Thread: Recording with Macbook Pro, AKG C2000B, & MicPort Pro

Originally Posted by FourthQuarter

And once again, sorry if I sound like I'm defending myself. I am actually very interested in what I'm being informed of, and I'm just trying to provoke more discussion in the direction that I'm interested in hearing answers.

No need to apologize.

I'm getting the impression though that you're looking to get the answer you want to hear (which is "Go for it dude, that stuff is great and is made out of Pro-quality stuff".)

You're not going to get that answer here. You're going to get the cold hard truth.

We're not against inexpensive gear here. Seriously, we're not. But when you're barking up the wrong tree and keep doing it, we'll either rip into you or just stop talking.

^ I understand that. So, after getting my money back for the MicPort Pro, what would be your recommendation in that same price range for the most quality for my money as far as an interface goes? Keep in mind, once again, I have no reason to pay for something for its multiple channels etc... what I want out of my interface is superb sound quality, period.

that price range is $100-200 by the way.

Superb sound quality comes at a premium. There are other costs associated with superb sound beyond just the interface. The most important of which would be acoustics and monitoring capabilities.

The acoustics can be EASILY rectified since there are several off-the-shelf products currently which address the needs of a solo vocalist. I would advise you to look into those as this will have a greater impact than anything we've talked about so far.

If you don't want to pay excess money for the prefabricated stuff, you can do the same thing with some moving blankets from www.markertek.com or a couple pieces of scrap Auralex foam (don't use couch foam, egg crate, or anything else - it won't work and will only make matters worse and unsafe...)

So, down to the interface -

Here are a few that could be strongly recommended -

Basic and cheap with very little frills. The quality is acceptable but not phenomenal. It's still better than the MicPort:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Inspire1394/

Also decent. I know you don't need additional channels, but you get them - think of it as a bonus. Such will be the case with much of what's listed here:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Firewire410/

I can attest to this unit's quality as I have its big brother, the Konnect 24. It's nice. It's very nice.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Konnekt8/

This one might be your knight in shining armor. 2 channels in and out - nothing more, nothing less. Excellent quality and it's designed to integrate perfectly into Logic, Garage Band, etc.:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Duet/

This one's usable and still quite decent for solo voice:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UA25/

Also, consider interfaces from:
www.echoaudio.com
They're great in quality, driver, support, and all else. I still use an Echo Mia that I purchased almost 10 years ago in one of my machines. They provided support for me no more than 2 months ago on a product they made 10 years ago- this means something to me.

Oh..and again- please consider a different mic.

A VERY affordable and wonderful mic for hip-hop vocals is the Blueberry. It's a tad pricier than the AKG C2000, but the sound is friggin amazing.

If you're close to the DC area, I'll let you give it a try and see what you think.

Cheers-
J.

I was really trying to keep it around or under $200.

So something in the FastTrack line wouldn't be recommended?

Sure - the Fast Track stuff is great, inexpensive gear that should get you fantastic results.

^ no sarcasm?

Because its cheaper than most of the recommendations you gave me.

Nope...no sarcasm. It's a simple elegant solution which is lightyears ahead of your previous notions.

I only use sarcasm as a means to cover up my own inability to communicate as a learned individual.