Reddit reviews M-Audio M-Track | Two-Channel Portable USB Audio and MIDI Interface (24-bit/48 kHz)

>don't see a guitar input


There's a 1/4" mono input in the centre of the XLR.


That behringer unit is prettly limited, especially getting the audio back out of the PC to your monitors. Line OR USB, instead of line and USB.


In your price range, better choices would be M-Audio MTrack Plus, or MTrack 2, Focusrite Scarlett or Presonus Audiobox


They all come with some form of 'Lite' DAW software as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2035-Diaphragm-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B002T45X1G
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-M-Track-2-Channel-Portable-Interface/dp/B00BQ6KSN6
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=115&cp_id=11512&cs_id=1151201&p_id=602650&seq=1&format=2
http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Stands-MS7701B-Tripod-Microphone/dp/B000978D58
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=115&cp_id=11509&cs_id=1150902&p_id=4751&seq=1&format=2
http://www.amazon.com/Nady-MPF-6-6-Inch-Microphone-Filter/dp/B0002CZW0Y

next time google it yourself. i understand it's tough but it's critically important that you understand all this and do your research, or you'll just waste your money.

I agree! Other people with Tascam interfaces are having driver issues. Luckily I just found an M-Audio interface that's cheap, has good reviews, and is plug and play so I don't have to download or update drivers!

This is the mic you want if you just want a usb mic. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001AS6OYC?cache=c74c5740a959b29bd2c33434595dfb45&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1415069883&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

OR If you want more flexibility for upgrades in the future, get this mic http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006H92QK?cache=c74c5740a959b29bd2c33434595dfb45&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1415069883&sr=8-4#ref=mp_s_a_1_4

And an interface like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BQ6KSN6?cache=c74c5740a959b29bd2c33434595dfb45&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1415069982&sr=8-4#ref=mp_s_a_1_4

Remember that used should be fine.

I'm in the same market as the OP and the m-audio m-track looks like the most full-featured piece of hardware. Note that there are two different versions with different software bundles, one with ProTools Express and one with Ableton Live Lite. I'd go for the bundle with Ableton Live Lite.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQ6KSN6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A172LXRNAST084

It's kind of hard trying to fit into that budget. I'd suggest saving till you can get a somewhat okay setup. A decent audio interface would be the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 but it's $150.

Might try looking into this:

Interface:
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-2-Channel-Portable-Audio-Interface/dp/B00BQ6KSN6/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1425251263&sr=1-1&keywords=m+audio+usb+interface

Mic:

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1425251333&sr=1-3&keywords=xlr+condenser

Sorry for the long links. I personally have the AT2020 and I love it as a beginner mic. Just learn to mix okay and you'll be set.

Also if you can't/don't want to buy a pop filter (assuming you have a stand or desktop tripod thing) you can make one out of an old wire coat hanger and some pantyhose (yeah it's kinda weird, but it works okay as well)

Hope I could help.

for $200 you could get this interface and this microphone

and you'd have money left over for a stand if you didn't have one before.

if you want the sm7b then you're looking at a vocal recording setup of $500+

No he means something like this. A physical unit where you can connect mics, guitars etc. Audacity is a very simple DAW. If you buy an interface you can use Reaper for free (though it's cheap to purchase) and that's comparable to ProTools and other industry standard DAWs.

I have this and I like it a lot because there is a mix knob to adjust the balance from the direct input and your computer signal. That basically means you can play through AmpliTube as if it were an amp and not hear any of the dry signal from your guitar. Any audio interface will do so long as you can disable direct monitoring.

MAudio MTrack found here http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-M-Track-2-Channel-Portable-Interface/dp/B00BQ6KSN6

I agree the top end seems lacking through it, you think that's because of the preamp? Do you think it's broken, or just cheap? I don't think the simulators are the problem anymore, because I even tried a trial of Guitar Rig 5 and it still sounded lacking...

https://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-M-Track-Two-Channel-Portable-Interface/dp/B00BQ6KSN6

Like this?

Here's some stuff I made with the band Indacoda Blue.

Lounge Room

Up on a Hill

Life to Start

If you're looking into getting some starter equipment, I would suggest something like an M-Audio interface like this one http://amzn.com/B00BQ6KSN6 and possibly a condenser mic like this http://amzn.com/B0002GIRP2 or go to your local music shop and see if you can't pick up a slightly used Shure 58 http://amzn.com/B0000AQRSS

Your average computer won't have a sp/dif or TOSlink connection built in. Not without a PCI card at least. What you want is something with a USB connection.

Based on the price of what you linked on Amazon I'm guessing you're not looking to spend a lot and want something bare-bones. This should do the trick:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KW2YEI/ref=mp_s_a_1_25?qid=1427582228&sr=1-25&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=2+channel+usb+interface

Although I'd recommend getting something with built in mic preamps like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BQ6KSN6/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1427582455&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=usb+audio+interface&dpPl=1&dpID=41Eswt0wwaL&ref=plSrch#

EDIT I have not used either of these items and can't attest to their quality. I simply chose them as examples of something you could use in your situation.

I hope someone here can help me. I do professional voice over work but I'm getting tired of renting out studio time. I wanted to set up a mini studio in my house using my computer to record.

I was wondering if the following mic/interface equipment would provide me with studio quality sound:

• Microphone
  
• Interface
  
  I understand I will need to purchase an XLR cable, pop screen, and stand. I just want to get the essentials out of the way.

I run a project studio that I built the PC for myself. From my research, for music production, intels are recommended. As usual, people will/can argue about this, but i7s have worked great for me. I ran an i7 2600 for a 3 years without even hitting the limit of its capabilities. Ditch the video card, use onboard i5/i7 graphics. Cheaper, quieter.

Like others have recommended, an external sound-card with ASIO support will be a big help in reducing latency (delay of sound being played on your speaker/headphone). You can always get one later though. It's more important if you're doing real-time recording, rather than electronic production.

I threw together a quick build, but I'm by no means an expert, so maybe there are better motherboards/RAM sticks at the price, but this should be a good starting point. Sound card is not included, so add from below:

A basic sound interface would cost $80, and a decent one $150.

If you can afford to, throw in another 8 GB of RAM and you should be golden.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $224.99 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $114.99 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $59.98 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $64.95 @ SuperBiiz
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $44.99 @ Best Buy
Case | Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case | $59.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $49.99 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) | $91.71 @ NCIX US
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $711.59
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-19 12:52 EDT-0400 |

Edit: Had used PC1333 RAM by mistake, replaced with 1600.

I don't necessarily think your on-board audio card would be causing noise. It's most likely your microphone. If it's a headset you're most likely going to get noise from it.

If you're planning on switching over to an audio interface to attempt to reduce the noise, go with an XLR microphone as well. The audio interface might let you set a noise gate and also control the gain, but it won't be able to eliminate everything the headset is picking up.

I currently use this microphone:
Studio Projects B1

and I use this audio interface:
M-Audio M-Track

I used the Blue Snowball a while ago, but it still picked up too much noise for my liking. So I went with something I knew would not pick up nearly as much noise. I also use a Korg D3200 mixer, which isn't necessary, but it allows for voice effects and further fine tuning.

TL;DR: If you're going to switch to an audio interface, get an XLR microphone to use with it. It'll eliminate noise and provide a much cleaner and stronger sound in your voice.

Looks like the SM57 is $100, plus after some looking on amazon I found this mbox for about $90. However, I'm wondering if I'd just be able to plug my guitar straight into the 1/4" jacks on the mbox and use amp models/effects on whatever software I end up getting. Or will this result in lower quality recordings? I do have a tube amp so I'm guessing I should take advantage of that.

I'm trying to spend as little money as possible for recording equipment, while still getting reasonable quality sound for being able to put tracks together that I could call my own and be able to show others. They don't have to be fancy studio quality, but just something to get the job done nicely. $200 for just the hardware seems pretty steep, but if that's how it is I guess I just need to save up some more money for this.

I have a really good computer with a 24" monitor, so I should be good as far as that goes. Thanks for the information!

You're going to want to get an external MIDI controller that hooks up via USB.

Example

As for audio interfaces, you have two choices that are south of 100 pounds; The M-Audio M-Track (74 pounds), and the Presonus Audiobox (69 pounds). The only difference between the two is that the audiobox lacks two XLR outputs, while the M-Track has both XLR AND TRS. It's worth the extra 5 pounds, if you ask me. The M-Track is also considerably smaller.

As for stands, they're all the same; just there's a bit of a price difference between them all. A good pair will cost you about 50 pounds, so that would be driving you out of your budget range by about 40 pounds, so my recommendation would be to just buy the speakers and interface first and then wait a week or two to buy the stands, and until you get enough money to buy an actual pair, use some kind of makeshift stand.

LINKS -- http://www.amazon.co.uk/M-Audio-M-Track-Channel-Portable-Interface/dp/B00BQ6KSN6/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1414775766&sr=8-8&keywords=audio+interface

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PreSonus-AudioBox-USB-Recording-System/dp/B00154KSA2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1414775766&sr=8-5&keywords=audio+interface

Pearl Electronics at Châtelet Les Halles 75001 has this stuff. They carry all types of neat little electronic pieces.

I can sell a M audiobook M Track for 30 euros. It’s brand new, in box. Was a gift to my GF but she never used it.

https://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-M-Track-Two-Channel-Portable-Interface/dp/B00BQ6KSN6

I'm using an m audio fast m-track https://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-M-Track-Two-Channel-Portable-Interface/dp/B00BQ6KSN6

I have a lenovo laptop and I gotta say I am not too happy with the quality.

I bought it last year and I paid 100 for it and it leaves something to be desired.

For instance I wanna sample a drum machine app from my phone and I have ableton link enabled but its still out of phase.

Not sure if its the sound card or my settings but also sometimes the channel 1 input doesn't work so I have to use the channel 2

Software - Audacity
Equipment - Shure SM58 mics and a M-Audio M-Track 2-Channel USB Interface

Here's our show (for an example of audio quality) - I Doubt It with Dollemore or iTunes

Since you're not going to be recording much, you can get something pretty minimal. You're mostly just going to be using it for monitoring.

Focusrite makes solid gear, and it's pretty cheap:
http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-2i2-USB-Recording-Interface/dp/B005OZE9SA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405217219&sr=8-1&keywords=audio+interfaces

and M-Audio has one even cheaper:
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-M-Track-2-Channel-Portable-Interface/dp/B00BQ6KSN6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1405217219&sr=8-4&keywords=audio+interfaces

Edit - just saw the other responses. Looks like the Focusrite is the way to go. Also I concur with and highly recommend Sennheiser HD 280's for headphones.

Honestly, the Blue Yeti is actually a slightly better mic but it is USB and thus gives you no options to expand when you realize that recording guitar and vocals separately is so much better.
The XLR version of the Blue Yeti is twice the price, making it not worthwhile. Since you're already saying you want to record two things, you should discount the idea of the Yeti immediately.

What is your price range?
The best recommendation is the Focusrite 2i2.
This is easily worth the $50 more than the next option worth considering, the M-Track, even though the Focusrite 2i2 does not allow you to plug in an electric guitar without going through an amp or DI box and the M-Track does.






If you're wondering what the best use of your money is to get the sound you want to get, I can't tell you. If you're wondering if $50 for the AT2020 is a good investment, the answer is yes and you should buy two for stereo.

Look it up on YouTube, see if you like what you hear. I have 3 of them and like them but you can hear that they are rather "bright" almost in a tinny metallic way.