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03-16-2014, 06:26 PM
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#1
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Nashville
Posts: 2
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USB Interface Questions
I'm recording a podcast with a co-host and I'm looking to upgrade my set up. We're currently using a single USB mic and the sound quality suffers some because of this. I would like to have a two mic set up, and from playing around with my laptop, it's looking like I'm going to have to get a USB interface. I've looked into some different interfaces, but since I'm a complete newbie, I don't really know what I need to be looking for. So, what would be a good, inexpensive interface for recording two guys speaking?
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03-16-2014, 11:53 PM
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#2
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Northeast Michigan
Posts: 3,460
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We would be better able to answer if we knew exactly what you need. Only 2 mic's? Easy enough answer. Just about any USB interface that will handle 2 inputs will do. I really like the Focusrite Scarlett series.
But you need to ask yourself if you are ever going to expand? Will you ever have more than one guest? Will you ever need more than 2 inputs? It might be better to plan ahead.
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03-17-2014, 01:18 AM
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#3
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,247
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffsounds
We would be better able to answer if we knew exactly what you need. Only 2 mic's? Easy enough answer. Just about any USB interface that will handle 2 inputs will do. I really like the Focusrite Scarlett series.
But you need to ask yourself if you are ever going to expand? Will you ever have more than one guest? Will you ever need more than 2 inputs? It might be better to plan ahead.
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I've also started with a 2mic (preamp) interface, and ended with a 8preamp scarlett.
Having a 2/4 preamp:
Pros - it can also be usb powered, so you need no extra electrical cable if your computer battery is ok. It is smaller and portable.
Cons - you can not upgrade in a nice way, just adding another soundcard would complicate your workflow and there would be problems with clock etc. Sometimes bigger interfaces work better, have less electrical disturbance due to their bigger mass.
And finally never underestimate yourself getting perhaps a serious sound engineer sometimes. So start with a bit more you thought you ever need.
__________________
W10 (64) Lenovo E540 - SSD; Lenovo B590; W7 (32), Compaq 610 (2.1Ghz core 2 duo, L2 cache, 2GB RAM); DPA 4018, Schoeps MK2, Schoeps MTSC 64, Neumann mk184, AEA Ribbon 88mk, AKG SolidTUBE; Focusrite Scarlett 18i20, recording merely live acoustic music.
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03-17-2014, 04:15 AM
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#4
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Northeast Michigan
Posts: 3,460
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Quote:
Originally Posted by urednik
Having a 2/4 preamp:
Pros - it can also be usb powered, so you need no extra electrical cable if your computer battery is ok. It is smaller and portable.
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That can also be a con as it adds just one more thing to be traveling through the USB cable and could slow things and introduce latency.
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03-17-2014, 09:09 AM
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#5
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Seattle
Posts: 5,637
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffsounds
That can also be a con as it adds just one more thing to be traveling through the USB cable and could slow things and introduce latency.
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That's not how USB power works. Data is carried on a separate circuit from power.
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03-17-2014, 01:57 PM
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#6
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Northeast Michigan
Posts: 3,460
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jerome_oneil
That's not how USB power works. Data is carried on a separate circuit from power.
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Just something I heard last night while watching this video. Go to about 5:07.
Of course, it was about 4am and I had a MONSTER headache going on... not to make excuses...
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03-17-2014, 02:00 PM
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#7
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Seattle
Posts: 5,637
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffsounds
Just something I heard last night while watching this video. Go to about 5:07.
Of course, it was about 4am and I had a MONSTER headache going on... not to make excuses...
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I can appreciate posting while hung over.
Pictures always make it better.
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03-17-2014, 08:57 PM
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#8
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Northeast Michigan
Posts: 3,460
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jerome_oneil
I can appreciate posting while hung over.
Pictures always make it better.
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Not hung over...haven't had a drink in years after a long battle... Just had one of those monster headaches that I get about twice a year and they just kick my ass...
So the guy was wrong then? Should I send my buddy, Vito to "chat" with him?
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03-18-2014, 10:12 AM
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#9
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Nashville
Posts: 2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffsounds
We would be better able to answer if we knew exactly what you need. Only 2 mic's? Easy enough answer. Just about any USB interface that will handle 2 inputs will do. I really like the Focusrite Scarlett series.
But you need to ask yourself if you are ever going to expand? Will you ever have more than one guest? Will you ever need more than 2 inputs? It might be better to plan ahead.
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The Scarlett 2i2 is pretty much what I am looking for. Since my original post, and after looking at the Scarlett interfaces, I got a good idea of what I should be looking for. I've also looked at Tascam 322 as a possible option. There is just a lot of products that seemed to fit what I need, so my initial concern was buying too much or not enough, or buying a crappy product.
As far as planning ahead, I would like to eventually have a set up where I can have more mics. But as of right now, I don't have a permanent place to record. I go to my co-host, but I also do all the editing of the show. So, mobility is a factor.
Anyway, I appreciate the incite and all of ya'll's help with my ultra-newbie question. I have a much better idea of what I should be looking to accomplish what I need.
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03-18-2014, 02:32 PM
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#10
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: McMinnville, TN
Posts: 395
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I have a Tascam US-1641 8 channel interface, similar to the US-1800. It's cheap and works well. I also have an ART USB Dual Pre that I picked up for about $50. It allows 2 individual mics to be recorded on individual tracks. I haven't tried it, but apparently you can and extra Dual Pre interfaces as your needs grow and make them function as a single unit using ASIO4ALL to create an "aggregate device". This could get you going cheap and and extra inputs 2 at a time as your needs may grow.
__________________
Latest recording setup: 2.2Ghz, 1gig RAM, Tascam US-1641, Reaper!
It's reliable for at least 10 simultaneous tracks up to 45 minutes.
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03-18-2014, 03:14 PM
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#11
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,409
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffsounds
So the guy was wrong then? Should I send my buddy, Vito to "chat" with him?
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That's a really interesting comment he made in that video. I've never heard of how that could be relevant, and it's strange to hear it coming from an "official" source like that... ("official" == Focusrite t-shirt :-) )
My understanding is that USB does use some data communication to negotiate the power needs of a particular device, so it's not like it's 100% relevant only to the power lines, but it's hard to imagine it making any kind of significant difference whatsoever to the "bandwidth" available to the device in general operation. I think you should send Vito over to chat with him and ask for a clarification or three. Maybe USB power negotiation really does involve a lot of chatter on the line...
Presumably the noise floor difference he mentioned has nothing to do with the data coming across on the connection but something relating to the change in power supply handling in the box that allows it to be less noisy when it doesn't use USB power (computer power supplies are notorious, after all). There's no way sending power over USB somehow corrupts the digital signal transferred in any way -- the USB standard would obviously useless if that was the case.
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03-18-2014, 03:17 PM
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#12
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,409
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Hey -- one request for all podcasters out there -- when you set up to do an interview, please don't find the reverbiest room in the building with bare drywall everywhere because it "has the best sound".
Use the deadest, shag-carpet-on-the-walliest, least-reverby room you can find.
You will be doing the internet a great favor. :-)
Oh, and keep the pace up. Podcasts are so often interminably slow. :-)
Sorry, done now.
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03-18-2014, 04:01 PM
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#13
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Northeast Michigan
Posts: 3,460
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleepy_Time
The Scarlett 2i2 is pretty much what I am looking for. Since my original post, and after looking at the Scarlett interfaces, I got a good idea of what I should be looking for. I've also looked at Tascam 322 as a possible option. There is just a lot of products that seemed to fit what I need, so my initial concern was buying too much or not enough, or buying a crappy product.
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I would go with the Focusrite. Why? Because one of their support guys hangs out here and is VERY helpful whenever there is a problem.
I've never seen that kind of support from ANY other company other than Cockos...
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03-18-2014, 05:05 PM
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#14
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 20
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Couldn't be happier with my Focusrite 18i8.
Rock solid interface.
Buy with confidence.
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03-18-2014, 05:08 PM
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#15
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 29,269
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffsounds
Just had one of those monster headaches that I get about twice a year and they just kick my ass...
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Used to get those and man they sucked. At one time it was twice a week, then twice a year and now, haven't had one in 5 years or more. I can't tell you how glad I am I outgrew them or whatever stopped them.
__________________
Music is what feelings sound like.
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03-18-2014, 09:06 PM
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#16
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Northeast Michigan
Posts: 3,460
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Quote:
Originally Posted by karbomusic
Used to get those and man they sucked. At one time it was twice a week, then twice a year and now, haven't had one in 5 years or more. I can't tell you how glad I am I outgrew them or whatever stopped them.
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Wish I would outgrow them... funny... I never had one when I was drinking...
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03-19-2014, 09:29 AM
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#17
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 259
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Quote:
Originally Posted by partonkevin
I have a Tascam US-1641 8 channel interface, similar to the US-1800. It's cheap and works well. I also have an ART USB Dual Pre that I picked up for about $50. It allows 2 individual mics to be recorded on individual tracks. I haven't tried it, but apparently you can and extra Dual Pre interfaces as your needs grow and make them function as a single unit using ASIO4ALL to create an "aggregate device". This could get you going cheap and and extra inputs 2 at a time as your needs may grow.
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Yes, it could get you going cheap, but you'll run into problems with intra-converter latency:
there is a SLIGHT delay with every different brand of AD converter chip, and when you start to mix them up like that (unless you're absolutely, positively sure the manufacturers and drivers are the exact same), you'll run into audio phase issues if you should ever split stereo tracks between the different interfaces...and I'm not 100% on how ASIO4All's clocking scheme is, but if 2 different converter sets are running independant digital clocks, those alignment (rather than scaring y'all with the word SYNC) issues will be exacerbated.
__________________
"We're like geeky and shit: I'm hanging out on a message board about a recording program. It's kinda expected to be all up in arms about something as ridiculously abstract as 24->16 bit dithering..." -RPR usr nickm
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03-19-2014, 10:08 AM
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#18
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Seattle
Posts: 5,637
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Bragging rights: I have Ajay Bhatt's business card in my wallet.
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03-19-2014, 04:01 PM
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#19
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: McMinnville, TN
Posts: 395
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audioguy_on_ca
Yes, it could get you going cheap, but you'll run into problems with intra-converter latency:
there is a SLIGHT delay with every different brand of AD converter chip, and when you start to mix them up like that (unless you're absolutely, positively sure the manufacturers and drivers are the exact same), you'll run into audio phase issues if you should ever split stereo tracks between the different interfaces...and I'm not 100% on how ASIO4All's clocking scheme is, but if 2 different converter sets are running independant digital clocks, those alignment (rather than scaring y'all with the word SYNC) issues will be exacerbated.
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I hadn't thought about this. The "alignment" could very well be off. Years ago I tried to get more inputs by adding extra PCI sound cards to my computer. I finally got through the nightmare of finding "compatible" cards that would work together without conflict, but then I experienced a new problem. While trying to do 4-track tape dumps to the computer I noticed that my stereo "pairs" would drift. The longer the dump, the more drift. I finally decided that it was a "clocking" issue due to each soundcard having it's own clock source. I was able to overcome that by removing the crystal from one card and soldering jumpers from one to the other...in effect making a "master" clock. Ultimately it was just too much aggravation to experiment any further.
FYI, I was sometimes able to "sync" the drifting tracks by doing a time stretch after the fact. Still, it was very annoying.
__________________
Latest recording setup: 2.2Ghz, 1gig RAM, Tascam US-1641, Reaper!
It's reliable for at least 10 simultaneous tracks up to 45 minutes.
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03-21-2014, 02:49 AM
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#20
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 32
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Hi Sleepy_Time
You are always welcome to get in touch with your requirements, and we can discuss which Focusrite interface would best suit your needs. http://global.focusrite.com/answerbase/contact
Best,
__________________
David // Focusrite Technical Support Engineer
Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited - UK
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03-21-2014, 09:44 AM
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#21
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,409
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David@Focusrite
You are always welcome to get in touch with your requirements, and we can discuss which Focusrite interface would best suit your needs.
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Hi Dave -- any comment on that video's point that being USB powered frees up significant bandwidth? Just curious. Thanks, -c
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