Which interface

[pacman]

Hello I would like to start recording some of my numbers but dont really know which interface to get the ones I have in mind is the M-Audio or the Lexicon alpha stereo usb I will be using the line out of my amp for the guitar and Iwill be using my mp3 player for my backing tracks but looking at the units I can only see a connection for a microphone I favour the Lexicon because of the plug in reverbs I will be grateful for any info on any of these units Pacman

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Pacman,
I can't really advise on the interface as I don't have one. Other members do so I hope some of them can advise you.
If you have the original CDs of backing tracks you will get better quality than mp3. A free program I use called CDex can convert CD tracks to wav or mp3. If you convert them to wav files you can import them directly into a stereo track of your recording software program, no need to record them in real time from an external player at all. You can probably import mp3 files as well but if you have the original CD then wav files are the best quality.
Regards,
Charlie

[pacman]

Hi Charlie Thanks for your info. The tracks are on my hard drive are in mp3 form ,as I use Audacity I can import them convert them to wav and then export back again the only problem is I have only recorded direct I have never mixed two tracks I'm still in the learning stage but by importing them direct into a stereo trackI can see now why the backing tracks on most of the the members numbers are so clear. Regards Pacman

[grip]

Hi Pacman,

I am using an M-Audio Fast Track (I paid £40.00 from a local second hand shop) as an interface, its a USB device and works very well with my PC and set up. It has both microphone and instrument input (i/4" jack on the back). If you decide to go for this one, let me know and I'll try and help if you get any installation problems.

Kind regards,


grip

[olemuso]

Hi Pacman.
Just a quickie . . files in MP3 format have already lost quality. Especially if you received them as mp3 as you don`t know what bit-rate was used in the initial conversion. Example.. I could save a file as 64-Kbit mp3 and the quality would be awful. I could then change the bit-rate to 128, 192, 256 or even 320Kbit and it wouldn`t improve the quality but I could send it to someone else and they would think I`d ripped it at high resolution. Converting to .wav only changes the format, it does not reinstate the lost quality.
Wherever possible always keep your files as .wavs. Files ripped straight off CD are at their optimum quality - 44.1KHz / 16-bit and are best kept that way.
Most software nowadays will sample at 96KHz or more, but it will be downscaled to 44.1KHz as soon as it is rendered for audio CD usage.
I don`t use an external interface but instead I use an M-Audio 24/96 PCI card which slots inside my PC in a PCI slot. This has two line ins (can be used as L/R stereo), two SPDIF ins and two line outs (L/R Stereo). It also has a MIDI interface with MIDI in and out connectors.
It gives me no latency and no problems of any kind and I wouldn`t change it except to upgrade to one with more ins and outs.
I hope this bit of info is of help

[pacman]

Hi Grip Thanks for the reply might take you up on that one Regards Pacman

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Pacman,
You don't worry about mixing while you are importing existing tracks or recording new ones, all you have to be careful of is when recording to set the levels correctly so that there is a decent strength of recorded signal without going into overload. The slightest hint of overload will ruin a recording.
Once you have a stereo backing track and a recorded guitar track (I use a mono track to record guitar), then you can worry about processing and mixing.
Regards,
Charlie

[pacman]

Hi olemuso Thanks for your reply but as I am just starting out I am still learning. I have to use an external sound card as I only have a laptop Regards Pacman

[pacman]

Thanks Charlie Thanks for your reply your info has been very helpful Regards Pacman