Which Audio Connections?
Ask yourself what types of instruments you will be recording. What types of connections and Audio Cables do you need? 1/4”, XLR, RCA, MIDI? Have all of your bases covered before deciding. In addition, you’ll want to know how many tracks you need to record at one time. If you’re a solo performer, you may only need to record your guitar and voice. On the other hand, you will want to think ahead. Maybe 6 months from now you’ll be recording your friend’s band. It is best to buy an interface you can grow into, so you don’t have to buy it twice. Figure out how many microphones you’ll be recording at once. Do they need Phantom Power? Does the interface have an option to expand microphone preamp capabilities (ADAT)?
Next up are outputs. Do you own outboard gear such as Audio Compressors or delays? You can use extra audio outputs to incorporate existing gear into your rig. Use more than one pair of Studio Monitors. Create separate mixes for each musician. There are lots of reasons for extra outputs.
Which Computer Connection?
The most popular way of getting audio into the computer is via USB. USB Audio Interfaces are typically hot-swappable, which means your computer doesn’t need to reboot to use the device. The USB protocol provides 5 volts of power to connected devices, also referred to as bus-power. If you’re mobile recording, this can be a huge plus. However, usually when an interface relies entirely on bus power, it is not a viable option for providing Phantom Power. For this reason, many manufacturers also include an external power supply.
If you own a Mac, take a look at the offerings in the Thunderbolt Audio Interfaces category. Thunderbolt has the highest data transfer rate and is backwards compatible. It also allows for daisy chaining so that hard drives or other peripherals will still work even if you lack extra thunderbolt ports.
Here are the official connection speeds of each:
USB Audio Interfaces - 480Mbps (USB2)/ 5Gbps (USB3)
Thunderbolt Audio Interfaces - 10Gbps (TB1)/ 20Gbps (TB2)
Sample Rates & Bit Depths
A recording’s sample rate refers to the amount of samples taken per second. Think of it the same way you would think of a film. A film is a sequence of individual photos played in rapid succession, which in turn fools the brain into thinking it is one continuous flow. The sample rate is the exact same concept, but strictly applied to audio. A sample rate of 44.1kHz means forty-four thousand one hundred samples are taken per second. Commercial CDs have sample rates at 44.1kHz but many audio interfaces record up to 192kHz and beyond. When you capture more information, it makes for a more accurate recording. Look at your options - if you’re working inside the box and not recording with microphones, the sample rate may not be important to you. However, if you’re recording delicate instruments such as strings or woodwinds, you’re going to want higher fidelity to capture all the subtle nuances. A higher sample rate will help you achieve this.
Bit depths represent the quality of each individual slice of audio. As bit depth increases so does the resolution of the audio and its dynamic range. Commercial compact discs are 16-bit. Professional audio, high-definition and DVD-audio applications use 24-bit. As you increase sample rate and bit depth your file sizes will also increase. Be sure you have enough hard drive space or invest in an external.
Regardless of your choice, make sure your computer is powerful enough. Always look at the recommended system specifications on the box. There are two numbers, “minimum” and “suggested” requirements. Follow the suggested requirements for the best performance. On a Mac it can be found under About this Mac. If you use a Windows-based machine, type System Information in the search box and choose the result. Also, know that American Musical Supply is here to help. Please call us at 1-800-458-4076 to speak with an expert, today. You'll be glad you did.
About the Author - Headsnack
