The audio interface is one of the most important components of your home studio
and by the end of this video you'll know the three key factors to consider
when shopping for the right one. But if you're new to this channel, my name is Kyle.
You can learn audio production online by checking out the weekly videos I post
to the Audio University YouTube channel. Learn more at AudioUniversityOnline.com.
The first factor you should consider when choosing an audio interface is the number
of inputs. This will usually be determined by the number of channels you'll need to record at once.
If you're not sure how many channels you need, consider how you'll use the interface.
If your plan is to only produce music with virtual instruments inside your DAW or to mix and master
pre-recorded tracks, you won't necessarily need any analog inputs. If your plan is to
make simple recordings of vocals and guitar or to build songs by layering one instrument at a time,
you can probably get away with just two inputs on your interface. However, if you plan to record
drums or a live band, you will need an interface that allows you to record several tracks at once.
It's important to understand the difference between mic level, instrument level, and line
level signals when choosing an interface. I made a whole video comparing these signal types that
you can watch right here. To illustrate why this is important, let's take a look at the Focusrite
Scarlett 2i2 and 4i4. The 2i2 has two inputs and the 4i4 has four inputs. This might be deceiving.
You may think that the 2i2 is capable of recording two microphones while the 4i4 is capable of
recording four microphones, but this isn't the case. That's because both of these interfaces
only offer two mic level inputs with microphone preamps. The two extra inputs on the 4i4 are line
level inputs, which are for recording keyboards or sequencers, not microphones directly. In order
to record microphones with a line level input, you would need an external microphone preamp.
In addition to the number of inputs, you should also consider the number of outputs available when
choosing an audio interface. If you simply want to record yourself all, you will need is two line
outputs for studio monitors and one headphone output for monitoring. Most audio interfaces
on the market provide these basic outputs, but there are some scenarios where you might find
yourself wanting some extra outputs. If you'll be recording other people, you'll benefit from
an additional headphone output. This will allow you and the musician to listen through headphones
at the same time, maybe even with separate headphone mixes. If you plan to expand your
studio to include outboard compressors, EQs, or other outboard effects, you'll need a few extra
line outputs. That way, you can send audio out of the interface, through the outboard equipment,
and back into the audio interface for mixing. Plus, if you want the ability to mix in 5.1 or
another surround format, you'll need a line output of your interface for each speaker in your system.
Once you've got an idea of how many inputs and outputs you need,
it's time to decide if that fits within your budget. You'll find that there are more factors
than just the number of inputs and outputs that determine the price of an audio interface. You
can find interfaces with eight microphone preamps for less than three hundred dollars,
while you can find interfaces with only two microphone preamps for over two thousand.
What's the difference? Aside from the inputs and outputs, what other factors determine
the price of an interface? One of the biggest differences between entry-level audio interfaces
and more expensive audio interfaces is the quality of the microphone preamps.
Don't get me wrong... Modern entry-level audio interfaces offer amazing microphone preamps for
the money, but there are certainly benefits to going with a more expensive interface in order
to get a higher quality microphone preamp. Higher quality mic preamps usually provide more gain,
which can be really useful when using microphones that require a lot of gain such as the Shure SM7b.
Lower quality mic preamps usually have more inherent noise than the mic pres that you'd
find in a higher quality interface. Keeping the noise of the mic pre down will help keep the
overall noise floor of your recordings as low as possible. You'll also find that some microphone
preamps are designed to be as transparent as possible, while other microphone preamps are
designed to add a bit of color to the signal. So you may decide that it's worth spending a bit more
to get a set of preamps that are known and famous for their signature sound. Another factor that
plays into the price of an audio interface is its ability to process audio. This is one factor that
makes UAD audio interfaces so appealing. They actually have processors on board that can run
certain plugins that you get free with that interface so that takes some of the load off
of the CPU in your computer and puts it instead on the processor within your audio interface.
And finally, the connection type will play a role in your decision and in the price of the audio
interface. If you want to keep it simple, I'd recommend going with either USB or Thunderbolt. If
you want your interface to be able to receive and send audio network streams, then I would go with
something with an ethernet connection that can use AVB, Dante, or another audio network protocol.
I want to offer you a free recording studio checklist to make sure you've got
everything you need to make professional recordings. You can download that now at
AudioUniversityOnline.com/Free-Home-Studio-Checklist/. Hit the "Like" button if you found this video
helpful and watch the next video to learn more about audio production.