Best Audio Interface: What to look for and how to make sense of the various parameters.
Before proceeding, you may want to read this guide on digital audio interfaces, that explains how they differ from sound-cards, and what the various types are, and gives a general overview of this useful recording equipment.
The best audio interface would be one with a lower Latency, better quality AD/DA converter, pre-amps (so that you can record live sounds effectively). It also depends on your budget and comfort level – If you are not comfortable with the PCI type, go for the firewire or USB one. For the serious musicians & producers who’re going to record lots of instruments, one with lots of inputs and outputs is advisable as it gives a lot of flexibility.
Here are more factors to consider.
Choosing the Best One
If you have read that article, you would have got an idea that there really can’t be one-size-fits-all solution to this requirement.
Choosing the best audio interface depends on what are your requirements and of course your budget.
For example, what’s the point of getting a 16-input Pro-tools HD rig if you have a home studio and are really not going to use more than a couple of inputs?
This applies to most solo singers & songwriters, who at the most may also use a guitar or a keyboard/piano.
How Many Inputs Do You Need?
I gave an example above, so it will depend on what you are going to record, and how many instruments you want to record simultaneously.
So an interface with only a single microphone input will also suffice many musicians. However, if you’re a group of musicians (band) or you do have guest musicians coming over to your place, you should consider 4 or 8 simultaneous inputs.
Types of Inputs
There are various types of inputs available on an audio interface. So it’s not just the numbers that matters, you also need to be aware of the types that are available.
So even though an interface might proclaim to have 8 inputs, it could include auxiliary inputs, inserts, and digital S/PDIF inputs as well.
These types are not really pre-amp inputs that are required for connecting microphones or for recording other musical instruments, these are used for connecting other external studio devices.
For most general requirements (recording multiple mics and instruments directly) you should look at the number of XLR mic/line inputs the unit has, as well as the number of included pre-amps.
If the interface comes with 8 xlr inputs but has only 2 pre-amps, you’ll need an external mixer or pre-amp to connect the various mics and instruments into those inputs.
Should You Consider I/O Expandability
It depends on whether this is a hobby, or you’re really serious about music production.
So even though 2 inputs may suffice at the moment, in the future you may need more, probably to record a live band.
In that case, you should consider an Audio interface that comes with a digital I/O connection such as ADAT light pipe; this allows you to increase the number of inputs and outputs.
ADAT light pipe is a single digital connection that can carry 8 additional input signals.
So in the future, you just need to purchase a 4-8 channel mic preamp that comes with a light pipe output and connect it to your existing interface. Another added benefit is that this allows you to upgrade the A/D (audio to digital) converters to get a better a better sound quality (converters on cheaper interfaces are not always the best quality).
Sound Quality
Good sound quality is dependent on having excellent sound A/D converters and mic pres. There is no reliable way to do a test as such, on your own, and for most purposes you can assume that the more expensive ones will have a far better sound quality.
Other parameters/specs that are critical when it comes to digital sound include the Bit depth and sample rate. CD quality audio is played back at 16-bit 44.1 kHz, but you can now buy recording interfaces that go up to 24-bit 192 kHz sampling rates. Sampling rates vary from; 44.1k, 48k, 88.2k, 96k, and 192K. The more expensive ones give you the option to record at all of these rates.
Buy an interface with at least a 24 bit option. Recording at 24-bit 48 KHz is the sweet spot so I would recommend looking for interfaces in that range.
Higher the bit and sample rates, the more hard drive space you need for the recorded audio. I personally never record higher than 48 KHz for general music recording.
Driver Problems
Another thing to consider while choosing a soundcard is to make sure that the drivers will work on your computer/operating system.
This is actually a tricky area since the drivers behave differently on different machines. Even if it works, you may have to download a different set of drivers whenever a new operating system is launched.
Just make sure that the soundcard you wish to buy has the following:
Bundled with Recording Software
Many audio interfaces come with some sort of recording software or DAW (digital audio workstation), usually it is some sort of light version and not a full featured version.
However, you do get audio interfaces that offer all-in-one solution, the more popular ones include the Digidesgn Pro Tools LE packages.
Note: Pro-tools require you to have a Digidesign interface like the Mbox or 002, non-digidesign interfaces don’t work with the software. This is an extremely limiting factor when it comes to pro-tools products. Digidesign has become more flexible in recent years and have started offering the Pro-Tools M-powered which runs on M-Audio devices. Every other DAW software out there lets you use any USB interface you choose, including a digidesign product!
To Conclude
When shopping for an audio interface, you need to consider factors such as: budget, how many inputs you need, are the inputs expandable, do you want to use Pro-Tools, is the software included with the interface, can you record at multiple bit rates and sampling rates, and so on.
As a musician or audio engineer, this is what you need to know when looking for the best audio interface.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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