After discovering my onboard laptop audio soundcard is crap via a 3.5mm RCA aux connection and my desire to record guitar for YouTube covers, demos etc its become evident I need an audio interface.
I also teach lessons via Zoom so the ability to run my Kemper Profiler plus an XLR microphone for my voice direct rather than use the in-room mic sound is more professional and better sounding.
There are several interfaces on the market and a bit stuck on which one to get (originally wanted a 2 in 2 out interface). Some of the Focusrite ones look good, maybe the 8i6 or 18i6? Those have a SPDIF input which I could plug my Kemper into the back? Or is a TRS into the line in of a 4i4 sufficient?
Steinberg is another brand I've heard about but never used any of their products.
Any help appreciated.
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https://motu.com/en-us/products/m-series/m4/
I have this and find it very good, very low latency and the metering at the front is a nice touch also, the preamp sounds good to my ears, driver seem solid and havent had an issue with it so far. Check it out to see if it has the connections you want.
My needs are quite basic really, audio playback from laptop to monitors, guitar lessons via Zoom using Kemper/XLR mic and guitar recording.
Oh and the latency if you are tracking through it.
I owned a Focusrite Clarett briefly, didn't like it at all.
A friend had a Scarlett, much preferred that..
Good preamps in Presonus interfaces.
As for the Kemper - I don't use SPDIF, because it forces its clock on the audio interface. Audio out of the Kemper to inputs of the audio interface works just fine. I always record 3 channels: mono DI out with the dry signal, and the regular stereo signal.
My suggestion? Buy an inexpensive, used 2 channel audio interface like a Focusrite or a Presonus. It will help you get in the game and meet your immediate needs. If you subsequently decide to upgrade, to get more input channels or better preamps, you'll be able to move the used one on without losing too much money.
UAD look expensive more like, depending on which model you get. Presonus has come up a few times. Don’t know much about them though.
what does “clock on the interface” mean? If I was to Xlr way out of the Kemper I’d 3 ports on the interface minimum. Cos I’m running a mic too for Zoom.
I was just saying to @PolarityMan in comparison to what he was using it for it’s not as much but I’m just sitting on it a bit to do some homework, will probably pick the 2nd option though!
Relatively easy to find a used Focusrite on eBay and they seem popular enough to sell on.
About the clock: when you connect multiple digital devices to exchange data digitally, one of them has to be the 'clock master' to keep the digital data in sync. So, when you connect an audio interface to a computer, the audio interface is the clock master, and the computer receives the clock from the audio interface. When no audio interface is plugged in, the computer uses its own internal clock.
The Kemper can only send, not receive, digital clock, so if you connect it to the audio interface via S/PDIF, both the interface and the computer receive the clock from the Kemper. Many audio interfaces work better when they use their internal clock than when they receive clock data. Also, there are clocks of different qualities, which is one of the competitive factors that differentiates interfaces from different manufacturers.
I think I understood most of the clocking explanation, I just thought with a SPDIF it wouldn't have to convert digital to analogue then back again to the interface? I mean, the 18i6 has enough XLR ports for me to go main out with 2 x XLR's into the front of the interface then another 2 spare for whatever else I want. But the interface costs more than a 8i6 for the extra inputs but both have SPDIF.