Opinions vary. It also depends upon the nature of the original source materials which you are working with: live recordings and audiophile recordings will likely have more dynamic range, and are more likely to benefit from a higher-end interface than what is built into a computer (any). I work with pre-recorded commercial audio (e.g. stuff originally from CDs, LPs, or tapes from recording labels), non-audiophile, so i find that with careful level setting, the built-in A/D hardware on my Macs is sufficient.heaton wrote:I want to use Amadeus Pro to capture the audio of LPs and cassettes.
I have a usb turntable for the LPs and a deck for the cassettes.
I have recorded some cassettes directly from deck to iMac and have
been generally satisfied with the results. But I have read that using
an external audio-capture device results in a cleaner signal and
better recording. Is this true? If so, I have my eye on the Edirol
UA-1EX usb audio interface, for less than $100. Would such a device
just sit between the cassette deck and line-in on the computer,
somehow resulting in a better recording than recording without the
device?
Is such a device desirable for recording from the turntable, or is
the fact that the turntable is usb good enough? If desirable, I would
appreciate a recommendation for a device that will enable recording
from both sources.
And if I may drift far from Amadeus, can I get better sound quality
from my external speakers by going through this same device?
Thanks for help.
CP
Audio interface devices like the UA-1EX (nice, from what i have read) sit between the analog audio source and the computer. No, it does not use the Mac’s line in… it itself is doing the analog to digital (A/D) conversion, and outputs USB (or for other devices, FireWire) digital audio into the USB (or FW) port on the Mac. Advantages of external A/D (and usually also D/A for the output side of things) include:
- Better circuitry
Better isolation from the vast amount of internal digital noise inside a computer
Sometimes more input/output options, or other features
In terms of the output to your speakers, again it depends upon the Mac, how critical one is, and the nature of the audio sources. I am fairly critical though not an extreme audiophile, and i find the built-in audio output of most Macs i have used to be fully sufficient for both critical headphone listening and feeding into a good mid-fi component audio system with full-sized speakers. A friend who also does audio work and is an Amadeus owner/user who has an M-Audio Transit (competing product to the UA-1EX) finds no advantage/disadvantage to using the Transit audio output vs. his TiBook audio output and uses them interchangeably (actually probably the built-in output more often as that is slightly more convenient).
Honestly, unless every single cassette you are working with was made on the deck you are now using, the most profound improvements will be made with proper adjustment:
- Azimuth (this one is essential for excellent, clear results. Needs to be adjusted for each tape side.)
EQ (120 µsec. vs. 70 µsec.)
Noise reduction matching what was originally used
Best Digitization Wishes!