Simple home recording options - FB suggestions?

AustrianJohn

I'm looking for the best way to record reasonable quality guitar over backing tracks. (Either downloaded backing tracks or generated by BIAB.) I guess it would be useful to support two input channels to support singing or a second guitar input. I don't see the need for more inputs as that can be handled by muliple passes.

The markting for Presonus stuff is very good - indeed, the Audiobox iTwo Studio package at £150 looks to be good value. The other very popular option seems to be Steinberg UR22.

Have I missed anything obvious? What is FB using for home recording?

stratman3142

Do you plan to record (monitor) sounds processed outside the computer (for example a mic on an amp) or record (monitor) using sounds processed by virtual effects within the computer. If it's the former, you don't have to worry about the latency of the interface. If it's the latter you'll need an interface that gives low latency.

Grunfeld

AustrianJohn said:

Have I missed anything obvious? What is FB using for home recording?

There are a lot of interfaces to choose from now.
Personally I'm using NI's Komplete Audio 6 -- same ball park price but the headphone monitoring is great (and better than my previous interface).
For the actual recording I'm using Reaper. 
Reaper and a few extra plug ins which you can buy at leisure once you're happy.

digitalscream

I use a Presonus Audiobox USB - two channels, no DSP or complimacated gubbins to deal with, and it was £50-odd second-hand. I use it with Reaper (running under Linux) and the latency at 128 samples, 48kHz 24-bit is 4ms - that's small enough to mean that the latency of monitoring the processed sound is imperceptible (to me, at least).

By way of comparison, my Firewire TC Impact Twin on the same machine runs at around 2ms for the same settings, but doesn't really "feel" any different.

stratman3142

Another Reaper user here.

If you're interested in latency (and not everyone is, depending on their method of recording) there's a useful link to a table in the first post on the thread at the link below

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=174445

AustrianJohn

stratman3142 said:

Do you plan to record (monitor) sounds processed outside the computer (for example a mic on an amp) or record (monitor) using sounds processed by virtual effects within the computer. If it's the former, you don't have to worry about the latency of the interface. If it's the latter you'll need an interface that gives low latency.

My initial motivation was to record guitar on top of backing tracks. But I also have a dumb MIDI keyboard that requires processing within the computer, and I'd like to be able to use that as a songwriting tool - so I guess latency is important.

spark240

Presonus for me...

TheBigDipper

+1 for the Presonus AudioBox iTwo. It has direct input monitoring if you're worried about latency, but unless your computer is dog slow or you run 24 tracks of virtual instruments plus plugins, I don't think you'll notice.

AustrianJohn

Just came across this thread while looking for something else. Rude of me not to wrap it up earlier - sorry @digitalscream @spark240 @TheBigDipper ;.

I bought a PreSonus AudioBox iTwo. Works well for my needs, and I like the StudioOne software. I make rough demos for my band - I use Band in a Box to generate bass and drums, then layer guitar parts and vocals using the AudioBox.

spark240

AustrianJohn said:

Just came across this thread while looking for something else. Rude of me not to wrap it up earlier - sorry @digitalscream @spark240 @TheBigDipper ;.

I bought a PreSonus AudioBox iTwo. Works well for my needs, and I like the StudioOne software. I make rough demos for my band - I use Band in a Box to generate bass and drums, then layer guitar parts and vocals using the AudioBox.

Excellent !.....Im on Studio One Pro and liking it.

guitarfishbay

digitalscream said:

I use a Presonus Audiobox USB - two channels, no DSP or complimacated gubbins to deal with, and it was £50-odd second-hand. I use it with Reaper (running under Linux) and the latency at 128 samples, 48kHz 24-bit is 4ms - that's small enough to mean that the latency of monitoring the processed sound is imperceptible (to me, at least).

By way of comparison, my Firewire TC Impact Twin on the same machine runs at around 2ms for the same settings, but doesn't really "feel" any different.

Wait - are those figures round trip?

That's insane to have 2ms at 48khz/128 samples

digitalscream

guitarfishbay said:

digitalscream said:

I use a Presonus Audiobox USB - two channels, no DSP or complimacated gubbins to deal with, and it was £50-odd second-hand. I use it with Reaper (running under Linux) and the latency at 128 samples, 48kHz 24-bit is 4ms - that's small enough to mean that the latency of monitoring the processed sound is imperceptible (to me, at least).

By way of comparison, my Firewire TC Impact Twin on the same machine runs at around 2ms for the same settings, but doesn't really "feel" any different.

Wait - are those figures round trip?

That's insane to have 2ms at 48khz/128 samples

I meant...the reported latency from JACK (the audio subsystem), and - having just checked - it's 2.7ms with my Komplete Audio 6. 

guitarfishbay

2.7ms at 128 samples 48khz?

That is surely one way though? Round trip is what would be relevant for tracking and monitoring.

I'm on Thunderbolt and not getting sub 3ms on 128 samples 48khz. I can with lower buffer settings but not with 128. I'm on Mac so have no idea how Linux affects audio.

IIRC I get slightly under 4ms round trip at 64 samples 48khz on my Clarett 8preX.

lukedlb

I know zero about home recording but the arturia audiofuse looks interesting...