I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
- noisepunk
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I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
Went out and got a Shure SM7B today- it sounds leaps and bounds better than anything I've worked with previously (which wasn't much to speak of), but the little USB interface I've had for 12 years isn't cutting the mustard with it, which I guess is a pretty common issue for bedroom engineers that haven't worked with this mic before... basically from what I've read, and observed, it needs more gain than this thing can provide which means I need to max out the preamp, thus creating a really high noise floor.
So, I'm looking for suggestions- the cheaper the better, as I don't have much cash to play with- a couple reviews I looked at said the Fast Track C-400 works really well with this mic, and it looks like you can find them for as little as $100- I like M-Audio, they made what I'm using now and this is the first issue I've had with it, but I always like seeing what you good people have to say.
As always, thanks for the help in advance
So, I'm looking for suggestions- the cheaper the better, as I don't have much cash to play with- a couple reviews I looked at said the Fast Track C-400 works really well with this mic, and it looks like you can find them for as little as $100- I like M-Audio, they made what I'm using now and this is the first issue I've had with it, but I always like seeing what you good people have to say.
As always, thanks for the help in advance
- tape
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
Focusrite Scarlett Solo goes for about $85 I think? I have the 18i8 which is basically a larger version with more ins/outs and it's delightful.
- jthomas
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
I have a Focusrite 2i4 and it works just great and was inexpensive.
- noisepunk
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
I really like those, they seem really nice, I read a couple things that said they weren't great with these mics though.
- noisepunk
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
I should clarify that I'd like to avoid getting an external preamp if possible... I guess mostly because I like how simple my setup is now, if that's a fools errand I'm not going to fight it- I do have a PreSonus Tube Pre (gift, haven't really used it/had use for it, not sure if it's any good or not) that I tried running with what I have and it only marginally fixed the problem.
- mackerelmint
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
You can always just get a FEThead. gives you like 20 clean db and runs on phantom power, made to solve this exact problem and a lot less money than a cloudlifter.
This is an excellent rectangle
- jorri
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
+1 on fethead. Solved me a lot of issues and use with all my dynamics/ribbons.
I see there are cheaper versions on ebay too now http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Deluxe-In-Lin ... XQrhdTU9WL
But the interface might go further- like 2 good inputs and an upgrade to your existing A/D conversion. Be sure to check the gain spec.
I see there are cheaper versions on ebay too now http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Deluxe-In-Lin ... XQrhdTU9WL
But the interface might go further- like 2 good inputs and an upgrade to your existing A/D conversion. Be sure to check the gain spec.
- noisepunk
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
I'd read a bit about those, I guess I don't totally get how they work. That also only half solves my problem- i'll still need something that supports phantom power, my current interface doesn't- I feel like I'd rather upgrade to something that stands on it's own if at all possible, though this would be easier than an external pre.mackerelmint wrote:You can always just get a FEThead. gives you like 20 clean db and runs on phantom power, made to solve this exact problem and a lot less money than a cloudlifter.
- marqueemoon
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
Nothing wrong with an external pre other than the portability thing. Plenty of other reasons to replace a 12 year old interface though. What did you end up getting?
- mike fried
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
I doubt you'll find a reasonably priced USB interface that will provide enough clean gain for an SM7B on its own. I'd get a good two or four channel Scarlett and a Fethead. How they work is simple - they're a phantom-powered fixed gain Class A preamp about the size of an XLR connector, that inserts inline between your dynamic or ribbon mic and interface. (I use one with my RCA BK-5A ribbon, it's excellent.) No, it doesn't pass the phantom power, so passive ribbon mics are totally safe with it.
- noisepunk
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
No replacement yet- too many real life things that I've had to spend real life money on. For now, I've just dealt with a little hiss- nothing I'm doing right now is so clean that a noisy mic would really be a problem.marqueemoon wrote:Nothing wrong with an external pre other than the portability thing. Plenty of other reasons to replace a 12 year old interface though. What did you end up getting?
- 666stringking
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
Quick suggestion, get an ultra cheap interface that takes SPDIF in, then buy an ART Digital MPA 2. I know that it's more than $100, about $400 to be exact, but it will give you an amazing stereo tube preamp with great A/D conversion, as well as some advanced preamp features. And in that sense, it's an incredible bargain.
- Grey
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
What's the point of having tubes in something that converts everything to digital? You might as well just use a DSP if you want the "tube effect" in that case. Plus the sound is only going to be as good as that "ultra cheap S/PDIF interface" you have to run it through.666stringking wrote:Quick suggestion, get an ultra cheap interface that takes SPDIF in, then buy an ART Digital MPA 2. I know that it's more than $100, about $400 to be exact, but it will give you an amazing stereo tube preamp with great A/D conversion, as well as some advanced preamp features. And in that sense, it's an incredible bargain.
I mean if you really decided you need that okay go for it, but that seems like a round-a-bout suggestion for someone who just wants a new mic-pre/interface.
- 666stringking
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
That is precisely the point of transmitting the signal through SPDIF... it's a digital signal so it is completely uncolored by the interface, it's just using it as a vessel for the digital signal. If you use a preamp in a cheap audio interface, you are going to have a lousy noise floor and the sound that you are capturing is colored by something that is sub-par. By using a high-quality preamp and A/D converter, then passing that signal digitally to a lesser interface, you are not degrading the quality at all. Regarding tube preamps: everything you record eventually becomes digital. So that's like saying that recording a guitar played through a tube amp is useless because the signal will eventually become digital, which is inaccurate. Whenever you use a microphone, the preamp stage is incredibly important and crucial to the sound. It is just as important as the mic you are connecting to it.
- Grey
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Re: I Need a New USB Interface! (New Mic Day)
I'm not going to argue about this when regardless it's not what noisepunk asked for. $400 would buy you a nice audio interface in a complete package instead of spending it on a tube-pre that he would have to run through a second digital interface.666stringking wrote:That is precisely the point of transmitting the signal through SPDIF... it's a digital signal so it is completely uncolored by the interface, it's just using it as a vessel for the digital signal. If you use a preamp in a cheap audio interface, you are going to have a lousy noise floor and the sound that you are capturing is colored by something that is sub-par. By using a high-quality preamp and A/D converter, then passing that signal digitally to a lesser interface, you are not degrading the quality at all. Regarding tube preamps: everything you record eventually becomes digital. So that's like saying that recording a guitar played through a tube amp is useless because the signal will eventually become digital, which is inaccurate. Whenever you use a microphone, the preamp stage is incredibly important and crucial to the sound. It is just as important as the mic you are connecting to it.