ADDENDUM 5.
FIGURING OUT YOUR FEATURE NEEDS RE A USB AUDIO INTERFACE.

ive seen lots of people over the years just go and buy any old interface without really doing research based on their needs.
as a result people are sometimes disappointed as they suddenly discover their new interface doesnt meet all their needs.
as i said upthread the interface is THE CORE OF YOUR STUDIO.
So here's what I recommend to save disappointment.
figure out the following...

..how many inputs do you need ?
and do you need high gain mic preamps ?
eg for field recording. so you dont have to buy a in line
booster preamp eg for gain hungry mics.
..do you need switchable on/off 48 volt phantom on each mic input ? if you use a mixture of dynamic and condenser mics...this is a consideration.
condensers need 48 v.
(some interfaces have a global switch that applies to all channels.)
..instrument inputs ? eg for guitar or bass.
..do you need midi in and out ? some interfaces dont have midi i/o.
..do you need the interface to drive multiple sets of monitors ?
..do you need multiple headphone outs ?
..do you want a simple interface rather than a interface with dsp on board with lots of fancy advanced features that might need a learning cycle ?
(some users new to music production might find such interfaces daunting to use.)
..do you want advanced features like the device ensuring you dont overload an input ?
..do you want a small mobile interfacer rather than a in studio interface with a larger footprint ? ie something you can just put in a backpack.
..do you want direct monitoring ? For me I insist on such.
..do you want multi-client support ? (see detailed info upthread)
..what type of latency stats are you comfortable with ? and will you for example want to plug a guitar or bass into an input and play in realtime say a guitar amp
sim plug in ? There are now various interfaces with ultra low latency. (I get 4 millisecs which is v good.)

i'm sure ive missed something important…lol…just the nature of the beast…
so other pg users can suggest items to add to the list if they wish.

as the reader can see…prior to purchasing there are many things that need to be considered so that one isnt disappointed with one's purchase etc.
(CAVEAT…note i suggest rent before buying OR get a 30 day return on any purchase so you can see if it's plain sailing using the new interface with your pc.)



I hope this helps someone.
happiness.
om

Last edited by justanoldmuso; 03/30/24 09:02 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..)
https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs
(90 songs created useing bb/rb)
(lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)