Help me select the right recording interface!!
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Posted on Jul 03, 2006 07:19 pm
SpiderB
Member Since: Jul 03, 2006
I use ibook G4, 1.2 GHz, OSx 10.4, 100Ghz, 7200rpm, 1GB.
I play rock/emo/metal.
I will be recording at home(solo), studio(band), and live performances of my own band. I will also be using the interface for the playback of certain tracks at the venue.
I was planning to spend about $500 on my interface. But as a musician, I want to go for the best in sound. I'm also trying to get my film done. So I'm interested in surround sound system as well. After reading all kinds of recording forums, it looks like fireface800/400, motu traveler/896HD, Mackie Onyx400/1202 plus interface card could be my choices. But after all, the budget was way too high from when I first started thinking about it.
Like the fireface800 12" seems bulky, but since it's older now, there is a discount and will be able to purchase it for about $1200. But fireface400, half of its size; just as good with less features is still $1000.
I have experienced with hard disk recorder but now I'm just starting to record on my laptop so I don't have any softwares. It seems like some companies like onyx have tracktion2 (plug-in bundles) for free. So it would keep me in the budget. But I don't know anything about this software.
Now I'm willing to pay around $1000 if the whole system is worth the sound and possibly be able to use the product for about 5 years by upgrading it. I'm very much concerned about the upgrade that they follow up with Apple OS x (intel compatibility).
By the way...here's another question I have. I know micing and environmental setup is very important in recording, but is 192khz better than 96khz? If the music is transfered to CD which I think is 44.1khz, does that mean 96khz is condensed? Or do they skip datas out of 96khz which makes it no difference whether you record 96khz or 192khz if you just transfer it to CD after all?
I mean... so 192khz works onlyi when I play a playback on lives?
Well anyway I'm pretty confused so please help me!
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Jul 03, 2006 08:02 pm Recording at higher sample rates like 192khz and bit rates like 24 bit will allow for more original detail. As you add effects, dynamic processing, and finally mix it down, the fidelity is degraded. So if you record at 44.1khz and then process the track, eventually you will have fidelity slightly less than CD quality where if you recorded something at 96khz, you will end up with the best possible resolution when burning to CD.
That said, I believe sample rates as high as 192khz are probably overkill for right now, but HD CD's are in exsistence and will surely become the norm eventually. I am not sure of their sample rate capability but they are 24 bit.
Jul 03, 2006 08:09 pm As far as an interface goes, this is a really good one and right in your price range.
www.zzounds.com/a--884907/item--EMU1820M
Some people here have seen my complaining about my 1820 model but that was due to issues with it being used at the store and damaged and then reboxed. But the sound quality is very good, there are a crazy amount of inputs and outputs. Also it records at sample rates up to 192khz and 24 bit resolution. It also has surround outputs which you mentioned needing.
hmm, I don't deal with anything apple, so I'm not sure if there would be any compatability issues there but you can check it out.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jul 03, 2006 10:18 pm Well honestly I am not a big fan of RME products which are the Fireface units you described.
The MOTU units are well proven units and work well with Mac or PC. In your case the Mac.
Mackie does have a little advantage with the bundled software since MOTU does not supply recording software with their gear. Although I have had much more contact with the MOTU gear and done several installs with it I have not had the same contact with the Mackie gear. That said the MOTU stuff performs very well and is very stable. I have not seen any bad reviews of the Onyx as of yet, but it is still a pretty new piece of gear on the market.
But I would opt for either of those choices before spending money on the RME interface.
Jul 04, 2006 12:56 am Thanks for the replies.
Is EMU1820 compatible to Mac? I thought it was only for Windows.
And wasn't PCI only for desktops??
I'm so new to this and I don't know how I can use PCI...
And a question to Noize2u. Do you dislike RME for the price? Because fireface 800 demo will cost about $1200 and motu traveler will cost about $900. Why do you dislike RME?? I really hate the looks of fireface. It even reminds me of some industrial tools. lol.
Jul 04, 2006 01:53 pm Ohh my bad, I forgot you were using a laptop. Well go for USB or Firewire then. I've only had experience with a few middle priced interfaces so I can't add anything about these ones you are talking about.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jul 04, 2006 03:38 pm Well, they have had some issues that remain unresolved with the drivers and hardware being used in certain systems alongside certain hardware. In otherwords, compatability issues to be straight about it. Now there have been some users with absolutely no probems, but the issues that are there would simply deter me from spending that much on something I was unsure of.
