multiple audio interfaces? Advice?

[sgf]

Hi all, new on this forum...thanks in advance for any advice on this one....

I'm currently running Cubase 4, Acid pro 6, etc. on a reasonably well spec'd PC. My main audio interface at the moment is (no laughing please) a Line 6 Toneport UX2....it's actually pretty good for guitars and bass, it's also a lot of fun to work with-and like most gear, I think it has hidden depths.

The mic preamps are NOT however among them....just kinda weak.

So I have been thinking of picking up a decent mic pre.....but I wonder about the general quality of the toneport's converters. So I also thought of getting a "cleaner" interface like a TC Konnekt or a Focusrite Saffire.

HERE'S THE QUESTION/PROBLEM:

Does anyone know if you can use two separate audio interfaces (not even at the same time, just have them both available in your system) and pick and choose between the two depending on your needs?

Like I thought, "the toneport is so fun for guitars" but "maybe I could find something cleaner for vocals and acoustic guitars"

Does this make any sense and does anyone have an answer? I've heard that multiple audio interfaces sometimes don't work together....but I wonder if that means, they don't work together simultaneously. ALSO what if one is Firewire and the other is USB?

Thanks to anyone who has an idea.
Have a good day.

[tech1]

Yes, you can. On Windows, DAW's will only recognize one interface at a time, but can freely alternate between several. All you would do would be to choose whoch one you want to use. You (usually) do not even need to disconnect one before switching to the other. I use a FireStudio and an MBox2Pro, and both are always connected and running; I just pick which one I want to use, and go with it.

[scottdemarko]

Sounds like a brilliant idea.

Everything you said is more or less correct. Depending on the program (DAW) you may only be able to use one interface at a time. This doesn't mean you cannot purchase another interface, unplug one interface and hook the next one up, as this would work fine on most computers. (assuming specs are appropriate for recording in the first place) Some programs however can use multiple interfaces hooked up at once.


Your best bet is to find an interface that will eventually conquer all, (guitar and vocals in one) but if your happy with the toneport for guitar then getting something like a saffire, firebox, etc is not a bad idea either. Most studios have more than one pre-amp that they go through, in a way you would be no different if you had more than one interface, you probably won't be able to hook up both at the same time.

*Firewire/USB won't matter in your situation, same story regardless of how they connect to the computer.

[sgf]

Thank you!

Thanks for the useful and timely replies. I really appreciate the info....I've been scratching my head about this one for weeks.

sgf