Related: Audio Interface vs Audio Mixer | What Should You Buy? Equipment featured in this video: The USB Audio Interface is a great solution for both Mac & PC Computer users. This will allow you to adjust the volumes of both tracks (guitar & vocals, for example) after recording them both at the same time. This means that if you’re using ProTools, Garageband, Logic, or Ableton, you can record both inputs at the same time to separate tracks. With this option, you can also multitrack your recording. So there is a short comparison of two home recording studio setups - one with a USB mic (setup 1), and one with a condenser mic going through an audio interface which is plugged into the computer via USB.Both of these options essentially do the same thing.

But the software is the same! It's based on the honor system. Then when you want to buy (cuz you will )), it's only $60! Then if/when you start making $25 grand a year with it, you'll want to pay for the commercial license, which is $225. If you don't know much about Reaper, check out the details at their site here. It was an effect that is built right into Reaper. Notice how much better that audio sounds with some noise reduction? And it wasn't some fancy (and costly) noise-reduction program. Below is the USB mic with ReaFIR applied: See our article on using ReaFIR here - ReaFIR Madness – The Hidden Noise Reduction Tool in Reaper. But I've applied noise reduction using a built-in effect in Reaper called ReaFIR. This one is the same audio used in the configuration 1 demo, using a Samson Q1U USB mic. Just to demonstrate this, I added a 3rd recording. USB mics tend to have a steady hiss in the background, which is easily reduced without doing much, if any, harm to the audio. Speaking of noise reduction, most USB mics benefit greatly from the application of noise reduction or removal effects. Also, neither sample received any noise reduction treatment. Both recordings were normalized to the same average volume so that loudness would not be a factor. When comparing the two, listen not only for the noise, but for the overall quality of the sound. Here is that recording: Setup 2 Recordingįor the demo of configuration 2, I used a large diaphragm condenser mic - a Rode NT2-A, plugged into a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface, which was plugged into my computer via USB.

Pay particular attention to the hissy background noise in the USB mic recording. Use headphones to get the full effect of the difference between these two recordings. To demonstrate a recording using setup #1 recording, I used a Samson Q2U USB microphone plugged directly into one of my my Windows 7 computer's USB ports.

Mic interface for computer