Interface vs Sound Card - Do you know...?

Many musicians beginning their independent music production have to travel down the path of understanding the signal chain: the equipment that gets your sound from the sound source into a recorded media. One of the main parts of the signal chain is the soundcard (when we talk digital music). It has come to my attention that many bedroom musicians still misunderstand the difference between a soundcard and an interface.

The audio interface

Though most will call it a soundcard (for sake of simplicity), an audio interface (or AI) is actually a pre-amp and converter combined into one body. The purpose of an AI is to raise the level of the incoming sound signal from mic level to line level (this is the pre-amp part of the audio interface), and to turn that analog signal into digital bits (this is the converter part of the audio interface). Many audio interfaces also include +48v phantom power (for use with condenser mics) and are usually connected to the computer via USB of Firewire.

The soundcard

A soundcard, on the other hand, is just a converter. It's called a soundcard because that's what it does in a normal household computer: to convert the digital data in the computer to analog sound that comes out the computer speakers. In normal computers, not many people use the soundcard to input sound into the computer, although it can be used for that also.

A converter that sits outside the computer body is often called an external soundcard. But if you explore the various recording equipment available for purchase, you will understand that a converter doesn't always have to be a card (though it often is). High end premium quality converters are often shaped like a box that a recording engineer fits onto his equipment rack.

The difference

By the two explanations above, we can see how a soundcard is different than an audio interface:

1. A soundcard does not have pre-amps. Stand alone converters do one thing: to convert analog to digital data and vice versa.
2. A soundcard is the specialized name for the converter.
3. A soundcard is a converter alone. An audio interface is a converter plus preamps.

I hope this short article can help you better understand the parts of your signal chain.

To your equipment savviness,
Endy

Spit It Solo - Produce Yourself!

Maybe you're a rapper who is tired of wack producers approaching you with their wack beats. Maybe you've already dabbled in beat making but you're trying to brush up and learn more about the craft. Or maybe you are just a plain old music enthusiast who wants to take their passion for music to the next level and create your own. Whatever your reason, you've come to the right place.

Obviously this article can't teach you everything you need to know. There are entire books and even entire college curriculums dedicated to giving you a proper music production education. However this article will hopefully give you a start, and you'll be able to research more using what you learn here.

The first thing that you'll need is a method for creating beats. There are a number of different solutions here. If you are really only trying to be a mild hobbyist there are a bunch of online beat making programs that you can gain access to for around $30 to $40. These include DubTurbo, BeatThang, and Sonic Producer. However if you are really into making beats, you will outgrow them quickly.

At that point you should try out some of the more advanced software. Reason and Fruity Loops are two of the most popular programs (DAWs) for more serious hobbyists. There are a number of producers with production credits that use one of these two. However, professional studios almost always run either Pro Tools or Logic.

Although the learning curves for Pro Tools and Logic are a little steeper than those of Reason and Fruity Loops, they are more powerful programs and allow producers to do more with their music. They also accept what are called plugins. Plugins are additional effects or sounds that you can buy to expand the functionality of your music production software.

In addition to software you also need a fast enough computer to run it. I recommend having a computer with at least 2 GB of RAM. 4 or more is definitely preferred. Your processor should also be fast. A multicore processor with processors in the 2 to 3 GHz range should suffice.

No setup would be complete without speakers. Although many producers begin to producer using their regular computer speakers, these are not ideal for mixing your beats. Really, if you are going to be a serious producer, you are going to need real monitoring speakers. KRK makes a very good entry-level monitor, the RP-5 as does M-Audio, the BX5a. Either of these should be a good start for making beats.

Finally, you'll need a MIDI controller. This can be a keyboard, an MPC, a Native Instruments Maschine, or any other MIDI controller that you can use to easily play enter MIDI (musical note) information. Keep in mind, if you get a drum machine like an MPC or Maschine, you will be able to sample more easily than if you had a keyboard, however you will not really be able to play in melodies that you compose on your own.

If you'd like to get started, check out BeatMatters' free drum samples.