tube computer audio interfaces?

[Greenfuz]

anybody know of any other than the art usb dual tube pre?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... l-tube-pre

just trying to see if there's more options

[morange]

Oh my head.

[sonidero]

Not really... You need to spend as much as you can afford on a NICE TUB PRE then get a USB interface... There aren't too many people worrying about having tubes in a USB interface cause there are so many nice PRE's out there anyway and that's more important than having a tube in the interface... Get an Avalon SP-737 and an Apogee Quartet, it should only be about $3,300...

[Chankgeez]

Just out of curiosity, Greenfuz, why does it need to be a tube interface?

[sonidero]

Just out of curiosity, Greenfuz, why does it need to be a tube interface?

They keep your Hot Pockets warm...

[Chankgeez]

Just out of curiosity, Greenfuz, why does it need to be a tube interface?

They keep your Hot Pockets warm...

Then why not a microwave interface?

[sonidero]

I believe we call it LTE nowadays even though it's radio vs micro...

[Greenfuz]

I dunno really I like tubes

shouldn't it have a warmer vintagey sound? not sound like it was recorded in a sterile hospital room?

[psychedelicrelic]

This is interesting to me. Ive been looking for a usb interface to record to a DAW. I was thibkibg about getting an akai eie pro but this...hmm

[Greenfuz]

Not really... You need to spend as much as you can afford on a NICE TUB PRE then get a USB interface... There aren't too many people worrying about having tubes in a USB interface cause there are so many nice PRE's out there anyway and that's more important than having a tube in the interface... Get an Avalon SP-737 and an Apogee Quartet, it should only be about $3,300...

well this is a usb interface and pre all in one I think?

[sonidero]

It'll sound like $149 too... Those ART's kinda fart... If you can save a wee bit more you can have a tube pre and a USB or FW interface... Call Sweetwater and ask for a catalog to drool over... Are you just going to record one channel at a time or maybe more... The EIE PRO is cool and fun to say but it's just ok for sound quality... There is a lot out there broseph...

[psychedelicrelic]

Sorry to hijack your thread greenfuz but I have some noob questions.

I completely left computer software to make music and went all hardware about a year ago. I record into a tascam portastudio 414mkii 4 track. Im over recording to tape. What a pain in the ass. Im going back to FL Studios. But ive never recorded to a computer. So would it be inefficient or take away from sound quality if I used the tascam as a mixer and plugged into this art preamp interface or any other usb interface? Should I be recording direct into the interface? I dont want to be unpluging and repluging everything. Should I ditch the tascam and get a decent mixer? No mixer at all? Just buy a 4 channel interface? is it not a good idea to record from the headphone out of the tascam? Is therr something better @aro I nd $200 to use for my needs? And I read some pretty good things about this art dualtube. Is it really fart?

[Greenfuz]

I'm just looking to use it to get some bass or acoustic and vocal stuff down,

I don't think I'd use it to record full songs or anything - I'm more of an analog guy. which is why I was looking at stuff with tubes

[rustywire]

Gimmicky. It's an attempt at adding tubes anywhere they can fit to capitalize on the "tube means better sound" dollars.

Not really... You need to spend as much as you can afford on a NICE TUB PRE then get a USB interface... There aren't too many people worrying about having tubes in a USB interface cause there are so many nice PRE's out there anyway and that's more important than having a tube in the interface... Get an Avalon SP-737 and an Apogee Quartet, it should only be about $3,300...

Good advice...but I'd sooner recommend a UA LA-610 instead.
And to further cosign/piggyback off your post, my best advice to OP is DO NOT SKIMP ON PRES AND CONVERTERS.
Garbage in, garbage out...and with multitrack recording the effect is cumulative; so the limitations of inferior pres/conversion quickly become conspicuous with the more you have going on.

Also, a signal chain of specialized individual components will almost always be superior to integrated systems.

[sonidero]

@ the Hawaiian...

Depends on what you're going for; If it's a good one you can; I wouldn't ever ditch a 4-Track; A Mixer is a Must; If 4 will do maybe; It is not a good idea to ever record out of a headphone jack; Lots of stuff around $200; Kinda Farty...

I'm just looking to use it to get some bass or acoustic and vocal stuff down,

I don't think I'd use it to record full songs or anything - I'm more of an analog guy. which is why I was looking at stuff with tubes

A good Mixer and USB interface should work just as well... If you look around you'll find that the cheaper Tube stuff doesn't even really run at levels hot enough to matter and the Tube is just kinda for show fo sho...