Please Tell Me What I Need For My iMac

Submitted by anonymous on Mon, 05/31/2010 - 12:51

Ok, I want to be able to record professional sounding vocals to lay over instrumental tracks. I have an iMac running on Snow Leopard. I have an Audio-Technica AT3060 Tube Condenser Microphone. I'm not really needing help on the software I need but more like the hardware. Sorry this might not be placed in the right part of the forum. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Comments

Take a look at PreSonus interfaces. A PreSonus FireBox has 2 channels, is firewire connected, and has pretty good preamps; priced at about $200.

The other way to record would be to buy a preamp and an analog-to-digital interface. A Cakewalk UA-1G (usb interface) and a really good preamp like the one channel Grace m101; $100 for UA-1G and about $565 for the Grace. You'll want to look into all the really good preamps -- everyone has an opinion about their favorite ones: Avalon, API, Daking, Great River, Joemeek, True, Universal Audio, etc.

BigWrk, post: 349055 wrote: Thanks, can you give me some example products? All I need is hook ups for one mic. And my budget is pretty much whatever it takes to get the best quality of vocals.

If your budget is whatever you could spend thousands of dollars.

You can go with cheap interfaces like Presonus and M-Audio. Next would be Focusrite stuff (1000$), I personally have an RME Fireface 800 (1600$) which has decent pres.

I just depends on how serious you are about your recordings.
I can at least say that you can get very good recordings out of the RME fireface, you can also buy super HQ preamps if you want and use the unbalanced inputs.

It sounds as though you need to be replaying the instrumental tracks while recording the vocal, so you need an interface that has inputs and outputs, and also audio (DAW) software that will compensate for I/O buffer delays so the recording tracks line up in time with the replayed tracks.

Assuming your iMac does have a FireWire interface port, I would look at an RME FireFace 400. This is a lower-oost version of the FF800, but with the same sonic qualities, and has adequate facilities for your stated needs.

BigWrk, post: 349095 wrote: Is it possible to spend $500 and get sound that good or no?

Yes. I love my PreSonus Firepod (no longer in production), but the FireStudio Project ($500) or FireStudio Mobile ($300) will also fill the bill. Others prefer interfaces like the Apogee Duet ($495), Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 ($400), and TC Electronic Impact Twin ($400). Look on the web at Sweetwater or other retailers, and search YouTube for manufacturer videos. Do a search on this site for "audio interface" to get other suggestions.

However a microphone, an interface, and your computer is only part of the total equation. Room acoustics, knowledge of proper microphone placement, and audio engineering skills are as important as a professional-class preamp and interface. People have gotten by with much less sophisticated gear to produce great recordings.