How necessary are audio interfaces?

hayze99 · Post by **hayze99** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 9:21 pm

After producing for a number of years without audio interfaces, I'm wondering if there's anything I'm missing out on.

I understand the part where it helps with connectivity - offering rca and other types of outs that computers don't have, allowing instruments to be plugged in and so on, but do they tend to increase audio quality? Even a cheap one on cheap(ish) speakers?

Again, I'm talking about cheap ones like the M-Audio Fast Track.

Cheers.

Depone · Post by **Depone** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:05 pm

hayze99 wrote:After producing for a number of years without audio interfaces, I'm wondering if there's anything I'm missing out on.

I understand the part where it helps with connectivity - offering rca and other types of outs that computers don't have, allowing instruments to be plugged in and so on, but do they tend to increase audio quality? Even a cheap one on cheap(ish) speakers?

Again, I'm talking about cheap ones like the M-Audio Fast Track.

Cheers.

Itg does increase the audio quality. if your running your audio thru a stock PC soundcard, then it will sound ok, but not to its full potential.
You can only really notice this diference if you have accurate enough speakers.. But generally it does help.

nowaysj · Post by **nowaysj** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:27 am

I have shit ears, massive hearing lose between 4-8khz, and the difference in audio quality is night and day between stock sound card and aftermarket soundcard. It is not about listening pleasure, it is about accurately hearing what tf is going on with the sounds you are putting together.

I would advise against the fast track. It has a brittle sound that I guarantee is going to annoy you over time. The drivers are hit and miss too. You can do much better for the same price.

th@-pu$$y · Post by **th@-pu$$y** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:43 am

Depone wrote:
hayze99 wrote:After producing for a number of years without audio interfaces, I'm wondering if there's anything I'm missing out on.

I understand the part where it helps with connectivity - offering rca and other types of outs that computers don't have, allowing instruments to be plugged in and so on, but do they tend to increase audio quality? Even a cheap one on cheap(ish) speakers?

Again, I'm talking about cheap ones like the M-Audio Fast Track.

Cheers.
Itg does increase the audio quality. if your running your audio thru a stock PC soundcard, then it will sound ok, but not to its full potential.
You can only really notice this diference if you have accurate enough speakers.. But generally it does help.

This ^

hayze99 · Post by **hayze99** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:35 am

nowaysj wrote:I have shit ears, massive hearing lose between 4-8khz, and the difference in audio quality is night and day between stock sound card and aftermarket soundcard. It is not about listening pleasure, it is about accurately hearing what tf is going on with the sounds you are putting together.

I would advise against the fast track. It has a brittle sound that I guarantee is going to annoy you over time. The drivers are hit and miss too. You can do much better for the same price.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm using a macbook pro, which I'm guessing has quite a nifty sound card in it.

Dubius · Post by **Dubius** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:03 pm

hi

the latency of your DAW is determined by the soundcard too. Pro equipment provides better drivers and the A/D converters sound also.
Dont know if anyone mentioned that yet.

Dubius

OlzaMK · Post by **OlzaMK** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:18 pm

I'm using a macbook, the onboard soundcard licks nuts. I miss my audio interface dearly. I highly, highly recommend one.

decklyn · Post by **decklyn** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:53 pm

Depone: I trust your word but I'm really surprised to hear that. Yes a better quality dac will be more accurate in transcoding so it surely is important to your ME but do you really think the average artist will notice a difference? IMO its a matter of latency for us producers - I have 3 outboard soundcards and I'm using my stock internal one because I don't notice a difference in any area other than latency. When I play live I definitely bring out an external interface for my MacBook because I want to have low latency but at home I'm never like "ugh I can't hear the mix - I need to get a better sound card". The difference has to be negligable in all circumstances other than mastering. Thoughts? I never recommend soundcards to producers - just asio4all

Perfecture · Post by **Perfecture** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:16 pm

I am also currently looking at an interface that I can run my monitors through and my choices so far being:

M-Audio Fast Track Pro
Focusrite Saffire 6
Cakewalk UA-25EX

Would any/all of these devices be sufficiant? If not what Audio Interfaces would you guys recommend?

Ongelegen · Post by **Ongelegen** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:18 pm

Can't go wrong with Focusrite imo

therook · Post by **therook** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:12 pm

hayze99 wrote:
nowaysj wrote:I have shit ears, massive hearing lose between 4-8khz, and the difference in audio quality is night and day between stock sound card and aftermarket soundcard. It is not about listening pleasure, it is about accurately hearing what tf is going on with the sounds you are putting together.

I would advise against the fast track. It has a brittle sound that I guarantee is going to annoy you over time. The drivers are hit and miss too. You can do much better for the same price.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm using a macbook pro, which I'm guessing has quite a nifty sound card in it.

I lol'd

Soundcards are cool. Makes plugging into monitors all the easier. You could start off with just and audio 2 dj but I would personally get a saffire pro 6. I did and its a 100% improvement. Definitely recommend it.

kHoff · Post by **kHoff** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:28 pm

I have Audio Kontrol 1 and can tell the difference.
It might be subtle but it does its job.

rubiconguava · Post by **rubiconguava** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:14 pm

i have the fast track pro, i bought it purely due to latency issues with my stock soundcard and so i could have multiple outs to use traktor with and still monitor on phones. and although it has solved those problems, its an absolute bitch with drivers. It has a problem when more than one program is loaded that utilises its drivers and often buggers up if your screensaver has come up at any point. Its not a great bit of kit so id probly recccomend getting something a bit better as im sure everntually u,ll upgrade if you buy the fasttrack.

dubsepp · Post by **dubsepp** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:39 pm

Since you have a mac i would suggest Apogee one are Duet. I was using the onboard sound-card of my macbook and the Fast Track Pro. You can really hear the difference! It's almost like using HD TV instead of an old conventional tube TV.
I'm not recommending the Fast Track Pro its sound is not as good and I had a lot of system- crashes with it, so I send it back.

sully_harmitage · Post by **sully_harmitage** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:43 pm

My opinion is that the extra detail afforded to you by a high end sound card won't drastically change the way you mix, unless you're mixing classical music or something a bit more detailed than club music...

Depone · Post by **Depone** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:19 pm

decklyn wrote:Depone: I trust your word but I'm really surprised to hear that. Yes a better quality dac will be more accurate in transcoding so it surely is important to your ME but do you really think the average artist will notice a difference? IMO its a matter of latency for us producers - I have 3 outboard soundcards and I'm using my stock internal one because I don't notice a difference in any area other than latency. When I play live I definitely bring out an external interface for my MacBook because I want to have low latency but at home I'm never like "ugh I can't hear the mix - I need to get a better sound card". The difference has to be negligable in all circumstances other than mastering. Thoughts? I never recommend soundcards to producers - just asio4all

I have used 3 separate external audio interfaces, and can tell them apart for definite. My dad used to work in the Pro-Audio Hifi circuit, so hes always interested. anyways, one night we tested out my Mbox2 (pretty standard, not perfect sound) VS one of his tube powered DACs. I used a test CD I made, and we found that after like 10khz on my dads expensive Interface, There was some aliasing artifacts heard, like as the pitch was going up, we also heard a tone going down. This is due to the way the interface handles downsampling. Next we try my Mbox, Same sample rate etc... All the same settings, and it way out-performed his... No aliasing, distortion etc... Needless to say he felt ripped off.

I have spent time tuning my ears, just by listening to my dads classical records from his hand built horn speakers.. having a pro audio nut in the house growing up has helped me to be ultra critical when listening.. Which is a gift and a curse!
All i can say is that maybe your not noticing any diference, because your not expecting any?? I dont know, some times its psychosomatic, suggestions etc...

nowaysj · Post by **nowaysj** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:41 pm

therook wrote:
hayze99 wrote:
nowaysj wrote:I have shit ears, massive hearing lose between 4-8khz, and the difference in audio quality is night and day between stock sound card and aftermarket soundcard. It is not about listening pleasure, it is about accurately hearing what tf is going on with the sounds you are putting together.

I would advise against the fast track. It has a brittle sound that I guarantee is going to annoy you over time. The drivers are hit and miss too. You can do much better for the same price.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm using a macbook pro, which I'm guessing has quite a nifty sound card in it.
I lol'd

I lol'ed too. I really love you mac people!

I do a lot of sketching on my laptop (often better music made there than on my full production rig) and I can tell you most assuredly, the sound that comes out of the stock card is pure mush. This is not an audiophile listen in a perfect anechoic chamber to hear the difference. The difference is instantly observable. With that said, I would prefer a fast track over a stock sound card. But I would DEFINITELY prefer an EMU soundcard over ANYTHING by m audio. I've got an 1616m for my production rig, and a 1616 for my laptop (which I rarely use - if I used my laptop to play out or I did real production work with my laptop I would)

eldoogle · Post by **eldoogle** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:37 am

http://www.zzounds.com/item--NUMSTEREOIO

Is this better than a stock macbook pro soundcard? I'm about to buy it and next monitors.

Depone · Post by **Depone** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:50 am

eldoogle wrote:http://www.zzounds.com/item--NUMSTEREOIO

Is this better than a stock macbook pro soundcard? I'm about to buy it and next monitors.

No probably worse. i hate numark's sound in general.

And also,,, who says that macbook soundcards are wack? do you know who makes the cards??? No neither do I, but at least i dont talk jive without knowing what its bloody made from!

decklyn · Post by **decklyn** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:36 am

alright depone

point well taken.
certainly quality adacs must make a difference or mes wouldn't be spending 10k on a dedicated adac

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