plunder08

i just bought a shure 57a mic 3 prong mic,and was wondering if anyone knew of a good preamp that i can get on a budget with at least 2 mic inputs and instrument inputs, and if you have a sound card do you need a audio interface or can i just plug a interface into my usb, im recording my guitar with the mics so i want sound thing that will sound good, thanks

Fox

You'd probably be best off using a small mixer for this. An audio interface is really only necessary if you need more than 2 discrete tracks. Otherwise, you can have a bunch of inputs that get mixed down to stereo before they go into the computer.

That's assuming your computer has a stereo input. I usually use the mic input with the 'boost' turned off in order to record line-level inputs. I record transcriptions of records, reel to reel tape, and FM broadcasts for friends at the radio station this way.

If I were you I would probably look on ebay for a cheap mackie or some such brand- they're really nice for stuff like this.

plunder08

thanks alot, so instead of a interface all i need to get other than my mic and cable is a small mixer like a 6 input? and the mixer can hook to my computer right? through the stereo input, i having a mixing program would i use that with the mixer or is it useless now? thanks for your help, matt

Fox

You could probably get by with a 4 track mixer. That's the most commonly used type.

The program you have with multitrack capability can still be used if you want to overdub onto what you've already recorded.

plunder08

hey, i have another question, i have to have a mixer with usb capability to work with my computer right, i was going to get a pv6 but its doesnt have a usb hook up so i knt use it, right, so i was looking and i cant find a good mixer with usb , but i look and maudio has some, alil more than i can spend, does anyone know any good ones?, and a stereo input, dont u have to have a sound card for that? or after have my mic and cable what do i need to go to my laptop or pc to record? thanks!

Fox

All you need is to turn the mic boost off on your computer, and plug the stereo output of the mixer into the microphone in jack of the computer. USB is not necessary, and in the cases I've seen usually yields poorer quality results than a simple line in.

plunder08

thanks alot! thats really helps me so basically all i need to do is plug my mic into my mixer(not sure which one yet, probably pv6) and plug from the mixers stereos out into my laptops mic in?, thats really simple, do i need a cord or will the mixer come with the cords i need to hook it up, and can i just record using the mixing program?

plunder08

and also hows the sound quality, i heard that going through the micinput wasnt the best, could i later upgrade to a sound card or firewire and run the same mixer through that

Fox

Well ideally, you'd want a sound card with just a basic line in and a decent analog to digital converter. The mic jack might not necessarily support a stereo signal, but most desktop integrated and PCI cards do. I would read the documentation for your laptop to see if yours does- I have a friend with an HP laptop that doesn't have a stereo mic input, but my acer had one, although it was really poor quality. The mic input is a compromise, but it can work.

The sound quality is generally fairly good, with signal to noise ratios above 80dB.

The mixer will most likely not come with cords, so you'll probably need, at the very least, a 1/4" to RCA type cable (or an RCA cable and an RCA to 1/8" adapter) and the cables to hook the mic up to the mixer.

If it turns out your laptop doesn't support a stereo input, I would just use a desktop instead, because from my limited experience, USB is more expensive than it needs to be, and doesn't sound good enough to warrant the extra expense and limited equipment selection.

plunder08

ok thanks so ideally i want a soundcard, and mic n cable through mixer, and i m sry did say say i did or didnt need a audio interface, i just want a simple setup where i can record with one or two macs to my pc or laptop on a disc or on the harddrive. thanks alot fo your help, im new to this and and muddy on some of the stuff

Fox

No problem. Yep, no 'audio interface' is necessary, per se, the setup you've outlined should work just fine for everything.

Let me know if you run into trouble.

plunder08

ok i looked on ebay and there are thousands of sound cards,what kind do i need for a laptop? do you know any good ones, the ones i saw looked like they are not for laptops, is there any you suggest that arent to expensive that would be good to hook for a mixer? thanks, ive just about understand all this now lol

Fox

So there isn't stereo input capability on the laptop? Have you tested the jack with something like an mp3 player with a cable in between?

If you plan on getting a card for the laptop, it'll end up being a much more significant investment than I think is worth it for portable use. You have very few options if you're planning on going through USB- most of the cheap sticks you see on ebay are output only. The more expensive ones are actually the 'interfaces' you were mentioning before, from makers like m-audio, etc.

If you have a pcmcia or expresscard slot on your laptop, you could go with one of those creative cards, but they're still anywhere from 50 to 100 dollars, and definitely not worth it if you have the option of using a desktop instead.

plunder08

which stereo input on my laptop, like one the size of a headphone jack, on the side or on back i have a ibm thinkpad, and on ebay i found 5.1 Sound card USB Audio Microphone Adapter For Laptop, would this work or no, and what do you think about firewire can i run m pv6 through that

plunder08

and also the soundcard you see online, the mother that look lke a chip with firewire and usb inputs, do thos eonly work for desktops not laptops

Fox

You would plug the line into the microphone input after turning mic boost off in the mixer or the control panel.

The only ones that would work for a laptop are the usb or card (pcmcia or expresscard) based devices, and they depend on what your laptop supports.

plunder08

ok, so i could get one of those usb mic in and headphone jacks on ebay, there like a dollar or two, and what kind of cord would i need to go from my pv6 mixer to my laptop, so i need a rca cord?

Fox

Well, almost every laptop ever made has a microphone input built in... so I don't know why you would need to buy one off ebay.

The cord you would need is an RCA to 1/8th inch cord, like this one. You can find them on ebay, at radioshack.... there are a lot of places that carry these. Alternatively, if you need a longer one, it might be easier to just buy an RCA type cable, and a little RCA to 1/8" adapter.

plunder08

ya i knew that they already have a mic in, i just wasnt sure if they were better quality, and thats what i was trying to figure out what type a cable thanks alot! that was my mian concern so my setup would work from my mic to mixer using the rca cable to mic in, thanks again

plunder08

hey sry i have a different question, i have a toshiba a diff laptop than i was using and there is a connector for a ieee 1394, there was a hard plastic cover over it and it was hard to get off, i popped it off with the tip of a knife, i look in and there was no connector, it just look like a small hallway? do you know why there isnt anything there or or is there not supposed to be or somehow did i knocn it into my computer??