Audio Interfaces, what's your recommendation?

[Virgil.]

Ok, so I picked up a Peavey Vypyr Tube 60w a few weeks back, but i've been having issues with direct USB connection from the amp to my computer. I currently don't have a real interface, so i've been connecting directly into my USB on my computer and using the internal soundcard.

problem - i'm experiencing way too much latency, so I can't monitor on demand.

fix - i've been told that if I get a real interface, that my latency issues should be solved since i'm not trying to monitor with my internal on-board soundcard.

another issue - i'm low on funds. Which one of these would you recommend for me to get as a first-timer real interface user?

E-MU 0202 USB 2.0 Audio interface

M-Audio MobilePre USB Portable Audio Interface

M-Audio FireWire Solo Mobile Audio Interface

Digidesign Mbox 2 Mini Portable Audio Workstation 2009 Educational Edition

I know most of you may pick the most expensive one... but i'd prefer to stick with the cheaper ones first if they will do what I want to do with it. I'm not looking to track multiple items at a time through the interface. I'm using Reaper by the way. I just want to be able to have backing tracks playing, and then be able to record over the backing tracks without having any sort of delay when i'm playing.

Thank you all, in advance, for any suggestions and feedback you can provide.

EDIT: I'm not sure if this will influence your opinion, but I'm using a PC, running Windows XP, with an intel core 2 Duo processor, and 2 gigs of ram. I've been wanting to get a MAC, but again... no $. LOL

 

[PhilTheBeard]

Bro i have a mbox mini and i love it. thats what i would pick out of all those

 

[Dennis Shaw]

I know you don't have it listed but I've had great luck with a Line 6 TonePort UX1. $150 and it comes with POD Farm.

 

[Virgil.]

Bro i have a mbox mini and i love it. thats what i would pick out of all those

I'm thinking about that since i've heard FANTASTIC things about MBox.

I know you don't have it listed but I've had great luck with a Line 6 TonePort UX1. $150 and it comes with POD Farm.

I've heard that some of the Line 6 interfaces have latency issues. What's your setup? How have you gotten around any delay? Do you monitor real time w/ studio monitors? Headphones? And is POD Farm version you get a trial version? I've seen just the Pod farm software being sold for $300 separately.

 

[PhilTheBeard]

yeah and it comes with some pretty cool plugins to with the mbox

 

[Line666]

I'm thinking about that since i've heard FANTASTIC things about MBox.



I've heard that some of the Line 6 interfaces have latency issues. What's your setup? How have you gotten around any delay? Do you monitor real time w/ studio monitors? Headphones? And is POD Farm version you get a trial version? I've seen just the Pod farm software being sold for $300 separately.

Depends on the speed of your computer really. Although I wouldnt say the drivers are amazing with a decent pc you should be able to get a good latency.

You get the basic version of Pod Farm with the Line 6 Studio series, not the more expensive - all shit included version, and no its not a trial.

I'm using a Toneport (now Studio, same thing, different name) GX through a pair of KRK's, and I'm not having any problems, as I said the line 6 drivers could be better but with a fast pc you wont have any problems using a lot of plugs/sims/vsts with a line 6 interface.

 

[Dennis Shaw]

My setup is the older TonePort UX1 that I paid $80 for. I'm running it into an iMac with M-Audio Studiophile 30s. Zero-latency with monitoring turned on. I use Gearbox and various impulses I've picked up along the way.

 

[Virgil.]

I'll look into the Line 6 then. My computer isn't too fast... it's supposedly a 2.6 ghz, and I recently upgraded to 2 gigs of ram.

If anyone else has other recommendations aside from MAudio, MBox or Line 6, feel free to list them. I'd say my budget is preferably under $200.

 

[Virgil.]

Ok, so i'll add this to my list of considerations too..

Line 6 POD Studio UX1 with POD Farm
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Line-6-UX1-with-PF?sku=250003

Any other recommendations or suggestions?

 

[Jind]

I have both a Line 6 interface and an E-MU 0202 and find both of them to be good for low cost interfaces. One thing of note should be that the lower end Line 6 (GX, UX1, and GuitarPort) units as well as the E-MU 0202 lack Phantom Power so if you plan on doing any recording with condenser microphones you will need to get another device to put in front of them such as an inexpensive preamp with Phantom Power (this is what I did - I bought a cheap M-Audio Audio Buddy - don't laugh too much guys) to take care of it. Just another thought to consider.

 

[AgeOfGeburah]

Used the UX 2 for a couple years until I destroyed it an a fashion I never dare to say on this forum XD
However now I've upgraded to Focustrite's Saffire Pro 40, and If Im not hyping my self, Id say it sound waay better, perhaps the AD/DA is working better, but since the upgrade I've been dialing in much much better tones.
I would never use UX again. But uptil this I've always got the impression that UX where good

Since I know the Saffire sound really good I've been recommending the LE for those in you situation
check it out http://www.thomann.de/gb/focusrite_saffire_le.htm

Sounds really good!

 

[Aaron Smith]

We need a once-and-for-all sticky where interfaces are all compared/contrasted/recommended/etc.

 

[AeternusEternus]

We need a once-and-for-all sticky where interfaces are all compared/contrasted/recommended/etc.

I'd start it but I don't have time. I'd really like to see bypass loop analyses on many interfaces, too. Connecting the output to the input and pushing "record" should theoretically be a flat frequency response, and my Firestudio gives a somewhat flat response, but I have always wondered what it's doing to my tone.

That's from when I ran a test with NAT3. For all intents and purposes, it's flat. But it'd be interesting to see which interfaces yield the flattest lines.

 

[svenjo]

This is what i have:
http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=758&ParentId=114

It's not the newest thing on the market, but I have no problem monitoring my guitar playing through a DAW with it. Though its not zero latency this way.

If I want zero latency, I need to enable direct monitoring on the interface ... meaning the interface mixes the input signal directly to the output signal.
As i plug my guitar directly into the interface, record the clean signal and use an amp-simulator to monitor with distorted sound, this is not an option. I would get the very dynamic, very disturbing clean guitar sound mixed into my headphone output.

I guess the other interfaces have the same problem with zero latency monitoring, they bypass the daw for that.

One thing i like with my interface is the MIDI ports it has. I don't know why so many other budget interfaces don't have those, can't be that expensive.

 

[Virgil.]

I have both a Line 6 interface and an E-MU 0202 and find both of them to be good for low cost interfaces. One thing of note should be that the lower end Line 6 (GX, UX1, and GuitarPort) units as well as the E-MU 0202 lack Phantom Power so if you plan on doing any recording with condenser microphones you will need to get another device to put in front of them such as an inexpensive preamp with Phantom Power (this is what I did - I bought a cheap M-Audio Audio Buddy - don't laugh too much guys) to take care of it. Just another thought to consider.

I plan on using an SM57 as my amp mic

 

[Virgil.]

We need a once-and-for-all sticky where interfaces are all compared/contrasted/recommended/etc.

+1

 

[Virgil.]

I have a question regarding the Line 6 UX1 that a few of you are recommending...

How do you monitor what you're playing? Do you have studio monitors setup to monitor backing tracks and what you're recording? Or do you still use your internal soundcard to playback everything?

I'm a total n00b, so i'm not sure how the logistics work. Does anyone have any diagrams drawn out of how these work and how I monitor what i'm playing and playing over?

Thanks.

 

[Dennis Shaw]

I have a pair of M-Audio StudioPhile AV30s that are cheap but sound ok. When I'm recording anything other than vocals, I use the monitors. When doing vocals, I use headphones.

My setup is very simple:

Guitar/Bass/SM58 Mic --> UX1 --> USB on my Mac

UX1 audio outs --> M-Audio monitors --> Headphones (when using the SM58)

and that's it for me.

 

[qwe]

We need a once-and-for-all sticky where interfaces are all compared/contrasted/recommended/etc.

+1

 

[oscillat0r]

If you just need low-latency for monitoring and want to spend nothing you should try ASIO4All w/your built-in soundcard. I know being frugal is never popular though so...

I'd recommend a Line6 UX2 for its practicality (even w/a better audio interface in the future you can use it to run all the line6 plugins) or an Edirol UA-25 which is a bit quirky but has really nice mic pres and converters for its price/class.