I’ve gotten the recording bug again. But it’s different this time because I’ve had to do a necessary upgrade to my recording equipment, as my old audio interface just doesn’t work with my new computer. So I recently purchased an M-Audio M-Track 2X2M and I love it! It has the features that I need for my simple uses, and the best thing is that it’s relatively compact compared to my old MBox2.
But more importantly, the sound quality of this unit versus the MBox2 is worlds apart better! I first noticed it in my studio headphones, the venerable AKG K240. I couldn’t believe that they could sound this good. Then tonight, since it is Halloween, and my son had a bunch of friends over, I went into my man cave to do some mastering.
I hooked up my trusty Roland DS-5 reference monitors, and just couldn’t believe my ears! The bass response was absolutely crisp and clear. With my old MBox2, the bass response was really muddy. But I could actually make out the note separation for the first time since I go those speakers over ten years ago!
The point to all this is that as the title says, quality gear matters. Sometimes it’s more expensive, but a lot of times, it’s affordable. If I had to do it all over again, I probably would’ve invested in a slightly more expensive audio interface instead of my MBox2. But I was just starting out back then and didn’t know any better. Sure, hindsight is 20/20 but I do believe a slightly larger investment back then would’ve yielded me MUCH higher quality recordings.
And frankly, in the case of the M-Track, though I could’ve gotten a nice Focusrite 6i6, it was more than I needed. Plus, I saw a GREAT video demo of the M-Track and that convinced me that it would give me the sound quality that I needed. And hey! At $149, if it breaks, I can just get another (I did spend the $23 for a 2-year replacement warranty, so I’m good for a couple of years).
Guitar Gear 