What's The Point Of An Audio Interface?, question Options

[karambos]

Hi,

I have a problem trying to understand what audio interfaces are for. As far as I understand, an audio interface (like something by MOTU or the PROTOOLS 888) sits inbetween the mics you are using to record with and your audio card. Or does it sit between the mics and the desk?

If you are recording a drumkit with, let's say, eight mics, then you could just plug the mics directly into the mixing desk, surely? What's the advantage of having an audio interface to plug your mics into?

THere must be a technical reason but I can't see what it is. Maybe it's just for the convenience of being able to cable any mic to any input on the desk. Is that right?

Please can someone explain why people pay so much for these things?

Thanks

[Synthetic]

Yep, as noted above... the main reason for more than 2 inputs is to have the ability to track more than 2 channels at once such as the drum recording. If you use a mixer and record only its stereo ouput... you will loose some of the control of your sound during the final mixing of the project because the 8 mics used to record the drums were squashed down to 2 tracks rather than 8.

Also, having mulitple inputs and outputs allows more creative use of external hardware processors like compressors, fx, and such rather than just relying on plugins. I have a couple processors setup on my digi 001 that lets me send any tracks I like from my ProTools to my FX unit and back or my compressor or tube mic pre and back into the mix and this saves cpu cycles for other plugs.