Looking to get an inexpensive audio interface (i.e. $200 or less) for my new i7 iMac. Just for my personal pleasure in garageband - I just want to be able to connect a mike (XLR, with phantom pwr), electric guitar, acoustic electric (Hi-Z?), and a keyboard. I'm only looking for two inputs to my Mac at a time (i.e. mike and instrument).
Anyways, I'm wondering if I want/need MIDI on my interface. My daughter plays keyboard. I know I can just use one of the inputs to take the sound in, but thought I might also want to use the MAC sounds and the keyboard as the MIDI controller. However - I have two keyboards. A 17yo Roland JV30 with MIDI (the sounds still sound great - but it's been gathering dust for a while), and a less expensive Yamaha consumer model with USB/Midi implementation.
Is there any reason why a USB/Midi implementation can't live alongside my audio box? I guess the only issue is whether I'm ever using a mike and MIDI keyboard at the same time, then I'm not sure how latency might be handled. Probably won't be an issue as I'm thinking about it - probably won't use those two inputs together at the same time much anyways. Bigger issue will probably be controlling all the cords and switching inputs!
Doing lots of reading on here and other forums to figure out what interface to get! USB vs. Fireware. MIDI/no MIDI. My #1 requirement is seamless integration with the Mac and Garageband (I've been burned by M-Audio drivers in the past on my PC!).
Anyways, I'm wondering if I want/need MIDI on my interface. My daughter plays keyboard. I know I can just use one of the inputs to take the sound in, but thought I might also want to use the MAC sounds and the keyboard as the MIDI controller. However - I have two keyboards. A 17yo Roland JV30 with MIDI (the sounds still sound great - but it's been gathering dust for a while), and a less expensive Yamaha consumer model with USB/Midi implementation.
Is there any reason why a USB/Midi implementation can't live alongside my audio box? I guess the only issue is whether I'm ever using a mike and MIDI keyboard at the same time, then I'm not sure how latency might be handled. Probably won't be an issue as I'm thinking about it - probably won't use those two inputs together at the same time much anyways. Bigger issue will probably be controlling all the cords and switching inputs!
Doing lots of reading on here and other forums to figure out what interface to get! USB vs. Fireware. MIDI/no MIDI. My #1 requirement is seamless integration with the Mac and Garageband (I've been burned by M-Audio drivers in the past on my PC!).