First of all, I think I managed to confuse myself in the last hour or so during research. So if I get anything completely wrong please tell me.
Now for my situation, my front panel audio might be crapping itself, I have issues with the grounding resulting in buzzing and the sound turning mono on me sometimes. While that could probably be fixed it is also a great excuse to get a DAC/AMP or an audio interface. I’m currently looking into simple USB interfaces with 2 inputs and 2 outputs.
My idea was to just use the interface to drive my headphones (I know that most don’t come with a particularly great AMP but the overall noise should be lower since it uses a better DAC than my onboard audio, especially after using the front panel audio, right?) for normal use and to occasionally plug in my bass guitar for simple recording. As far as I know an audio interface is not exactly meant to just play back audio from the PC to the headphones, so would I run into any issues here? Like, latency on the play-back of simple videos or music from my PC? In that case I’d literally just use the interface as a DAC.
Second use case would obviously be plugging in the bass and doing simple recording, while monitoring the whole thing on my headphones. That’s basically how it is meant to be used, so I imagine it shouldn’t be a huge issue? The bass is passive, if that makes a difference.
And lastly, microphone input. I know that USB mics have gotten pretty good but having an XLR input, just in case, would be nice. Some also come with a basic pre-amp and phantom power, for the mics that need it, so they seem like a nice and versatile solution.
Any major problems with that plan? Either using the interface as a simple DAC just for the headphones or, worst case, headphones + mic (XLR or whatever I decide to use) + the bass guitar. Thanks for any help here, audio gear is still confusing. Any recommendations that fit my needs at a reasonable price would also be nice, from what I’ve read the lower-end gear from focusrite would be a good start.
edit: after some more research it seems like my plan should work, and I found a few possible solutions as well. Focusrite Scarlett Solo should probably be enough for my needs, the 2i2 has 2 pre-amps and 2 fully fledged XLR 1/4 inch combo jacks (and balanced outputs for the monitors) and lastly the 2i4 with more outputs and -10dB pads (which is apparently needed for some instruments?). The 2i4 is nearly double the price of the Solo though, not sure if it’s worth it.
It's great to see someone focusing on high quality audio. The short answer to your question is "Yes, an audio interface will improve your sound quality". You're looking at an upgrade to 24bit DAC with the ability to record at 96khz. The 2i2 should fit your requirements nicely. I understand that there are -10db 80hz pads on each in, however when I record a bass guitar I either mic the amplifier or record directly with a high frequency (not an 80hz) pad. Yes, this is for a friends passive bass. I can't tell you that the 2i2 won't work, because I've simply never tried it. My current interface is the Alesis Multimix8 USB FX (the fx being a novelty for teamspeak, not a personal requirement), connected to a pair of JBL305LSRs for mixing, and Shure SRH440's for monitoring. The difference between the onboard DAC and the interface is night and day. Better imaging, better frequency response, no line noise - but it's a recording and mixing setup, not an audiophile setup.
Alright, first of all thanks for the response. So I assume I didn't make any major mistakes? The interface can work as a DAC and just drive my headphones when listening to music or doing whatever on my PC (from what I've read that is the case, I just want to be 100% sure)? I was looking into the 2i2, but the solo is quite a bit cheaper. It has the microphone input (with the proper mic pre-amp) and then a 1/4'' jack for instruments (the bass in my case) and an unbalanced output for monitors (which is a cost saving measure I assume). I'd be alright with those trade-offs as long as the bass recordings are passable. Honestly, I'm not trying to set up a home studio or anything like that, I just thought it would be interesting to record myself to see the progress I've made over time and have the option for an XLR mic and better sound for my headphones. The 2i4 is actually the only one with the -10dB pads from what I've seen, and that would be even more expensive (twice the price if the solo at that point). I'd like to avoid just recording the bass from the amp simply because I don't have a proper microphone yet.
Oh, and welcome to the forum. Thanks for being awesome right from the get-go.
Yes. It's a USB audio device that you select for both in and out going sound. Class compliant devices work in Windows (and Mac) without needing additional drivers, and the 2i2 is class compliant.
As far as I know you're still good to go, but perhaps consult one of the catalog companies (or several) that specialize in music gear - Sweetwater, Musicians Friend, and Guitar Center come to mind. Give them a firm budget and requirements, they should point you the right direction interface wise. Bear in mind that they are salespeople, so don't budge on your budget. As an aside I purchased my first audio interface from a pawn shop, my M-Audio Fasttrack Pro, for way under retail. I'm sure you could probably find a 2i2 (or whatever you ultimately decide on) at a decent discount used, and the thing is built like a tank- metal casing versus M-Audio plastic.
You really have to wilfully mistreat audio interfaces to hurt them. Jacks can/will get loose connection eventually, it's just the nature of the beast. But, they are easy to fix and are unlikely to need replacing. I always tell people to opt for a bit older but much higher quality second hand gear than paying for new stuff. It's not a car with an engine with moving parts, what is it people think is going to wear out in these devices that prevents them from getting better stuff cheaper? I never understood that.
A quick search for what you need turned up the Steinberg UR22. Perfect direct recording solution, dpre preamps (I've heard good things about these), as well as balanced outputs. 24bit, USB, 192khz sample rate (irrelevant, because CD quality is 44.1khz) but the kicker is the high z button - exactly what I use to record my room mates bass.
After some more research it seems that this one is even higher regarded than the 2i2, more features and cleaner overall audio (with a better headphone amp as well, not that my AD 900X are hard to drive though) and the Hi-Z input (and midi, actually, which I don't need but hey it's nice to have). Still doesn't break the budget at 130€ either, the 2i2 is the same price and the solo is 85€. The Roland UA-22 Duo seems to be another choice, I guess I'll read up on all of those.
I have roland quad capture, which is possibly same thing with less input-output. It sounds significantly better than audioengine d1 dac( I can hear way more details) as a dac unit. The only weird thing is, it sounds sooo good with AKG k530, but with sennheiser hd590 not the same... Maybe you can test your headphones before you buy ?(I live outside USA and we never have the chance to test dacs etc.. maybe you can..) I got it from a friend second hand, so I dont know much about recording, just the sound is really good, especially on headphones.