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Good, cheap audio interface

eukatheude

eukatheude

Apr 2, 2012
1,777
339
italy, pordenone
#1
Hi. I need to upgrade my soundcard since the integrated one is about to get toast, and it was terrible anyway. I have put my eyes on the M-Audio Fast Track MkII and the Steinberg Ci1, and i'm more inclined on getting the second one. However i still have some major doubts: will these work perfectly with Audition (especially for the monitor/daw mix knob on the Ci1)? Will i get a good tone with a good volume, unlike with my realtek stock card? Will the music listening quality improve (i have good headphones and mostly use lossless formats)? Will i need a DI or a compressor? Am i better off getting only a DI/something like the sansamp bass driver?
Thank you
 
#2
I have an M-Audio mobile pre ... which looks to be pretty similar to the mkII. I haven't had any issues with it at all, though I got it on clearance for like half price.

I'm able to get good tone with good volume with it, though I run through a number of VSTs (all of the ones I use are free, as long as audition is compatible with VSTs, I've never used it).
 
#4
I actually just reset my computer and am currently in the process of getting them back (and I use reaper, which has some built in that I use).

Some of my favorite VSTs are:

ModernLimiter (antress) - limiter
T-SLEDGE (sweetboy) - multiband compressor
3rd_bass (fretted synth) - solid bass processor
C3 MultiBand Compressor
Dub Delay (TAL) - delay
FA3 Full (fretted synth) - guitar processor, can be used with bass
dblue glitch - weird glitch/electro processor
UpStereo (QuikQuak) - stereo enhancer


There are so many free VSTs out there ... this is just a short list of ones that I use for bass and/or mix/mastering. Check out Invalid Link Removed and browse around for free plug-ins.
 
#6
For an audio interface, I can't recommend the focusrite saffire 6 enough

Invalid Link Removed

it comes with a bunch of decent software, including ableton.

For VSTs, there are loads of free ones available, of which I have been using a few TAL ones, I also really like the sound I get from Camelphat stuff.


http://www.vst4you.com/about.html << free stuff

http://www.camelaudio.com/camelphat.php


don't cheap out on your audio card if you can help it, it will bite you in the ass later.


Have fun!
 
#8
I'd be willing to buy a better card, if i had the money. :) For that i'll have to wait a couple of months. Still, can you answer my question? As for the software i'm pretty comfortable with audition, and i'm not really willing to learn to use many other DAWs except maybe pro tools.
 
#9
So am I understanding this right? If I had something like say this unit here: M-Audio Fast Track Pro Digital Recording Interface I would not need a sound card? I didnt realize that these units were APUs within themselves.. I always thought they were interfaces and that you would still need a somewhat decent sound card on your PC. I have a SB card that's kind of old but is a good card.. but if I had one of these or something like it using say Reaper or Cakewalk MC5 (which I got on sale at BB for $20 a few months back) I could bypass my sound card?
 
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#10
Sav'nBass said:
So am I understanding this right? If I had something like say this unit here: M-Audio Fast Track Pro Digital Recording Interface I would not need a sound card? I didnt realize that these units were APUs within themselves.. I always thought they were interfaces and that you would still need a somewhat decent sound card on your PC. I have a SB card that's kind of old but is a good card.. but if I had one of these or something like it using say Reaper or Cakewalk MC5 (which I got on sale at BB for $20 a few months back) I could bypass my sound card?
Click to expand...


An audio interface IS a sound card, most are external (usb) ones now.

When you are recording into a DAW, the system will most likely use what are called ASIO drivers to control the sound, it bypasses the windows system and interfaces directly with the hardware thus reducing latency.

When you are watching videos/listening to music etc, the audio interface will by controlled (in many cases) by the windows drivers (you can set it up to use asio IF you want).


In answer to you question, the interface you mentioned will allow you to have 4 mono (2stereo) inputs at once with 2 mono (1 stereo) output.


It will work for what you want, I couldn't comment on the quality. If that is around the price you are looking at, you might be interested in

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Focusrite-S...uter_Recording_Interfaces&hash=item5aea734499

the preamps are very nice in these focusrite products.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Focusrite-S...uter_Recording_Interfaces&hash=item4d05a2bde8
 
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#14
DuraMorte said:
It might help to quote or repeat the questions you feel haven't been answered, because reading the thread, it looks like a lot of good info has been posted.
Click to expand...

Aight:
will these work perfectly with Audition (especially for the monitor/daw mix knob on the Ci1)? Will i get a good tone with a good volume, unlike with my realtek stock card? Will the music listening quality improve (i have good headphones and mostly use lossless formats)? Will i need a DI or a compressor? Am i better off getting only a DI/something like the sansamp bass driver?
 
#15
eukatheude said:
Aight:
will these work perfectly with Audition (especially for the monitor/daw mix knob on the Ci1)?

Will i get a good tone with a good volume, unlike with my realtek stock card?

Will the music listening quality improve (i have good headphones and mostly use lossless formats)?

Will i need a DI or a compressor?

Am i better off getting only a DI/something like the sansamp bass driver?
Click to expand...

Probably. Yes. Yes. No. No.
 
#17
DuraMorte said:
Probably. Yes. Yes. No. No.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Then with the interface it is. I'll wait till i can afford something like the Saffire 6.

EDIT: I see the Saffire 6 supports sample rates only up to 48khz, while the 2i2/2i4 goes up to 96. The 2i4 costs a lot more but the RCA outputs seems nice, and so do the halo thingies on the knobs. On the other hand the Motu shows line levels directly on the front panel, it seems like a nice feature. Also, what i see the more pricey models have ADAT inputs, what's exactly that? Is it possible to find it on cheaper cards? Invalid Link Removed
 
#18
eukatheude said:
Thanks! Then with the interface it is. I'll wait till i can afford something like the Saffire 6.

EDIT: I see the Saffire 6 supports sample rates only up to 48khz, while the 2i2/2i4 goes up to 96. The 2i4 costs a lot more but the RCA outputs seems nice, and so do the halo thingies on the knobs. On the other hand the Motu shows line levels directly on the front panel, it seems like a nice feature. Also, what i see the more pricey models have ADAT inputs, what's exactly that? Is it possible to find it on cheaper cards? Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

Ignore samplerate. Just look at what features you need vs. what you can afford.
ADAT inputs allow you to chain a preamp like the Behringer ADA8000 to the interface for more channels. If you're recording full bands, it is indispensable. If you're recording yourself, it's completely unnecessary.
I've heard mixed reviews on the US-series. Read up, find reviews from people running similar recording systems as you will be, and see if they have any problems.
 
#20
So i got the 2i2. I'm not entirely satisfacted as for the volume and the latency when monitoring through the DAW, since it's pretty much the same as before. I use the direct monitoring of course, but it's weird not to see an improvement. Any advice on making the most out of this interface?
 

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