Audio interfaces necessary components for a modern studio and mobile laptop based rigs.  For those who don’t know, audio interfaces are basically soundcards that are external and connect to the computer via usb or firewire.  They come in many shapes and sizes- control boards, rack mounts, portable boxes- there are so many options these days, and it can sometimes seem confusing on which to pick.  In this article, I want to focus on which audio interface may be best for you.

USB or Firewire?

The first thing you want to look for in an audio interface is what type of connection does it take?  Make sure your device has an open port that will accommodate the connection your device uses.  Firewire has been known to be more reliable for audio because it transfers information in such a way that you won’t get pauses and interrupts in the data bus (geek talk).  This basically translates to less things like unwanted clicks and pops in your audio. I personally use a firewire audio interface and bought a firewire card for my computer to connect it.  There are two types of USB devices, USB 1.0 and USB 2.0.   USB 2.0 devices are newer and the most likely to be sitting on the shelf in the store.  They are faster than older USB 1.0 devices and I have one and it works fine, also (I use the 2.0 device with my laptop).  I don’t know if I have personally experienced much difference in latency (delay) or audio quality between USB 2.0 and Firewire.  USB seems to be the most likely to be around 5 years from now vs firewire, so that may be a factor in your purchase.

Connections

Midi.  Quarter inch jacks.  RCA.  Spdif.  Connections are key.  What are you buying an audio interface for?  Just listening?  Recording just a guitar?  Recording a mic?  Recording a drum set that’s got a kit of mics on it?  These are very important questions.  If you are going to be using a studio condenser mic, make sure your device has phantom power (needed for studio mics) unless you’re using an external microphone preamp.  Most modern interfaces do, but it’s worth mentioning, just in case.  Keep in mind that some devices have digital outputs (spdif and optical outs).  You may have devices that you’d like to connect to your computer.  Consider this, as well. 

Look for something that has the right amount of inputs and outputs for you.  It would be overkill to get something with 10 inputs if you only use 1 input.  Buy something with enough room to grow into, but if you know you’ll only use 2 inputs, keep that into consideration.

Sample Rate and bit depth

For most of us, 24 bits 96khz is going to be just right for recording vocals and playing back high quality audio.  Anything more and you’re getting into mastering.  Make sure you’re not picking up an audio interface that limits you to 16 bits.  This will cripple you when it comes to getting high quality audio in and out. 

Drivers and compatibility

On rare occasions, you may run into devices that don’t have drivers or are not compatible with your OS.  Make sure your device runs on your OS (XP, Vista, Vista 64 bit, Windows 7, Snow Leopard, etc.). 

Bundled software

Consider what comes bundled.  Some devices come with sample cds, demo or lite versions of Ableton Live, Pro Tools LE, or some other software.  If given a few devices with the specs and connections that you need, you might consider the one that has software that you’re interested in.

Final notes

As always, do research on particular machines