This ended up being the reason I decided to send back the PreSonus AudioBox USB 96. There wasn’t anything wrong with it. It sounded fine and the headphone out was really good. I decided, since I have a computer that supports USB 3, I want a DAI that does also.
If I’m understanding all the stuff about the new USB designations…
All USB C ports are USB 3.x compliant
But not all USB 3.x ports are USB C
You can have a USB 3 port that is the old style USB connection.
Just something to think about if you’re considering getting a DAI with USB 3.
Most recording software makers publish minimum system specs. There’s not much work to just push the audio data bits to storage. It’s the VST plug-ins to the DAW that burn processor speed. Part of the trick is keeping any background software from misbehaving and causing a glitch when it decides it wants to check for updates or something. Low latency monitoring requires a speedy DAI connection method.
Yes, back in September I tried the NUX as a DAI and it does an adequate job. If you go to the Post your covers! thread and look for my cover of “409” by The Beach Boys, I did that with the NUX in a hotel room in San Diego.
I think it’s different if it’s a home approach as compared to a career one. A career one you will likely attend a college sound technician degree program, and likely would get a business loan to get all that stuff you would need to have a pro level studio.
There is nothing wrong at all with using Reaper, Logic or StudioOne (the latter of which I use personally). Me recommending pro tools is kind of like someone recommending a Fender Precision. Pro-Tools is the P-Bass of DAWs.
USB-C and has MIDI. Like @howard said, not a game changer but nice to have. Of course for the more pro out there, there are 4+ input models. I just need 1 at this point.
I got a good deal on a slightly used zoom H-6 on ebay a few years ago, which is a 6 channel recorder and USB audio interface with onboard mixer and monitoring. Used it mainly for recording acoustic drum kit, and more recently as a stereo mic for video calls.
The Zoom H-6 is pretty versatile. It is a bit awkward to use with a chromebook as sometimes it doesn’t connect properly… restarting the interface and then the chromebook syncs it all up again. On Windows or Linux as a multi-channel recorder or stereo mixer it is great. Onboard compression and limiter, and phantom power are handy for the drum stuff.
The LCD screen on the H6 is handy, although if you have the mic on a stand as an X-Y overhead then looking at the screen is a bit inaccessible.
As a portable stereo recorder the H-6 is great. Battery powered with 4 additional XLR/TRS inputs multi-channel recording, or stereo mixing. headphone monitor out etc.
I recently got the NUX mighty plug, which has built in USB audio interface for recording and monitoring.
The NUX built in DAI is a quick and easy way to hook up the bass to the PC. I have only used it a couple of times so far… but it works well as part of a very small setup. Bass, headphones, NUX, USB lead and a laptop and I’m ready to go.
Using EVO4 by Audient, Reaper is DAW. I love the compact size of the EVO, which hides some significant ability - don’t be fooled by its cleanness. And Reaper is amazing! I don’t have any sound experience to speak of, and it’s been an easy - and well supported! - way to learn. Lots of user support in the Cockos forum, and great tutorials available on YouTube.
Those are awesome and will last you forever,I wouldn’t even bother with new interface for another 10 years…it’s made in Germany so you know it’s worth whatever you paid for it.
Both of the Zooms I’ve had (U22 and current U44) came with a serial number for the low end version of Albeton. I wouldn’t say that it “came with a DAW” it was just a partner deal.
I played around with it for awhile, but chose to stick with Reaper.
