Okay, I have decided to make the switch from my iMic and a mixer to an audio interface that has two inputs so I can record two channels at once. I may be using external pre's at times so it must have line-in's. Also, right now I am using a Rev. A Mac Mini, but soon I will be upgrading to a Mac Intel Book to be named later. I will mainly use this to record acoustic guitar, vocals, bass, and ocassionally drums (using a mixer to sub mix and then into the audio interface). I will do everything for my own home enjoyment so my standards are real high. Here are the possibilities I have come up with from the Sweetwater catalog in my price range ($150 - $300): 1.)Lexicon Alpha (this is a new model) or Lambda - both are USB 2.)Tapco Link.USB 3.)Makie Spike (USB) 4.)Alesis io I 14 (what is this thing USB or Firewire?) 5.)M-Audio Firewire 410 6.)Presonus Firebox It doesn't matter to me if it is USB or Firewire, I guess my biggest requirement is the ability to use the line-in for external pre's. Thanks for any help!
though you can get serviceable sounds w/in that price range, you may want to re-examine your expectations. what s/w you going to run?
1.)Lexicon Alpha (this is a new model) or Lambda - both are USB 2.)Tapco Link.USB 3.)Makie Spike (USB) 4.)Alesis io I 14 (what is this thing USB or Firewire?) Firewire 5.)M-Audio Firewire 410 6.)Presonus Firebox 7) Edirol FA-66 Firewire List of all the Edirol interfaces
Do you have any suggestions out side of that price range for 2 channels? I'm open to other ideas. Also, thanks for the s/w question I meant to mention that. Right now I will use Garageband with the hopes of upgrading to Logic Express in the future when I get the MacBook to be named later.
WOWZA!! That might be a bit out of my price range. I'm just looking for something to record myself and my brother with for our own enjoyment. I would like to use some external pre's just because I have them and I like the sould of them on different instruments. Thanks for the help! I guess the FireBox is probably the most popular, I just thought I would check and see if anyone had any experience with any of these other devices.
Presonus Firebox some people on this forum have reportedly been displeased with the performance of the Presonus Firebox, though I myself do not have one so I can't say. You might want to stick with something from M-Audio. They have a good reputation, and I can tell you from experience that my M-Audio soundcard is the bomb.
understood. imo, in this industry you get what you pay for. a friend asked me to help him put together a front-end for GB with a $200 budget. he ended up getting a Studio Projects condensor mic and a 2-channel m-audio box. i'm sorry, but i don't recall the models. it was okay. it was a vast improvement over using the built-in mic, but sonically not good enough for my purposes. but good enough for his: mostly for his father-in-law, who plays acoustic guitar. ymmv.
We have two of the M-Audio FW 410's at my uni, and they work great when they work. There have been problems waking from sleep with them. Other than that it is a fairly nice interface, but you will def. want external mic preamps to use with it.