But what's the deal with that? Now I'm thinking, why go with the Scarlett? I probably don't need the functions in the Mackie but it seems almost silly to ignore it.

on the first page of this thread I described my experience with 'hybrid' (analog + digital) consoles. IME any starter interface from Focusrite or PreSonus will blow them away if you're recording. didn't have experience with Mackie, bud had a Yamaha and still have A&H ZEDi (and those both are sure respected names in mixer industry).

my advice: don't waste your time with those. I've had to re-record of most stuff I recorded on those mixers when I got a decent straight audio interface as quality difference is just dramatic. I really like my ZEDi for live sound, but not for recording. and it took some time to realize it, when I recorded it, it sounded sane, but when I compared it to what signal I get from Scarlett and same equipment, the difference was really huge.

 

[Basslice]

Now I'm thinking, why go with the Scarlett? I probably don't need the functions in the Mackie but it seems almost silly to ignore it.

Well, the Scarlett is made for recording. The mixer for mixing. Having a tool designed for a specific function is an advantage. Especially when you described what you want to accomplish. K.I.S.S.

The Scarlett (and other audio interfaces) are about as simple and effective as things get. As close to plug-and-play as things get. You can accomplish what you want with a simple laptop and you don't have to worry a great deal about latency with what you are doing. So an audio interface + DAW is the cheapest and simplest solution.

 

[dwizum]

Thanks guys for the quick and helpful responses. I was wondering if there was a quality difference. It's so hard to tell from reading online reviews, since it seems like 90% of the people submitting them are in my shoes (they don't have experience with anything else modern to compare it to). I went ahead and ordered the Scarlett 2i2 and a shiny new SM57.

 

[Basslice]

Thanks guys for the quick and helpful responses. I was wondering if there was a quality difference. It's so hard to tell from reading online reviews, since it seems like 90% of the people submitting them are in my shoes (they don't have experience with anything else modern to compare it to). I went ahead and ordered the Scarlett 2i2 and a shiny new SM57.

Feel free to post a new thread if you want any setup advice. I am happy to share what I do.

 

[Bertr]

Thanks guys for the quick and helpful responses. I was wondering if there was a quality difference. It's so hard to tell from reading online reviews, since it seems like 90% of the people submitting them are in my shoes (they don't have experience with anything else modern to compare it to). I went ahead and ordered the Scarlett 2i2 and a shiny new SM57.

Just google 'audio interface shootout blind test'.
Amazing how people sit on the fence and after the results being disclosed explain why they (secretly) chose the one they have/most expensive/brand name.
I have a Scarlett 6i6 second gen and a Zoom R16 (that can be used as interface with 8 inputs). A friend of mine loves UA but no one can tell the difference.
Angle the KM184 5° different pointing to the D28 will make more difference. He himself admits that it's a 'feel good' factor more than anything else. But that is important when recording!
With the Scarlett, you got something reliable that works very well. And Focusrite support is very good in my experience.

 

[rudy4444]

I have it on good authority that recording to a dedicated multitracker and then exporting the tracks to your computer DAW software for editing, mixing, etc., is the way to go, both in terms of ease of use and resulting quality. To that end, I recently bought a Zoom R16 bundled with a not-so-light version of Cubase. I've only just started to use it, but so far so good, even for a Luddite such as myself.

I've done that many times with my R24, editing with Reaper. I've done 4 full band recordings to mix for CD release. It works very well.
I purchased the R24 mostly due to the ability of having 6 inputs with phantom power, since I use condenser mics and not dynamics. The preamps of the R series can be a bit noisy if you need the extra gain for dynamics like 57s or 58s.
I MUCH prefer tracking live on a stand alone recorder and transferring tracks to a DAW for editing. It's truly the best of both worlds.

I've been using the R24 for several years, and if going the same route today I'd track with an L-12. The only reason is the L series are supposed to have better sounding preamps.

 

[rudy4444]

Just google 'audio interface shootout blind test'.
Amazing how people sit on the fence and after the results being disclosed explain why they (secretly) chose the one they have/most expensive/brand name.
I have a Scarlett 6i6 second gen and a Zoom R16 (that can be used as interface with 8 inputs). A friend of mine loves UA but no one can tell the difference.
Angle the KM184 5° different pointing to the D28 will make more difference. He himself admits that it's a 'feel good' factor more than anything else. But that is important when recording!
With the Scarlett, you got something reliable that works very well. And Focusrite support is very good in my experience.

An excellent example of the "Veblen Effect".

 

[DirkP]

I own much more expensive gear and even mixers, but I think the best device available today for small and convenient home studio recording and playing setups is the Tascam Model 12. I have waited a long time for such a device.
It is a 12 channel interface, it records simulataneously the individual tracks on a sd card, so you don't need a computer or DAW. But can always use one later. It has midi and a metronome. The effects, esp. the comps and the eqs are more than acceptable, the mic-preamps are good.
It even has looping capabilities.
And it is such a relief to have all controls in front of you like on a real mixer, to see the settings of all channels.
To not have to use a mouse menue-diving, while a heavy bass is hanging from your shoulders.
And to have all the gear permanently connected without the need to plug cables all the time. And when you come up with something during playing, just activate the channels you want to record and press record.
And it is perfect for rehearsal recordings or as a small PA for live gigs and allows to record live gigs on individual tracks, even without effects although the effects go to the front of house or monitor mixes.
It is incredible good for about 600,-.
Made me much more creative.

 

[AlvaroOcampo]

While this video focuses on the current generation of audient id, it has some sensible and sterile information charts with analysis and comparisons with other interfaces.



Has anyone had experience with the JFET DI on audient id series?
It is advertised as bringing tube-like warmth to recordings, but is it any better than the line out from a transistor preamp?
As the video states, such claims are largely untestable and dependant on the circuit and pickups of the instrument.

Out of that chart i ruled out Scarlett as i have read too many remarks about crackling and unstability.
The only other remarkable ones on my price range are Tascam US HR and MOTU.
I'm inclined to buy the MOTU M2 as it has the lowest headphone out impedance and is an all-around player. Said headphone out pairs well with the inexpensive Superlux 681 and 688 HP that are studio-grade but low impedance. With either TASCAM or Audient i would have to throw another 100$ for 250 ohms headphones, so that the impedance matches well.

JimmyM that's what i come up with trying to save some bucks and aiming for good quality, i may add that my intended use is DAW-programming hip hop music with a bass and analog synths as a bedroom producer. Your use may be more oriented towards recording a track and letting someone else do the mixing and mastering, so you don't need so much the studio headphones for checking trouble frequencies and accurate reproduction.