What Gear is Right for Me?
Before we dive into what each component means to your set up, let’s start with how it all works!
To keep things simple, audio captured from a microphone or instrument, makes its way to the audio interface. (We will cover additional hardware like external pre-amplifiers and mixers in the later sections.) Once it reaches the interface, the audio file is converted to digital data before being sent to your computer, where you can edit and mix it using powerful audio software — your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).
When the audio file is ready, it’s “bounced” or “exported” from the DAW in the desired format to be reviewed, leading to the mixing and mastering stages and, eventually, final completion. Every artist has their own workflow and setup to boost creativity and productivity. As you become more familiar with your gear, you’ll also discover and refine your preferences.