What interface and recording rig are you all using?

  • I have a toaster and recently bought a laptop, and want to start recording and my goal is to make a lot of music in the future. For now I'm only interested in recording guitar, possibly 2 though in the future. From what ive heard, S/Pdif is the best way to go via kemper to interface. My computer has USB 3.0 but no thunderbolt. Also from what I've seen Presonus Studio One seems like a very good DAW. I'm playing thru a Headrush FRFR which I'm actually pretty happy with, and I plan to go DI monitored with the Headrush unless using monitors or headphones would be a better option.


    So I wanted to see what interface, cables, and DAW and monitors/headphones you guys are using and how you like it/ your opinions plus any other equipment you guys are using for recording and production.

  • I bought a presonus 2626 because of thunderbolt. Then bought a new mini Mac. This was in November. Can’t use it because the presonus can’t talk to the new mini Mac with the new M1 chip. Presonus has no support. So, be careful if you go presonus route. Fousrite might be a better solution.

  • Rockin’ FireWire with my MAC and Saffire Pro 40, Yamaha HS7 monitors.
    I don’t use Kemper with S/pidf


    You can look at the Focusrite Scarlett series, they work really well and at good price point

    Edited once, last by drog ().

  • UA Apollo x6


    I’ve used Cubase since version 4. I know how to do what I need to do in Cubase, so I work fast. Tried Logic for a while, but couldn’t gel with it. I also tried UA Luna but that is so caveman yet, it’s practically useless to me.

    Cables: Klotz titanium. Used to use spdif. Prefer analog out. Way easier imo, and no danger of clicks and pops. I record DI for «just in case», but try To challenge myself more to commit to the sounds I want in the first place. Plus all the tonechasing means diddly squat when it is someone else that is going to mix it for ya. That was my eyeopener. ?

    Edited once, last by dahla ().

  • Smartphone.


    But someday I'll build a proper DAW :)

    PRS Singlecuts
    Kemper PowerHead/Remote



    Quote from skoczy

    When you turn the knob on KPA, you wake up the captured souls of tube amps living inside.

  • I definitely recommend S/PDIF if you have the option. I'm using a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 with a couple of S/PDIF (input/output) cables. A lot of people use Studio One, though my DAW of choice is Reaper. One reason I prefer Reaper is its sheer flexibility. The user interface, appearance, behavior, all of it, everything is customizable. Another reason is that it's extremely stable. I'm using Windows and I can't remember the last time it crashed. Before I started using Reaper, I was using Samplitude. I was extremely familiar with and loved Samplitude. However, I started using Reaper because I was having issues running an older version of Samplitude in Windows 10(the newer version had some bugs). I didn't want to switch DAWs, but I didn't really have a choice. However, after spending a little time configuring Reaper, I actually ended up preferring it over Samplitude. When I try to use Samplitude now, it feels a bit lacking and unwieldy. I should also mention that Reaper is free to demo, and when the demo runs out, you can still keep using it. That being said, Reaper costs $60, which is approx. 1/7th the price of Studio One Professional.


    Anyway, I play through Sennheiser HD600 headphones exclusively; however, I use a pair of Mackie HR824 monitors for mixing.

  • I definitely recommend S/PDIF if you have the option. I'm using a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 with a couple of S/PDIF (input/output) cables. A lot of people use Studio One, though my DAW of choice is Reaper. One reason I prefer Reaper is its sheer flexibility. The user interface, appearance, behavior, all of it, everything is customizable. Another reason is that it's extremely stable. I'm using Windows and I can't remember the last time it crashed. Before I started using Reaper, I was using Samplitude. I was extremely familiar with and loved Samplitude. However, I started using Reaper because I was having issues running an older version of Samplitude in Windows 10(the newer version had some bugs). I didn't want to switch DAWs, but I didn't really have a choice. However, after spending a little time configuring Reaper, I actually ended up preferring it over Samplitude. When I try to use Samplitude now, it feels a bit lacking and unwieldy. I should also mention that Reaper is free to demo, and when the demo runs out, you can still keep using it. That being said, Reaper costs $60, which is approx. 1/7th the price of Studio One Professional.


    Anyway, I play through Sennheiser HD600 headphones exclusively; however, I use a pair of Mackie HR824 monitors for mixing.

    thanks for the info man. I have heard good things about S/Pdif, my understanding is that it is better quality (and i would assume lower latency) due to the signal not being converted to analog and then back to digital. I don't see any reason not to use it besides that an interface with Spdif might be a little bit more expensive.


    And I think I will give reaper a shot since its free, that was my other choice between that and studio one. Ive heard a lot of good things about it, and I like as well try it before i spend $400 on studio one. The only thing I have heard about reaper that made me want to go toward studio one is that because reaper is so customizable that it might have a steep learning curve and not be as intuitive (I just read that in one article dont have any idea if its actually true)

  • And I think I will give reaper a shot since its free, that was my other choice between that and studio one. Ive heard a lot of good things about it, and I like as well try it before i spend $400 on studio one.

    If you're interested, Presonus offers a free version of Studio One called Studio One Prime. It has some limitations, but you can at least get some idea of how it compares with Reaper.

    The only thing I have heard about reaper that made me want to go toward studio one is that because reaper is so customizable that it might have a steep learning curve and not be as intuitive (I just read that in one article dont have any idea if its actually true)

    The learning curve in Reaper really depends on how much you want to customize it, in my opinion. In my case, I wanted Reaper to function as close to Samplitude as possible, so I had to learn how to modify it to replicate Samplitude's behavior, but for basic recording and mixing, the learning curve is pretty minimal, in my opinion.

  • ExoThrasher, another Cubase user here. It is rather expensive but brings a lot of stuff, virtual instruments etc. for me which I use in different genres and productions. You might not need this if you want to record mainly guitar via the Kemper. Don't buy something you don't really need.

    Reaper is fine to start for sure.

    Cables: Klotz titanium. Used to use spdif. Prefer analog out.

    Good one here. Go for appropriate cables with whatever you do. Often underestimated that the cable can ruin everything even with the best components around. Personally I am indeed an SPDIF guy but rather for convenience especially when re-amping or preparing the stuff for it. Make sure that you use proper coaxial SPDIF cables in case you want to go for that.


    My interface is a rather old one, M-Audio/AVID C400. Absolutely fine for what I do. As I am using direct monitoring via rack mixer I do not care for latencies for instance.

  • Motu M4 setup for re-amping using only TS cables. (SPDIF not required).

    JBL 306's and JBL310S sub.

    Reaper 5.

    Powerrack with Kabinet.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • I definitely recommend S/PDIF if you have the option. I'm using a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 with a couple of S/PDIF (input/output) cables. A lot of people use Studio One, though my DAW of choice is Reaper. One reason I prefer Reaper is its sheer flexibility. The user interface, appearance, behavior, all of it, everything is customizable. Another reason is that it's extremely stable. I'm using Windows and I can't remember the last time it crashed. Before I started using Reaper, I was using Samplitude. I was extremely familiar with and loved Samplitude. However, I started using Reaper because I was having issues running an older version of Samplitude in Windows 10(the newer version had some bugs). I didn't want to switch DAWs, but I didn't really have a choice. However, after spending a little time configuring Reaper, I actually ended up preferring it over Samplitude. When I try to use Samplitude now, it feels a bit lacking and unwieldy. I should also mention that Reaper is free to demo, and when the demo runs out, you can still keep using it. That being said, Reaper costs $60, which is approx. 1/7th the price of Studio One Professional.


    Anyway, I play through Sennheiser HD600 headphones exclusively; however, I use a pair of Mackie HR824 monitors for mixing.

    Do you use a separate headphone amp? How well does the scarlette drive the HD600s? My biggest concern I also use and love these headphones

  • Sonar 8.5 with Windows 7. No crashes and I know the system fluently.


    I've just had to buy a new (used) interface and went with a cheap M-Audio Ultra 8r. I can't notice any sonic difference from my previous interface. I wanted spdif as it makes reamping so simple but it has no influence on the sound quality.


    Latency is irrelevant. If you're playing through a Kemper, either direct monitoring or a second input to the monitors makes it meaningless unless you're playing midi keyboards to a vsti.