Best Audio Interface For A Student? #TechTalk

You’re a student and you need an interface and you’ve been looking for one and there are so many choices and brands to choose from! Look no further, the best possible interface that you can buy that will keep you set for the foreseeable future; The Focusrite 4i4 3rd Gen, honestly; the best piece of equipment you can get as a student, and with this, you won’t even have to upgrade for the next few years! And for the price, you won’t get anything better and Focusrite also gives you a ton of plug-ins for free! That is amazing, including a version of Addictive Keys, Softube, Focusrite Red Plug-in suite and much more to kick start your career.

The Focusrite 4i4 3rd Gen has an updated A/D and D/A converter and it has the new “Air” mode that gives a nice warm and clear texture to the audio being recorded into the interface via the two 3rd Gen mic pre-amps. They also double as line inputs. With a total of 2 mic pre-amps & 4 Line-ins, you can record up to 4 channels simultaneously! And with 4 balanced outputs for Synths, Drum machines, etc, and to hook up to a pair of monitors or an extra pair of headphones if you’re tracking someone other than yourself! The device also comes with a dedicated headphone out which has a really good DAC and can easily drive professional studio headphones and earphones.

The 4i4 also has MIDI connectivity so you don’t have to spend extra bucks getting a USB dongle.

– Why is this the best for a student?

This piece of tech, allows a student to learn and practice micing techniques outside of a studio, with the Focusrite control feature, it also allows the student to learn the basics of a digital console and be able to adapt to more advanced consoles when the opportunity arises. The ability to track 4 instruments at once to simulate a studio recording environment also helps you get used to troubleshooting and problem-solving. And with the option of having 4 outputs, you can have monitoring for the artists you track and for the engineer too. The updated pre-amps and the new DAC and ADC give accurate conversion and if captured properly, can yield a radio worthy recording from your small home studio setup!

– Why Focusrite?

I’m not going to go in detail about how great the company is, it’s heritage and blah blah… But when you look at the build, the solid metal casing and the good quality knobs make it durable allowing you to record outside the comforts of the studio. The interface is bus-powered making it easier for recording out of the studio. The competition like Presonus, Audient, M-Audio, Zoom, Behringer, etc., don’t record and playback with the same fidelity as Focusrite does. That is the most important factor and cannot be compromised. It has got led lights to indicate if you have enabled phantom power, air mode and when you’ve got optimal levels going into the interface. And with all of that, Focusrite gives you a ton of plug-ins and samples that kick-starts your journey into the music industry.

And I suggest you do your homework and check out all the available interfaces in this budget (229U$D/18,800INR) and I’ll bet you’ll end up getting the Focusrite 4i4 because it’s honestly the best out there and it’s more than perfect for starting. I, being a student of TASE, can present my Identification card to procure great deals when purchasing Focusrite gear.

Learn More Here: Sound Engineering In Chennai – TASE