Topic by Green Gables Fan 2017-11-17 15:51:11 (edited by Green Gables Fan 2017-11-17 16:12:50)

  • From: Over the Rainbow
  • Registered: 2010-05-07
  • Posts: 1,895
  • User Karma: 36

Hello, everyone!
It has been my goal to get an audio interface with either an internal preamp or an external preamp, a condenser microphone, a good headset, and some good software. Yesterday, I went to my local Guitar Centre for the very first time and I got to feel one of the audio interfaces. It is called the FocusRite Scarlett 2I4. It is USB 2.0, which has some very low latency compared to Thunderbolt and USB 3.0. https://us.focusrite.com/usb-audio-inte … arlett-2i4 and http://www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/wh … d-a-preamp
I heard that you have to install software and drivers to make your computer recognise the mixer and your DAW can work with it as well. Do any of you have trouble using the software because of inaccessibility? I primarily use NVDA on windows, and Voiceover on Mac.
At this time I can't afford more than three hundred dollars at a time due to my being on SSI and whatnot, but I want to start looking at other ways to record, since computer soundcards don't have enough resources dedicated solely for recording, and hence why you end up with substudio quality recordings.

Ulysses, KJ7ERC
She/they
Reedsy

Green Gables Fan's Website

Quote Post 1

Thumbs up

Reply by daniel 2017-11-17 20:54:53

  • From: Gwynedd, UK
  • Registered: 2010-11-02
  • Posts: 778
  • User Karma: 4

Hi,
I can personally speak to the focusrite stuff, as I use a 2i2 nearly every day and it's great for what it does. As you doubtless already know, the 2i2 and 2i4 are quite similar, although the 2i4 has four outputs instead of two. They both have phantom power which is nice, as it's required if you're using condensers. As for the software, if you do end up getting the 2i4 there is a ahk(auto hotkey) script for making the asio driver accessible for setting things such as sampling rate/buffer size.
If you have any specific questions, do ask and I can do my best to answer you, or if I don't know the answer at least point you in the right direction.
HTH,

Daniel

Quote Post 2

Thumbs up

Reply by Green Gables Fan 2017-11-17 21:14:56

  • From: Over the Rainbow
  • Registered: 2010-05-07
  • Posts: 1,895
  • User Karma: 36

What exactly is Phantom Power? I know that condenser microphones need power in the form of electric current to power it up. The Yeti Blue stereo condenser microphone is powered by USB, and the preamp is in the computer, and with monitoring, you can get almost no latency. But the way you described phantom power sounds like power that is sort of there but not really, like a ghost, hence the word phantom.
Also, what does AHK stand for, and how does the auto hot sript work? Also, why would the 2I4 software not be as accessible as the 2I2?
The package I'm going to buy will have the condenser mic included, as well as the headphones and possibly some other stuff.

Ulysses, KJ7ERC
She/they
Reedsy

Green Gables Fan's Website

Quote Post 3

Thumbs up

Reply by daniel 2017-11-17 21:26:45

  • From: Gwynedd, UK
  • Registered: 2010-11-02
  • Posts: 778
  • User Karma: 4

Hi,
Phantom power is basically 48 volts that allows the element in the condenser to work propperly, and I won't get into the science here. The pre-amp is part of the audio interface. As for AHK, it's basically a utility that allows you to create virtual interfaces for applications. I.E. the focusrite software for instance isn't accessible either the 2i2 or 2i4 versions, so someone put together a script that allows you to change the buffer size/sampling rate. The script then as I understand it has window posissions recorded and makes the apropriate selection in the application. Whilst I'm sure there are people with more AHK knowledge then I who could chime in here, this is how I understand it.
Also, the software has been made to work just as well with the script, which I'm happy to send to you if you like, although I'm not the creator.
A package such as the one you describe should be good to get started, and do feel free to pose any question you might have when you get all set up.
HTH,

Daniel

Quote Post 4

Thumbs up