BR-80 or separate audio interface

[DaveS]

Hi, I was wondering whether to get a BR-80 to also use as an audio interface or get a separate interface for about half the price and leave the extra facilities for the time being. Does the audio quality of the BR-80 compare well with stand alone input devices? I assume the mics work as well as the guitar inputs for recording with a DAW? Thanks, Dave.

[64Guitars]

There are several advantages of a standalone recorder such as the BR-80 versus recording to a computer. For one, it's a lot less hassle. Just plug in your guitar and start recording. You're ready to record whenever inspiration strikes. And you don't need to be anywhere near a computer. You can take your BR anywhere you want to make music, as opposed to lugging all of your gear to where the computer is (particularly if it's a desktop computer).

Of course, there are advantages to computer recording as well. The nice thing about a recorder like the BR-80 is that you get the best of both worlds. It's a standalone recorder you can use anywhere, plus an audio interface when you want to record to your computer using the included SONAR DAW.

I assume the mics work as well as the guitar inputs for recording with a DAW?

Yes, but not at the same time (same as when using the BR-80 as a standalone recorder). Anything you can record using the BR-80 as a standalone recorder can also be recorded with your DAW when using the BR-80 as an audio interface. It just sends the BR's output to your computer over USB.

[DaveS]

Oops, slight misunderstanding. I already have a DAW and was just checking out the quality of the interface. If I pay for the convenience of using the BR 80 when not using the laptop I didn't want to find that the interface quality was not that good when using it with a DAW. Thanks for confirming the mic thing. Dave.

[na_th_an]

I have used the BR80 extensively for a couple of months as an audio interface to my DAW and I'm completely pleased with it. It's easy to setup and works flawlessly with all my software.

I already had a "proper" audio interface, a M-Audio Fasttrack Pro... But I only use it to plug my condenser mic which needs phantom power. Everything else goes plugged to the BR80 (guitar or line in inputs) and I use the built-in microphones to record my acoustics. Works great! I would use it to record vocals as well, but as long as I have a nice condenser mic, I'd rather use it