Why CONNECT 6 is a great audio interface for home recording

What does it mean to have a good preamp? In home recording, versatility is key. You may not have the space or budget to get a custom preamp or mic for every situation. If you're doing a lot of recording at home, here's why the preamps in CONNECT 6 make it a great option:

• Lots of headroom:  Many preamps require an additional in-line gain booster for lower-sensitivity mics. With 72 dB of input gain available, you'll be able to power any microphone.
• Low noise: The preamps on CONNECT 6 boast an industry-leading low noise floor of -133 dBV EIN. This means your microphones will always dictate the noise floor while your preamps stay out of the way. 

If you have other preamps, you can still use them with CONNECT 6. Just follow these steps to connect your own preamps:

1. Just use a TRS cable to plug the output of your preamp into the “combi” input on the back of CONNECT 6.
2. Turn the gain on CONNECT 6 all the way down,

Now you can take advantage of the low noise floor and A/D conversion while enjoying your preferred analog preamp. 

CONNECT 6 has a feature called Auto Setup which creates a personalized preset for your track while helping you get the perfect gain staging every time. Not only that, but it can also help you set up EQ, compression, and noise suppression if you are performing live.  

Follow these steps when using Auto Setup:

1. Select your source: Choose whether you connected a dynamic microphone, condenser microphone, or instrument. 

If you aren't sure whether your microphone is dynamic or condenser, check the packaging or manufacturer's website.

2. Select your performance type: Choose "singing" if you are singing or "talking" if you're recording spoken word or dialog.

3. Soundcheck: Depending on your selections, you'll be prompted to sing or speak into your microphone, as well as record ten seconds of silence to measure the amount of room noise.

4. Check the results: CONNECT 6 will set up your channel strip based on your choice in AUTO SETUP. Check to ensure the settings work for you, and feel free to adjust them to your taste.

CONNECT 6 has great onboard FX for tracking, including an Equalizer, Compressor, Expander, and Maximizer. But even better, these effects are powered by CONNECT 6's internal DSP. This gives you a few key advantages:

• Zero latency: Since all the effects run natively on CONNECT 6, you don’t have to worry about latency. This means you can sing or play your instrument in time with other tracks in your mix.

Tip: Turn off software monitoring in your DAW (digital audio workstation) to make use of CONNECT 6's zero latency monitoring

• No CPU consumption: With native DSP effects, CONNECT 6's plug-ins won't tax your computer's CPU. This frees up CPU power for other plug-ins in your DAW session.
   
• Time-saved mixing: Getting a great sound on your input saves you time since you won't have to do as much cleaning and polishing on the tracks after recording.

Using a bit of tasteful EQ and compression while recording can add a nice polish to your tracks and even inspire more confidence during a performance. The DSP effects have simple yet versatile controls that allow you to subtly enhance your sources without creating unwanted artifacts.  

Interested in learning more about the DSP in CONNECT 6? Click here.

Having a good headphone mix is crucial to getting a good performance when recording. If you can't hear your voice over the rest of the mix, you won't be able to reproduce the sound you want. A good headphone mix means:

• Having the right level in your headphones
• Having the right balance of yourself in relation to accompanying instruments.

CONNECT 6 provides an easy way to set up your ideal monitoring mix. In CONTROL CENTER, each input has a set of faders for Mix A and Mix B. The 2 pairs of stereo software outputs also have these faders. Follow these steps to create an independent headphone mix:

1. Turn up your input source in one of the mixes (use either the A or B slider at the source)

2. Turn up output 1 / 2 (or whichever channel pair corresponds to your DAW output) to your desired level.

3. Select that mix in the dropdown of your headphone output channel.  

No more having to crank your preamps or change your session to achieve a good headphone mix! 

Those are some of the great features that make CONNECT 6 an ideal interface for home recording. It’s flexible, intuitive, and easy to work with, so nothing gets in the way of your creativity.