How do I record audio signals on my PC, Mac or Laptop for use in Computer Music Software

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Recording Audio

Question: what is the best way to record an audio signal for use in computer music software?

This is a really common question - maybe you want to record straight from your guitar, sing or play your instrument into a microphone, and import the finished results into sequencing or other software, or perhaps you want to record other samples which you can then edit further. Not to be confused with simply trying to capture MIDI data from a controller keyboard, if you want to record audio then you need some sort of hardware device which has high quality pre-amps to boost the signal before it reaches your hard drive.

Pre-Amps

If you are looking for a pre-amp to use with your existing sound card then you should take a look at the Audio Buddy. This is simply a whole lot of preamp on a tight budget. Affordability and performance make the M-Audio Audio Buddy one of the most popular mic preamps in home recording today. You get professional microphone support along with line inputs impedance-matched for ideal performance with electric guitar and bass.

However, if you just have a standard sound card then you may find that the recording quality is very poor. Standard sound cards are better at playing back than recording. If you are working with a laptop then you may not have a line in port at all. In either case, the simplest way to improve your set-up is to buy an external audio device.

The following devices are great if you don't want to open up your computer and install PCI cards to add audio and MIDI recording to your computer. Simply connect through the USB or Firewire port (depending on the interface) and you're away! Controls are easily accessible, and set-up is a breeze. No additional hardware is required, they all have built in pre-amps.

USB solutions

The M-Audio Fast Track USB has rapidly become one of our top sellers. Fast Track USB has an input for instruments like guitar, bass and keyboards, plus a microphone input for recording vocals or other acoustic sounds. It simply plugs into your USB port and bypasses your existing sound card so you can easily get a high quality recording result. Plus it ships with a great software package so you can get it out of the box and play with it straight away.

Moving up the price point slightly, another runaway success has been the M-Audio MobilePre. Again, simply connects to your USB port, this interface has a total of three kinds of audio inputs and outputs provide maximum flexibility for any application—including two on-board microphone/instrument preamps and high-impedance instrument inputs ideal for connecting guitars and basses. And you get zero-latency direct monitoring provides you with a streamlined professional recording experience.

New on the market from Tascam are two really high quality recording devices which also have MIDI in/out as well. The Tascam US-122L is a tough but lightweight portable audio and MIDI interface which gives great audio quality for musicians. Then the Tascam US-144 USB Audio/MIDI Interface for Windows and Mac is a rugged pro-quality audio interface with the additional benefit of S/PDIF digital input and output

Finally you could consider the newly available Fast Track Pro, which is a superb audio interface and also incorporates MIDI. The M-Audio Fast Track Pro delivers all the flexible mobile recording plus an array of professional features. You get 2 front-panel mic/line inputs complete with phantom power for condenser microphones, inserts for outboard effects balanced and unbalanced analog outputs, S/PDIF digital I/O, MIDI I/O, and more. Fast Track Pro also features near-zero latency direct hardware monitoring and low-latency ASIO software monitoring, plus an A/B source switch and dual output pairs for DJ-style cueing. All you could need!

Firewire Solutions

If you want to go the firewire route, then the Firewire Solo Audio Interface is certainly worth considering. It is designed from the ground up as an easy-to-use, high-quality interface for songwriters to record guitar, vocal and more on the computer. In addition to the guitar input right on the front panel, a professional XLR microphone input also lets you record vocals and acoustic guitars. There are also dual line inputs for effects, drum machines and other outboard gear.

Moving nearer the top of the range, we can't recommend the M-Audio Firewire 410 highly enough. It combines power, flexibility, a compact size and a low price for the range of features. MAudio FireWire 410’s 4-in/10-out configuration complete with preamps is perfect for personal recording, routing discrete outputs to a mixer, or directly driving a surround sound system. The on-board ASIO 2-compliant mixer and software control panel provide total routing flexibility—including monitoring with external effects.

The other option is to consider upgrading your sound card to use in conjunction with a pre-amp or mixer solution.

If you'd like some more information on Digital Audio, then check out the excellent Desktop Music Handbook from Cakewalk, which also has a very useful section on MIDI too.

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