New to recording, need a somewhat cheap interface

[NicholasDWolfwood]

Hey guys,

I'm new to all this recording jazz. I need a cheap interface to just record some guitars and bass with, as my current setup isn't working (especially for guitar.)

Right now I have a Microfrets Baritone "guitar", tuned to B standard. It's a Fender Bass VI clone from the early 70s, that was originally tuned like the Fender Bass VI (E-E, but an octave lower than a regular electric guitar.) I slapped some D'Addarios on it and have it tuned to B.

I go from that, into the line-in on my soundcard (Audigy2). It's not an ideal recording setup for guitar, as I've found in the last 2 or 3 days while trying to dial-in a decent sounding tone through Amplitube, Revalver, and Guitar Rig. I can get somewhat close using tss/amplitube/impulses but it's not what I want.

The tone I get is a very fuzzy, early 90s black metal tone with almost no clarity in the notes. I'm looking more for a death metal-ish tone, with some distortion but a lot of clarity and definition - especially for chords on the lower part of the neck. It's just not happening right now, no matter what presets I try and tweak.

So I'm looking for an affordable USB/firewire interface, with almost no latency (if possible.) It needs to be between $50-150. I realize I probably won't be able to get anywhere near a "professional" tone, but I look around this forum and see all these tones done from Revalver and some impulses and I just shit myself at how wonderful a home recording can sound.

I was looking at either a Behringer UCG102 USB interface, or one of the Line6 GX interfaces or something. They both look sturdy and are affordable for me (if I remember right, both were under $100.)

Bass seems fine, though, going through this setup. Possibly because I'm not using any gain on it. It's more the guitar I'm needing help with.

Can anybody help? If needed I can post a sample of the horrible tone I'm getting and see what you'd suggest to tweak it, but I know this recording setup just isn't working.

 

[lolzgreg]

Used Presonus Firepod or Firebox.

 

[xMannequiNx]

i had the presonus firestudio project as my first interface

WORST BUY EVER

theres no ADAT in or extra line ins, and on top of that it has its own digital mixer that is separate from your DAW and is confusing as hell to use.

I sold it and bought myself a m-audio 1814 for $200 (used off of ebay - its discontinued so the price went waaaayyy down) and I couldn't be happier. It has way more features, including the use of protools, which is awesome compared to cubase imo. The only thing that makes it weaker than the firestudio is the amount of built in pres.

Id say spend a little more money on the m audio so when you do want the additional inputs you can buy an adat preamp or separate line in pres.

although if you just want to do guitar and bass and you don't plan on doing anything else down the road you can always get the firebox or any other mentioned interfaces - id say get the cheapest b/c they will all give you the same results. But don't expect to be using that interface if your going to be doing full bands or anything...

 

[Metaltastic]

Hmm, the 1814 may have value in its corner, but from reviews I've read what it doesn't have is reliability - maybe they were all just unlucky, or maybe you just got lucky, but either way since it's been discontinued it'd probably be pretty hard to find one with a warranty, so I'd vote avoid!

And as for cheap interfaces, I'd vote Mackie Onyx Satellite, I love mine! Only caveat is your computer needs to be firewire-capable - otherwise I'd say Presonus Audiobox USB.

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

how bad will the latency be on a USB2 equipped system on something like the audiobox?

 

[xMannequiNx]

you probably wont ever notice anything

 

[FF666]

I'm in the same situation as Nicholas. I will only use the interface for recording my guitar.

Has Presonus Audiobox got the same preamps and converters than Firebox, or it is made of lower quality?

Will I have latency problems with Audiobox while playing the guitar using vst amps?

I would prefer USB because my computer hasn't got firewire ports. I know I can buy it, but if can do the same thing for less money...
If not, I'll buy a firebox and a firewire port.

Sorry for my bad "Matalascañas" English

 

[Unavailable]

Will I have latency problems with Audiobox while playing the guitar using vst amps?

No, as long as you set everything up correctly, it will work perfectly.

 

[xMannequiNx]

If you have a crappy processor you wont be able to have a low latency though

But yeah setting it up is a big part of it.

 

[FF666]

I think I have a Core 2 duo around 1800 Mhz. It's enough or I'll need a firewire interface?

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, a big determining factor in how low you can set an interface's latency is how fast your computer is; that said, I've found firewire to be more consistent and better for low-latency recording, though 128 samples of latency is possible with a USB2.0 interface (and 256 samples should be no problem, though that's the absolute limit I can tolerate for direct-monitoring through an ampsim)

 

[jex]

If you're interested, Im selling an m-audio fast track....$40 shipped. 1 instrument input and 1 xlr input.

 

[Unavailable]

I think I have a Core 2 duo around 1800 Mhz. It's enough or I'll need a firewire interface?

Yes, that's fine for USB.

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

And I have an XP3200 (2.2GHz)...that should be fine for USB, correct?

 

[xMannequiNx]

And I have an XP3200 (2.2GHz)...that should be fine for USB, correct?

probably. If its a dual core youll be able to run more plugins without issues. When I first got my interface I had a single core 2.2ghz and i could only load a revalver and a couple other things before it would max out.

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

it's an old xp3200, 32-bit. so no dual core. worst comes to worst I can always track the rhythms, output, then reload them in and track leads or whatever.

 

[FF666]

So... Can I rely on a Presonus Audiobox as a good cheap solution to record a guitar? Has it better quality preamps/converters than a Line 6 Podstudio?

Are too much better the USB interfaces in superior ranges of money about 300-400 $?

 

[Metaltastic]

Nah, if you're gonna spend that much, definitely go firewire IMO! (such as the Focusrite Saffire)

 

[Jaymz]

Edirol UA-25 on the cheap

 

[FF666]

Ok thanks. I'm looking now for a Firewire interface like Presonus firebox or Focusrite Saffire.

I don't want to fuck the post from Nicholas, so any more recomendations of cheap interfaces? What about Line 6 Podstudio Series, are as good as cheap 150-200$ usb interfaces?