Understanding and Setting Up an External Audio Interface

In this video, I cover a more general music production topic: external audio interfaces. After explaining how they work, I talk about why they are beneficial to Maschine users, as well as how to set one up with the Maschine software.

External audio interfaces connect to your computer and take care of analog/digital conversion. This allows inputs (mics, turntable, etc) to be recorded and outputs (speakers, headphones) to be heard. The interface also hosts a variety of connections that aren’t found on a basic computer sound card. These connections, including XLR, 1/4″, and MIDI, open up countless possibilities.

Although an external interface isn’t a necessity, it makes the recording and playback processes much easier and more stable. If you’re really into sampling, an interface will let you record vinyls, microphones, and other sources with ease. Plus, the higher-quality preamps with Phantom power will let you use high-quality microphones for recording instruments, vocals, or anything else.

Setting up the interface is as easy as opening up the Audio and MIDI Settings tab within Maschine. Here, you can select your device, change buffer sizes and sample rates, and assign inputs and outputs.

Thanks for watching! More Maschine videos coming soon.