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

The audio interface allows the analog information that you're recording (in your case, the drum tracks) to be converted to digital information so that your computer can record it (into some sort of program -- a la Logic, DP, Protools). If you have a sound card built in that does this, then technically you could input audio into your computer that way (though I've never done that). The benefit of something like an 828 is (among other things) that it allows for multiple inputs as well as including mic pres. That way, if you don't have a mixer, and want to record drums with 8 mics, you can do it. Also (and this goes beyond my knowledge), a dedicated audio interface can also let you output your recorded/processed/mixed tracks via lightpipe, etc., keeping it all in the digital realm. I'm sure the others here with much more experience than I can provide some additional useful info, but this is my understanding at least. I hope that helps. And if I've mislead you in here somewhere, I apologize. I'm sure someone else will come to clarify things.