Best Audio Interface to Compliment Current...

[ReganO]

Hey All,

I'm in the market for an audio interface so I can start submitting to more of the piano instrumental listings. I have a Kawai ES920 that I'm currently using as a midi (as well as for playing out). The sound quality it produces is very high level; I'm really wanting to use it in conjunction with my DAW as opposed to the pre-loaded DAW piano sounds. Going forward I would also like to use the audio interface with a mic for singing (DAW recording) and of course additionally with headphones. I'm a Mac user...I've been looking at the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 3. I would prefer to spend less than $200.00 all in (cables etc.) at this time. Thoughts?

Thanks a bunch as usual!!

[cosmicdolphin]

To be honest there are no bad interefaces from the major brands these days , I use Audient and they have a more recent EVO range which has some cool features lke Smartgain which will set the input gain for you automatically. Pretty neat.

There is a good comparison of budget inerfaces here https://youtu.be/qqL-IYc4Rn0

Years ago we had no choice but to record our synths and pianos etc. but these days high quality virtual instruments are much easier to edit and generally sound better than any standalone digital pianos with the added advantage of not needing to record them ( and then re-record them if you when you need to change anything which can be a frequent occurence in sync )

YMMV but I'd urge you to look into getting a good piano plugin when you can as recording a digital piano each time for a busy sync producer is probably going to get old real fast.

Mark

[ReganO]

To be honest there are no bad interefaces from the major brands these days , I use Audient and they have a more recent EVO range which has some cool features lke Smartgain which will set the input gain for you automatically. Pretty neat.

There is a good comparison of budget inerfaces here https://youtu.be/qqL-IYc4Rn0

Years ago we had no choice but to record our synths and pianos etc. but these days high quality virtual instruments are much easier to edit and generally sound better than any standalone digital pianos with the added advantage of not needing to record them ( and then re-record them if you when you need to change anything which can be a frequent occurence in sync )

YMMV but I'd urge you to look into getting a good piano plugin when you can as recording a digital piano each time for a busy sync producer is probably going to get old real fast.

Mark

Hi Mark,

Using a high quality plug-in is more appealing to me, yes! Would you still be of the same opinion knowing I'm using Garageband as my DAW? -OR- Should I invest the money I would have spent on the interface on LogicPro? ...I will have to buy a mic for vocal recording eventually too, but having high quality instrumentation at my fingertips is the priority, of course.

Thanks!

[cosmicdolphin]

It sounds like you're going to need all three things, a good VST Piano, a fully blown DAW and an audio interface eventually.

If you can't spring for them all at once you can certainly get by with Garageband and the piano you have sounds pretty good, even it will be an inconvenience.

Without the interface and a decent mic there's no way to properly get audio into your Mac so you need to think about which order you want to do things and prioritize.

If you're working in the box then Logic has a decent piano with it so that kills two birds with one stone.

The interfaces are great prices these days if you only need a couple of inputs but if you have to buy a mic as well it's probably going to cost you a little more than Logic.

There is a good comparison at 52 cues of all different piano options inc the one in Logic.

https://youtu.be/3xQnNDvUYIg

[CTWF]

Further to what Mark wrote, there are also many great free piano VIs, for instance here

https://www.pianobook.co.uk/instrument/pianos/

or at Spitfire LABS, or from the free Kontakt Komplete pack. My so far (but I am small fry) most often placed track is pulsing piano chords from free VIs, and I don't even play piano.

If your keyboard synth is very good, it might still be useable if you find an efficient way of sending MIDI to it and record it back - I mean without having to move USB-sticks and cables around.

Tom