Two-microphone choir recordists
If you plan a stereo pair or another two-microphone arrangement, you need two microphone-capable inputs that can record at the same time. Check the microphones’ power requirements as well.
Who is this for?
Recordists working around flat noise
If neighbour, traffic or room sound is a concern, microphone pattern and placement are part of the buying decision. Shure’s microphone guidance explains how directionality and positioning affect unwanted sound pickup.
Recordists planning more microphones
If you expect to add section or room microphones, count how many you will record separately at once. A basic two-input interface will not provide independent channels for those additional microphones.
What matters when choosing?
Decide how many microphones you will use simultaneously, then work out how their position and directionality will affect sound pickup in the flat. Monitoring and future expansion matter once those requirements are clear.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted sound | Check the microphone pattern and whether you can position unwanted sound away from its most sensitive direction. Try the intended placement before relying on an interface upgrade. | If neighbour or room noise competes with the choir, I want to limit what the microphones pick up without losing the ensemble sound I need. Around 33% of consumers put unwanted-sound control first. |
| Two-microphone capture | Confirm two simultaneous microphone-capable inputs, rather than a microphone input paired only with an instrument input. Check for 48V on the required inputs if your microphones need it. | For a microphone pair, I need both microphones recorded independently during the same rehearsal. Roughly 33% of consumers prioritise two-microphone capture. |
| Levels and monitoring | Look for gain controls, input metering and a headphone-monitoring arrangement that suits your recording workflow. Check the exact model if you want automatic gain assistance. | When the choir moves between quiet and loud passages, I want to set levels and hear problems while recording. Around 20% of consumers make straightforward level setting and monitoring their main concern. |
| Future microphone capacity | Count the microphones you expect to record separately at once, then check the number of installed microphone preamps and any expansion requirements. | If I expect to add section or room microphones, I do not want the input count to constrain that plan. About 14% of consumers put future microphone capacity first. |
Mistakes to avoid
-
Buying one microphone input for a planned pair
A jack socket intended for an instrument is not necessarily a second microphone input. Recording two microphones independently calls for two simultaneous microphone-capable channels.
Check the exact connectors and microphone-preamp count before choosing an interface. Focusrite specifies two XLR microphone connectors for the Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen; Solid State Logic specifies two microphone preamps for the SSL 2 MKII.
-
Expecting interface specifications to remove flat noise
An interface cannot prevent a microphone from capturing neighbour or room sound. Shure’s recording guidance instead points to microphone choice, position and isolation when unwanted sound is a problem.
Try a short recording at the planned microphone position and rehearsal time. Consider where unwanted sounds reach the microphone before changing interface specifications.
-
Enabling 48V without checking the connected equipment
Phantom power is relevant when a microphone requires power; it is not a setting to assume every connected device needs.
Check the microphone and interface manuals, use the appropriate microphone connection, and enable 48V only where the connected equipment supports it.
-
Planning several separate microphones around two inputs
A two-input interface can record only two microphone channels independently at once. Focusrite specifies eight microphone/line preamps for the Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen, illustrating a different input-count requirement.
Write down the maximum number of microphones your rehearsal plan calls for simultaneously, including any section or room microphones.
A larger setup also brings more microphone positions, cables and stands to manage.
Brands to consider for these setups
Focusrite
Its Scarlett range includes a compact two-microphone option and a higher-input-count option for separate microphone channels.
- Focusrite specifies two XLR microphone connectors and 48V phantom power for the Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen.
- Focusrite specifies eight microphone/line preamps and ADAT expansion for the Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen.
- The Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen has only two microphone inputs for simultaneous separate recording.
Audient
The EVO 4 is a compact option to examine for a two-channel rehearsal setup.
- Audient specifies two analogue input channels and 48V phantom power for the EVO 4.
- It has two analogue input channels; Audient also notes that low-buffer performance varies with the computer, operating system and driver.
Solid State Logic
The SSL 2 MKII is relevant when a two-microphone setup also calls for two headphone outputs.
- Solid State Logic specifies two microphone preamps, two headphone outputs and balanced monitor outputs for the SSL 2 MKII.
- Its two microphone preamps do not provide separate inputs for additional choir microphones.
Joybuy products
Related products coming soon.
Common questions
Can an audio interface remove neighbour or traffic noise from a choir recording?
No: changing the interface will not stop a microphone capturing environmental sound. Shure’s microphone guidance recommends considering directionality, placement and isolation where unwanted sound or room acoustics cause problems.
Do choir microphones need 48V phantom power?
They need phantom power only if the particular microphones require it. Focusrite explains that condenser microphones need electrical power supplied through the appropriate XLR microphone inputs; check each microphone’s instructions before enabling 48V.
What if I need to return an interface bought online in the UK?
For applicable UK distance sales, GOV.UK says customers must be told they can cancel up to 14 days after delivery. That change-of-mind cancellation is separate from remedies for faulty goods under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; check the seller’s cancellation instructions and any applicable exceptions.
What should I do with an old audio interface?
Use an appropriate electrical-recycling collection or retailer take-back option where available. GOV.UK describes UK waste electrical and electronic equipment rules as aimed at reducing electrical waste sent to landfill or incineration; local collection arrangements may vary.