What’s wrong with a USB mic?

They have their purpose, but they’re very limited, and I don’t recommend them at all for musicians. The biggest problem is the lack of one my favorite things: cable. The USB mic is a microphone, a preamp, and an analog/digital converter in one device. Sounds convenient, but the trouble is:

Want to use your mic with another interface? Want to plug it into your amp, use it in a live setting or hook it up to a 4 track? Want to record in stereo? Multitrack? Want to use the included preamp and A/D interface with another microphone or connect a guitar, bass or keyboard directly? What happens if one part of the device fails? Tough Luck. They’re great for teleconferencing, voiceover recording, but music? Not so much.

What’s wrong with an audio interface?

Not a lot, it has the same “all-in-one” issues as USB mics - you can’t usually bypass the preamps, though you can turn them down low if you want to try something else up front. The one thing that seems to dog interfaces, though this is very rare, maybe less than 5% (don’t quote me on that), is drivers. This is why I like my stuff split up. Every once in a while, someone will have a heck of a time just getting the device to work properly with their computer. I have personally sent something back I spent an entire weekend fiddling with. This is no strike against interfaces in particular, the same issues tend to come up with PCI or PCMCIA cards. Then of course, you can always just jack your preamp into another card instead of having to send the whole kit back.

Again, there are few rules, just opinions. Some like having their gear split up, some like having it all in one box. Guitarists are always arguing over having one big multi-effects device or many separate stompboxes. It’s whatever you like best!

Read the specs - for your sake!

Never ever go by the product’s name alone. The M-Audio 410 has 4 inputs, but one is MIDI and the other is SPDIF. It’s freaking lame, but that’s how stuff gets sold. Don’t be a sucker! Read the specifications carefully - it may have 4 analog inputs, but only 2 preamps. Not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you have a spare stereo pre. Buying a condenser mic that needs 48v phantom power? Make sure your preamp comes with it!