Simple Solution for Four Inputs
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Posted on Aug 09, 2009 12:08 pm
TromboneAl
Member Since: Aug 09, 2009
Relative newbie here...
I'm looking for a simple solution for recording four inputs and doing mixing later.
I can currently have two mics that plug into the plain old 1/8" mic plug on my laptop, and I record with Audacity.
That would be fine except for this: I want to use four mics and not two.
I'm assuming that I can buy an audio interface, plug it into the laptop, plug four mics into the audio interface, run Audacity and go. Is that right?
What is a simple and inexpensive, 4-input audio interface that will allow me to do this? My laptop has firewire as well as USB.
Thanks,
Al
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Aug 09, 2009 03:12 pm The world is your oyster on that - I'd just start browsing (GC, MF, Zzounds, etc., etc., etc.) and find something that looks like it has the features you'd want.
And you might want to go with Reaper or something a little more "multi-track" oriented... Though many interfaces will come bundled with some sort of "LE" program...
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Aug 09, 2009 09:19 pm Quote:
What is a simple and inexpensive, 4-input audio interface that will allow me to do this
Don't forget that you'll need preamps.
Here's the first one I'd look at:
www.zzounds.com...tem--MDOFTULTRA
there are more spendy units that have 4 or 8 preamp inputs, but they certainly go up in $$$ from here.
I'd also suggest Reaper as a nice step into multi-track DAW. It's free to try, and is uncrippled unexpireing shareware, so you can try for a bit. Plus, it's totally capable to track / mix / master (if you're not picky).
But it's cheap too, so you won't be out a ton.
www.reaper.fm
* edit * Oh yeah, welcome to the HRC, trombones ROCK!
Aug 14, 2009 01:04 pm Thanks guys. I came across this product, which could possibly kill two birds with one stone:
www.samsontech.com/produc...cfm?prodID=1901
According to the blurb below, I could use it to record four channels at once, and as an audio interface. You thoughts?
----------------
It’s also a 4-Track Recorder!
Unlike other field recorders, the H4 also has a 4-track recording mode for easy-to-use mobile multi-track recording. The H4 will also render 4-track audio with CD quality, 16-bit/44.1 kHz resolution.
Songwriters and musicians can use the combination XLR-1/4-inch high-impedance phone inputs for vocals, guitars, bass or keyboards. Also on-board are Zoom's most incredible guitar and bass amplifier modeling effects. These effects accurately reproduce the sounds of the most famous guitar amps ever made.
And by-the-way, it’s also an Audio Interface
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Aug 16, 2009 12:46 pm I've heard nothing but good reports on the unit so far. And the audio quality is more then acceptable as well. I'm actually thinking of replacing my minidisc recorder with one.