Best interface for version 2.1.0 with Windows 7

Hi, all-

I’m new to Audacity… and new to recording via PC.
My goal with Audacity is to be able to record tracks (kybd, guit, etc), export the tracks (probably via email) to my friend who lives many miles from me, and allow him to add his tracks beside them.
In this way we would like to be able to collaborate on songs, ping-ponging back and forth over long-distance.
We each have laptops with Windows 7 and Audacity version 2.1.0.

What is the best (fairly low-dollar) interface we should use?
Currently I am looking at purchasing the Behringer UMC22 for about $40US.

Your thoughts and experience???

That’s a more grown-up version of the UM2.

In your application it’s good to have a unit that mounts mono easily (plays to both left and right in a stereo show). Both the UM2 and the UMC22 should do that just fine.

People buy stereo or multi-channel units for overdubbing and audiobook work and then have to constantly struggle to make mono in post production. That can be more of a problem than you think. These interface units are not mixers and you can’t easily shift sound through a stereo field.

Many of the Behringer units are rated for zero latency monitoring/perfect overdubbing which is pretty much a requirement for what you’re doing. That’s what the Direct Monitor button does.

What does the person at the other end have? It would be good to find out what they have before you drop bux on hardware. For example, if they’re planning on monitoring the computer for overdubbing, that won’t work as well as what you’re doing. That’s Simple Overdubbing where you can’t hear yourself in the live mix.

Koz

https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/tutorial_recording_multi_track_overdubs.html

Koz

Thanks for the quick input, Koz.

My partner has same versions of Audacity and Windows. We are both still looking for the right interface… thinking that we could eliminate cross-species problems if we get the same piece.

We want to keep it simple. This just seems like a way that he and I can stay in touch musically over the miles and write and arrange some tunes for the fun of it.

we could eliminate cross-species problems if we get the same piece.

Most preamp/interfaces don’t have personalities. They just make the microphone louder and digitize it.

Start with the “studio.” A good, dead, echo-free room is paramount. If one of you is recording in a bathroom, no amount of filtering or effects is going to make that sound good. Then the microphone, and then everything else.

But without wandering too far off, yes the UMC22 should work just fine.

What is the microphone?

I’m looking for the Josh Turner performances (the other Josh Turner). He’s done performances where three other people mailed sound files to him and he made a master mix out of it. Apparently, he’s published a "Making-Of for his overdubbing sessions. I’ll see if I can get the addresses.

As we go.

Koz

Found it. Everybody insists that’s a Skype recording, but they’re doing what you want to do. Shipping files around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU8hXDim-1s

I did an actual broadcast radio production by this technique. The Los Angeles talent called the station on the phone and they had a nice chat. I recorded him studio quality in LA while he was doing that and then shipped off the WAV sound file.

Do Not do production in MP3. Do the gymnastics in WAV (Microsoft) 16-bit.

Remember to keep any valuable work in two different places as backup. “The dog ate my laptop. What am I going to do?”

Some of the most intensely painful work in making a Hollywood movie is bookkeeping. “I need the fifteenth take of scene four. I think it was Thursday, but I’m not sure. Where is it?”
Do you know how you’re going to keep track of the clips? Know that now.

Dates are perfectly valid, just use the ISO version. Today is 2018-06-03. Variations are 18-06-03, or, if you really run out of room 180603.

Koz