USB Audio Interface for recording into Garageband or Audacity (M-Audio, Line6?)

blueswithafeeling

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Audio Interface for recording into Garageband or Audacity (USB, Firewire, Mixers)

Do people have any preferred USB audio interfaces (sub-$150) for recording ukulele and vocals to the computer? I am looking at the M-Audio Fast Track (MK II) and the MobilePre and the difference seems to be USB 1.1 (I think MKII is 2.0) and 16bit vs 24bit and $20 difference in cost. The MKII seems to be new so I haven't seen any real reviews of it. Also looking at the Line6 Pod UX2 but I don't really need the modeling and don't like the idea that the controls are part of the included program so don't know if it will work with say Audacity or Garageband.

Does anyone have/use any of these (or others that they like) and have any thoughts to share?

Thanks,

-Atin
 
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I use an Alesis mixer, and I'm very happy with it, but a mate has a Behringer Xenyx 1204 with USB which I also like very much.

My Alesis suffers from some hiss on monitoring (which doesn't carry over onto the recorded track). The Behringer monitor sound seems cleaner to me. It's a great little mixer with very nice mic preamps. Would also work with a PA for gigs :).

It'll take separate mics for vocal and uke if you want, with XLR inputs to spare. Phantom power for condensers.

$129.95 from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-120...cal-instruments&qid=1267199677&sr=8-1-catcorr
 
I wasn't even considering mixers because just looking at them made me think they'll be way more expensive given all the knobs and stuff! More research to do . . . :)

-Atin
 
I'm using an ART Tube MP Project Series USB pre-amp purchased for under $100. It has XLR and 1/4" inputs, and USB, XLR, and 1/4" outputs.

I have a Behringer XM8500 dynamic mic (~$30-35) hooked up to the ART.

I feed it into the "Line In" on my sound card using an XLR to 1/8" mini plug. The XLR outputs have more volume than the USB output. Since I am using a dynamic mic it helps. I like my mic to be sensitive so I'm not standing right on it.



The audio file has not been filtered, normalized, etc. Recorded at 16 bit 48kHz and converted to MP3 using 224 bit.

The mic sits on a desk and is angled up at about 45°. The sound hole of the uke is probably about 8"-10" below the mic and 22"-24" away from it.

I am playing a soprano Flea strung with Worth CM.
 
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spots, thanks for the sound file - it sounded quite clean. The ART Tube MP Project Series preamp is a single channel preamp, correct? I like the sound, but would prefer at least two channels so I can plug both my mic (choice of using either a condenser or dynamic), and my guitar or ukulele.

I also realized that I should be looking at zero latency monitoring and line-in connectivity given that I will want to record at least two to three tracks eventually, doing them separately.

-Atin
 
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Peavey makes a six channel USB mixing board called the PV6 USB. It runs about $130 MSRP.

Yes the ART Tube MP Project Series USB is a single channel preamp. It has a few features that the lower priced (and older) non USB Tube MP series lacked.

Art also sells a dual channel "ART Dual Pre USB" which has a USB output (no XLR outputs), headphone monitoring, and accepts two XLR or 1/4" inputs. It also supplies phantom power. It does not have quite as much gain on the input as the Tube MP USB, and it does not have a built in limiter or separate output gain control. I like the output gain control and limit filter on the Tube MP USB because they help to keep the output levels from spiking (even with the input gain turned up) before they pass into the computer.
 
Anyone know about the Behringer C-1U...direct condenser into PC compatible with Audacity? Any thoughts about such an approach? Better to use one of the Xenyx offerings?
 
I use the M-Audio MobilePre. Works like a charm with GarageBand.
 
I am considering the Behringer Xenyx mixers after Rick's post. But now I'm thinking about how much I really need the USB interface. Since all mixers under $200 are USB 1.1, they only put out the stereo mix onto the USB to the computer and cannot send out all the inputs as separate tracks to the computer. So I can't be doing multitrack recording anyway whether I use USB or not (not that I foresee recording more than two people at the same time given my musical preferences). Is the signal just much cleaner on USB because it is digital? How bad is it if I just plug the mixer's stereo/tape outs to the line-in on a soundcard (Macbook Pro in my case, but same idea) with an rca to 1/8" Y connector? I'll still get just the stereo mix that I would get using a USB 1.1 audio interface and they run a lot cheaper without the USB or Firewire connections. I think the Macbook Pro's sound interface is plenty fast enough to record a stereo mix from what I've read and so I am looking at the cheaper mixers that give me enough inputs (Behringer Xenyx 840 for example) to plug in upto two mics or one mic and one guitar/ukulele thru a DI, and my drum machine. The USB 1.1 interfaces also send back at most two tracks to the mixer for monitoring, which the soundcard out to stereo/tape in could do as well so it isn't a win there either. Or should I just go USB because of the potential for less noise?

-Atin
 
The USB interface is cleaner as it is digital. Using the line in on a PC is iffy at best unless you have atop of the line sound card. A lot of system noise and interference can be heard on built in sound cards etc. depending on how good the shielding is. The quality of the microphone is important as well.

(Ever think of a Zoom H2? its a 4 chan digital recorder AND is a USB mic/audio interface. $160 ish on e-bay Just sayin)

That being said, not all USB interfaces are equal either as I found out this week when i picked up a cheap USB audio interface form CompUSA, and quickly returned.

Stick with a name brand, and all should be ok.
 
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I don't think USB is automatically the right/best choice.

My mic pre-amp has both XLR and USB outputs. I find the USB output to have less volume than the XLR output. To get the USB output to have the same volume as the XLR output, I have to turn the pre-amp's output gain control up significantly. Then I have to max out Audacity's USB input recording volume. This introduces some white noise into the recording.

The XLR to Line In is nearly silent in terms of noise.

The recording via USB is still very usable, but with my setup the pre-amp's XLR output to the Line In on the computer produces better and cleaner recordings.
 
Going with the Behringer Xenyx 802 and the UCA202 Audio Adaptor...will update...

The 802 is on sale at Guitar Center.
 
Spots...

Do you turn up the levels in windows sound manger?

When I use my USB mic that is the first thing i check, and the level is usually very very low.

right click on the volume and depending one the version of windows the settings are in there.

e-mail me at jt (at) nightgig.com and i can walk you through checking that if you need the help.

JT
 
Going with the Behringer Xenyx 802 and the UCA202 Audio Adaptor...will update...

The 802 is on sale at Guitar Center.

Thanks! I'd like to hear how you do with that. I am thinking about the same - and since I don't need pristine quality, I'm going to check both with and without the audio interface before I decide to keep it or just go for the Xenyx 1204USB.
 
(Ever think of a Zoom H2? its a 4 chan digital recorder AND is a USB mic/audio interface. $160 ish on e-bay Just sayin)

I have and it was on my list too - but then seeing that I could get a Xenyx 1204USB for less (and since I already have access to a few different kinds/qualities of mics from my friends), I am thinking of having a mixer in the mix. :)

Though I guess the real goal is just to get the sound of my guitar/ukulele and my voice onto the computer in decent enough quality to be able to enjoy it if I do well, so cheap+good enough trumps bells and whistles!

-Atin
 
Thanks! I'd like to hear how you do with that. I am thinking about the same - and since I don't need pristine quality, I'm going to check both with and without the audio interface before I decide to keep it or just go for the Xenyx 1204USB.

Will do. Am picking up the 802 tomorrow...but will probably have to order the UCA202...

The best to you.
 
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