{"id":530974,"date":"2022-12-23T19:00:38","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T16:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-an-audio-interface-and-what-should-you-look-for-in-one\/"},"modified":"2022-12-23T19:00:38","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T16:00:38","slug":"what-is-an-audio-interface-and-what-should-you-look-for-in-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-audio-interface-and-what-should-you-look-for-in-one\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Is an Audio Interface (and What Should You Look For in One)?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a269ce98ed6c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a269ce98ed6c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-audio-interface-and-what-should-you-look-for-in-one\/#%E2%80%9CWhat_Is_an_Audio_Interface_and_What_Should_You_Look_For_in_One%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;What Is an Audio Interface (and What Should You Look For in One)?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-audio-interface-and-what-should-you-look-for-in-one\/#What_Is_an_Audio_Interface\" >What Is an Audio Interface?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-audio-interface-and-what-should-you-look-for-in-one\/#Why_Get_an_Audio_Interface\" >Why Get an Audio Interface?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-audio-interface-and-what-should-you-look-for-in-one\/#Alternatives_to_an_Audio_Interface\" >Alternatives to an Audio Interface<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-audio-interface-and-what-should-you-look-for-in-one\/#What_Should_You_Look_For_in_an_Audio_Interface\" >What Should You Look For in an Audio Interface?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-audio-interface-and-what-should-you-look-for-in-one\/#Focusrite_Vocaster_Two\" >Focusrite Vocaster Two<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhat_Is_an_Audio_Interface_and_What_Should_You_Look_For_in_One%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;What Is an Audio Interface (and What Should You Look For in One)?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-854018\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/shutterstock_1809456454.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Closeup of an audio interface with connected cables.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/modern-audio-interface-turned-on-cables-1809456454\">Michael V Riggs\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An audio interface is basically a beefed-up computer sound card meant for musicians, podcasters, and other professionals and creators. These devices record sounds across multiple inputs into your computer, then play it back through headphones or speakers.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re a musician, looking to upgrade your streaming rig, or starting a podcast, you need an audio interface. But what are they, what do they do, and what features should you be looking for when you buy one?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"whatisanaudiointerface\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_an_Audio_Interface\"><\/span>What Is an Audio Interface?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The term \u201caudio interface\u201d may sound technical and intimidating, but it\u2019s essentially an extra powerful version of a computer sound card. It has two main functions: record audio signals into your computer and play audio from your computer. Okay, it gets slightly more complicated, but this is effectively all an audio interface is.<\/p>\n<p>The vast majority of audio interfaces are external these days, connecting to your computer the same way you\u2019d connect any other peripherals. Many audio interfaces connect via USB (most often USB-C), but you\u2019ll also find interfaces that connect via Thunderbolt or Firewire.<\/p>\n<p>While an audio interface is a single box, it contains multiple sections. Plug an XLR microphone into one of the XLR inputs and the signal heads to a built-in preamp. This is necessary because the level from a microphone is very quiet.<\/p>\n<p>From the preamp, the signal from your microphone goes through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to convert it into a format that your computer can understand. From here, you can record the signal into a digital audio workstation, or use it for voiceover on a Twitch stream.<\/p>\n<p>That takes care of getting audio signals into the computer, but what about the other way around? It\u2019s very similar to getting signals in, only in reverse. In this case, any audio coming from your computer goes through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to convert it back into an analog electronic signal that you can send to speakers or headphones.<\/p>\n<p>All you need to do is plug headphones in or plug speakers in, and you can hear everything you recorded coming back out of the computer.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"commonaudiointerfacefeatures\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Get_an_Audio_Interface\"><\/span>Why Get an Audio Interface?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When it comes to audio interfaces, sound quality is paramount. This is largely determined by the quality of the preamps and the converters. That said, the sample rate and bit depth you\u2019re recording at have plenty to do with it.<\/p>\n<p>With bit depth, you typically see 24-bit used in most audio interfaces. This is higher than CD-quality audio, which is 16-bit. The sample rate is more complex, but basically, the higher the number, the higher the sound quality.<\/p>\n<p>Most modern music projects typically use 24-bit \/ 96 kHz as the default sample rate and bit depth. Podcasts and videos typically stick with 48 kHz as the sample rate. Many audio interfaces feature all the way up to 24-bit \/ 192 kHz, but this is overkill in most cases.<\/p>\n<p>Looking more at the features of an audio interface, controls and metering are a big part of it. Having dedicated controls for the level of each audio input and being able to make sure you\u2019re not recording too loud or too quiet is useful. Most audio interfaces at least show you if you\u2019re recording too loudly.<\/p>\n<p>Many microphones don\u2019t require any sort of power supply. That said, some microphones like condenser microphones, which are frequently used in recording music, require an external power source. Instead of needing to plug in a cable, these use phantom power, which sends a small amount of power from the interface over the XLR cable. Most modern audio interfaces support phantom power.<\/p>\n<p>Even with a very fast computer, it\u2019s tough to send a signal from a mic or instrument through the interface, into your computer, then back out to your speakers without a slight delay. This is known as latency.<\/p>\n<p>Though not all audio interfaces have this feature, many let you listen to inputs directly, before they get sent into and out of the computer. Interface manufacturers typically refer to this as direct monitoring or zero-latency monitoring.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, many interfaces include MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) to use software instruments and sequence external synthesizers, but that\u2019s somewhat beyond the scope of this article.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"alternativestoanaudiointerface\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alternatives_to_an_Audio_Interface\"><\/span>Alternatives to an Audio Interface<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-830750\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/jbl-quantum-stream-centered.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"JBL Quantum Stream next to other audio gear\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Kris Wouk \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019re working on any project from music to video where sound quality and flexibility are important, an audio interface is often your best bet. That said, it\u2019s not your only option. In some cases, it may not even be your best option.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you stream to Twitch every now and then and just want a basic mic that is slightly better than your headset mic, you don\u2019t need an expensive mic and audio interface. For this basic use case, a like the JBL Quantum STREAM is often a better choice than an XLR microphone and interface.<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-box noflex-desktop \">\n<div class=\"product-img product-img-noaward\">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/JBL-Quantum-Stream-Microphone-Streaming\/dp\/B09WG3PP5L?tag=lsmedia-13397-20\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/31WIFcjpqXL._SL160_.jpg\" height=\"147px\" width=\"147px\" alt=\"\" role=\"presentation\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re frequently making recordings on the go, you may find a computer and audio interface too bulky to carry. For this type of use case, a quality portable recorder.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"whatshouldyoulookforinanaudiointerface\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Should_You_Look_For_in_an_Audio_Interface\"><\/span>What Should You Look For in an Audio Interface?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The most important thing to consider when you\u2019re shopping for an audio interface is how you\u2019re going to connect it to your computer, because this may limit your choices. For example, you\u2019ll have much more choice when looking at USB interfaces than looking at Thunderbolt interfaces.<\/p>\n<p>After that, you need to think about the bit depth and sample rate you\u2019ll be using, though if you\u2019re not sure, just make sure it\u2019s at least 16-bit \/ 96 kHz. Then, you need to think about how many mic inputs use need and whether you want instrument inputs, MIDI connectivity, and other options.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re thinking about podcasting specifically, you can now get interfaces just for that purpose. Interfaces like Focusrite\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Focusrite-Vocaster-One-Podcasting-Lightweight\/dp\/B09ZGS2B2M\/?tag=lsmedia-13397-20\">Vocaster One<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Focusrite-Vocaster-Two-Podcasting-Lightweight\/dp\/B09ZGT64RV\/?tag=lsmedia-13397-20\">Vocaster Two<\/a> are tailored specifically to podcasting production, complete with inputs labeled \u201chost\u201d and \u201cguest.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-box noflex-desktop \">\nAudio Interface for Podcasting<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-img \">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Focusrite-Vocaster-Two-Podcasting-Lightweight\/dp\/B09ZGT64RV\/?tag=lsmedia-13397-20\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/31eE5k6hvaL._SL160_.jpg\" height=\"147px\" width=\"147px\" alt=\"\" role=\"presentation\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"product-title \">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Shop for Focusrite Vocaster Two\" aria-label=\"Shop for Focusrite Vocaster Two\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Focusrite-Vocaster-Two-Podcasting-Lightweight\/dp\/B09ZGT64RV\/?tag=lsmedia-13397-20\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Focusrite_Vocaster_Two\"><\/span>Focusrite Vocaster Two<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-features\">The Focusrite Vocaster Two puts easy to use controls front and center, which is just a part of what makes this great for podcasting. The flexible input routing goes a long way toward making relatively complex productions easy.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Finally, if you think you may scale up down the road, don\u2019t buy simply what you need now. You may only have two hosts on your podcast, but if you want to have a few guests or do interviews, some extra microphone inputs will be nice to have.<\/p>\n<p>If you really want to future-proof, or you\u2019re looking to record live musicians, you\u2019ll want more inputs. The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Audio-Interface-recording-podcasting-streaming\/dp\/B0BB1P7R6S\/?tag=lsmedia-13397-20\">Universal Audio Volt 476P<\/a> features four inputs, vintage preamp modeling, and even built-in compression to make your recordings sound great right out of the box.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/131757\/everything-you-need-to-start-podcasting\/\"><strong><em>Everything You Need to Start Podcasting<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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These devices record sounds across multiple inputs into your computer, then play it back through headphones or speakers. Whether you\u2019re&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":530975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/shutterstock_1809456454.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-530974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=530974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530974\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/530975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=530974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=530974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=530974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}