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USB Input Devices?

D

DeclanG

Jan 16, 2011
37
0
Dublin, Ireland
#1
Hi guys,
Im looking at getting a USB input device to record onto my PC but dont know a huge amount about them. Im looking for something relatively cheap, say around €/$100. I will be using it through both Ableton Live and Audacity depending on the circumstances. Basically I have no idea of the quality of whats out there and whether some can have great guitar sound but then terrible for bass. Obviously bass is most important for me but do plan to throw down both. I was looking at the Lambda USB Desktop Studio and seems decent to me in the cheap and cheerful range but again my knowledge is pretty limited! Anyone have any experience with it? Any others you would suggest? Im not using a Mac so unfortunately that cuts out a lot of the devices out there!

Thanks,

Dec.
 
#3
You could do a lot worse than a Presonus Audiobox 2x2, or (a little bit more) a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

Either will give you a very clean, uncolored DI and very clean output. What goes in is essentially exactly what will come out. They'll also have decent enough preamps for connecting a microphone, should that bug hit you.

I have a low-end Tascam. It's fine for instrument-in, but too noisy for microphones at any useful amount of preamp gain. It's going to become a doorstop as soon as I can find the right multichannel interface on ebay...

Whatever you get, if you're plugging straight in you'll want some plugins to process the sound. Ableton comes with a fabulous selection of plugins and a very servicable Amp simulator (written by Softube). Spend some time with it and you'll get a wide variety of tones -- both guitar and bass.
 
#5
Most products work with windows/mac. The thing is, goal #1 is getting the sound into your computer with the interface, goal #2 is what you're going to do with it. Like seamonkey mentioned the line 6 products are cool because they come with a nifty plugin pod farm pack for guitar/bass and there's many others out there. I'd start reading up and educating yourself on amp modeling vsts and which ones are out there and prices (some are ridiculous) and find out what you want to go with. A few to look at: Guitar Rig, Jamvox, Waves GTR, and Amplitube.

Edit: If you're micing an amp instead, that opens up a whole new discussion about what mics work best... :).
 
#6
seamonkey said:
Line 6 Pod Studio GX, or Pod Studio Ux1 are around that price.
They have true "Guitar" or "Bass" instrument inputs.
And come with Pod Farm which is a very good modeler, this alone is worth the price.
Click to expand...

Almost everything has a pair of high-impedance instrument inputs.

The Line stuff will let you process the signal before it goes to the computer. Good if you like what it does. Arguably the Presonus and Focusrite boxes will have better (cleaner, quieter and more faithful) inputs.
 
#8
Chromer said:
Almost everything has a pair of high-impedance instrument inputs.

The Line stuff will let you process the signal before it goes to the computer. Good if you like what it does. Arguably the Presonus and Focusrite boxes will have better (cleaner, quieter and more faithful) inputs.
Click to expand...

It's just that Passive bass and guitar are not line level, and they're not mic level.

I wouldn't say that in the lower price range there isn't a drastic difference between interfaces one you get past the input impedance.

Line 6 makes it easier for the casual electric bass/guitar user and includes decent modeler for the price.
 

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