Of course you can sub-mix through your mixer if you want; it's certainly been done, but honestly, for the additional $20-$30 it would cost you to get a 2 channel model, I don't really see much point in getting a single channel pre/i-o and then continuing to use the Behringer as a step in the gain chain; to me that seems like a "one step up and two steps back" kinda scenario - especially considering the mixer you have.

Kyle and Sean are right about combining multiple tracks through a sub-mix and then printing that through one channel ( mono)... I think you'd probably be better off continuing to use what you have now, in that at least your tracks would remain discreet.
I'd echo their suggestions that you continue to save for a 2 channel i-o... especially if you are looking at used gear. GC gets used gear in all the time - at least every week. We're not talking about just one store here. They're a huge chain. Keep checking back.

One other thing... and I'm not saying I know the answer to this, but I think it bears checking out... even if you did go with a single channel version with an XLR and a Line In - are we sure that the XLR and the Line in on the AudioBox One can be used at the same time? I mean, one would think that it probably can, but... that's an assumption.

DonnyThompson, post: 437435, member: 46114 wrote: One other thing... and I'm not saying I know the answer to this, but I think it bears checking out... even if you did go with a single channel version with an XLR and a Line In - are we sure that the XLR and the Line in on the AudioBox One can be used at the same time? I mean, one would think that it probably can, but... that's an assumption.

If it's the AudioBox iOne (not a One), then the user manual has the following:

On the AudioBox iOne, Channel 1 offers an XLR jack, and Channel 2 has a ¼-inch Instrument jack.

My reading of that is that the XLR input goes in on channel 1 and the DI on channel 2. However, the XLR is not a combo mic/line socket, and there is no separate line-level input.

Whether equipment other than a guitar pickup will work acceptably through the DI input is a separate question. Bear in mind that a DI is unbalanced, and usually has a maximum input level somewhere between that produced by a microphone and standard line level. These two things mean that feeding the master outputs of a mixer into a DI is not a good idea, but in the case of needing only one source channel, it's quite possible to take the output from the insert jack of a mixer channel. If your mixer has insert jacks on at least one XLR input channel, then use that channel for the second microphone, and take a TS (unbalanced) jack lead from the insert jack to the DI input of the Audiobox iOne. A standard guitar cable will work for this, and using a TS lead will ensure that the return path is correctly grounded.

Boswell, post: 437436, member: 29034 wrote: If it's the AudioBox iOne (not a One), then the user manual has the following:
My reading of that is that the XLR input goes in on channel 1 and the DI on channel 2. However, the XLR is not a combo mic/line socket, and there is no separate line-level input.

Whether equipment other than a guitar pickup will work acceptably through the DI input is a separate question. Bear in mind that a DI is unbalanced, and usually has a maximum input level somewhere between that produced by a microphone and standard line level. These two things mean that feeding the master outputs of a mixer into a DI is not a good idea, but in the case of needing only one source channel, it's quite possible to take the output from the insert jack of a mixer channel. If your mixer has insert jacks on at least one XLR input channel, then use that channel for the second microphone, and take a TS (unbalanced) jack lead from the insert jack to the DI input of the Audiobox iOne. A standard guitar cable will work for this, and using a TS lead will ensure that the return path is correctly grounded.

Some wise advice as always from Boswell

I for one am constantly learning from you with your technical wisdom and insightful posts regarding all things audio related

You are a credit to RO with all your knowledge and experience...Thank you Bos(y)(y)(y)

Thanks again for the advice everyone! Still looking around at preamps and interfaces some. I haven't decided what preamp to buy yet, just waiting and looking for the best deals. Good news is I found a way to make a decent amount of money each month so I can stand to afford a little more than what I have now if I do a little saving.
I saw that GC is having an April Fool's sale today. The MXL R80 Ribbon Microphone is on sale for $50. The list price is $230 and GC sells it normally for $160. I'm thinking about snatching up this deal since the price is so low and just saving a week or two to get a 57 and a preamp since I can afford it now. What do you all think? Is it worth it? I've listened to some of MXL's ribbon mics online and they don't sound bad to me. They sound pretty decent. So, is this mic worth the $50 to snatch up? Even if I don't like it I could probably sell it for more than I paid for it. It's about an average of $150 on ebay. What do you all think??? Would I be wasting my time. I have to make the decision today.

It's $50 for a reason. To add insult to injury they're calling it a fools day sale. Don't even bother.

kmetal: Ok, that makes sense. I looked around at what it's being sold for on other places and it's not an even almost a well-known mic anywhere. There's very little info about it online, so if I were to re-sell it I probably wouldn't get too much of my moneys worth back.
The interface I'm considering at the moment is the SM Pro Audio IN5E USB Audio Interface(info on it here: http://www.smproaudio.com/index.php/en/products/mixing-recording/in5e). I can get it for $90 and with all the input/output/monitoring options it seems it would be well worth $90 used in excellent condition. Although I've only found one person online who left a short review of it. It was very positive, but no one else has reviewed the product! Another thing is that it's not clear anywhere if it can record it's different inputs simultaneously to seperate channels in my DAW. Since it's labeled as a USB interface and mixer, and has that many inputs, it should have that function. I've e-mailed the company asking them that very question so hopefully I'll get a response on that soon. I've had the need before to record several tracks at once to seperate mixing channels, so it would be nice to have an interface that will do that for me.

To add to what Kyle said, you don't need a ribbon mic right now anyway, Jeremy.

Even if you were using a good ribbon mic, like a Royer, or a Cathedral Pipes, I'm pretty sure you'd find them to be too "dark" for your tastes vocally and for your style ... and let's face it, on your budget, you can't afford a nice ribbon mic anyway.

I'm not saying that having a good ribbon mic in your locker is a bad thing, because they can indeed be very useful; they're great on guitar amps, room mics for drums, and, yeah, vocals too... but they are a "specialty" kind of mic, where a certain "vintage" sound is desired. Plus, Ribbons are almost always Figure 8, and if your room is giving you troubles acoustically, you don't want a mic that will pick up the room, which a Fig 8 will definitely do.

In short, You don't need your primary vocal mic to be a ribbon model.
You need a cardioid mic - either condenser or dynamic.

And on that note, personally speaking, I'd rather go with a nice dynamic mic - something like a Shure SM7B - than I would a cheap condenser.

FWIW
-d.

kmetal and @Donny: Ok, that makes sense. My thought was more, "If I like it, I'll keep it. If I don't I could sell it for more since no one is selling them below $110." If I could even sell it for $90 I would've made some money off it. But after I looked around at what it's being sold for on other places I found that it's not an even almost a well-known mic anywhere. There's very little info about it online. So if I were to re-sell it I probably wouldn't get too much of my moneys worth back.
I'm still looking around for preamps. It seems that a lot of them in my price range have some problems that I wouldn't want to deal with. I may just continue to save until I reach the price range of some nicer preamps that will meet my needs for a good while without any struggles or compromises. Thanks again for sticking with me on this one guys and sharing your wisdom. I'll post back when I get near choosing anything for certain to get your advice. Thanks again! :)

I have a ribbon. It's sat in it's nice wooden box for years. I could use it, hence why I haven't sold it. I could do M/S with it, but every time I do something that it might be good for, I use one of my condenser multi-pattern mics instead. Since I got it, I think I have plugged it in a couple of times, said "one-two" and put it away again.

Jeremy Dean
If you want to cheap out of good gear, that's fine. We all had a no budget period in our lives. But I think you are missing all the good suggestions here.
If you don't have money, record with what you have until you do.
Once you do, here's an healty plan :
Get a better audio interface with decent onboard preamp should be your first step (100-300$). Then a decent mic that is versatile enough mic to get you started (100-1000$) or 2 mics, a SM57 or 58 and a 500$+ condenser...
If you don't have the money to buy in to my plan. Just don't bargin on it!
If you have a project that is worth it. Borrow or rent until can afford the right gear ! Believe me I've wasted too much money on the wrong tools.

Just my 2 cents ;)

I'm pretty much in agreement with DonnyThompson here - the usual go to as a vocal would be something cardioid.

That does, of course, depend on lots of things - the source, the room, the genre and the nature of the sound you want being the most obvious.

If you ever have cause to record in multiple locations, switchable patterns can be useful as they can help tame unknown venues and acoustic issues...but even in this instance I wouldn't shy away from using a ribbon...especially if you can either use the nulls of the fig 8 to your advantage or essentially eliminate any issues you may have from the other lobe.

There's no real catch all solution - if there was there'd only be one mic being sold - but to go full circle, with the budget within which you're working, it's likely as Donny says that some kind of cardioid will be the safest bet at this point.

Keith Johnson, post: 437623, member: 49792 wrote: but even in this instance I wouldn't shy away from using a ribbon

Good ribbons are great to have around... but in his budget, he's not going to be able to get a good one.

Jeremy Dean, post: 437619, member: 49624 wrote: I may just continue to save until I reach the price range of some nicer preamps that will meet my needs for a good while without any struggles or compromises.

I don't think that's a bad idea, especially considering your current budget. By the same token, I've not experienced the problems that you have read about with those Focusrite and Presonus models. I work part time as a home studio consultant, and I run into those pre's all the time with clients who have them. Are they as nice Neve, SSL, UA or Millennia? Of course not. But you couldn't afford any of those pre's anyway... but the models mentioned above would still certainly usable for the level that you are at, and, IMO, a lot better than the gain chain you have now.

Your current budget limits your choices. $150 isn't much in this craft - in fact it's a drop in the ocean - there are guys here who have spent at least double that amount just on mic, instrument, and speaker cabling alone, for a basic DAW setup.

It depends on how much money you have - or will plan on having in the future, and how long you want to wait. Obviously, the more money you can save up, the more choices you will have available to you.

You need to be careful when reading reviews - often, they are written by people who are clueless as to how a lot of this gear works, or, they didn't follow the manufacturer's instructions, or, they're trying to use it with an ancient computer, or for that matter, they could even just be trolls.
I guess what I'm saying, is to make sure you're reading reviews from reliable sources. One of my main go-to source for honest and accurate reviews is Sound On Sound Magazine (SOS), and has been for quite sometime. I started liking them years ago when I read a review they did of a piece of gear that wasn't all that positive, and it was from a company who advertised with them, too. If they're willing to be truthful about gear, even to the extent of risking pissing off companies who advertise with them, well, to me, that's as honest as it gets.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul15/articles/presonus-audiobox-ione-itwo.htm

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep13/articles/focusrite-scarlett.htm

FWIW, I'm not trying to sell you on either of these, I don't work for either company - LOL - but I do think it's important that we don't pass "hearsay" as fact - on any piece of gear.

DonnyThompson, post: 437629, member: 46114 wrote: Good ribbons are great to have around... but in his budget, he's not going to be able to get a good one.

Absolutely agree :)

I guess I was mainly thinking about the getting the ribbons out of the box then putting them again in favour of condensers.

My usual recommendations over in the UK at this sort of budget level are the obvious dynamics such as the SM58 or SM57 (latter is preferred by me if there's any chance of instrument recording as well), I've had successes with the Rode NT1A and the cheaper SE Electronics models. I'm afraid I don't know how they translate into your SH market though.

A friend of mine has just populated his mic locker with AKG P240 switchable pattern LDCs and Rode M5s and he loves them.

I'd reinforce the quality of the Focusrite and Presonus pres in the budget interfaces as well - much higher value for money than, say, the older EMU0404USB that I used to have.

My current 'take it with me in the laptop bag' interface that I use when I'm editing on the go or if I just want a simple stereo pair recording is the Audient iD14. This is currently above your budget even second hand but is a fabulous device - it uses similar pres to those in my Audient preamp racks and they're great. Perhaps worth bearing in mind for your next step or - if you're not totally desperate now - carrying on saving for.

+2 on focusrites and presonus being solid.

DonnyThompson, post: 437629, member: 46114 wrote: Your current budget limits your choices. $150 isn't much in this craft - in fact it's a drop in the ocean - there are guys here who have spent at least double that amount just on mic, instrument, and speaker cabling alone, for a basic DAW setup.

Uhuh. The cabling for my guitar rig was $130. (Monster/Fulltone). Never had a problem with any of the cables in over 10 years. Audio is very expensive tool wise. My 6-7k in carpentry tools can just about build a house inside out frame to plumbing. My 6-7k in audio gear is capable of a decent demo. At least 20% of which is computer based, and is on a planned obsolescence path.

Technology driven fields don't rest at milestones. There's points of significantly diminishing returns, and most of those points show up as soon as you start talking anything beside focusrite, presonus, Ect.

Over the years I've come owned two microphones that I really hate - from the perspective of what they actually sound like. One seems to be universally hated and the other is often spoke about positively. Both are the same brand (AKG). The C1000 I loaned to my local college when they broke theirs, and I never asked for it back. The other I still have, and ancient D202. I keep it for emergencies - when I might need a neutral mic that doesn't really care how close people accidentally get to it. I have a set of nice dinky clip on condenser AKG drum mics, however, one got broken by an enthusiastic drummer, and the difference from my clip on dynamics is a few turns on the EQ knob. I use these now all the time. I have quite a big mic box, but most of my mic choices frankly are down to habit - I always use that mic, so I use it again, and again, and again. When I have to swap, very rarely does it sound bad. In my head it sounds just different.

The cabling for my own bass guitar rig cost less than £5. A special offer from one of my suppliers - 2 Neutrik jacks and some unbranded cable. It is tough. It isn't microphonic. That's it. My science background makes me totally immune from cable excitement. Decent connectors, tough cable. Brand irrelevant. I used to use Canford Audio HST, but the budget cable Thomann in Germany sell is much cheaper, and as far as I can tell, identical in both physical and electrical performance. I don't take the P out of people who can hear all kinds of differences, I just know I can't and figure it's their money. I have never myself heard any microphone perform better on a certain type of cable.

My entire philosophy has been to buy equipment, and keep it if it performs. Never get caught up in internet preference games. Read the reviews. See if the comments make sense for your needs. As in, if the reviewer does thrash metal, his mic review might not help much on sound quality. If, however, he reveals he's had two so far, and they keep breaking - THAT I pay attention too. If the sound of the kick drum is a little poorly defined - that, I probably discount due to my music not being the same.

Nowadays you can buy on the net, and if you don't like it, send it back. You really can't get better than this.

Read what people say. Decide if it works for you. Give it a shot! Most of us on here don't always agree, and that's absolutely fine. It rarely makes them wrong.

In one of the UK magazines a few years back there were people who said how great distorted guitar sounds were when recorded with a 3" baby loudspeaker, laid up against the speaker grill. Of course, substantial EQ was needed, but it was a great technique. For quite a while I saw people doing this crazy thing. Never did discover if the origin was actually a joke that got out of hand.

Very rarely do you buy something, hate it, and keep it! Music needs open minds. Far too often we buy something, like it, and never use it. That's dumb. I do it far too often.

I've also had budget cables that have lasted just as long. I've also bought cheap budget cables/adapters that haven't worked out of the package. That's the difference. It's not a sonic difference. It's just a matter of QC, and longevity.

Right now, I'm selling stuff, because they gather dust. I have come to a point to say you don't need much for a simple homebased recording room/equipment. I have a decent interface (Focusrite Saffire Pro 40), a decent MIDI interface (MOTU Midi Timepiece AV) and a nice reverb/FX unit (Lexicon MPX-1). I have some mics, but my main two are a Shure 57 and a Rode NT1a. According to Graham Cochran from the Recording Revolution, I have already to much LOL.

No really, what does one need to record some stuff for the sake of fun, I do not mean to make a living out of it. And do it decent with this simple equipment.

Yes you read about problems with consumer stuff, but I found Focusrite, and my retailer very helpfull to get my system up and running. That said, it maybe wise for Jeremy to buy a decent interface, and maybe a decent condenser mic and get started. I read a people who don't like Rode mics, but for the money their starter pack is bang for the buck in my opnion. I know there are better mics out there, but you have to start somewhere.

Solving problems with audio interfaces gives you a bit of insight in computer matters, and helps you understanding what needs to be done to get it working. Patience and willingness to learn go hand in hand here. Even more uptown stuff can be stubborn in use...... I been there done it!

Jeremy, don't hang in doubt, buy stuff get going!!!! Along the way you will be able to buy better, more and differend stuff.......

Robin.

paulears, post: 437638, member: 47782 wrote: ....most of my mic choices frankly are down to habit - I always use that mic, so I use it again, and again, and again. When I have to swap, very rarely does it sound bad. In my head it sounds just different.

I think we're all guilty of that...I definitely have mics that if I've got one kicking around I'll almost always go for that first on a particular instrument / source.

paulears, post: 437638, member: 47782 wrote: Read what people say. Decide if it works for you. Give it a shot! Most of us on here don't always agree, and that's absolutely fine. It rarely makes them wrong.

Spot on, IMO!

kmetal, post: 437639, member: 37533 wrote: I've also had budget cables that have lasted just as long. I've also bought cheap budget cables/adapters that haven't worked out of the package. That's the difference. It's not a sonic difference. It's just a matter of QC, and longevity.

Same here...cables, adaptors, other stuff like talkback mics...I've been bitten a few times by the buy cheap buy twice thing, so I'm generally a lot more careful before I throw money at things now.

miyaru, post: 437640, member: 49780 wrote: No really, what does one need to record some stuff for the sake of fun, I do not mean to make a living out of it. And do it decent with this simple equipment.

Yes you read about problems with consumer stuff, but I found Focusrite, and my retailer very helpfull to get my system up and running. That said, it maybe wise for Jeremy to buy a decent interface, and maybe a decent condenser mic and get started. I read a people who don't like Rode mics, but for the money their starter pack is bang for the buck in my opnion. I know there are better mics out there, but you have to start somewhere.

Yep - it's horses for courses...it all ends up being about what it is you're trying to achieve, and trying to do it with the resouces you have.

One word of caution which may have been mentioned further up but is worth reiterating...if a mic is for vocals (especially your own), if you can get the opportunity to try before you buy definitely do so. Some of the earlier generation of Rode mics (and the NT1A is similar though not as 'bad' for this as the original NT1 for example) along with other budget condensers are relatively bright and hyped and they don't suit all voices and / or styles....it just depends what works for you and / or how easy it is to get the results you want....it doesn't mean you necessarily have to spend more money, but spend it in as wise and informed way as possible...with all the best will in the world, the internet is just a source of advice and your own experience of a bit of kit is really what counts.

Not a fan of the NT1a here, especially as a first mic. It's got a bit of a peaky response, and isn't forgiving with eq. The LDC buy in point is just more around the $500 entry unfortunately, but a decent dynamic is going to be more versatile than any LDC or ribbon in general.

I recorded for about 8-9 years before I got an LDC.

I respect all of the posts above, but here's the thing guys...

He's got a budget of $150... and it's not even cash - it's store credit at GC, so his options are really limited at this point.

The reason I suggested the focusrite or preonus and a 57/58 was because he could do that - or come very close to it using his storer credit and buying from the used stock at GC,
Of course, with more money, comes more options.

(ps.. sorry for possible typos...I' cant find my glasses... LOL) argggg

That's what I thought too, a limited budget, so limited gear........ But it can work out great!

Robin.

Hey everyone! I've been quite busy and haven't given much more thought into making any purchases until today. I'm headed off to college late August/early September, so other things have taken over my focus. Studio work has taken the back seat at the moment while everything gets straightened out for the move. I'm still playing music live with my church's worship team every week, but studio time has dropped to zero recently.
I think I may have found the interface I would like to get. It's the Presonus iTwo: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KBMAJZS/?tag=r06fa-20
I can get this guy for $90 used at GC. Anybody used it before or have any serious complaints on it??? If not I may go ahead and make the purchase. I've gotten STELLAR advice on here before, so I figured I'd give everyone one last ring. :) (Thanks again for everyone who contributed to this convo in the first place!)

The Presonus iTwo is a very usable, entry-level box, and provided you can work within its limitations, it should serve you fine. Does the $90 GC price include the Studio One software and effects libraries that would ship with the $147 brand new version of the product?

The iTwo is a good choice.
One of its advantages is that it is mac and pc compatible including Ipad...

If you think you'll never use a mac device, I would also consider the 22vsl which has better preamp. (but it's is a bit more expensive)
The preamps of the 22vsl are said to be well worth the extra money ;)

pcrecord, post: 438415, member: 46460 wrote: The iTwo is a good choice.
One of its advantages is that it is mac and pc compatible including Ipad...

If you think you'll never use a mac device, I would also consider the 22vsl which has better preamp. (but it's is a bit more expensive)
The preamps of the 22vsl are said to be well worth the extra money ;)

Good call on the cross platform, and iOS.!!

Did a gig at an event over the weekend, and the acoustics were simply terrible. I was there early, so I started the rigging on my own, and I set my own bass rig up first. I hit one note and it went on and on and on. four or five seconds to die away. A newish, square ballroom. The roof was a set of recessed squares, with everything flat, parallel or 90 degrees to each other. Hard surfaces and glass huge doors. Hard floor, all hard furniture and tables. It sounded like the PA was on full and had the reverb set to full. I had to check that it wasn't actually on! When one of the others arrived, he called to me from the door. Impossible to tell what he said until he was six feet away. The worst acoustics I've ever heard. We played down a cave last year and the acoustics underground were much nicer than this. Clearly, there was nothing we could do. When I opened the mic box, I thought of this topic, and as my own feeling has always been that mic choice is usually personal rather than technical, I thought I'd have a bit of an experiment and used different mics on everything, and record a bit on my mac from the X32 that I could listen to later. So I gave all the singers (4) different mics from the Beta 58s we usually use. I used an AKG 112 on the guitar amp. A dynamic Beyer as a drum overhead. An SM58 on the kick, and a Samson SAC03 on the snare. I used the other one on the bass cab. Listening back to the recording, they all worked fine (with eq) apart from the one on the bass cab, which clearly overloaded and was nasty. With that one exception, all were perfect usable. My conclusion was that assuming you don't use really horrible mics, or ones that just can't cope, the differences with mic choice are much smaller than I imagined.

The gig was actually really well received, and actually good fun - but all that went through the PA were the vocal mics - somebody was talking to the audience before we came on - nobody heard anything he said. Bizarre acoustics for a new build. Hopeless.

Thanks for the input guys!
Boswell : As it is used I'm not expecting it to come with the Studio One software. It looks like the only included accessory is the USB cable.
kmetal : I've wanted to try recording with a mobile iOS device before so this may be my chance to start. :)
paulears : Glad this thread got you experimenting with different mics. Sounds like a terrible room to gig in though. Glad most everything turned out well in the end!

Jeremy Dean, post: 438465, member: 49624 wrote: Even though the preamps may be better and I could actually get it cheaper than the iTwo, it looks like customer support and basic operation with some systems is a nightmare.

Not sure about the sources on this. I've personally never had any trouble with anything by Presonus, nor have I ever known anyone personally through my travels as a home studio consultant who has had any issues with Presonus products or their company's support, either; ( my personal experience has shown me the same to be true with Focusrite), and the VSL line of preamps is known for being not only solid quality for the money, but also for being ultra-compatible with systems that are properly set up.

You need to be careful about "customer reviews"; too often they are written by people who lack knowledge in computer audio, and who would have problems with any device - due to improper setup on their system (multiple audio cards, drivers, etc.), or lack of knowledge when it comes to setting up their system/devices in general; or who use outdated drivers or firmware, or don't understand how menu-driven software works, or a knowledge of how to set buffers in their DAW platforms, or who are perhaps lacking knowledge of DAW's all the way around... and sometimes, they're just trolls who have nothing better to do than to slam gear because they own something else, or even sometimes just because they're bored and want to see their posts in print.

I don't work for Presonus, nor am I here to wave you off from getting the iTwo. I've never used the iTwo, so I can't say anything about it in any capacity. If it works for you, then that's great.

But at the same time, we need to be careful about passing rumor(s) about equipment, and this would include citing customer reviews as "sources" - for the reasons mentioned above.

Because of our high internet search engine ranking, RO is a popular ( and trusted) stop for people who are seeking all kinds of information on audio recording, and this includes those people like yourself, who are looking at purchasing audio equipment and who are doing research on gear. No one here wants to perpetuate myth or hearsay, and we certainly don't want to perpetuate these things as "facts".

We can find bad consumer reviews for anything - if we look hard enough... but unless we can cite an actual legitimate source, made up of audio professionals - such as RO, SOS, Mix, EM, Tape Op, etc., - I think we need to refrain from passing unsubstantiated "rumors" - and, unless we know for a fact that there's a problem with a particular piece or a manufacturer's service record - which would be through a legitimate source (including our own actual personal experience), it's not fair to the manufacturers - or to potential customers, either - to simply perpetuate or regurgitate anonymous gossip.

FWIW
-d.

I have to agree with Donny, I myself have never had any issues with any Presonus product, and I have a 1818VSL and the Eureka channel strip as well, among other well-known and more expensive product brands.

Both perform really well for their price point and Presonus customer service and support are good. Presonus have their own dedicated forums where you can find the answer to most issues you are having before you even have to contact their customer service or customer support.

Presonus know their stuff, I use their Studio One DAW. You would be suprised how many users of Protools are making the switch.

Jeremy Dean, post: 438465, member: 49624 wrote: it looks like customer support and basic operation with some systems is a nightmare.

I'd be interested to know where you got that info from...because its the exact opposite in my own experience if you know how to correctly use the product.

Those consumer products are great : Presonus, Focusrite etc..
80% of the problems (nightmares as Jeremy said) were lived by owners that not even tried to deactivate their antivirus before crying out loud on forums..
It's like the chicken and the egg !! They are starter units for an activity that requires some knowledge to be used.
Since I started to record, I had about 10 audio interfaces and 6 versions of windows. I assure you NONE of them worked well without some degree of tweaking and/or customisations.
On some of my systems it took a few weeks to get them going like I needed them to.
Even with my beloved RME FF800, I had to modify win10x64 default settings.

Also to consider, beginners often start to record one track or two and then use 12 VSTi. Thore vsti are often way more than any computer can cope with.
And the number 1 mistake is : Using a gaming/internet computer to record. ;)

Ok, what you guys are saying makes sense. I apologize if any of my above comments would deter someone from buying a quality product. I've deleted my statements about Presonus from my last comment so that they won't resurface on search engines. I was only repeating what I heard, although as I am now discovering I need more reliable sources for reviews on gear. Those comments were taken from Amazon and, if I remember correctly, Sweetwater customer reviews. I understand why they can be unreliable now.
So, let us start over here. Is there a trusted source that I can go to and find quality reviews? Also, if you guys have any suggestions on a good interface, here's what I'm after: 2 inputs(being able to connect 2 XLR's or two line instruments is ideal, able to record simultaneously to seperate tracks in DAW), zero latency monitoring(often has a mix knob on the front panel), headphone jack, as top notch preamps as I can get within a very tight budget, and USB out. Unless someone thinks they know of a better interface for the price range, I'm leaning towards the 22VSL based off of what you all are telling me. If the preamps are exceptional for that price range that's what I'm after.
I'm sorry again about all this confusion. I appreciate your patience with me though and re-directing me guys!

Jeremy Dean, post: 438413, member: 49624 wrote: I think I may have found the interface I would like to get. It's the Presonus iTwo:

Jeremy Dean, post: 438465, member: 49624 wrote: I've wanted to try recording with a mobile iOS device before so this may be my chance to start. :)

Those two statement confirm that the iTwo maybe your best choice.. time to buy and start to make music !!! ;)

Jeremy Dean, post: 438479, member: 49624 wrote: Is there a trusted source that I can go to and find quality reviews?

You only have to ask the members here, RO is one of the most trusted sources on the web for this type of information.

Sean G, post: 438484, member: 49362 wrote: You only have to ask the members here, RO is one of the most trusted sources on the web for this type of information.

Nice one Sean. Without doubt

Jeremy Dean there is an old saying....

Those that have a good experience, may tell one or two people....

Those that have a bad experience, tell everyone.

Its in our nature, which sometimes can explain why you get some bad reviews at times for just about every product you can think of.

I worked for a major global brand for many years, a market leader where over 70% of people on the planet would recognise their name and what they did and closer to 80% of people on the planet would recognise their logo at a glance. They are one of the most recognised brands on the planet. They make a consumer product that was of the highest standard and the very best of a very competitive field...I won't name them here, but I'm sure if I did you would know who they are and what they do.

40% of all the products that are sold in this particular field on a global scale are of this brand and carry their logo. They are the number 1 in their product catagory and have been for a very long time. They spend tens of millions of dollars every year just on R&D and product development alone.

Needless to say there was always the odd customer complaint about their product, usually on a product review site. It wasn't that their product was a faulty product, far from it, it was the very best, but as human beings it is in our very nature to complain sometimes. Most of the complaints (over 93%) regarding the product wasn't due to the product itself, it was because the customer either bought or was sold the wrong product for them at the point of sale. The actual product fault rate for this particular brands product was actually 0.001% ...thats 1 in 1000 made and sold....and out of that the majority (over 90%) were costmetic issues as opposed to the product being faulty or not performing as to how it should. Like any manufactured product though, there is always a small percentage that will fail. Thats' just the law of averages at play.

The morale of the story...don't believe everything you read on the internet...especially when it comes to product reviews.
The aggrieved think it is their moral duty to warn the world or anyone who will listen...shouting "Caveat Emptor" or "Buyer Beware !!!" from the highest rooftop.

Since the advent of the internet there has been an explosion of this type of stuff against every known brand and product you can think of.

The internet is the large rooftop where those aggrieved now shout out to the world. The product review is their megaphone.

Don't believe me?...just pick any brand or product off the top of your head, type it into Google followed by the words bad review and see how many pages upon pages pop up.

More people love to vent their spleen than actually give praise or credit where credit it due. Thats a fact.

Those that have a good experience may tell one or two people...those that have a bad experience tell everyone.

Trust reputable sources such as the vast array of members here on RO who will give you good old-fashioned honest advice on all things audio and recording related, usually based on their own experience, as opposed to some unreliable anonymous source on a product review site just out to vent their spleen. ;)

I constantly get requests from adobe that ask how likely I am to recommend a CC subscription to other people. I always put either 0 or 1, and explain that I really like the product, but if I recommend it to people that I am competing with in business, they might get it, like it, get good with it, and take away my 'edge'. I tend to be honest with my music and recording products, because we all know an excellent mic with really good interface and good software doesn't automatically mean a good recording. Some of the Amazon reviews are a total joke - clearly incompetent people buying excellent gear with zero knowledge.

One thing I would add to improving your vocals...get a good stand-alone mic pre-amp. This will work wonders to improving the chain as opposed to going directly into an interface, giving you much more control over your vocal sound. If it has a built in EQ or compressor, even better.

Even the prosumer models such as those by Presonus or Focusrite will give you a much better sound than your pre-amps in your budget interface or the pre-amps found in most entry level priced mixers. Good single channel second hand units can usually be picked up every now and then for as little as a few hundred dollars if you are on a budget and well worth the investment in the long run.

A good mic pre is often the missing link in the chain with those starting out and when you get one you soon realise what was lacking.