Music & Instruments / Guide
How Many Inputs Does a Home Recording Interface Need?
Count the sources you want to record at the same time before comparing interface specifications. That one decision prevents both an undersized purchase and an expensive collection of unused sockets.
Count the sources you want to record at the same time before comparing interface specifications. That one decision prevents both an undersized purchase and an expensive collection of unused sockets.
Draw the session
Write down each microphone, instrument or stereo source and whether it needs its own recorded track. A solo voice and guitar setup has different needs from a rehearsal where several instruments must be captured separately. Future ambitions are useful, but distinguish a planned session from a hypothetical one.
Check the type of each input as well as the number. Microphones, line-level devices and instruments can require different connection and gain arrangements. Read the model's manual rather than counting holes in a photograph.
Consider monitoring
Decide who needs to listen while recording and whether they need different headphone mixes. A simple two-input interface may suit one performer well but become awkward when several people want separate monitoring control.
Level assistance can be helpful, but it has conditions. Focusrite's fourth-generation 2i2 guide, for example, limits Clip Safe to sample rates up to 96 kHz. Read the conditions behind a feature rather than interpreting its name as a guarantee.
Budget beyond the box
Include microphones, cables, headphones, stands and software that the chosen setup actually requires. Check current operating-system support before buying an interface for an older or managed computer. A bargain interface that cannot be used with the intended machine is not a bargain.
Buy around the most demanding session you will realistically record in the near term. A little planned room to grow can be sensible, but extra inputs do not improve a performance or fix a noisy room. A smaller, well-understood system often makes starting and finishing a recording easier.