Best USB Audio Interface For 250$

[57RIP]

Originally Posted by Shaney

Can anyone recommend anything decent for in or around this price that has outputs for inserting an external device or two?

Coming from a digi001 I don't like to give up all my i/o options but since its just for me on my own at home replacing it with something similar seems like overkill

I got tired of Pro Tolls and a Digi002 and picked up a Tascam US800. not bad but at 6x4' somewhat limited for me. I sent it back for the $275 US1800. 16x4 plus sp/dif 2 in / out seems to work pretty well. Now Cubase LE I'm not so sure about...

[Daniel Joseph]

Originally Posted by Grimace

KMW--

Good points. Sorry if I was out of line and going in a different direction. The thing is, I'm where the OP is and going through GAS right now, and realized that the "step up" isn't much more expensive than a nice USB option. So I've been looking at those pci interfaces myself and am pretty well convinced that it will open up a lot of options in my recording... so I wanted to pass that on in case the OP sees how he could wind up wanting to expand down the line. I've been there, looking at simple USB devices as an upgrade to my current one... I wasn't impressed with any of the options head-and-shoulders over anything else (they all seem very commoditized, more or less similar, mostly differentiated by flashy marketing and packaging). Really, none of them is all that much better than my 10 year old Tascam US-428... maybe slightly better pres and whatever, but nothing to justify the trouble of selling it and upgrading to another USB interface. Saying X is better than Y and Z in this category is mostly just a matter of splitting hairs. And so I decided that I personally need to step into a better/different direction and I'm pretty well convinced it's a very logical move to go the pci route.

You're right though, that's not what the OP asked for... although if it worked for him, I think he'd have better options down the line. So on that basis, I thought I'd throw it out there. In any case, I hear he's already made up his mind and is going the USB right... which is cool too. I went many years and had tons of fun and learning on mine.

hey grimace good info. I am in the exact same boat as you . I actually just ordered a DMP3 Preamp which will be here this week, but was wondering what audio interface I should get .

I narrowed it down to the delta 66 and the emu 1212m . Have you used either?

I am most likely only going to be recording 1 or 2 tracks at a time . Acoustic guitar,piano,organ, harmonica and vox will be the instruments I am using.

Also I have been searching around the internet as I am new to digital recording and have come across a good number of threads saying that recording in windows vista is bad because of the noises that come through on the recordings.

I am wondering if it would be better for me to upgrade to windows 7, but are the delta 66 and emu 1212m compatible with windows 7?

If you could answer any of these questions it would be greatly appreciated.

[Grimace]

I do not have experience with either, but looking at the literature and the pictures, the Delta 66 lacks XLR inputs and 8-channel ADAT, which are deal-killers for me. The 1212M has the ADAT, but requires an external device to convert it to digital if you don't want to be restricted in your types of inputs.

And even though you might think "acoustic guitar + singer = 2 inputs" remember that you might decide to set up a pair of condensers in X-Y... and maybe you'll want a room mic. That's 4 inputs. And then a friend stops by... Yes, as word's gotten out that you can record stuff at my place, that's happened to me quite a few times. Bottom line, if you've got it, you'll find a use for it. And if you don't, a couple of your friends will.... ;-)

And that's where the 1212M really seems to start making sense. Right now, if you go on Amazon, the 1212M PCIe is available for $102 with free shipping. Use it with a Behringer ADA8000 (used on ebay for $125, or new from lots of places for $175). That's an 8 channel set up with crappy, somewhat usable but completely bypassable, pre's for $227-277. So that, plus the DMP3 you already have gives you 2 good channels, plus 6 "gotta just get it in there as best I can with lousy pre's" channels... for around $250 ($400 with the DMP3). Can't beat that! thumbsup

If there's a better value in low-end recording than an 8-channel ADA8000 ($175) feeding ADAT into a 1212M ($102) at 24/44.1, I can't fathom what it might be. Yeah, I'm sure the Behringer pre's aren't as nice as the mackie's or the Focusrites... but let's be realistic here. They all stink, it's just a matter of how bad. Sooner or later, your goal is going to be to get away from them... and with this set up, you've already got everything you need to take that step away... And your AD/DA isn't tied up with the audio interface, so you can upgrade them separately. Otherwise, you'll just be shopping again for a whole new kit down the road.

As to your questions, I really don't see how Vista could make noise on a recording except via the drivers. So make sure you're using the right ones, preferably with low latency, etc. I've been using Vista for years and have not had an issue recording on it.

I also have also used Win7 and like it a lot more. As of June 2010, the 1212M has Beta drivers for Windows 7, but check a forum (and take careful note of the dates of the posts, lest you get info which is not up to date) to be sure. I have no personal experience on this yet.

[Daniel Joseph]

Originally Posted by Grimace

I do not have experience with either, but looking at the literature and the pictures, the Delta 66 lacks XLR inputs and 8-channel ADAT, which are deal-killers for me. The 1212M has the ADAT, but requires an external device to convert it to digital if you don't want to be restricted in your types of inputs.

And even though you might think "acoustic guitar + singer = 2 inputs" remember that you might decide to set up a pair of condensers in X-Y... and maybe you'll want a room mic. That's 4 inputs. And then a friend stops by... Yes, as word's gotten out that you can record stuff at my place, that's happened to me quite a few times. Bottom line, if you've got it, you'll find a use for it. And if you don't, a couple of your friends will.... ;-)

And that's where the 1212M really seems to start making sense. Right now, if you go on Amazon, the 1212M PCIe is available for $102 with free shipping. Use it with a Behringer ADA8000 (used on ebay for $125, or new from lots of places for $175). That's an 8 channel set up with crappy, somewhat usable but completely bypassable, pre's for $227-277. So that, plus the DMP3 you already have gives you 2 good channels, plus 6 "gotta just get it in there as best I can with lousy pre's" channels... for around $250 ($400 with the DMP3). Can't beat that! thumbsup

If there's a better value in low-end recording than an 8-channel ADA8000 ($175) feeding ADAT into a 1212M ($102) at 24/44.1, I can't fathom what it might be. Yeah, I'm sure the Behringer pre's aren't as nice as the mackie's or the Focusrites... but let's be realistic here. They all stink, it's just a matter of how bad. Sooner or later, your goal is going to be to get away from them... and with this set up, you've already got everything you need to take that step away... And your AD/DA isn't tied up with the audio interface, so you can upgrade them separately. Otherwise, you'll just be shopping again for a whole new kit down the road.

As to your questions, I really don't see how Vista could make noise on a recording except via the drivers. So make sure you're using the right ones, preferably with low latency, etc. I've been using Vista for years and have not had an issue recording on it.

I also have also used Win7 and like it a lot more. As of June 2010, the 1212M has Beta drivers for Windows 7, but check a forum (and take careful note of the dates of the posts, lest you get info which is not up to date) to be sure. I have no personal experience on this yet.

Thanks for the response. This definitely looks like the way to go for me .

One last question...

What are good trs to trs cables for hooking up the dmp3 to the 1212m? I want the least amount of noise possible, do the length of the cables affect the sound?

also what DAW's can i run with the 1212m pcie?

[Grimace]

Originally Posted by Daniel Joseph

Thanks for the response. This definitely looks like the way to go for me .

One last question...

What are good trs to trs cables for hooking up the dmp3 to the 1212m? I want the least amount of noise possible, do the length of the cables affect the sound?

also what DAW's can i run with the 1212m pcie?

I'm not aware of any specific issues between the EMU 1212M and any particular DAW... however, if you have a few in mind, you'd be very wise to Google up the answers for yourself. As for cables...

DISCLAIMER: The following is not based on my experience, but rather based upon my distillation of countless threads here on GS into what I deem to be the key information for me...

Most people here will say the best cables are the ones that you build yourself. 5 minutes of you tube video, a soldering iron, and a quick search of this forum should give you all the links, info, and confidence you need to tackle this project. And after you've built two "good" cables, you'll be money ahead. I have not personally built any cables, but I have repaired ones that have broken. Cables are genuinely an easy thing to build/repair, there's really not much that can go wrong. If you can solder or ever wanted to learn how, cables are a great place to start and you can build top of the line cables for less than $15 a piece. Mogami and Canare are two highly-regarded manufacturers of the raw cable. Neutrik is among the best for connectors, though there are other good ones as well. And, with DIY, I like the idea of being able to use Neutrik's multi-colored connector rings or different colored cables (yes, there's lots of colors besides black!) that make it easy to spot the right connector or cable amidst a mess of wires.

But if DIY is not your thing, just get what you can afford. For the lengths we're talking about in the typical home studio, I don't believe that "good cables" are a wise investment from a sound-quality standpoint (with the possible exception of quad-core cables, discussed below). On our budget, we can probably do better with ten $10 cables and an extra $300 in gear for something we really need, rather than blowing $400 for those same ten cables... but from the standpoint of longevity and resistance to abuse the fancy cables are nice to have. The question there is... How do you treat your cables? And do you keep spares?

Generally, you should opt for the shortest cable that will work, but unless we're talking about really long lengths (30+ feet), I really don't believe anyone would notice a substantial difference (although there are those people who are convinced they can tell the difference, of course). HOWEVER, one place where the home studio can be really bad (in my experience) is with regard to radio frequency (RF) interference. Everything in your home studio is packed much closer than in a pro setup. Therefore, RF interference is all around you and your cables. Your cell phone, your computer, monitors, amps, etc etc are all kicking out this RF noise that can slip past the shielding and get picked up by the cables. So going with the shortest possible cable, and selecting a quad cable over a traditional 2-strand MAY yield tangible benefits in the home studio.. but that's just my own conjecture.

[GuitarRuss]

Originally Posted by D N A

Mackie Blackjack is excellent

Make sure it works with your OS, DAW and system. Mackie drivers are fickle things. I'm going through hell with my Mackie Onyx FW right now - no support for OSX Lion, Snow Leopard past 6.2, or Windows 7x64. In fact Mackie claims to have working drivers for Windows 7 but they don't do latency compensation and are buggy. Caused me to waste a lot of money on Windows 7. Grrr.

[ivansc]

Originally Posted by BigIzzy

Focusrite Saffire USB

Great components, great price, good pres, great latency, proven name. Done.

He means the Saffire6 USB and I have one for recording on the go.

A great little box for the money and well within your budget.
Plus it has a bunch monitoring and I/O facilities.

My portable rig is the saffire, a Nanopad and a Nanokontrol plus a tiny 10.5" screen 2 core Intel lappy with 2 gb of ram, running win7 pro and (of course!) Reaper.

Very low latency and very reliable.


Oh but PS until recently I too was using a Emu 1212m and an ADA8000 to great effect. HUGE bang for the buck if you have pci or pci-e slots and I was happily using it under Win7 too.

[djproducer1]

Does anyone had any experience with TERRASONIQ PHASE X64 USB 2.0 on WINDOWS 7 OR LION on MAC?

[bruvvamoff]

Bumping a very old thread but heyho.
I was wondering what options there are for someone who already has (and is happy with) a mic preamp but who needs a usb interface simply for line in and monitor out?

[rksguit]

I'm having great luck with the N.I. Komplete Audio 6,and I can easily track with Guitar sim's,and other plugins at 32 samples @ 48KHz with W7 64,SONAR X2 64 @ 8ms Round Trip Latency with a Dell xps 2011 model i7 2630qm cpu.
[not brilliant,but this is an 18 month old $999[[less in the US!] laptop,and I 'd rather have 8ms and solid than 4 and "wait and see "what happens today"]and remember many if not most don't report AD/DA,this RTL is tested with thisRTL Utility | Oblique Audio

Driver 3.0.3 totally solid,and I tracked a song using both mic pre in's at once,no problem,though you need a good USB 2.0 port[mine has 2xusb3.0 + 1x usb2.0/eSATA port-thats the one I use.]

You should always use the latency checker[DPC latency] a "High performance" power plan,and have ALL usb power saving junk turned off,and you'll be good to go.
RK

[sackynut]

rather than create a new thread i figured Id hop on this one with my question, any input and insight is appreciated.

Im trying to decide between the Presonus Audiobox 44VSL (4 mic/line inputs) vs. the Scarlett 816 (2 mic/line) + 2 1/4" line.

As far as the price goes between them, its not a deciding factor. Heres what is:
-Preamp/sound quality and noise level.
-Latency while monitoring my tracks in-DAW with software effects added to them. With my cheap Lexicon Alpha using Reason 6 I was able to get a very fast latency that was ALMOST undetectable while applying live FX to a track.

I hear the Presonus has a DSP, but the Scarlett has better preamps? Is that correct? If so what effect would that have on my latency while monitoring through my software with FX applied?

Also, I want the 4 mic inputs so I can get a decent drum recording, however if the audio box sucks, I wont waste my money on it, Id rather have a solid performing audio box with less inputs.

And my computer can handle anything. So thoughts anyone?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,

[brassmoose]

I've researched these a bit & I'm going with the Avid C600. I need 8 ouputs. But I hear the pres are good, lots of features and has 4 ins. If u need 2 ins and 4 outs, the C400 is only $150. Prob will pickup one before Turkey Day.

I have a Presonus Blutube & dont like the plasticy/hollow sound of the pres, so I'm shying away from Presonus.

If I had $750, I would go for a Motu 828.

[rksguit]

Originally Posted by brassmoose

I've researched these a bit & I'm going with the Avid C600. I need 8 ouputs. But I hear the pres are good, lots of features and has 4 ins. If u need 2 ins and 4 outs, the C400 is only $150. Prob will pickup one before Turkey Day.

I have a Presonus Blutube & dont like the plasticy/hollow sound of the pres, so I'm shying away from Presonus.

If I had $750, I would go for a Motu 828.

Avids Site clearly says $310.Avid | Fast Track C400 and if you live in Straya,the Only way you'd get one for $150,would be if you stole one,and then not so kindly left 3 $50 bills behind.

Anyway this what psyched me,with the KA 6:Audio Interface - Low Latency Performance Data Base :

[brassmoose]

Originally Posted by rksguit

Avids Site clearly says $310.Avid | Fast Track C400 and if you live in Straya,the Only way you'd get one for $150,would be if you stole one,and then not so kindly left 3 $50 bills behind.

Anyway this what psyched me,with the KA 6:Audio Interface - Low Latency Performance Data Base :

C600 $250 at Sweetwater
M-Audio Fast Track C600 | Sweetwater.com

C400 $150 at Sweetwater
C400 $150 at Sweetwater

No theft necessary.

[rksguit]

Sorry it was a "lingo" thang...."Straya" means "Australia",Sweetwater only ship guitar picks and things that small to Australia,again you lucky Americans

[machoboy]

The c400 is $100 on Amazon as I post this, and with Amazon's instant no questions return policy, I tend to prefer them over the big music sites anyway. The prices are just a bonus.

I would probably check out the Roland Quadcapture too.

[hopeless_opus]

If you only need one input, go with the Apogee One. USB and exactly $250.

USB Microphone and Audio Interface > Apogee ONE > Apogee Electronics

[machoboy]

I don't really "get" the Apogee One. A single input, a single knob, mediocre (good sound but weak/noisy) preamps, $250.

For the same price you can get a "real" interface from Focusrite or M-Audio with better pres and 10x as much I/O.

[hopeless_opus]

I haven't used the ONE, so maybe the pres are "weak and noisy", I don't truly know.

But my experience with the Duet 2 shows that it's much better in terms of both preamps and converters than my previous interface, which was a profire610. MUCH better. As always, ymmv.

I love how having a single knob makes something not "real"... only on gearslutz.

[machoboy]

I haven't had the chance to compare them side by side but I'd say the Duet is a major step up from the One. Maybe even that the One only exists to milk the excellent reputation of the Duet.

The knob thing is preference I know - I meant since the One costs the same as other interfaces with far more I/O, you'd assume it has some amazing pre in it where all the money went, and that's not the case.

[falgorian]

I just bought the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6, which it supposedly comes with great preamp mic connections. I dont have a mic but its great. It costs 249.00 normally but I got it for 219.00 over the phone with Guitar Center. 8 inputs, 6 outputs, with usb connectivity and its own power supply to ensure stability and with plug ins such as reverb and compressor.

Sent from my SPH-M820-BST using Tapatalk

[beedoola]

I had a EMU 0404 USB but sold it cause I wanted more I/O so I got an Edirol UA-101 - it worked but the Preamps were NOT as good as the Emu.

The EMU is freakin great for the money. I'm using a Firewire interface now but if I ever needed to use a simple I/O usb interface again I'd get another 0404.

[Gretsch 6120]

A couple of months back I finally broke down and bought the Roland Quad Capture. They go for around $250 at musiciansfriend.com. I had done a lot of homework on USB options, and while there are a ton of good options within that price range, I just felt like the Quad Capture was the best fit for my needs. In retrospect, I am very happy with my purchase. The interface is great. It has rock solid performance all the way around. You have four inputs (2 of which are SPDIF), and two main outs. The sense function is handy, and the preamps are actually more than usable (i.e., they’re pretty good). It offers everything I needed and more, with solid performance at a price I can live with.

If you really want a good USB interface within the $250 range you really owe it to yourself to consider the Quad Capture. I don’t really think there’s anything “better” at that price point, and in fact, you’d probably have to step up to an RME Baby Face or something of that caliber to do much better.

Best regards,

Chris

[studioland]

I boughr a Focusrite Scarlett
and it never worked
TEch support couldn't help
Just don't buy those they are not ready to hit the market

[dyl127]

I'd really appreciate some help with this, i'd post a new thread but i cant figure out how to do it on here!
my tascam us-1800 stops sending a signal to my DAW during recording! i have to turn it off then turn it back on again to fix the problem but it still persists, its connected to my laptop via USB. what could be wrong with it??

[falgorian]

Not true, mine worked after I downloaded its drivers.

Sent from my SPH-M820-BST using Tapatalk

[machoboy]

Originally Posted by dyl127

I'd really appreciate some help with this, i'd post a new thread but i cant figure out how to do it on here!
my tascam us-1800 stops sending a signal to my DAW during recording! i have to turn it off then turn it back on again to fix the problem but it still persists, its connected to my laptop via USB. what could be wrong with it??

Driver problem. I had a Tascam that did the same thing. I worked around it somehow with the generic asio4all driver but I forget the details/no longer own it.

[DuckNe5t]

I use the AVID Mbox Mini

Avid Pro Tools Express + Mbox Mini - ProTools 9900-65337-13 B&H

It's got 1 input mic/line, and honestly I think it sounds great. Much better than the Fast track imo. It comes with some bs copy of Pro Tools, but it works with any DAW (at least Ableton, Logic, and Reason). I use it with Logic. I record vocals with a sm57 or 58 and I use a fender strat going into guitar rig and I think the mbox does a wonderful job