Phantom power? Preamps? what?

[guyrecording]

Hey guys

So I'm looking into buying an audio interface. Initially I was going to get the tascam 122L but it just seems it's really amateur, and I am aiming for something cheap, but is cheap also.

SO I have a question about what this product is missing, and whether it's important.

Emu 0404 24/96 Digital Audio PCI Card from zZounds.com!

compared to

Emu 0404 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface from zZounds.com!


A paragraph on the second product:

E-MU XTC Class-A ultra-low noise Mic/Line/Hi-Z preamplifiers (-127dB EIN) with 48V phantom power and ground lift switches enable you to plug microphones, keyboards and guitars straight into your computer with professional results, while the built-in analog soft limiting circuit lets you record a hotter signal without fear of clipping

So, preamps and phantom power. As a noob, I have no real Idea what that stuff does, or whether it's important (worth the extra 100)



Personally, I think a pci interface is fine, but the pci interfaces don't have the phantom power or preamps (at the low price from what i've seen) I'm just confused about this, looking for some direction. I'm planning on recording acoustic guitar and vocals. Thanks in advance.

[Electriclight]

For recording vocals, (and Acoustic Guitar) it is generally agreed that condensor microphones are the best option. However, this type of microphone, (as opposed to dynamic microphones) require a power source, typically 48 Volts, to operate. It is this power which is referred to as PHANTOM POWER. So this is probably an option you want to consider.

The other point is preamps. The PCI breakout card is meant to be used with an external mixer. These have preamplifiers to raise the audio signal level. An electric guitar signal would also need some type of amplification before going into the computer. So yeah, unless you already have a mixer, or you are SURE you will NEVER want to use a condensor microphone, the EMU 0404 USB audio interface is the better choice.

But use Brandon's Musician's Friend link to purchase it! ;-)

Good luck, Dave

[brandondrury]

I was going to get the tascam 122L but it just seems it's really amateur

I wouldn't say that. I've heard recordings done with the Tascam 122L and it's a very good audio interface. It doesn't have the most features and I've heard that reliability could be improved for some (but others have had great experiences with it). If you are looking for a bump in quality, I would expect you to be disappointed.

So, preamps and phantom power. As a noob, I have no real Idea what that stuff does, or whether it's important (worth the extra 100)
I highly recommend you go through the Home Recording Soundcard Wizard to get a better understanding of all of these features. Preamps are required, but I'm pretty confident that the Tascam 122L has preamps. I can't remember about phantom power, but any audio interface worth buying should have it, but phantom power is required if you want to use condenser microphones.

Brandon