Hello Philmusic,
Recently, I've been upgrading my gear to build my own mini recording studio. I've bought a good enough PC to handle the DAW editing and got a pair of KRK Rockit 6 as studio monitors. My current interface is the M-Audio Fastrack but I want to upgrade into something more semi-pro. Usual suspect for recording is just my Condenser Mic and 1 line input for 1/4 cable from Electric and Bass Guitar. Here are some questions:
1. What kind or brand / model interface should I get to replace my M-Audio Fastrack? Goal is to get the best quality with a medium sized budget. Think I need an interface with a balanced output cause the Fastrack's output is only unbalanced (lower quality?)
2. Does the khz of the interface matter in relation to the recording quality? The Fastrack only gives 48 Khz, I'm not sure if this is good enough.
3. Should I use a mixer instead? Or combine? Music stores have been recommending me to use one instead.
4. Should I use a compressor (and / or other gears) to minimize peaks and enhance quality when vocal recording? How does this work?
5. Are there any other setups I can consider to get the best quality of my Condenser mic to my DAW? Perhaps Preamp?
Thanks for your suggestions.
my comments:
1. What kind or brand / model interface should I get to replace my M-Audio Fastrack? Goal is to get the best quality with a medium sized budget. Think I need an interface with a balanced output cause the Fastrack's output is only unbalanced (lower quality?)
-it depends. do you want more inputs/outputs? you can look into Focusrite or Native Instruments Interfaces. the Scarlett and Komplete audio have the best preamps and output options to choose from. number of inputs and outputs will define what model you would be getting.
2. Does the khz of the interface matter in relation to the recording quality? The Fastrack only gives 48 Khz, I'm not sure if this is good enough.
-48 KHz is already good enough. 44.1 KHz is the usual bit rate for most media (CD's, MP3s). so you already have some padding here.
3. Should I use a mixer instead? Or combine? Music stores have been recommending me to use one instead.
-Depends on your use. again, if you plan on recording more inputs, best to have a mixer, but if you're just recording 1-4 inputs, I would just rely on a VST plugin for the mixer capabilities.
4. Should I use a compressor (and / or other gears) to minimize peaks and enhance quality when vocal recording? How does this work?
-Compressors should be used sparingly, and as an enhancer, not as a tool to hide errors. if you have peaks, then lower the input signal. its always better to work with a cold signal compared to fixing a very hot, peaky signal. I suggest you experiment using VST Compressors first before diving into buying the hardware. Youtube tutorials help as well in learning how to use them.
5. Are there any other setups I can consider to get the best quality of my Condenser mic to my DAW? Perhaps Preamp?
-First of all, what is your condenser mic? if your condenser is not very good to begin with, it'll be futile to get a separate preamp for that as you will be boosting the bad bits of your mic as well. I suggest you get a better interface with better preamp, then experiment with a better mic, before jumping into buying a separate preamp. in most cases, a separate preamp is not needed.