Phantom power audio interface ideas

DiscoStu

I want to get my head round computer recording having discovered how well my Yamaha THR10 works with Reaper. 
I have an SE2200A condenser mic for vocals which I've been using with my digital multitrack desk, but as it needs phantom power I need some way of powering it and recording it to DAW.

Is there a good USB audio interface with phantom power? I'd say £100 - £150 max but thinking I could put it on my birthday list 
Alternatively, I've seen standalone phantom power supply boxes for about £20, are they any good and would they sound ok going through the THR10 on the 'flat' setting?

goldtop

Most audio interfaces have phantom power - even the UR22 (about £50 used).

DiscoStu

I've been having a good look around this morning. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 looks good, as does the Presonus Audiobox96. I'm swayed by the Scarlett's higher sample rate and claims of lower latency.
Only interface I've had in the past was a Novation Nio 2/4 and I hated it which put me off pc recording.

r_peggio

I don’t have a 2i2 personally but I know lots of people rate them very highly. They also come with some free plugins which are supposed to be good. If you get a 2i2 though make sure you get the latest generation (gen 2 I think) as the older versions had issues with clipping when using DI or so I heard.

Luminous

@DiscoStu what did you dislike about the nio?

DiscoStu

Luminous said:

@DiscoStu what did you dislike about the nio?

The latency, mostly. I was using it with my old Windows XP desktop pc and I just couldn't handle the delay. It made adding extra tracks near impossible, so I went back to my Zoom multitrack which didn't have this problem. 

I don't hear any latency whatsoever with my THR10 in to my Win7 i7 laptop so I want to see if I can crack DAW recording. The 2nd Gen Scarlett 2i2 sounds very promising, as does the Steinberg UR22.

Jaycee

I went into pmt to look at the focusrite 2i2 and as I was leaving, the store the assistant showed me the Audiobox usb96. After a coffee and some googgling  I went back and got the audiobox, price matched at £78 with a midi, as opposed to £129 without for the 2i2.
Time will tell if I made the right decision.  I haven't used any of the bundled software as I am trying to get to grips with  Reaper.

Flink_Poyd

r_peggio said:

I don’t have a 2i2 personally but I know lots of people rate them very highly. They also come with some free plugins which are supposed to be good. If you get a 2i2 though make sure you get the latest generation (gen 2 I think) as the older versions had issues with clipping when using DI or so I heard.

I've got a 1st gen and just found out you can  use the 2nd gen drivers with it. It supposedly cuts the latency even further but I'm not sure about the clipping. I'm going to try it out a bit later 

DiscoStu

Ordered myself a Scarlett 2i4 2nd Gen. My other half is paying!
Chose it over the 2i2 as it has MIDI which something else I've never tried using, and I have a MIDI synth.
Hopefully this will all go swimmingly!