Newbie Bass Player Needs Interface Help

[DigitalMan]

I suppose that's a correct statement, but without a DAW it has no more functionality than the Yamaha or the Vox Amplug, costs $50 more and has to be connected to your laptop or another power source.

Also correct that the Focusrite comes with free 'lite' software. Audacity is free, too. All the software, free or not, takes more than a little time to learn.

If the OP only wants to listen to himself play through headphones over recorded music, I don't see why he'd want the more expensive, more complicated solution. If he wants to record himself at some point as he suggests, of course the USB interface is the way to go. The Yamaha and Vox devices cannot record.

I'm not bashing Focusrite or Reaper at all. They're both excellent products that I own, use and like.

I was just correcting the statement about Focusrite requiring a DAW.

I think others have stated that scope-creep happens where one day all you want to do is one thing, and then at some later date you want to do other things. That’s reasonable.

I use Windows media player, iTunes, song surgeon, Jriver, and perhaps a few other music apps for various reasons when I play along using a Focusrite interface. I sometimes use just a direct bass signal, and sometimes use an external preamp, or software such as amplitube. Sometimes I play along with a drum program. None of it is complicated.

And sometimes I record along with music in a free DAW, like Pro Tools First:







That was simple too.

It’s worth a few extra bucks to be a little future-proof.

 

[DCCat]

This simply means: with the Motu M2 you can record yourself playing along to tracks from Spotity for example.

Pardon my newbie ignorance, but how do you do that? I just got a Motu M2 thinking I'd be able to do that, but haven't figured out how yet.

First, let me define what I mean by "that" so we know if we're talking about the same thing: I was hoping that I could play iReal Pro (or iTunes or whatever, but mostly iReal Pro) on my computer while playing my bass routed through one of the M2 inputs and be able to record these things together, either on the same or, preferably, separate tracks. I figured I'd probably have to somehow route the computer app output onto a track in the DAW, but I don't see how to do that with Garage Band or Audacity on my Mac (maybe more advanced DAWs enable that? ... I'm planning to upgrade but haven't even installed any of the Motu freebies yet). Of course, I could record iReal Pro directly with the DAW, without the M2, and then record the bass as a separate track while listening to the iReal track playback, but I was hoping to avoid the extra step.

I CAN hit the monitor button for the M2 combo input and hear both my bass and the computer's iReal Pro output, so I can play along, but I thus far haven't been able to record iReal Pro. I can record both with a mic if I run the computer output to my amp aux input and play the bass through the amp, but that's not the same, of course. Maybe I can run the computer output to the other M2 combo input, but I'd have to use an adapter that collapses the computer stereo into mono. I'm already wondering if I should have gotten the M4, which has additional dual mono 1/4" inputs. I'm hoping I'm just overlooking something obvious, though.

 

[timwiththeband]

Thanks everyone for the comments and advice. Today I ordered a focusrite solo (109 euros) and will have a play around with it. I have a 30 return policy, so i can send it back if its not exactly what i want. But from the comments i don't think i can go wrong.

Absolute newbie queation, but to play along to songs, i dont need to drag and drop the mp3 into garageband right? I can just open itunes/spotify and play along like that? The monitoring knob on the focusrite solo is for the audio and the gain knob is what i use to turn myself (the bass) up correct? Ideally i’d like the bass volume sitting above the music.

 

[La Faro]

I would recommend the new Motu-interfaces. Very good D/A, but more important: it has a loopback function most other interfaces in that price-class lack. This simply means: with the Motu M2 you can record yourself playing along to tracks from Spotity for example. This isn't possible with most other interfaces, for example the budget Focusrite ones. The budget Focusrite stuff isn't bad, but Audient and Motu deliver better audio-quality for nearly the same price.

The focusrite solo has direct monitoring, so you can play along with anything playing off the laptop. I have the Roalnd Quad Capture and do the same. If I want an amp sim, then latency isn't problem, especially nowadays.

 

[seamonkey]

Pardon my newbie ignorance, but how do you do that?

Myself, on a PC, I use a freebie that is agnostic to the interfaces call ASIO Link Pro
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
All the audio from all apps can be routed between each other. I keep the laptop headphone output to hear all audio sources. You can router the interface audio to just itself.

There's a learning curve but there's also a good manual


It also works with ASIO4ALL, so the PC's own soundcard card can be another ASIO interface.

For me ASIO Link Pro is more usable than Voicemeeter Banana - YMMV

I have Motu M4 and iConnectAudio4+ interfaces. The M4 is a really nice and modern interface. Beautiful metering. Great performance. And a great headphone amp.

The iConnectAudio4+ is more complicated than most around here would want. The 4+ and 2+ allow PC's and IOS to be connected at the same time. There are some synths on IOS that are found only on IOS and the digital from IOS to PC stays in the digital domain between the two. Up until the PC or IOS sends it to an output. These also have an internal audio and midi patch bay router like ASIO Link Pro has. Not as flexible though. These also work as standalone mixers as they have a touch panel to control all the settings. I tend to use it live with IOS, and/or PC.

The M4 is hooked up to another PC, but with ASIO Link 4 I can hook them all up to the same PC and get 8 x 8 altogether. There's a good need to have many outputs if you play live, or want to use the DAW as a digital mixer and need a few special monitor mixes.

 

[DigitalMan]

Thanks everyone for the comments and advice. Today I ordered a focusrite solo (109 euros) and will have a play around with it. I have a 30 return policy, so i can send it back if its not exactly what i want. But from the comments i don't think i can go wrong.

Absolute newbie queation, but to play along to songs, i dont need to drag and drop the mp3 into garageband right? I can just open itunes/spotify and play along like that? The monitoring knob on the focusrite solo is for the audio and the gain knob is what i use to turn myself (the bass) up correct? Ideally i’d like the bass volume sitting above the music.

You can use any app you want to play music. The Focusrite Control app allows you to route and set levels (if and where applicable - I’m not sure which functions on the solo also allow software control). Focusrite Control is a simpler version of the ASIO link pro app recommended above, and it is specific to the Focusrite products, so it may be easier to start off with. The knobs on the solo can also set levels. The sound control built into your computers operating system will also work to change levels.

 

[DirkP]

The focusrite solo has direct monitoring, so you can play along with anything playing off the laptop. I have the Roalnd Quad Capture and do the same. If I want an amp sim, then latency isn't problem, especially nowadays.

Sure you can play along, but you can't record what you play AND what is playing of the laptop. But the Motu interfaces can do this.

 

[DirkP]

Pardon my newbie ignorance, but how do you do that? I just got a Motu M2 thinking I'd be able to do that, but haven't figured out how yet.

First, let me define what I mean by "that" so we know if we're talking about the same thing: I was hoping that I could play iReal Pro (or iTunes or whatever, but mostly iReal Pro) on my computer while playing my bass routed through one of the M2 inputs and be able to record these things together, either on the same or, preferably, separate tracks. I figured I'd probably have to somehow route the computer app output onto a track in the DAW, but I don't see how to do that with Garage Band or Audacity on my Mac (maybe more advanced DAWs enable that? ... I'm planning to upgrade but haven't even installed any of the Motu freebies yet). Of course, I could record iReal Pro directly with the DAW, without the M2, and then record the bass as a separate track while listening to the iReal track playback, but I was hoping to avoid the extra step.

I CAN hit the monitor button for the M2 combo input and hear both my bass and the computer's iReal Pro output, so I can play along, but I thus far haven't been able to record iReal Pro. I can record both with a mic if I run the computer output to my amp aux input and play the bass through the amp, but that's not the same, of course. Maybe I can run the computer output to the other M2 combo input, but I'd have to use an adapter that collapses the computer stereo into mono. I'm already wondering if I should have gotten the M4, which has additional dual mono 1/4" inputs. I'm hoping I'm just overlooking something obvious, though.

You have to do the routing in the driver:

LIVE STREAMING
Loopback
The M2 driver provides convenient loopback channels to your host computer, so you can easily route computer output back to the computer, where you can mix it with live mics and/or guitar inputs from the M2 in your host software for live streaming or podcasting. Streaming and podcasting has never been easier and better-sounding!



It is on page 21 of the manual.
https://cdn-data.motu.com/manuals/usb-c-audio/M_Series_User_Guide.pdf

 

[La Faro]

Sure you can play along, but you can't record what you play AND what is playing of the laptop. But the Motu interfaces can do this.

I can in my DAW

 

[DirkP]

I can in my DAW

How?
You play a song in Spotify on the same computer your DAW is running, play bass to it and record both your bass and the Spotify-track on separate tracks of your DAW on the SAME computer with an interface that doesn't provide a loopback-function?

 

[La Faro]

Right I get you. I would just just get the track onto the DAW first. So you are suggesting just on that function, far enough. It's not something I've cared to do, to be big enough to worry about. But if I was, I'd probably use a Virtual Audio Cable, to run spottily into the DAW.

I've never used Spotify TBH, Just laoded the tracks onto mt daw. Often Time stretching to a range of different percentages to help get me up to speed. No idea what Spotify's playback speed options are or sound like.

 

[seamonkey]

How?
You play a song in Spotify on the same computer your DAW is running, play bass to it and record both your bass and the Spotify-track on separate tracks of your DAW on the SAME computer with an interface that doesn't provide a loopback-function?

If you don't have an interface that can do this, then see
ASIO Link Pro
I mentioned above.

 

[DCCat]

You have to do the routing in the driver:

LIVE STREAMING
Loopback
The M2 driver provides convenient loopback channels to your host computer, so you can easily route computer output back to the computer, where you can mix it with live mics and/or guitar inputs from the M2 in your host software for live streaming or podcasting. Streaming and podcasting has never been easier and better-sounding!

It is on page 21 of the manual.
https://cdn-data.motu.com/manuals/usb-c-audio/M_Series_User_Guide.pdf

Thanks. It looked like this was probably going to solve my problem. I installed the driver and tested the loopback channels first and they worked, so I thought all was OK. But then I saw that all the other channels were saturated with feedback, even though I did all the track monitoring and muting correctly. I contacted Motu and it turns out that, even though their documentation says that they're compatible with pretty much every Mac, they're actually not compatible with some older Macs that have Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs. This is a known problem which they really should document. In any event, I can't use Motu loopback on this computer. Uninstalling the driver reverted the M2 to its default behavior.

I've figured out all the right cabling and settings to capture the computer output by running the laptop headphone outputs to one of the Motu combo inputs in mono, so one option is to keep the M2 and use this approach, which is pretty limiting. I like pretty much everything else about the Motus, so I could exchange my M2 for an M4, which allows me to capture stereo (dual mono) computer output without using up a combo jack. Or I could try another device that supports loopback (definitely a more elegant solution), like the 4i4 or EVO 4 or 8, and hope that they implemented loopback in a way that isn't so sensitive to the CPU. Or I could buy a newer laptop.

 

[seamonkey]

An often overlook interface is the iConnectAudio2+
The iConnect is another good option for people looking for an interface, after they think through all the things they want to do. All the audio routing and midi they want to do. All the midi they want.
For routing you can do it all right in the interfaces built in patch bay. The patch bay doesn't care what your PC,Mac,IOS is since it's all internal to the interface.

Once set up it can actually run standalone off it's own wall wart. With no PC it works as a mixer.

It can charge an iPad/iPhone
Music can be streamed from the IOS and recorded on Mac/PC, or the other way around.
With it's patch bay, I can do all the ASIO Link Pro functions on a iPad/iPhone/Macbook.
It not only patches audio but also audio over USB.
The front panel is a touch panel, it let's you change settings without going into the software.
I can't hear any audio difference between my iConnectAudio4+ and my Motu M4
Iconnect is more expensive but extremely flexible.
I have it on a 1/2 rack. A single 1/4" bolt holds it down.

The M4 is on a new tower PC on the other side of the room and it's beautiful meters are easy to see across the room.

 

[timwiththeband]

So i ended up buying the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (3rd Gen), and have been using it a couple hours each day to record playing bass to some of my favourite songs using garageband. It has been working well. But:

Having one volume / Monitor control on the solo, i cant adjust the volume of the mp3 audio while i am recording the bass track. If i turn It up then everything is louder. So i am barely hearing what i am playing over the music. Unless i go into garageband and manually turn down the slider volume on the mp3 track. Is this normal oR Can anyone tell me if i return the solo and get the Focusrite 2i2, )which has a dedicated headphone volume control) if this issue would be fixed?