Recording drum kits can require upwards of 8 microphones.
#What is the best firewire audio interface for mac full#
However, if you want to record a drum kit or full band, you will need significantly more inputs and outputs. If you’re recording fingerstyle guitar, you may want a second mic input to capture the string sounds more authentically. If you’re a signer-songwriter recording acoustic music, you could get by with just one microphone preamp and a line-level input. How many inputs and outputs you need is completely dependant on your goals and what you want to record. This may be the most important factor to consider when deciding what to look for in an audio interface. Choosing the right input/output configuration Simply put, if you plan on recording and monitoring production-quality audio, you are going to need a dedicated audio interface. On top of those issues, electromagnetic and radio interference can majorly effect the incoming audio in a negative way. If you’re lucky there may be a separate output for headphones as well. Usually just an 1/8″ mic input and an 1/8″ speaker output. The fact of the matter is, though, the sound quality of built-in soundcards is just not very good.Īdditionally, there are very limited input and output options. When you’re beginning, it can be tempting to use your computer’s built-in sound card (which itself is an audio interface.) In fact, when I first began recording my own music, I used the built-in microphone on my parents HP computer. They also include at least one microphone preamplifier and may include digital ins and outs as well.
Most audio interfaces include line level inputs for recording an instrument as well as line level outputs for monitoring. It also converts the digital signals from your computer into analogue signals, sending them to your studio monitors or headphones. It converts sound from analogue signals into a digital format readable by your computer. Simply put, an audio interface is a device which connects your microphone/instrument and your computer. This quick guide will help you navigate the waters and decide which audio interface is right for you.
With so many options on the market, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but fear not. So how do you know which audio interface will be the best for you and your home studio? Audio interfaces come with large variety of input and output configurations, connection types and many other options to consider.