This post was originlly posted at brandonvaccaromusic.com on December 15, 2012.
A huge amount of my time with my students involves discussing equipment purchases and decisions. This series of posts will address some of the most common areas of discussion. This is targeted to young students just getting started. There are no ground-breaking secrets here; just real-world considerations for purchases.
This post will focus on Interfaces.
The Basics
For most audio students, the interface will likely be an all-in one unit that includes the mic preamp and converters. In the past, interfaces were a bit more of an issue since Pro Tools was proprietary to M-Audio and Digidesign (Avid) hardware until version 9. Now, there are more options.
This is another area that I think a lot of students have irrational issues with the want vs. need thing. Things that you NEED are things that are essential for you success in school, or things that will pay for themselves in a short time by allowing you to make money you would have been able to make otherwise. Anything else is really a WANT, a luxury. I’m an established professional, so my needs are very different than students. I also have a budget for WANT. Most students do not.
I/O Options
When it comes to interfaces, of course you want 24 channels of great pres and conversion, all for $400. Unfortunately, that won’t be happening. For most students, the question is really one of 2 channel, 4 channel, and 8 channel interfaces. That is the NEED. I encourage students to not over-buy interfaces. You have access to facilities while you are in school. Like all computer-based equipment, interfaces become obsolete within a few years, so it isn’t a solid investment for a student. If you can get by with four channels until you graduate, do it. Don’t buy an 8-channel. Save your money for something that will last.
My best suggestion is to start by making a list of what you will actually be doing at home or in your dorm. For example, a dorm or bedroom setup isn’t likely to be used for drum tracking. In many cases, a student will be tracking one instrument or voice at a time. Even with a few microphones, they are likely to be well served with four microphone preamps.
In another example, the setup might be for a small band rehearsal space. The band might want to be able to quickly record ideas as the band jams and creates new music. With even a few microphones on the drums, one on guitar, one on voice, and either a microphone or a DI on bass, a student might easily use 8 channels, and have no options for keyboards, backing vocals, etc.
In general, thinking clearly about your needs in the immediate future – like the next 1-2 years – will allow you to avoid over-spending. You will likely need to replace the interface on any longer timeline, so thinking about how you might use the interface in 3-4 years isn’t useful, and will just make you overspend.
MIDI
Many interfaces include MIDI I/O. Again, it is best to think about your needs. If you already have a lot of MIDI IO with USB connected keyboards, etc. it may not be an issue if the interface doesn’t include MIDI. In other situations, like portable systems, it can be helpful to have both Audio and MIDI I/O in one box.