Behringer USB Audio Interface
This digital audio converter is marketed as a high-quality and inexpensive way to digitize old cassettes and LPs. I’m sure it’s excellent for those tasks, too, but I’ve found it particularly useful for making audio recordings on a laptop without a pro-tools budget.
Basically, it's a less noisy way of taking sound from a mic and recording it onto a computer. Recording on an 1/8-inch-line input can be pretty noisy, especially on a laptop. This converter cuts out much of the noise, and makes a usable recording. I recently recorded some narration for a voiceover on a video I’m putting together, and it works pretty well. It's also USB-powered, so no need for batteries or an AC power cord. There are more expensive versions that do a slightly better job, but I find this product does a great job for the money.
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Behringer
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jlbraun
If you're looking for an excellent USB audio OUTPUT device, then the Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro is well regarded by audiophiles. The ground plane is isolated so you can't hear your graphics buffer refresh, your hard drive seeking, etc, it can drive high-impedance phones well, and the soundstage is great.
$30 on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Advantage-Micro-Sound-Card/dp/B0002ICGDY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1259768324&sr=8-1
MP
Has anyone used this under Linux? Ubuntu specifically?
Thanks
Kevin Harrelson
It **SHOULD** work under linux. It is a "driver-free" device. So, I am sure that is appears as a standard USB-audio device. Behringer does (I think) make some ASIO drivers for Windows, but they are optional.
Note that this is the old version. Behringer now has the UCA-222. It looks identical, except that the case is red, and the street price is $5 more. I am not sure if there are any internal differences.
Kevin Harrelson
Ooops. I made a mistake. This is the UFO-202. That is the "record player" model. The UCA-202 (older, silver) and UCA-222 (newer,red) have only line-level inputs. If you want to hook up to a record player, the UFO-202 is the latest-n-greatest. If you want to do anything else, the UCA series is probably your best bet.
ted
How does the RIAA and MPAA feel about these devices?
Ben
@ Ted:
There is a provision in copyright law called the "analog hole" which allows analog recording, assuming other copyright laws are followed (restriction of use, fair use provisions, etc). This falls into that spot because you are 1. not violating the DMCA and 2. Are *obviously* not going to distribute the material illegally :)
That said, I'm sure the RIAA and the MPAA hates stuff like this being available to consumers.
AFP
I can't speak for this device specifically, but buyers should be aware that Behringer has quite a poor track record in their build quality and the longevity of their equipment.
Of course it's the cheapest around but you may be making a false saving.
I've had a mixer and a USB-midi controller break without any significant reason.
I've heard their headphone splitter/amplifiers are okay so maybe this device will be fine too.
Ernie
I have two of these and love them.
Justin
I use a similar model (UCA-202) for audio output from my Macbook Pro when playing Netflix, Pandora, etc. The audio jack on the laptop has a low level static whenever the audio circuit is on but the UCA-202 is completely clean, no static. I can't speak for it's D/A conversion, but it sounds great to me.
Mojo Bone
Hmmm....for the stated purpose of recording audio with a microphone and a laptop, the UFO-202 would be entirely unusable without a separate mic preamp, as it has no microphone input. Note that you can use the UFO-202's RCA inputs for either phono (RIAA) or line level (cassette, iPod, what-have-you) conversion, it's bus-powered and appears to have pass-through monitoring on board. It is also by far the least expensive option for adding a turntable to a music system that doesn't include an RIAA preamp, provided you have USB bus power within reach. If you need to interface a decent quality (XLR output) mic with a laptop, there's this: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Icicle/ and others like it in the $40-$150 range.
Rob
Works great under ubuntu and windows; shows as an input to Audacity with no muss, no fuss.
ClintJCL
Crap. I got all excited that I'd get RCA outputs for my computer. Now I got it for Christmas and realize it only outputs what you plug into the RCA inputs into the outputs. So basically, you have RCA outputs only if you already have RCA outputs. This adds nothing.
I really wish I'd read the 1st comment here after it was posted :/
I realize it never claimed to do what I thought it did -- but I thought it'd be worth a shot in the dark ):
The turtle beach device in the first comment only gives optical digital output. I already have that. I'm looking for RCA output for 50-foot runs throughout my house. I'm using mini-jack now, and it kind of sucks.
Any suggestions are welcome.