Upgrading your interface: Does it improve sound quality? | FAQ Friday

UPGRADE YOUR INTERFACE-1

We’re back with another episode of FAQ Friday!

As always we have a ton of marvellous questions this week!

Our featured question this week: “I am currently recording using a 15-year-old M-Audio USB Interface, do you think buying a newer interface that is comparable, would significantly improve the sound quality of the original tracks being recorded?”

Yes, yes and yes I do! I had some of those old MBox and M-Audio gear, the difference is pretty huge. I also had to Digi 001 interface which I’ve made records on.

Some stuff you’ve heard on the radio was done with overdubs using my 9600 Mac with a LE system at my house in 2001. – 18 years ago I was doing it like that!

When the MBox came out and you had the Digi 002 and Digi 003, you were definitely able to make records with that quality of stuff. However interfaces now, even the cheapest Audient ID4 is streets better than those.

I also wonder about old interfaces, how is the latency with the older USB? it might be pretty bad as well. – I don’t know if this is true but it’s worth looking into.

If you get a newer interface you’re probably going to have much better latency, definitely going to have better sound quality and to be honest your getting a much more bang for the buck now.

The way that technology is going something that would have been $500 then which would be barely usable is around $200 now. Everything is cheaper and better at its job.

Honestly, if I had a 15-year-old interface I would definitely look at others and upgrade.– I think it would be a vast improvement.

We cover the following questions during this episode of FAQ Friday!

• When would you recommend to go with a real mixing console in a small studio? (0:49)
• When building out your studio, how do you approach cable management, going to and from your equipment and what are some mistakes you’ve made in the beginning you wish you had known before? (6:38)
• When you mix using your console with tracks that are not as hot as the old fashion way, does it give the same result of weight and warmth? (13:43)
• Does the bussing from the console get transferred over to ProTools with the same setup? You mentioned the drums being on bus one will they go through bus one on ProTools? (15:10)
• When can you first recall seeing a computer in a recording studio? What was it for at that time? (17:55)
• I am currently recording using a 15-year-old M-Audio USB Interface, do you think buying a newer interface that is comparable, would significantly improve the sound quality of the original tracks being recorded? (20:21)

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