USB Interface - Best Quality Recordings

Special Interest Groups Recording Equipment
1

Hi Guys,

Love Audacity and still using it. Tried others but I find I work much faster on Audacity as a writer.

I have a Zoom R8 as an interface but I have to run out of my laptop headphone out to the input on the zoom to use NI Kontakt Elements software for use with my Graphite Midi USB keyboard.

Basically I need to run:

  1. Native instruments kontakt 5
  2. Native instruments guitar rig pro
  3. Toontracks EZ Drummer

only connecting electric guitar and the Graphite 25 Midi Keyboard.

any suggestions for a decent pc interface that would work well with Audacity? I’m looking for best quality recordings.

Many thanks for any suggestions. :sunglasses:

Gavin

2

You will probably get better quality if you export from Audacity in WAV format (File menu > Export), and then import the WAV file into Kontakt Elements.

There is a vast range of interfaces.
I have a very inexpensive Behringer UCA 202. It’s “no frills” with only stereo line level in, stereo line level out, and a headphone socket, but the sound quality is very good prodded that you are able to control the sound level of the thing being recorded (as it does not have a “record level” control).

3

Thanks for the reply Steve,

I need to work in WASAP shared mode. can this Behringer UCA 202 handle this? my Zoom doesn’t this is why I have to go out of my laptop and then into the zoom to record Midi stuff. if I bump the out on the headphone out it can make noise in recordings.

or maybe I need a more powerful computer with better internal sound card to use WASAP? I was thinking of getting a desktop. I have a ASUS notepad. I bought it to run Quickbooks but its ended up as my recording DAW.

4

I’m looking at getting this: KOMPLETE AUDIO 6

I love the NI stuff. High quality, decent software so might get their interface. it has great reviews…

5

Currently Audacity only supports WASAPI for “loopback” recording (Audacity Manual).

If you are planning to “overdub” recording you should will be best to use a device that provides “zero latency monitoring”. Most (but not all) USB sound cards provide this. If you have zero latency monitoring, then as far as Audacity is concerned you are fine to use MME or direct sound for overdub recording.

For use with other audio recording programs, look for ASIO support. (Audacity cannot ship with ASIO support due to licensing restrictions, but many commercial programs expect you to use ASIO).

The UCA 202 supports ASIO and has zero latency monitoring. I don’t know about WASAPI as I don’t use Windows.

6

Thanks Steve. I think I’ll get the NI interface. It looks solid and is very low latency. also comes with some more NI software. :slight_smile: