[Scott Dorsey]

Bob Simon wrote:
I am getting ready to buy my first audio interface. With no digital record=
ing experience, I need some advice on monitoring overdubs. I had been look=
ing at the Focusrite Clarett 2Pre Thunderbolt audio interface (connected to=
my HP Spectre x360 with Thunderbolt 3) because it has especially low laten=
cy in hopes that I would be able to monitor my live overdub tracks via the =
DAW. However, Focusrite Tech Support suggested I get the USB version of th=
e Clarett instead because there are problems with the Thunderbolt implement=
ation on some Windows machines. Has anyone here tried to use Thunderbolt o=
n the HP Spectre x360 - 13-ac076nr (Z4Z25UA)?

Get a small cheap mixer for monitoring, so you don't have to monitor through
the computer. Some interfaces have such a thing built in, but there is no
reason not to just get a Mackie 1202 or something to have for the job,
because someday you'll want it for something else anyway.

If you are monitoring yourself directly, with only the backing tracks
coming from the computer, then you don't care about the latency through
the computer at all.

If you're using the preamps in the mixer for your record feed you care about
having a decent mixer, but if you're just using the mixer for monitoring it
can be absolute crap and you'll be fine with it.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."