In your opinion, best interface for under $300...please read on

T

Trapjaw

New member
Like the titles says I'm looking for the best interface to suit my needs and under $300

All the interface will be used for is tracking beats from my MPC and recording records.

So I guess Im just looking for good pres and tight MIDI.
 
Few questions....

How many inputs do you need? Are you only using 2 line outputs from your MPC or are you using multiple outputs?

By recording records... do you physically mean sampling records? Or do you mean recording vocals?



Depending on your answer... i'd be looking at focusrite scarlett or roland quad capture interfaces for under $300. Don't hear virtually any issues about the Roland unit... and the scarlett is said to have pretty god preamps for this price range.

If you need more ins... i'd consider a used Presonus firestudio. Can pro9bably find one from guitar center's used website for $300 or under
 
CPhoenix said:
Few questions....

How many inputs do you need? Are you only using 2 line outputs from your MPC or are you using multiple outputs?

By recording records... do you physically mean sampling records? Or do you mean recording vocals?



Depending on your answer... i'd be looking at focusrite scarlett or roland quad capture interfaces for under $300. Don't hear virtually any issues about the Roland unit... and the scarlett is said to have pretty god preamps for this price range.

If you need more ins... i'd consider a used Presonus firestudio. Can pro9bably find one from guitar center's used website for $300 or under
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply CPhoenix,

Im happy with 2 inputs and 2 outputs

I record vinyls to convert to MP3/flac

I will also be using Cubase...
 
krushing said:
Not much to worry about the pres if you're only recording line level stuff.
Click to expand...

lol what I don't know about the record process could fill the grand canyon.

I guess that makes sense cause I want the cleanest possible signal to take to the studio. My concern was in the past I have had Mbox's, MOTU and other high end amateur cards. When I took the sessions into the studio the engineers would always find extras sounds. I was just recording my MPC 2500 straight into the sound card, The engineers even gave me proper studio jacks cause it use to drive them nuts having to strip the sounds out before a session.

So I guess then its just personal taste, do any come with Cubase?.

Another question....I started on Cubase many many moons and really liked the way it connected with old and new MIDI devices and generally though it was a solid DAW. But most of the engineers only used PT and said it completely slayed cubase. Honestly how true is that or more of a personally opinion?.
 
Trapjaw said:
I guess that makes sense cause I want the cleanest possible signal to take to the studio. My concern was in the past I have had Mbox's, MOTU and other high end amateur cards. When I took the sessions into the studio the engineers would always find extras sounds. I was just recording my MPC 2500 straight into the sound card, The engineers even gave me proper studio jacks cause it use to drive them nuts having to strip the sounds out before a session.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by the "extra sounds"? I guess I could elaborate the pre comment a bit - some interfaces let you bypass the built-in preamps simply by using regular 1/4" plugins into the combo jacks (instead of XLR); some don't, and will thus always impart the pre "color" on everything. Whether or not this is a good or bad thing is obviously up to the preamps...but then again, most preamps in interfaces tend to be on the neutral/transparent side of things, and that color is in most cases pretty unnoticeable.

So I guess then its just personal taste, do any come with Cubase?.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. Some do come bundled with Cubase LE (or whatever the "lite" version is these days) - you're obviously not getting a $500 program with a sub-$300 interface.

Another question....I started on Cubase many many moons and really liked the way it connected with old and new MIDI devices and generally though it was a solid DAW. But most of the engineers only used PT and said it completely slayed cubase. Honestly how true is that or more of a personally opinion?.
Click to expand...

Practically each and every DAW is perfectly capable of professional results these days. The rest is down to preference. PT has had a long reign as the "industry standard", but not necessarily because it's better than the rest - more likely reasons include fear of change, already installed hardware base and so on.
 
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