Interface Hell - Tracking Vocals Only

[Arpangel]

My take is the opposite actually, that there are so many really good choices, of a quality that would blow away most actual studio gear from 20 years ago.
But we're obviously looking for different things. Good luck with recording.

More choices than there ever has been, and for all pockets, and quality gaps have been closed so much today, it's basically down to what I/O you need.

[Dan Masden]

I see no mention of Focusrite, have you heard them or had any experience with them?
This is purely personal, but if money was no object and they offered me all the I/O I needed I'd get a Focusrite.
Why? because IMO they offer top class sound quality at a reasonable price with no compromises, you can pay more but you won’t get any appreciable improvements "in my opinion"
I gave a friend my old Focusrite Saffire interface and he immediately noticed it had a lovely sound, and that’s an old unit.
Something like a Clarrett expanded with an Octopre would give you a level of quality that would not be in any way a compromise or a weak link in any chain.
As for mic preamps, the choice of microphone is more important, and noticeable than any preamp change.
But if you’ve made up your mind fine, now get on and concentrate on your music.

I am not sure why I pass by FR. Maybe because the entry level is so pervasive it kind of makes the brand look cheap. You could be right though...I may try it at some point

[Dan Masden]

this thread if nothing else has verified what i have partly concluded. the choices are not that great, they could be better but at some point you have to settle. if there is someone here who thinks the choices are superduper mind blowing...then go with it...i just dont.

My take is the opposite actually, that there are so many really good choices, of a quality that would blow away most actual studio gear from 20 years ago.
But we're obviously looking for different things. Good luck with recording.

I understand and party agree. But for me if I am spending a few k on something I am somewhat picky. Like just today I told Nuemann the MT 48 would be ideal if they got rid of the the midi i/o and put proper line in on the back...so it can be something little like that too.

Anyway, I think I am cursed when it comes to UA. The seller shipped the x4 and it got mis-routed by UPS. Now it will slam around in a truck for a second time to make it here. I should have canceled the order but I am hanging in there. I also just bought the Orion and the Metric Halo LIO w/ 4 preamps. Not super psycd about any of them but hoping one will grow on me (or at least not explode on first run

MH mainly because of the strong upgrade path + supposedly Made in USA

Orion because I am used to and like some of the experience I had on the discreet. They were all made in Bulgaria but the story goes that now they get boards from Taiwanese and assemble protected tech on the homeland. Again, who really knows

[alexis]

Dan Masden,

I was wondering if you've already acoustically treated your recording room to the same top level as your interface will be?

[ef37a]

"Like just today I told Nuemann the MT 48 would be ideal if they got rid of the the midi i/o and put proper line in on the back..."

You leave Neumann bloody well alone Danny m'boy!
I am practically a lone voice here wanting MIDI 1/O preserved on interfaces.

OK so the MT48 uses 3.5mm TTS but at least they give us MIDI, so many AI peeps don't any more. (blessings to RME!)

Dave.

[jimjazzdad]

I think Mr. Masden is trolling this esteemed forum; he has been given plenty of good advice and opinions, yet he whines about all the excellent choices available today. Remember the hierarchy Dan: musicians, performance, room, mic choice and position, preamp, interface. Anyone here can make a decent recording given the first three.

[alexis]

I think Mr. Masden is trolling this esteemed forum; he has been given plenty of good advice and opinions, yet he whines about all the excellent choices available today. Remember the hierarchy Dan: musicians, performance, room, mic choice and position, preamp, interface. Anyone here can make a decent recording given the first three.

Ooh, I got it right!

I think a corollary to your statement, jimjazzdad, that might be even more appropriate to Mr. Masden's concern, is it is very difficult to make an excellent recording without at least all of the first three being present.

[Dan Masden]

canceled the Metric Halo (for now)
Instead bought the Crane Song HEDD 192 2-Channel AD w/Quantum DA

[Dan Masden]

"Like just today I told Nuemann the MT 48 would be ideal if they got rid of the the midi i/o and put proper line in on the back..."

You leave Neumann bloody well alone Danny m'boy!
I am practically a lone voice here wanting MIDI 1/O preserved on interfaces.

OK so the MT48 uses 3.5mm TTS but at least they give us MIDI, so many AI peeps don't any more. (blessings to RME!)

Dave.

I am a huge midi fan but with usb midi I doint see the value VS having to more trs line in. but mayby there are use case I dont understand.

[Dan Masden]

I think Mr. Masden is trolling this esteemed forum; he has been given plenty of good advice and opinions, yet he whines about all the excellent choices available today. Remember the hierarchy Dan: musicians, performance, room, mic choice and position, preamp, interface. Anyone here can make a decent recording given the first three.

that is a given and not the point of the thread. it is also a standard and stock non answer you see on many forums. then again , this thread has played itself out because there are actually only about a dozen interface co in the world....most already touched on. i find nothing that great out there however insignificant you claim the stage (s) to be.

[Sam Spoons]

I totally get you trying to find some 'mojo' in your gear I'm primarily a guitar player and we are notorious for it*...

But, I wonder if you are looking for it in the wrong place? There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the A/D & D/A converters in modern audio interfaces simply don't have 'a sound'** and all but the very cheapest are capable of producing release quality recordings.

* I have a decent digital multi fx unit (Headrush Gigboard), good speaker systems and so on which sound great but I find myself returning to a few analogue pedals and a small valve combo. I know the Headrush sounds as good as my analogue pedals 'cos I've A/B'd them but I still feel better playing through the old kit.

** And none that I am aware of to prove that they do...

[Aled Hughes]

The larger RME interfaces have a pile of line I/O on the back. Are they not a solution?

[Hugh Robjohns]

Discounted two pages back for not having XLR (presumably mic) inputs on the back!

...Or being the wrong size, or wrong colour, or made on the wrong continent, or some other nonsensical thing.

[Aled Hughes]

Discounted two pages back for not having XLR (presumably mic) inputs on the back!

...Or being the wrong size, or wrong colour, or made on the wrong continent, or some other nonsensical thing.

Hmm!

Dan- I thought line inputs on the back that did NOT go through a mic preamp were just what you wanted?

A lot - if not most? - line only inputs on interfaces and converters will be on TRS jacks. It’s just a different connector, not a lower standard.

[Bob Bickerton]

I’m with jimjazzdad, the OP refuses to answer reasonable questions asked which might help us to craft a better answer.

Bob

[BWC]

...the choices are not that great...

Spoiled brat!

[Arpangel]

I think Mr. Masden is trolling

AI?

[alexis]

One more time ... what type of room treatment do you have, Mr. Masden?

[Bob Bickerton]

One more time ... what type of room treatment do you have, Mr. Masden?

He doesn't answer questions......

Bob

[Hugh Robjohns]

One more time ... what type of room treatment do you have, Mr. Masden?

As he said in his very first post:

"... fix your acoustics and get a good mic not helpful this is "all other things being equal - and good"

[alexis]

One more time ... what type of room treatment do you have, Mr. Masden?

As he said in his very first post:

"... fix your acoustics and get a good mic not helpful this is "all other things being equal - and good"

To mangle the immortal words of Gary B. White in Long, Long Time:

Sounds like good advice, but I don't know what it means

(As in, "My acoustics are good"? If so, I'm wondering what they are, that he's moved down the list to focus on interfaces the way he has).

[Hugh Robjohns]

I'm inclined to ask, who cares?

He's focused on acquiring an interface, "cost no object".

But we don't really know whats wrong with most of those interfaces already rejected. We don't know what specific requirements are not being met. We don't know the reasoning behind the few details we have been given and legitimate questions are generally ignored.

I conclude that members' interests and efforts would be better spent elsewhere...

[MOF]

money no object

I can’t help thinking this is a troll post, if budget was not an issue why would you mess about with Antelope and UAD interfaces and not go straight to the top end gear mentioned?
“Interface Hell” there’s nothing hellish if all you’re doing is recording two channels, I have the UAD X4 gen 1 and it’s really straightforward and the direct monitoring with or without Unison plugins is a breeze.
It would be nice to be proved wrong but I’m not holding my breath.

I thought this on 9th, he'd joined on the 8th and everything about it screamed TROLL, I should followed my initial hunch.

[Dan Masden]

The larger RME interfaces have a pile of line I/O on the back. Are they not a solution?

RME interfaces have a pile of line I/O on the back it is true and i love that, just wish they had at least one xlr on back

latest =
canceled the Metric Halo (for now)...support/info never returned my few emails so why bother.

Instead bought the Crane Song HEDD 192 2-Channel AD w/Quantum DA. insanely great + can come spdif out to > in on discreet 4 - could call it good at that point.

decided to keep apollo x4 gen2 (for now) - still love/hate with UI / software but it is efficient for tracking. as has been my bad luck with UA the same simple SPDIF to SPDIF on HEDD > discreet - on the x4 would require adapter (so as they say "it's alaways somthin!") + all UA desktops I noticed finicky xlr inputs with some seating issues and more robust xlr on the rack units.

bought Orion used, was sort of excited. tried to plug in power on back of unit - immediate sparks like some kind of short from failing parts. returned it have now lost more faith in brand. So what was it, was my orig disreet made in Bulgaria and still flawless just better odds than the the now more suspect manu process they use? maybe it does matter. no time to be a test bench though so sadly the unit with perfect I/O off the table for now.

still dream of the actual perfect box...have not found it. knowing all the brands at this point i would say it doesn't exist.

[Aled Hughes]

The larger RME interfaces have a pile of line I/O on the back. Are they not a solution?

RME interfaces have a pile of line I/O on the back it is true and i love that, just wish they had at least one xlr on back

But why? It makes much more sense for them to put the line connections on TRS to save space.
All you need to do it use TRS-XLR cabling.