AI + Mic sanity check

dtr

Sorry to add another thread asking about budget interfaces - I've done some research and reckon I've picked a setup that should work, but just wanted to see if anyone was aware of any problems (Hi-Z gain not working for hot humbuckers, inability to phantom power 2 condensers, no driver support for Windows 10, etc).

So I'm looking at getting a Steinberg UR22 MkII and a pair of Samson SAC02 pencil condenser mics, which with a stand + bar shouldn't miss my budget of approx £200 by much.

My main interest is in home recording some solo acoustic guitar.  No vocals so I want some stereo interest and an X/Y condenser pair seems like the simple and unfussy way to achieve that.  That's going to need the interface to be happy running phantom power on both inputs.

I might also want to use it with electric guitars at some point, so want to avoid the interfaces with Hi-Z issues.

Lastly my home computer runs Windows 10, so the interface needs to have decent software support (and preferably a bundled DAW that can deal with my simple requirements).

This is my first foray into home recording, hence my asking for a little handholding before pressing the buy button.  Can anyone spot a problem with what I've picked, or suggest a better solution that I've missed?

sweepy

I'd pass on the Samson's and get a pair of matched Rode M5's tbh and look out for a s/h Line 6 Toneport UX2.

digitalscream

A cheap-but-very-very-good option instead of the pencil condensers is the AKG C1000S - you can usually pick them up for about £40 - £45 second hand, and they're brilliant. My favourite multi-purpose condenser by a country mile, and they sound especially good on acoustic instruments.

ecc83

AKG Perception 170. Actually discontinued now but many stores still have them. They have a 20dB pad switch so can be used for serious rock yodelling or "cabbing".

The HZ input overload issue is an interesting one! We will not open old wounds (THEY know they did it!) but a great many AIs these days have only marginal HZ headroom and whilst fine for SCs many might struggle with a "Townsended" humbucker!

This is due I think to marketing bods putting their oar in? They want even the wimpiest plywood Strat to hit 0dBFS and, since AIs can only have SO much headroom, especially bus powered samples, the gain comes at the expense of headroom. This is of course all compounded by the fact that many guitarists have a phobia of the fekkin volume knob on the guitar!

Maybe some enterprising bod will market a 10/20dB HiZ attenuator box? Beer into water to make!

Dave.