Buy a better mic or a better soundcard?

chris10123

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Jun 18, 2013
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Hi all

I recently purchased a HyperX Cloud II. The reason why I went for a headset that comes with a USB soundcard is because my motherboard's integrated soundcard produces an annoying background white noise when recording my microphone. While this has solved the white noise issue, the USB sound card ruins the mic quality, largely due to its built-in noise cancelling feature which I unfortunately cannot disable. I have tested the mic on my MacBook using the headset jack and the quality is much better than either, so I assume my motherboard's sound card is just not great.

So I have two options - either I buy a decent sound card and chuck the USB sound card, which would hopefully improve the quality of my headset microphone's recordings, or I buy a USB mic such as the Blue Snowball and use that when I need to record my voice (YouTube and streaming). Which would you suggest? Or are there any superior options to either of these?

Main disadvantage of sound card - headset mic quality still won't be as good as a separate mic.
Main disadvantage of usb mic - clunky and I'll need to invest in an arm, pop filter etc.

Thanks in advance!
 
In general, an analog mic + half decent ADC implementation will give you the best quality. USB mics tend to be fairly low quality.

For gaming, you want the mic to be as close to your face as possible. Headsets always have the advantage in gaming situations, period. Other types are not able to match the SNR you get from the distance-squared effect.

For recording, you want to get a full desk mic. Headsets cannot match the frequency response or dynamics of a proper vocal mic. Note that the Blue Snowball does not fall into this category. The Behringer C-1 is the entry level of this category, and the best value is the MXL 770. Note that these usually require XLR inputs.

I'd be happy to put together a more specific recommendation if you have a particular budget in mind. If that's the case, it'd help to know specifically what you want to use the mic for.
 


chris10123,

There are many option to make good mic sound, depending on degree of integration and the budget. My solution to this was to purchase a used ASUS Xonar Essence STX PCIe card for $95. It takes a x1 slot and a Molex power adapter to power the headphone amp. These cost over $200 new, have high quality components, extensive shielding to achieve a -124bB S/N - better than many pro mic pres, and the card includes a 20W headphone amp, which can drive high impedance recording headphones. I use Sennheiser HD280 Pro- very medium quality but the sound is far better than the headphone monitor I use on the playback amplifier - no comparison really. There is an ASUS Xonar STXII/90 now- $210.

Another option, is you need more versatility in recording- multiple I/O is to buy an external USB interface.and these ar inherently low noise as they're in external; enclosures. For that I'd recommend the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, or Presonus Audiobox. the Focusrite Scarlett has two inputs that can be either XLT (mic) and /or Instrument (1/4") and there is a headphone monitor that is said to be reasonably good. If you buy a Scarlett 2i4, that has MIDI I/O. I/m planning on buying a 2i4 to replace my ancient M-audio 192 PCI card. Actually I would keep the M-Audio except the second GPU in the z620 (Tesla M2090 6GB GPU coprocessor) covers the PCI slot.

I'm using the ASUS Essence STX in an HP z620 workstation through a Logitech z2300 2.1 Speaker system and while I haven't tried it with a mic or more than briefly tried it with headphones, it's the best integrated computer sound Ive had.

If the budget is limited, or the sound quality is not extremely critical, have a look atL

Creative Labs SB0880 Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium PCIe 7.1 Sound Card Dell F333J > $23

> a used Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium PCIe, I bought one of these used recently for an HP z420 and the sound is very good. There's a "Fatal1ty" version that is shielded against RF noise in your system. and has a front panel control with both the mic and headphone outputs- extremely convenient.

Cheers,

BambiBoom


 


Having owned the Essence STX for several years now, I cannot bring myself to recommend it outside of a few select situations. It does have a low noise floor and a few other features, but it doesn't cut it for semi-professional recording, it has high output impedance, and most of the settings it makes available are non-standard. For instance, it doesn't have an octave equalizer. It has a 4/3 octave equalizer.

For recording, you'd do better with an entry level professional interface like the UMC404HD. It lets you use any XLR mic, and those tend to be (much) higher quality at the same price compared to USB and 3.5 mm mics. It also offers a decent headphone output, although the O2/ODAC is significantly better in critical listening situations.
 


nerd389,

Only guessing, but my impression from chris10123's current hardware: a gaming headset with inline USB soundcard, does not suggest an expectation for 4 XLR inputs with separate mic pres and phantom power for condenser mics. Those of course, would have superior sound quality, but perhaps the mic needs to be hands-free and not obstructing the screen view for game play.

Cheers,

BambiBoom
 
I agree that he's probably not looking for a professional interface. However, it will run any mic you could throw at it, and it's the same price as the STX.

My point is that if you're considering throwing $100 at a sound card with the intent of getting better recordings, the money is better spent on the pro interface than it would be on an STX, even if you aren't trying to do professional recording. At lower price points, it gets hard to find decent pro gear, so the cheaper sound cards​ are worth looking at. I wouldn't get the STX, though.
 


My current situation is that I'm a hobby streamer and content producer for YouTube. An example of using my voice recordings would be recording a tutorial video or commentary on a given section of gameplay. With my current setup, I can simply use some Audacity magic to get rid of the RF noise, but when streaming, I need the audio quality to be decent without needing to go through processing. I do not intend to use this microphone for anything other than speaking at the moment.

For these applications, vocal clarity is a must, but the 'realness' (how close the recorded voice sounds to my real voice - forgive me, I'm no audio expert) is not as important. Because I'm not actually earning anything from either and I'm a student, my budget is fairly low at around £70-£100.

If I take the separate mic road, the ideal situation I have in my head is that I wear my gaming headset for comms and then have a mic (potentially on a boom/arm) in front of me for when I am recording or streaming.
 


Those sound cards look good, thanks! I've noted what the nerd 389 mentioned about the sound card, and I suppose my question is - does an interface completely replace the need for having a good sound card? I.e, would that be the determiner of audio and mic quality, regardless of the quality of my motherboard's sound card? My main thought is that any sound card that goes into my PC would be subject to some amount of RF interference, whereas if I purchased an entry-level interface it would sit on my desk and therefore avoid the whole issue of interference completely. Is that the case?

In the case that I did purchase a separate sound card, my concern is still whether I would then end up having to buy a new microphone anyway, as my headset mic's quality wouldn't be improved by a large enough degree relative to the price of a shielded, good quality sound card. If it would help, I could provide a sound sample using my current microphone to give you an idea of what it currently sounds like and potentially how much it could be improved.

Side note - I've always been a bit wary when it comes to buying second-hand electronics, as I know from personal experience that dust gathers, components wear and it's difficult to judge the quality or robustness of a second-hand item until I've actually purchased it and tried to use it. Have you had good experiences with purchasing second-hand sound cards?
 
I've never purchased a second hand sound card.

Your observation regarding RF is more accurate than you realize. And RF isn't the only issue inside a computer case.

The interface doesn't completely negate the purpose of a sound card, as the interface is designed with professionals in mind. Professionals do not generally use 5.1 or 7.1 systems. For playback using one of those arrangements, a sound card would be the better option.

That said, if you use a 2 or 2.1 system, the interface will serve you very well. The interface is the sole determinating factor for sounds quality as far as the computer side of the system goes. The sound card plays no role in quality of signals that go through the interface. If you use the headphone jack on the interface, you are not using the sound card or on board sound at all.

Regarding the quality of the mic itself, I'll only say that products marketed towards gaming generally do not meet professional standards. They generally don't need to, and gamers usually can't tell the difference. I work in acoustics, and have rather high standards for my gear.

Regarding potentially buying a new mic, this is the primary case in which the interface excels. If you find that your current mic isn't good enough, you fall into a very small niche of gamers who want excellent mic quality. You won't be able to find a mic that significantly outperforms your current headset and also uses a 3.5mm it USB interface under about $150. In fact, many of the products aimed at gamers above $250 actually perform worse than what you have now. If you have an XLR system, however, you can use entry level professional mics that cost under $100 and will perform to professional standards.

Something to be aware of is that your current headset is one of the better products out there for gamers. If you're unhappy with it, it's not simple to get a significant improvement.

Lastly, while used consumer audio gear is risky at best, used professional gear tends to be in pretty good shape. Professionals expect greater durability and take better care of their gear than consumers.

UPDATE: If you post a recording with the mic on the USB card and another on onboard audio, I'd be happy to take a look at it. Depending on a number of factors, it may shed some light on how much improvement you can get out of that mic.
 


Those sound cards look good, thanks! I've noted what the nerd 389 mentioned about the sound card, and I suppose my question is - does an interface completely replace the need for having a good sound card? I.e, would that be the determiner of audio and mic quality, regardless of the quality of my motherboard's sound card? My main thought is that any sound card that goes into my PC would be subject to some amount of RF interference, whereas if I purchased an entry-level interface it would sit on my desk and therefore avoid the whole issue of interference completely. Is that the case?

In the case that I did purchase a separate sound card, my concern is still whether I would then end up having to buy a new microphone anyway, as my headset mic's quality wouldn't be improved by a large enough degree relative to the price of a shielded, good quality sound card. If it would help, I could provide a sound sample using my current microphone to give you an idea of what it currently sounds like and potentially how much it could be improved.

Side note - I've always been a bit wary when it comes to buying second-hand electronics, as I know from personal experience that dust gathers, components wear and it's difficult to judge the quality or robustness of a second-hand item until I've actually purchased it and tried to use it. Have you had good experiences with purchasing second-hand sound cards?
[/quotemsg]

chris10123,

The choice of card or interface depends on the number of inputs / outputs and the type and extent of controls. There are professional PCIe card interfaces that are simply very high bandwidth I/O and some interfaces such as MOTU use a PCIe card as I/O to a desperate unit with many I/O connections.

If the use is very straightforward and doesn't need 7.1 surround or a lot of flexibility the ASUS STX, X-Fi Titanium, or X-Fi Fatal1ty should provide good sound and reasonable control. the STX has full size RCA's and the X-Fi's have 3.5mm mini. I've spent almost no time with the ASUS STX headphone amp, but I can tell instantly that it's the best headphone amp I've ever had, although most of the ones I use have been in integrated amps and receivers.

For USB interface, I'd recommend the Focusrite Scarlett. Something I like about the idea of the Focusrite Scarlett is of course, the physical controls that can sit on the desktop right under the gain sliders on the display if there is no physical mixer. In your use, you could have a Scarlett 2i2 -no MIDI- and the mic(s) and headphones could plug in on the desktop and gain controlled to avoid clipping. they have an LED halo around the gain controls that turns from green to orange to red as it clips. The current model is the 2nd generation ( noticeable by the white lettering on the top cover) and those have extremely low latency. The mic pres and headphone are said to be quite good.

Sound Card Reliability: Almost every sound card I've ever owned has been used, although the M-Audio 192 I did buy new in about 2010. I have a very old system, a 1998 Dell T700R- which is a Pentium III 750MHz and the Audiowerk 2- also 1998 works perfectly well on XP Pro. That was a $250 card new. I've had three M-Audio 24/ 96 "Audiophile" PCI but those were strictly ouput- never used for recording. I have a couple of those from 2005 and 2009 and I've never had a failure. In fact of the ten or so sound cards I've had since 1998, none has ever failed. I only buy more as I tend to sell them with the computer.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

PS> Computer Recording: Since 2006 I've had a dedicated sound computer that uses a PCI card, an M-Audio 192 PCI which is 2in /2out + MIDI or an EMU 0202. The arrangement is simple- the output of a pair of Oktava MC012 cardioids > Peavey VMP2 tube mic pre + the output of a Yamaha S90 synthethizer goes to the computer which is a 2009 HP Elite m9526f (Core2Quad Q6600 2.4GHz). The monitor/ playback system is a 1974 Marantz 2275 receiver - which also has the headphone monitor to Infinity 360 floor-standing. I've made hundreds of hours of live and MIDI recordings speakers and many recordings were voice and broadcast on a radio program I had in Los Angeles in the late 90's.
 
I'll second the recommendation for the Scarlett. If you only need 1 input and 2 outputs, it's very solid.

Regarding the comment on high bandwidth I/O interfaces, they are something to watch out for. You don't want one.

Regarding headphone amps, the only one that I'd recommend for anyone interested in quality first and foremost is the O2 from JDS or Mayflower. It does come at a cost, though, so if the budget is limited you should simply use a decent interface. Headphones are my primary listening device, and I've had several thousand hours listening on the STX and O2. The STX is rather underwhelming when paired with decent studio headphones (I use DT880s). I'll also point out that the 124 dB SNR is only achieved when using a separate power supply from the computer. In the real world with a decent PSU, the best you can hope for is around 85-95 dB. With a poor PSU, it's more like 75 dB.

Also, be wary of any product marketed towards audiophiles. The work that I do is more about measurements than recording, and audiophile devices continue to shock me every time I measure them (with few exceptions). The audiophile culture tends to shun scientific testing (although that's improving somewhat). The reasons are clear when you measure top shelf gear, though.
 
It seems that there is some disagreement as to whether a PCIe sound card would be a good choice or not. Both of you seem to have extensive experience in your fields and have valid opinions, so it's difficult to form an opinion, haha!

Anyway, here is a link to an audio clip I have recorded: The first "testing 123" is done using the USB sound card. Note that there is clearly a 'muffled' sound to it - I can't say whether that is due to noise cancelling or simply due to inline sound cards generally not being great. The second is run through onboard audio, and you'll hear the white noise, which I can only assume is caused by RF interference. However, the clarity of voice produced by the microphone is actually decent, albeit a bit 'flat' sounding - I assume this is what is meant by studio microphones having better frequency response and dynamics. It's a shame the sound card absolutely ruins the vocal clarity - I would be perfectly happy if it sacrificed noise-cancelling for better recording quality.

Here's the link - https://instaud.io/VlP (I specifically chose a website that allows you to play it online, because I know people are wary about downloading random files from the internet. If you would prefer it in a different format or on a different platform, please let me know)

I am quite picky about my mic quality when it comes to being a gamer. I don't mind much when it comes to chatting to others via voice comms, but when it comes to publishing content on YouTube or Twitch, I simply can't expect people to listen to either a muffled voice or migraine-inducing background noises.

Regardless of whether I bought a decently shielded sound card or an interface, my main concern is still that I would end up having to invest another ~£50 on an XLR microphone since my headset microphone quality wouldn't be improved enough by said sound card or interface. This is the main reason I was considering a USB microphone, since they usually contain their own Analog-to-USB converter and therefore bypass the need for an interface or sound card completely. Hopefully the clip I provided will shed some light on this issue.

Thank you to both of you so far, by the way. Your contributions have been extremely valuable thus far and I appreciate the effort you are putting into helping me. :)
 
The USB sound card doesn't seem to get anything over about 8 kHz, which is why it sounds so muffled. It does cut off below 64 Hz, which is good for vocals but bad if you want to record many instruments.

The onboard audio extends up to the limit of human hearing, but the SNR is awful. I can't articulate my full opinion of that SNR on the forums due to profanity rules. (FYI, bambiboom, it's 21 dB)

If you're just looking to get the noise floor of the USB device and the frequency content of the onboard audio, you can get that with the cheaper PCIe cards. In fact, most onboard audio will give you that kind of SNR. Yours is just particularly noisy. Many of the pro audio interfaces are capable of 85+ dB SNR when paired with most mics, comparable to the best of the PCIe cards paired with a high sensitivity mic.

USB cards can range from very bad to about the same as a pro interface.

I would personally recommend the Scarlett or Behringer if you can afford it. They're reliable, and if you ever wanted to, you could get as nice a mic as you could possibly want and they would keep up.

Otherwise, go with a Sound Blaster FX.

Regardless, you're essentially wasting the capabilities of that mic due to the limits of your sound cards.
 


Yes it is a disappointing SNR, and it's not the cheapest motherboard so I didn't expect so much noise from it (Intel Z97P-D3).

Would you say, then, that buying an interface and using my headset mic with it (I assume it would also need a 3.5mm to XLR converter) would produce mic audio quality significantly better than a USB mic such as the Blue Snowball iCE? I understand that it is likely more future-proof, because if I ever need even better audio quality I can simply plug the new and improved microphone into the existing interface. But given my current budget, I am hesitant to buy an interface if it'll mean I still wouldn't be satisfied with the mic quality £120 down the line, if that makes sense.

Sorry if I come across as being difficult or picky, I'm just trying to get as much information as possible to avoid buyer's remorse in a few days. :)
 
It's a valid question. The Blue Snowball iCE would sound just as good, perhaps slightly better if you get the pop filter. It certainly won't be as convenient as a headset, though (assuming you have the desk space for an interface, or go with a basic PCIe card). For gaming, I'll say as I've always said: headsets are the best all-round mic options.

If you're willing to sacrifice convenience and consistency for the sake of the best potential quality (between these options), go with the Snowball. Just bear in mind that you'll have to carefully place it, avoid knocking it over, and make sure you're the correct distance away each time you use it. You also have to worry about cable routing, which can be an issue in some setups.

If you're okay with slightly lower potential quality, you'll get more consistent results and fewer things to worry about with the headset. The benefits stop there for a PCIe card. If you get an audio interface, the additional cash will get you the option to upgrade to any of the relatively inexpensive semi-pro XLR mics on the market.

Now choosing between the two options is totally down to preference. I know what I would choose, but you're not me, and it's not my money. Whatever you choose, just make sure you understand and accept the trade-offs involved. If you do that, you're very unlikely to encounter buyer's remorse down the line.

UPDATE: [strike]For the Scarlett, you'd need a 3.5mm to XLR adapter.[/strike] For the Behringer, you'd only need a 3.5 to 1/4" adapter.

Correction, depending on the version you get, the Scarlett may also work with a 1/4" adapter. Look at the XLR connector on the one you're buying. If it's got three small holes, get the XLR adapter. If it's got a large hole in the center, then you only need a 1/4" adapter. The 1/4" jack is sometimes built into the center of XLR connectors. That's commonly called a combo jack.
 


Thanks for the advice! I can't seem to find a reference to which Behringer interface you are referring to - is it the Behringer U-PHORIA UM2?
 


I was refering to the U204 or U404. The UMC22 would work as well.
 
Ah, thanks. One final question I have regarding interfaces - how bad is the latency compared to PCIe cards? I remember once using Razer's surround sound software which added the tiniest bit of delay and made the game quite uncomfortable to play - it constantly felt like the sound was just a bit 'off' all the time. Granted, this isn't a piece of software, but it would run through USB and as a result would presumably insert some form of delay.
 
While latency may make a game uncomfortable, it will make a musician's job nearly impossible. As such, professionals do not tolerate latency in their gear, and if a product introduces perceptible latency, it won't sell in the professional market.

In fact, there are plenty of situations where otherwise imperceptible latency can still cause significant problems with recordings. Behringer products are well designed. You'll need to put forth some effort to find any degree of latency, and it will be on the order of samples, not milliseconds.
 


chris10123,

Choosing the hardware should be more straightforward if the use and budget are clearly defined by what is essential.

In terms of use, it appears that there is essentially one use: one microphone input and one headphone monitoring of sound when gaming. So, the first essential features are one microphone input and one headphone output.

For gaming, either a mic/headphones headset or hands-free mic and external sound monitoring system is required. So, another essential feature is the means to connect to amplification for either headphones or an amplifier /speaker system. An amplifier / speaker is likely to produce feedback to a microphone but the computer sound will almost certainly not be limited to gaming, and for playback and listening to music, watching streaming videos, and etc make output to headphones and at least a two channel amplifier are two more essential features.

With the essentials in mind, my suggestion is to consider:

1. If a 2 or 2.1 sound system is sufficient, the ASUS Xonar Essence STX on the basis of the quality of the DAC, SNR, and headphone amplifier quality and >

2. if a 5.1 or 7.1 may be the future sound system, a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty.

3. If you'd prefer to buy new:

Creative Sound Blaster Z PCIe 116dB SNR 5.1 Gaming Sound Card with 600ohm Headphone Amp and Beamforming Microphone > £78.98

4. If there is a chance you would want to use an XLR /condenser mic and need two inputs, have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, but of course that will limited to two channel sound per track.

With any of these hardware choices plus editing software, it would be possible to edit, process, and multitrack recordings to make YouTube videos and etc.

Cheers,

BambiBoom


 
Thank you for the input.

Having done some further research, I have decided to go with buying an interface, since they are more versatile and I plan on using an XLR mic in the future so it would be better in that regard.

Essentials of the interface:
- 1 XLR mic preamp
- 1/4" monitor output
- Direct monitor capability

Having consulted a guitarist friend of mine as well as the information provided in this thread, I have the following options:
- Focusrite Scarlett Solo (seems to be the most all-round recommended)
- Behringer UMC22 (very cheap in comparison, but why?)
- Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202HD (still cheaper than equivalent Scarlett, but I can't see why)
- M-Audio M-Track 2X2 (this is the interface my friend uses and has had a good experience with it)

While I will try to use my current headset with the interface just to see how far I could push the mic quality, I do plan on investing on a standalone XLR mic in the near future. My suggestion is the Behringer XM8500, since it is dynamic and cardioid, which I understand is a good combination for preventing background noises from being picked up. Along with the mic, I would need to purchase a desktop arm for it, an XLR cable and a pop filter if needed.

If I chose the most expensive interface (Scarlett) along with the components mentioned above, the total price would be:
- Interface: £85
- Mic: £16
- Arm: ~£10
- Pop filter: ~£5
- Cable: ~£5
- Total investment: £121

Does that sound like a viable arrangement?
 


Dynamic mics are good for being thrown around, like at a live show, or with extremely loud instruments. They aren't good for quality recordings of vocals or quieter instruments.

Condenser mics offer the best all-round quality. Ribbon mics are also very good. I had a dynamic mic years ago, but in my line of work, they aren't nearly good enough. Today, I use 18 Type 1 condenser mics for work. For recording, those mics are a boatload of overkill, but condensers tend to be much better for vocals.

Regarding the interfaces, Behringer is generally a no-frills workhorse brand. The UMC22 is cheaper because it's only able to record at 16 bits per sample (not ideal for professionals). The 202HD is cheap because it's simple, and doesn't have any fancy features beyond 24 bits per sample. The M-Audio doesn't have mic preamps at all. It's only for instruments.

Behringer is one of the most popular brands for use at live shows, and is an established brand. They have a long reputation for no-frills, get-the-job-done products. Focusrite is a fairly new company, but they make products that have more features than the comparable Behringers.

When looking at interfaces other than the ones we've mentioned, the primary area to look at is preamp performance. The preamp boosts mic-level inputs to something that's easier to work with, and are usually the weakest link in the interface when using mics.

If you go with the arrangement mentioned here, it should work wonderfully. At some point, specifically when you want to upgrade to an XLR mic, you'll want to think about the background noise in your room. The XLR mic will pick it up more than the headset will. If you want to set up a semi-pro studio, you may want to look into the room acoustics as well as micing techniques. If/when you get to that point, I'd be happy to send you as much info as you want. I frequently set up that sort of arrangement on tight budgets.
 
Okay, I will look at condenser microphones then. Unfortunately there isn't much I can do to combat background noise, as I live in university accommodation and as a result can't stick anything on the walls, and when the person in the next room speaks loudly I can hear it as well.

I have been looking for scenarios online where people have tried to connect their headsets to interfaces, and many seem to suggest that headset microphones actually require a voltage supply (albeit a small one), and therefore don't work with the respective interface due to them only being able to supply either no power or 48 volt phantom power.

So I decided to take a look at the HyperX Cloud II's specifications, and on the 'microphone' section there is a field 'supply voltage' with a value of 2V. Does this suggest that the microphone requires a small amount of power to actually function, and therefore would not work when used in conjunction with, say, a Focusrite Scarlett Solo?
 
Now that you mention it, that sounds about right.

You could rig it up to work rather easily, but it would be a strange setup. If that's a deal breaker, then the interfaces aren't the best option for you.

If you want to give it a go, all it takes is a 3.5mm splitter. Connect one leg to the USB card's mic port, and the other to the microphone. Run the output to the interface, and it will work.

If you don't like the idea of that setup, then go with a Creative PCIe card.
 


I think I'll forego the use of my headset for recording completely in that case. I likely wouldn't achieve the quality that I would expect from a proper microphone, and I don't want to find that out the hard way £100 down the line after buying a good sound card to connect it to. I'll use it solely for voice communication and convenience when I am not recording.

I'll either purchase the Focusrite Scarlett Solo and I'll have a look around for an entry-level mic, or I'll settle for a Snowball for now, given it is the more budget-friendly option and if my YT/Stream hobby ends up gaining some traction I could then invest in a proper studio setup. The main influence of this decision is that I sing and I'm currently learning acoustic guitar as well, and I may want to record some songs in the near future. In which case, it is clear that the interface/mic setup would be far superior and more scalable. I'll have a think and evaluate where I see my recording hobby heading in the future, and I shall post back on here when I've made a decision and have set up my new gear!

In the meantime, thank you the nerd 389 and bambiboom for all your help and patience, it really is much appreciated! If anything, I've learned a whole lot about audio setups and you may have just inspired me to start learning more within this field.

All the best
Chris