Best Audio Interface For Drum Recording
Want to record drums at home? Before we begin, remember that recording drums is not easy. Most sound engineers consider track and drumming to be the hardest part of the recording process.
But with today's technology, we can record ourselves at home quite easily with excellent sound quality.
Which Audio Interface (AI) is best for drum recording:
The Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 is an affordable eight-channel AI perfect for anyone looking to start recording drums. Focusrite is a pretty well known company. Thanks to the genius mind of Rupert Neve, they've had the most advanced recording hardware since 1985.
Recording is made simple with this audio interface as it comes with Pro Tools and Ableton Live versions. You don't need to spend extra money on another digital workstation.
Practice with The Scarlett
On the front of the device there are two microphone inputs. The other six are on the reverse side of the device. Each knob corresponds to a different microphone channel input. You can adjust the microphone gain here before connecting to your computer. To the right of the buttons is a display panel, giving you a clear view of all your microphone inputs. Next are the screen and headphone controls. You can plug in a studio monitor, as well as two separate headphones, into this unit.
Multiple I/O controls with Scarlett 18i20
On the back of the unit, there are eight separate line outputs. If you plan to use these while touring, they can always be used for backing tracks.
Besides line outputs, they also have monitor outputs. This is where you will connect the studio monitor.
Expanding to 16 inputs is a breeze
Besides the monitor output, we have the ADAT input and output. If you want to expand your input count to 16, you can add an extra piece of hardware called the Scarlett OctoPre. With just one cable, upgrading your AI is easy with Scarlett 18i20.
Easy USB connection
Connect to a PC or Mac with USB 3.0, and no more Firewire.
Focusrite uses dashboard software called Focusrite Control for all your monitoring purposes. You can even control this software from your iPhone or iPad!
Low Latency for easy tracking
Many devices experience lag. Imagine you're recording yourself and hear your drums sound slower than when you were playing in real time. The third-generation Scarlett 18i20 has ultra-low latency. You can even monitor the original plug-ins in real time.
How does Scarlett sound?
The preamp gives a very clean sound, because users do not want the preamp to be too 'colorful'. Users always demand the clearest signal to be able to add EQ, compression, and other effects to the DAW while mixing.
Color preamps, such as the Neve 1073, are expensive, need maintenance, and are generally suitable for professional sound engineers working in world-class studios. Compared to everything else on the market, this device sounds great and will do wonders for you if you slow things down and apply the right skills to your drum recording.
What is Audio Interface?
Usually, when recording at home or in the studio, we will use the audio interface to convert the audio from the microphone to data data that can be stored on the computer. The interface includes microphone preamps that amplify the signal and sometimes add 'color' to the sound to make the song special. A lot of songs are released this way, at home thanks to technological advancements and self-recording is becoming more and more popular. AIs come in many styles and prices, and typically have 1 to 8 micro inputs. Certain types of AI can be linked together, increasing the number of microphones so you can record at once.
How much money should be spent on an AI
If you are a beginner to recording drums, I think you should spend a little money on this device. Later on, you'll find that spending more than $1,000 on AI won't change the sound quality much for home recording. As you get better at recording, you'll find that your recordings will gradually improve while still using the same old equipment.
The secret of hearing
AIs that cost $300 to $1,000 often sound pretty much the same as a preamp. Some of the more expensive AIs will have extra features like DSP plugins, extra inputs, special preamps and more, but for starters you don't need to worry about all of this.
How many inputs do I need for AI?
If you want to record drums, start small. But if you still want to decide to buy an AI 8 preamp, that's okay, just don't expect to get the sound of an entire drum set like Neil Peart's on day one. Drum recording should always start from small numbers, maybe a 4- or 5-piece kit and master the techniques.
The smaller the setup, the greater the advantage
You may want to try smaller settings. Should start with kick, snare, overhead - this will help you reduce possible risks to the lowest number and will definitely give you the sound you always wanted when you first started playing.
I often use Universal Audio Apollo Twin devices. This is a good AI to play with but only 2 inputs. To be able to combine the Apollo with the drum set, you will need to purchase an additional preamp box like the MOTU 8pre. To preserve the joy of minimalism, we'll talk about AI with more input in future posts
Finish - Best AI: Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface. This product is suitable for both price, quality and new players.
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