Best and Worst Audio Interfaces
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- Опубліковано 19 тра 2024
- What are the best and worst audio interfaces in 2023? In this video, we're going to explore this question and give you our opinion on the best and worst audio interfaces for use in the year 2023.
Audio interfaces have become an important part of the recording and mixing process. In this video, we're going to give you our opinion on the best and worst audio interfaces for use in the year 2023. We'll discuss the importance of audio interfaces, the different types of audio interfaces available on the market, and which are the best audio interfaces for which purposes. So be sure to watch this video to find out the best and worst audio interfaces for use in 2023!
If you're looking to upgrade your audio interface, you need to watch this video! I share an honest review of several audio recording interfaces by a professional audio engineer. We go over the pro's and cons of each audio interface, and I provide the results of detailed testing of the preamps, and their features score, and value score. There are many different audio interfaces on the market, some are optimized for home recording, and some are best for a large recording studio.
Download the raw tracks for reference and mix practice at www.getbeautifulrecordings.com - Навчання та стиль
00:02 The Behringer UMC 204 HD has high sound quality and great value.
02:00 The SSL2 and Universal Audio Volt 4 are recommended audio interfaces for home recording.
04:09 SSL2 has top-notch sound quality with extremely low noise floor.
06:05 Universal Audio Volt 4 is recommended for recording up to four channels at a time with low noise floor and vintage mode.
08:20 Dedicated line inputs add value and flexibility for external preamp use.
10:04 Limitations of the Universal Audio Volt 4 and Volt 476p audio interfaces
12:14 Metric Halo audio interface offers flexible routing and future-proofing
13:58 External device can help process plugins for high demand sessions.
15:40 The audio interface received a low value score due to noisy preamps and lack of features.
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Awesome list! I cannot believe this is only 112 views, this is too much quality content. Thank you so much for the effort and money spent on doing this, awesome job!
Thanks Carlos :)
The video came out 3 days ago and it now has over 12k views. If I'm the 113th person in line to buy tickets to a show, I'm not going to be surprised that only 112 tickets we're sold. I got their first.
Sorry pet peeve, great video
Absolutely agree.. Thank you for all these insights!!
112k mate. 112k.
Good video. Over the past decade audio interfaces designed for home studio use have improved by leaps and bounds. A big part of this are the excellent DAC chips available today, which combined with good, stable (software) drivers, make round trip latency so low that it is generally imperceptible. Also, better mic preamp designs and loop-back features in newer interfaces have helped to sell more (low sensitivity) Shure's SM-7Bs and EV's RE-20s for the fast-growing podcast market. Today, bad audio interfaces are rare, while the market is flooded with really good ones.
You're right so far..but low round trip latency is still an issue, at least if you record drums. ;-) There is a clearly noticable phasing sound even at low sample settings. No matter what interface you use. And I guess it is just a thing to live with. So with drums I generally don't use my DAW for headphone mixes, or monitoring, but route any signal simultanious to monitors /headphones, when recording. Your point about interfaces beeing really good these days is soooo true. I wish we had that quality 20 years ago. Just a few weeks ago I planed to record a bass guitar and there was no noise on my monitors so I thought..."Well, did I allready plugged the bass in, or why do I hear nothing??? Let me crank up the volume....." But everything was fine and when the bass started playing my studio walls began to shake. LOL So yeah..great low noise!
Awesome video. Thank you so much for making it.
The Behringer interface is so overlooked. I have the UMC 404 HD as a backup interface in my studio. It sounds great, and I love that it has inserts. I track with compression most of the time I use the Tascam model 12 as my main interface and I love that thing.
Yes, I've used the 404HD, I do like it. I've never used the Tascam though.
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings I learned to track back in the 90's on consoles, so the Model 12 feels nice and familiar. I think it sounds just as good as sny other interface. Coming from the analog days, even the "bad" interfaces sound really good. Thanks again for the great video man. You earned a subscriber.
Having just a small home studio I use the Behringer UMC202HD and can't fault it. Great little inexpensive unit, perfect for my needs.
I love mine too! I bought another one as a backup, and bought 202s for two of the guitarists I've been working with for 30 odd years. I'm on a disability pension, but I thought it worth paying $20aud a week for most of the year. $600 well spent imo. I've been using it for over 2 years now, it runs the sound on my computer, so it gets daily use, whether I'm recording and mixing, or just using the computer normally. The only thing that's happened is that the Mix pot got a bit dirty and crackled a bit. I didn't even clean it, I just turned it a few times and it fixed itself. I regularly smoke pipes at the computer, so that's my fault, nothing to do with Behringer.
It's a great interface, and because of the extra ins and outs on the 204 compared to the 202, I can't see any need to upgrade at all. 🙂👍
i only have behringer umc 202HD, unless im not using it correctly i do not think its that's good....any views?
what held me on this video, was introducing the products honestly, and straight to the point, no dragging on. brilliant experience for when upgrading, no listening to some ones EGO tell you about "how much they know" (too much of that on here) 10 Stars x
I like the footnote you made when talking about the Volt 4's line inputs not having mic pre's for when running through external analog pre-amps. The camera lens analogy is very good. So many folks are using AI's hybrid analog/digital with outboard gear yet double dipping on coloring with 2 mic pre's in unison. I wish the SSL 12 had that option to bypass onboard pre's as well not be USB powered. I have a SSL2+ on a M1 mac mini and Apollo Twin on windows and both are excellent. I'll probably grab a Volt 476 as I plan to add more external gear (have a 1073EQ and a SSL VHD pre's).
How did you get Apollo running on Windows? I never succeeded, what version are you using and what are your computer settings? And hardwere...
I got the right version so it worked right off the bat, I suspect your have a Twin that Thunderbolt for Mac. I have Apollo Twin USB Windows I run it on win 11 Pro. i7-8700, 32GB 1 TB internal SSD and 1TB external SSD.@@h.valkanovthe_4th_550
I wanna thank you. I have watch lots of videos on these devices. yours by far has been the most informative and educational. Thank you very much for the time you took to make this. i for one appreciate you
The UAD interfaces are mostly amazing for being able to *reliably* track with high-quality plugins with very low latency and no chance of "dropouts" that inevitably occur when trying to do input monitoring in your DAW at low buffer settings. You can set a high buffer in the DAW and record through amp sims, compressors, reverbs (some of the best sounding ones that exist) etc, in the UAD Console with very low latency.
High buffer =latency
not when you are using a DSP interface like UAD and tracking using their processing.
@@timjoseph887you don’t understand the matter….. high buffer in daw does not impact the zero latency on the monitoring of the recording.
I bought a Motu M2 when they 1st came out and I could never be happier. Great preamps, very low noise floor and zero coloration of sound. Plus the LCD is pretty to look at! 😁
I've heard many good things about the Motu M2, and I intend to eventually test it out.
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings Hi. Yes, please do so. I am especially interestet in how it compares to the SSL2(+).
Apollo is largely justified by unison mode in terms of recording more traditionally and the fact that if you've bought UAD plugins in the past, you need DSP to run them (not so important now they're shifting to native plugins). Recording in unison with Neve 1073 is pretty much amazing - it's a great device!
That’s why I’m stuck with Apollo. I have a quad but I need a bigger one Apollo 8 atleast. They are so expensive tho
You just gained a new subscriber! Love the no BS straight to the point review
Hi, first of all I wanted to congratulate you on your videos.... Really interesting, well done and educational.
My need is for live use with my band. 20 years ago I was using a pc with a m audio firewire 410 with which I used to manage stereo backing tracks, drummer clicks + vst instruments played live, all driven by cubase.
Now it's been 20 years (in which I've been away from gigs) and I'm undecided on what to buy.
I have 3 macbook pro's at home so I could use one of them for audio.
I don't need to record: I just want to be able to manage backing tracks and simultaneously play vst instruments live (using main stage or gig performer or something... I'll have to look into that too).
So I'll need at least 4 outputs (using the backing tracks in mono on one channel and the click on another channel + 2 stereo channels for vst).
The idea is to get a soundcard that I can then also use in the future if I decide to switch to ipad (to lighten up the equipment).
I also need to connect at least two keyboards via midi, and this I could do by adding a usb hub.
I also need traditional midi inputs because I have an old keyboard that doesn't send control changes via USB but only via the midi outputs (although I could probably use a midi to USB cable).
Currently what sound cards do you feel like recommending for the use I need?
Thanks in advance
Nice list!
Would’ve liked to see the Motu M4 and Audient Evo 4 to see how they compete in your list
I own an M4 and did a review. Other than issues when using USB-C to C cable, it did pretty well.
I assumed you were going to focus on the quality of the AD/DA converters since so many pros use outboard mic/line preamps and some people dont use preamps at all. For example, film composers relying primarily on virtual instruments would be expecting the absolute best quality AD/DA converters availiable.
I own an M4. My only complaints is the lack luster headphone amp and no physical button to switch outputs.
I have the Audient Evo 8 and it absolutely crushes the Focusrite and Behringer audio interfaces I used to own. For price/performance few interfaces are better imo. Great preamps, JFET instrument input, two headphone outs, it’s perfect.
I have a UR22C which I got for the DSP capabilities. You didn't mention that you can have realtime compression, EQ, Reverb, AND a guitar amp/gate/speaker sim on EACH channel simultaneously with no latency. I don't print the FX, but it's a real pleasure to track with.
Yes. I've tracked on the UR44 for the very reason it is zero latency monitoring. Re amp to your heart's content.
I've done a ton of work with a UR22C as well, and yeah the low-latency processing is really useful (i've mostly used the reverb). I've got an RME interface now as my main i/o, but I keep the UR22C because it's so portable and useful if i need to track something out of the studio. Even though the pres are noisy, if it's only a couple of tracks out of many, it's fine.
I would love an RME if I had the cash, however I think that JK's figures are unfairly represented. An SSL 4000 E could boast a noise floor in the minus 90's. I worked mainly on a Neve VR with Dolby SR Studers, and that couldn't do minus 130. So for almost no money, you get better noise floor than a legendary console.@@PeterJaquesMusic
Wow this is a great presentation and so much info.
Thanks for the well produced video.
Thank you, I’m glad you liked it :)
Fantastic video and not just some aimless rant. Actual audio samples included. Good job. Thank you.
Nice video, very in-depth! I wonder how the SSL2 compares with the Audient ID4 MkII though as it's been included many times in a lot of top audio interface lists
Ya, I really wanted to try out the Audient, but I wasn't able to obtain one. I'm very curious about this as well, and I'm sure I'll pick one up eventually to test it out.
I love my Apollo Twin X because of the unison pre-amp system AND not just running reverb in my real-time recording, but a list of effects that (I find) positively effect the energy of my vocal performance.
In fact, no other piece of gear I’ve ever owned at any price has more positively effected my vocal recording. Not a Neumann, not an outboard pre-amp or compressor…nothing.
Absolutely worth the extra $$$ for me.
Do you own Duo or a quad? Considering the face that we have silicon chips based computers from Apple which is stronger than ever to carry heavy loaded projects, do you think Apollo still makes a difference? Asking because I’ve been eyeing for one lately. Let me know
I own a Duo. I started with the Solo and it wasn’t enough but the Duo is. I own a Mac Studio with an M2 Max and I think there’s nothing that replaces what the Apollo does with the Unison mic pre and UAD plug-ins combined.
A $999 interface or a $200 one, hmm which will be better? Not gonna give you better sound quality but it helps to get reverb in the headphone mix.
So helpful. I'm glad I was directed to this video!
UNBIASED, THATS GREAT! I am very impressed with the fair opinions in this video. My BIG TAKEAWAY, 476 vs 476P…476 for the 2 inputs that bypass the preamps!! Wow, you’re the only one that said it. This provides more options for using external preamps and not being forced to pass through the 476’s preamps. THANK YOU!!! I been thinking about this for days now and I gotta say I feel I am making the best decision to go with the 476 over the 476P, to meet my current recording needs. Plus I could use a splitter if I need two headphone jacks, hahaha. Thanks again! You have a new fan.
This is such a well put together high quality video. Thank you so much!
Thanks :)
Nice detailed and scientific analysis... I've had to do that "camera" thing when using external preamps and noise can accumulate, as well as the "color" of the sound is hard to predict what you'll get as a result. Thanks for using that analogy. IOWs, just by switching out the "VINTAGE" preamp color in the Volt, it still boosts the signal and introduces color and noise... abet less color. And then you'll have to reduce you gain too. I'm getting a Volt because UAD finally has released Native Versions of their plugins (well many of them). This removes the need to by expensive external UAD Satellite Accelerators for UAD plugins! Yea!!! I have 10 cores in my i7 CPU... Why not use them instead of SHARC Cores? That's what my Neural Network Models do. Or I can send the calls to a GPU but my laptop doesn't have something as powerful as a NVIDIA GPU. So we make due with what we have, but today's laptops are quite powerful for music creation applications.
This was VERY helpful! Time to get rid of my 2i2 finally. Thank you. Subscribed
Thanks, this seems pretty clear and helpful to a newbie like me with fairly basic needs wanted to get something appropriate mainly for personal or 'guest voice overs for video work
Nice video. I have both the Behringer UMC204HD and the SSL 2+. I had some issues with the Behringer with Apple Silicon Macs leading me to try the SSL 2+. I am quite pleased with the SSL 2+. I had tried out a MOTU M4 and it screeched and made horrible noise so I swapped it for the SSL 2+ which has performed flawlessly.
My SSL2 was bricked within a month ... first channel buzzes bad and the second channel doesn't work at all. I'd tell anyone to stay away from those interfaces ...plastic junk with gimmicky branding in my view. On an M1 .. it also disconnects every time I reboot. I'm getting the Clarett+2 .. I can't wait to throw this SSL 2 in the trash can.
I’m glad to hear it is working well for you :)
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings Yeah, .. that's cute.
I'm a very happy owner of an SSL 2+. The audio quality of its mic pres are IMHO just as good as my old sold Mindprint Envoice and Joe Meek TwinQ from the early 2000s. My only wish is that the extra outputs weren't RCA connections and that I could have a separate pair of alternative monitor outs like my old M Audio C600 and Digidesign M Box 2 Pro interfaces.
HI, can you help me? how it behaves using vst with latency? thanks
@@pierluigicinque1152 that's something to do with your hardware latency settings in your DAW. Make sure you have the latest firmware for the interface.
@@madness8556 thanks
I love your review videos! Your "real world" advice and extensive measurements leave no stone unturned. I'm curious why the MOTU line (M2, M4 & M6) aren't included in your comparisons. What are your thoughts on these interfaces? The reason I ask is I'm visually oriented and their level meters would help me know if my levels are set properly.
Very informative video! Great tips and "behind the scenes" info! You nailed it!
Great reviews. Providing information that I don’t see other reviewer give. The only thing that caught me off guard was stating that SSL is not a known brand. 🤯. To me this brand has been sought after since I was a kid lusting over equipment in magazines. Lol. Maybe I’m looking from a different perspective.
I also saw some comments and people saying that Audient was not mentioned. I must say that I’ve had a couple of Audient interfaces, and although they sound and perform well, they do not have longevity. They just seem to die 😵. I wound up going back to RME after my last Audient died.
Ya, I really wanted to include the Audient in my testing, but I wasn’t able to get one in time.
I wish you would’ve included the Audient interfaces! I have the Audient ID14 MKII, sounds good! Wanted to see an comparison from you with that and the SSL 2
SO much good information in this. Thank you so much for your expertise.
Bro thank you for this educational video! I’m excited to get my first, basic home studio set up!
Great quality video, content, shots and edits! Viewers will always point out the audio interfaces you didn’t include. But, in fact, all these interfaces are very good quality. I have an Apollo x4 in my studio and find the unison pre-amps with UA channel strips are top notch. Part of the value is the UA Console software - very flexible. But, then for my mobile setup I have an inexpensive EVO 4 from Audient. Technically the EVO specs are better than most of the interfaces in your review and it was one of the few that have a “loopback” which I need for videos that include system sounds, plus DAW and mixing. If you need loopback, half the interfaces on your list won’t deliver.
Yeah, I thought it was a good video too, though the levels were up and down between clips and the audio was drastically different between the test clips and the talking head shots. Also looked like the lens was too wide as it seemed to distort his face shape... unless that's how he actually looks, of course. 8)
Apogee and RME would have been nice to include. Just going by my headphones from UA-cam I think the UMC204HD and Telefunken mic sounds really great.
RME yes❤
RME definitely should have been included
RME .. the best interface I’ve ever used .. older Metric Halo stuff was amazing don’t know what it’s like now
Should for sure, but they really only released the UFX 3 this year, not that diff from the older UFX 2 which I own. for year. I.jyst dont l9ve Total Mix.
Similar to UFX+. UFX II has no MADI so not as expandable. UFX III also sounds better. @@EarlyMist
Extremely helpful thank you!
Hey Chris. Thanks for a great video: concise, clear and informative. Loved it! Where in this line-up would the Apogee Pro Tools Quartet and the Motu M4 sit, in your opinion?
I haven’t tested them, but I can speculate that the apogee is likely just as good as the SSL in terms of preamp quality, and one of the best in terms of adda converters.
The Motu M4, I don’t know enough about it to even speculate.
The Steinberg stuff sounds amazing compared to it’s focusrite counterparts. In the lower end of things it is the best at 1/4 the cost of the SSL interface which is the next level I would be comfortable with for a on the go solution.
So what is the reason he made it the worst?
@@bartekgonzales7176 The gent over here probably do not use its preamps for mic's.
Pretty good video. Though I'm really surprised the Motu m2 and m4 weren't tested. I'd say they are hands down the best entry level audio interface, and much of the industry seems to echo that. I own an M4 and a UMC404hd. The Behringer is great for the prrice, but for a bit more money you get quite a few more features with an M2 or M4, plus loopback, digital vu metres, way, way better drivers, overall much more stable interface with virtually no input lag.
Driver stability should absolutely be a criteria for a comparison video. Also the video title is very misleading and will probably confuse beginners. It implies that this is a comprehensive list, and might steer them away from great products like the M2 or M4.
Motu M2 is double the price of a UMC404HD and not what most folks would consider "a bit more." It puts the M2 in the same price category as the SSL 2.
I have been using UMC204HD for a couple of years and I bought Motu M2. Working on MacOS in Live 10 and Logic Pro 10.7.8. Motu drivers are way more CPU hungry and I sent it back to seller after week of testing because of that. From all audio interfaces I have ever own on MacOS, UMC204HD is the the best in terms of stability, easy of use (no drivers necessary, just native core audio) and CPU load. In direct comparison I got 5-10% higher performance with UMC than M2 on the same projects and same SR and buffer settings. M2 inputs are not better at all, meters are nice but you cant change the brightness/contrast of the display which is very bright and black background is backlighted way too much. M2 does not have mix knob to balance playback and the inputs. The only better side of M2 is DAC
The Motu is the best home recording interface you can buy atm and the only people saying otherwise are trying to sell another brand.
On paper the Motu M2/M4 specs and features are great. But... I've had the Motu M4 for over 6 months and it has been noting but trouble since day one. Have tried all "tips and trix" to fix pops/cracks, sometimes no output, crazy high latency and all buffer sizes (even at 1024 samples) some days runs like sh*t on Windows. 😝 And I'm not the only one out there having the same problem. Either it's some serious driver issues and/or bad quality control. I have just sent the Motu back for repair/analysis and bought a SSL 2 as stand-in during the repair period. The SSL 2 has worked like a charm! 🤘🔥No distorted/corrupted audio at all from the SSL 2. I do like the layout of the Motu, but when audio output is crap.... unusable.
@@alfsmith4936Ehh, no. I own an M4 for Windows and an Apollo MK2 for Mac. The Apollo has a WAY cleaner/better headphone amp, unision plugins, plus the ability to switch outputs on the fly. (You have to go into Windows settings to change them on the M4.)
The M4 is a great budget interface but I'll probably upgrade to something with a better headphone amp in the future.
Kris, thanks for all the information, time and effort you've obviously invested. Do you have any opinion on or have you tested interfaces such as the mini fuse 2, or some of the other budget interfaces?
Hi Chris - Thank you for the video. I would like to get the 476 based on the analogy you gave saying that I can try different preamps in the future, and I can use the preamp bypass inputs on the back. My rep at sweetwater said that bypassing any prepamp on any interface does not require preamp-less line inputs. But just using 1/4" trs inputs bypasses the preamp automatically. xlr's will engage the preamp. So using the 476p - I still could get external vocal preamp or something I do not want affected by a preamp, and just plug it in with TRS. Is this true?
To be honest, on the volt 476, I’m not 100% sure that line inputs 1 and 2 force the signal through the preamp… but im about 90% sure it does, because the gain knob still works and there’s lots of gain available. I’ll be doing further testing in this.
Line inputs 3 and 4 are definitely dedicated inputs with no preamp in the signal path, so I would use those inputs for an external preamp.
I've been using the Steinberg UR22 for many years (not even the UR22C, which is deemed the worst here) and got decent results. Great to know that I must be a l33t audio engineer, and that any shortcomings are due to my crap audio interface. Thanks!
I used that once. I think I blew it by running mics without turning on phantom power, or a guitar without remembering to turn it off..
Its a weird bias. Its top 10 guaranteed, far from botyom of the back. The features are obviously higher then where scored as just a stand out. Steinberg is yamaha and this uses their top end award winning pre's and they refuse to change them due to their definition.
I've been using a UR22 MKII for many years and have never had an issue with it for recording guitar and bass direct. Also use it as a DAC and it's pretty decent. I would assume the 22C is better spec-wise and am surprised to see it ranked at the bottom. For me the feature set is perfect. I can't imagine using one of those interfaces with a big knob and controls on top with inputs on the back, just seems weird and inconvenient.
The Steinberg unit has more features than mentioned. It’s not my choice, but I felt like that was a little harsh. Surprised to see the high noise levels. Appreciate the reviews.
I am also surprised, it is usually highly ranked in most reviews
It does sound very good. Better than most included in this test.
I'd say something was skewed in the test
I use the Yamaha AG03. It's due for replacement soon so have you any idea where the new version would sit on your graphs? Absolutely terrific video btw👍.
I am surprised no mention was made of The Apogee Symphony Desktop ….. maybe because of its expensive price point ?
I was very happy to see you explain what happens when you use the line inputs on a combo amp …. that they fail to bypass the preamps.
Excellent and very useful Review. Thank you.
Hey Jimini, I am considering the Apogee Symphony (refurbished) and would love your thoughts on that one. I've used a classic old Duet (800 firewire) and the output of the monitors was superior to the SSL2, which I currently have.
I'm late to this conversation, so this may already have been mentioned among the current 560 comments, but in regards to the UAD Apollo Twin offloading the processing of plug-ins, it will only do so with DSP-based UAD plugins. Whatever native plugins you're running in your DAW, the Apollo does nothing to offload the processing. That said, I'd agree that the Apollo line of interfaces are really only valuable to those who reeeeally want to take advantage of the zero latency Unison technology (and using Unison-enabled UAD plugins), and/or are already invested in the UAD ecosystem.
I bought the behringer uphoria 404hd when it first came out for $99.00 at Guitar Center. They couldn't keep it in stock at one point. I use it til this day. It's amazing.
I beat myself up for not getting one when they were dirt cheap.
I seriously love the SSL12. My first USB-interface a lot of years ago was the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. I did not have any problems with it. Later I bought the SSL2+ because i needed the midi-connections. Later when I needed more channels I bought the Behringer UMC 1820. That was a big mistake. I just couldn't get a good signal and just had so many noise issues with it. Don't know if it was a faulty unit or if they are all like that. The shop took it in and after looking it at it told me they couldn't repair it and gave me my money back. I then got a Rubix24 which was better than the 1820 for sure, but it still had more noise than I remembered from my SSL2+. So after some hesitation because of the price I returned the Rubix24 and bought the SSL12. And I am so happy with it. I get strong signals and there is pretty much zero noise, even after adding effects like distortion or increasing the gain in my DAW. The SSL12 is just great and I will never again accept anything that doesn't perform as well as it does.
I feel justified in my purchase a few years ago of the Behringer 202HD now. Cheers. Best bang for buck for my original budget limitation.
Thank you for the nice video, but I think you were a bit unfair to the Steinberg UR22c. Although it might be a bit noisy when you record a very quiet source, it comes with great features that many interfaces don't have.
1. Onboard DSP fx (and quite good actually)
2. Comes with a very nice suite of fx that use the DSP chip and so they make it very easy to record with fx and no latency and you also have the choice not to print them.
3. The above give you the ability to stream with fx (instagram/Facebook/UA-cam live etc.)
4. Connectivity : It can be plugged directly to an iPhone, iPad and record, stream or anything else and also use the onboard dsp with these devices
5. Comes with Cubase AI which is a very good DAW for beginners and not only.
6. Standalone mode so you can take it with you and even use it as a 2 channel mixer with onboard fx, controlling it through an iPad/iPhone
For all these reasons I think that you unfair, because you are judging the interface only because of the preamp noise, which again is not a serious factor if you are not using the quietest mics on the planet.
Of course I agree with you about the Metric Halo. It's in my top 3 list as well. I agree for the quality of the behringer, too, but I would everyday go for the Steinberg between them two for the additional features. Thank you for the video. Greetings from Greece.
I have a UR44 and would like to generally agree with you on this assessment. There's a lot of good features and for the uses I have I don't have noise floor issues.
Come on, this video is obviously about studio recording, not streaming an ipad to instagram.
@@ThreadBombapart from the Metric Halo and partially the Apollo, all the other interfaces in this video are home studio interfaces. So I don’t think it’s meant totally for the pro studio.
Thank you for writing this. I was going to, but you sum it up nicely. I'm replacing 2 interfaces (one being the Behringer HD for lack of live versatility).
I'm going to do some more research on the ur22c and noise, but for features it makes the rest of the list look like tape recorders. Especially the Behringer. I don't mind the preamps (they're good), but no driver support? No live EQ? No compression?
I'm at home and my interface has to support recording and talking live. Steinberg seems to be the only company on the list to grasp what enormous potential a good interface has for live use.
I'd love to see a comparison of their drivers
Great info, thanks for posting. I'm here because I can't figure out why the direct headphone jack out on my ipad sounds better than the output from my PreSonus AudioBox USB 96.
Great Review! What would you suggest for HQ music stereo playback for an entry level radio station? Would really like XLR output however not a deal breaker.
I recently acquired an Audient EVO 16. In all my years working in and around studios, for the money, this is ridiculously good. Surprised it's not on here . Would have been great to see how it compared? I'd never go back to anything else. My main point would be the quality to cost ratio. There are units sonically as good but they cost 3 / 4 times as much and that's the killer for me
I’ve heard good things about Audient, but I haven’t had the opportunity to test them yet, but I will soon.
I’m here because I’m looking to replace my audient id22, an absolute gem when functioning but lately the drivers has been buggy with windows
I absolutely love audient. I originally bought the id4 MKII to power an SM7b for video calls/content recording. I owned and ran a series of vocal/project studios, the last one was about ten years ago… where the tech had come and the price points blew my mind when I was looking for a simple interface. Audient also uses their higher quality preamps in even their lower models (I.e.: ID4)… now that I’ve decided 10 years is too long to go without a studio, and have begun acquiring equipment/instruments for a larger studio this time, upgrading to a higher end audient device is top of list.
@@beemomusicit could just be windows. When I had studios way back when, windows was awful, Mac had already become the gold standard 10 years ago. I haven’t had any issues with the iD4 MKII, or anything audient on any Mac (I’ve had it connected to about 4 different MacBook pros, maybe 5, from different generations, and specs. Including my newest M1 Max fully spec’d with Apple silicon). Curious though, going to look more into this and if anyone I know has had issues with a Mac before I pull the trigger on an upper tier unit .
I think theres a bit more to an audio interface than just the preamps and features. The AD/DA conversion, quality of the monitor out and headphone out, the overall user experience and the connectivity to other outboard gear/ computers and DAWs. Would be good if u could include that in your comparison as well. That being said, well presented video with a great point for beginners looking to start
I agree, because I didn't want the video to be overly long, I just touched on the points I thought were the most important. Thanks :)
I mentioned this to a certain YT channel and I was shut down, I was told that a MOTU was not better than a Focusrite, given the 828ES I had compared to the older FR 18i8. The difference was night and day, specifically with monitoring too.
That certain channel told me it was placebo, so I just blocked their channel.
It wasn't abt price point, it was in the end 2 pieces of equipment that I had used and could discern the difference in quality, only to be told it was sugar water?
I mean some people should not be spreading misinformation when it comes to technology.
DACs/ADCs do matter, anyone that says they don't really don't know what they're talking abt.
Also the quality of the headphone output is as important too.
Hey Get.Beautiful, thanks for recommendations which are actually helpful.
Lotta great info in this video! However when using the UA Apollo platform, the ability to use UA “ Console” with an almost zero input latency, with plugin’s running in real time and sending that to multiple headphone mixes is a pretty powerful piece of the UA Apollo platform.
*plugins
The metric halo stuff is amazing. I used it at a studio I used to work at. It was amazing!
I use 2 uad x8p with a twin but i do alot of real time processing so it works for me. Especially since I use the dsusbs to bypass the preamp on the x8p when I use external gear or my adat preamps. But man metic halos was amazing. Zero problems with my uad stuff tho. It's been making me money for years
Nice setup. I do like the Metric Halo's, but I don't think they're better than the Apollo's, they're just different. I'm glad to hear you are making some money with it.. keep up the good work :)
Great informative video. However I think it's a bit unfair to call the URC22C the worst because it has onboard DSP which is one of its unique features.
It sounds A LOT better than the focusrite trash.
I have one, i`m rapper and sound engineer in Kyiv, ur22c is on another level! Much better...
I would love to see a breakdown of your vocal chain ( mic , preamp, plugins etc ) for your Voice over starting at 1:15. That’s a really nice smooth sound! Great video comparison - thanks.
Mic- iSK ICDM, plugged into an SSL 2, recorded in a small hotel room :)
I don’t remember the exact plug-in chain used, but it was probably something like this: a small boost at 200 hz, small boost at 9k, low cut filter at 125hz, compression, de-esser, limiter. I don’t do anything fancy :)
Awesome video. I always thought the Apollo was a little bit overrated. Also reading into the technical specifications of audio related content sends me into analysis paralysis!
Finally, someone talking about the Metric Halo! An interface that truly deserves attention!
ya, they're not very well known, but they deserve more attention for sure.
Respectfully, while I generally don't recommend the Apollo Twin (I use a couple of rack Apollos), you left out that the DSP on the Twin can be used just like that of your Metric Halo while recording. You can process signals and record (print) or just monitor thru plugins/processors without lowering the buffer within your computer. In this way you can emulate an analog style recording workflow.
Hi Maurice, yes, I agree, there are many more benefits to the dsp processing, such as recording, monitoring, and mixing, however I didn't go into those details partly to keep the video short, and partly because it didn't come to me at the time of filming. I used to script everything out, so that I don't miss anything, but then my tone of voice is really unnatural. Thanks for the comment :)
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings I understand. Best wishes.
And can you tell me why you generally don’t recommend Apollo Twins?
A+! All equipment reviews should be a concise and to the point as this one.
I have Motu M4...and love it, please review it soon...and your channel rocks!
Yes… I’ll be testing a Motu interface for my next “best of” video in a couple months.
Thanks for your comment :)
Thanks for including the worst 😂. I have the Behringer and it’s the only one I’ve ever used, so I had nothing to compare it with. I’ve been happy with it, and this video helps me know I made a good purchase
Yes, I believe you made a good purchase.
The reason for Apollo's DSP is NO LATENCY = real time recording = makes a world of difference. But I agree, it's a bit expensive.
I never found much use for fx while recording, except for guitar amp sim to record guitar di. I get the occasional vocalist that wants reverb, but they can survive without it. I’ve had some people want auto tune in their headphone mix… I guess the UAD would be great for that.
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordingswas it the Apollo X line you was referring to in your video? Apparently the X Line have the best converters in all interfaces in there price range,
So you rate SSL better than Apollo X line?
Thanks
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings: Sir, Which "audio interface" do I need so that I can use my external pream (Focusrite Iso one) for all recordings? I have a digital card on the preamp with s/pdif and adat and also "word clock". My question would be for digital recording: is an audio interface with S/PDIF sufficient or does it also have to have a word clock connection? I ask for help
Great video I was wondering how the Roland Octacapture figures against the interfaces that you have tested here what is your opinion of it
@Get.Beautiful.Recordings, Hats off to you! 🤠 🤯
This is by far the best video I’ve found on UA-cam covering Audio interfaces in the home studio recording range of units.
As someone who’s been researching what my next upgrade ought to be from my Steinberg UR-22, this list contained many of the options I was considering and really helped solidify my top choices. You provided very helpful context (with imagery) for each criteria by showing the comparable data on its closest competitor. Thank you for getting straight to the point! No one else is doing videos quite like this on products. Could have saved me a whole day of research!
Subbed!
If anyone is wondering about the Steinberg UR-22, (not the UR22C) Served me well for about 10 years. Not sure if it has the same preamps or not, but I recorded multiple albums and singles on it without any trouble whatsoever. But I gotta have 2 headphone jacks and at minimum 4 channel inputs. 😂 probably gonna get the SSL line, but was really eyeing the Volt and the M-Audio 192|14. (Not in the video)
Would have loved to see RME included
If you have thunderbolt capability best value for your money to me is the Presonus Quantum 2626. It’s a very underrated product. Wasn’t on the list but thought it was worth mentioning.
Hey buddy, want to congratulate you on the channel! Excellent job. Rico
Thanks Rico :) hope you’re doing well
Which Audio Interface would you recommend for just 1 or 2 mic preamp inputs, but also with a couple of instrument inputs that I can use to record with a DAW? I have a Hearush MX 5 for my guitar, which acts as an audio interface for the guitar tracks, but I am getting a synthesizer and MIDI Controller Keyboard and want to have everything Interface simultaneously.
Thanks for the video- but no RME?
I get that this is geared towards beginners and newbies, but if we really want to talk about the best of the best, then RME is surely the answer. Even some newbies will want to know what the BEST really is. I think the babyface ProFS is a great beginner interface coming in at 1k, from RME
yes, I've heard many good things about the RME, but unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to test one out. I will try to get one in the future. Thanks :)
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings i appreciate the incredible amount of work that went into this video thanks so much
I have used both the Behringer UMC204HD and the UMC404HD and they indeed sound fantastic for the money. However they can be a bit fragile so be careful with them and I don't recommend them for traveling. I had channel 1 of my 404 go out and it bled into channel 2 as well. Ended up replacing it with a MOTU M4 which another great choice but much more expensive. If you're a solo podcaster, I would also recommend the Behringer UV1 which is very similar to the DBX286s but less expensive, has a USB output, headphone jack in the front and an on and off switch.
Hey there, I’m considering buying a Neumann tlm 102 and combine it with The SSL 2. Is this an alright combination or would The behringer204hd be better?
The Behringer units are nice but certainly not top of the line. If you can afford a Neumann, spend a bit more and get a better interface
Ya, Steinberg really turned their direction 180 degrees after their initial audio interface which was one I drooled over. But it was very expensive. What it did better than ANY other audio I/F is have bi-directional control from the software OR the hardware. IOWs, press a button on the hardware, and the software knew it and reflected it, so everything was 100% consistent. Oh ya, that only worked with Cubase, but I was using that anyway. But having the exact hardware configuration for later recording of the same project was priceless. I harken back to the days of tape recording where I wrote every setting down! What a PITA! It was a FireWire I/F which was going out of favor by the time they released this device. Too late, but amazing design in my book. Then they ditched the idea of being a high-end vendor and released these cheap, low-end and as you said not pro audio quality I/Fs. Sad but true.
Thank you for the informative comparison. But why don't you take the latency into account? In my opinion, this is a super important feature. I have several interfaces from Steinberg, Focusrite, Behringer and I found that the SSL2 has the absolute lowest usable latency of just 3ms. All other interfaces have significantly more and this is crucial for live playing of VST synthesizers, for example. My recommendation is therefore only the SSL2.
Great video, but I think you missed a vital point here: the purpose of an audio interface is Digital/Analog and Analog/Digital conversion. Quiet preamps make for a good recording sure, but great a/d d/à conversion is à lot more important, which is actually the reason why the Apollo Twin is so expensive, not just because of it's on board processing, but also because of its stellar converters!
The quality of converters has improved so much over the last 20 years that even inexpensive converters are now extremely good. I've done extensive testing of this, and honestly, the differences are negligible. Here's a video I did where I demonstrate this. ua-cam.com/video/mI8jU7ee_V4/v-deo.html
Hey it’s me again! I tried my friend’s Volt and didn’t quite love it. It sounded noticeably different than my surge-killed Apollo. Since I need true line level for the outboard color pres I use a lot like my Chandlers, I’m probably between the RME UCX II, or Apollo X6 since I did love my Twin MKII. On paper the converters are better in the new Apollo X with alleged 127dB dynamic range blah blah, but some argue the NME converters still sound better, maybe because the clocking is better or whatever. Do you have an opinion here? Or does having true line level not matter so much if I’m using color pres as long as the onboard pres are quiet and transparent?
I’m surprised the volt sounded different. I’ve used a lot of interfaces, and never noticed a difference in sound in sound between any of them… other than the noise floor of the preamps.
This goes for converters. A higher dynamic range will simply have a lower noise floor. Modern converters all have an extremely low noise floor to begin with, so personally, I feel that they are all the same quality. Though some have better specs on paper, it’s not even remotely noticeable in practice. I can guarantee you that not one person in the world would be able to consistently tell a difference in the converters between an RME, and a Behringer, or anything else, in a double blind test of normal listening.
The volt 4, or 476 are my top recommendation for people who have an external preamp, because they have the proper line inputs on input channels 3 and 4. I would encourage you to try it again if that’s possible… there might have been some other factor effecting what you were hearing.
As far as using coloured pre’s into a preamped line input… I have mixed feelings based more on emotion than fact. I hate the idea of putting an expensive preamp through an interface preamp, however, when it comes to character, it will faithfully capture the character but just have a very slightly higher noise floor, which likely wouldn’t be noticeable anyways.
@@Get.Beautiful.RecordingsYeah to be sure, my friend’s setup and room are quite different than mine, so it might have been that. My friend who swears by Metric Halo (which I can’t get because I have to buy on Amazon because of a reimbursement 🙄) got a RME Babyface Pro FS and LOVES it. According to what I read online the line level inputs 3 and 4 DON’T touch any pre-circuitry, though they are used both as line level or hi-z. Does that matter? Would this fit my parameters? Everyone says RME clocking and drivers are amazing. And I like it’s simplicity and that it’s built and tested in Germany (other than the casing). I try to avoid things built in China. Thoughts on the Babyface Pro FS?
Thank you for sharing your insights and knowledge.
If you haven't heard of SSL then you are in the wrong business 😮
He's probably never tested an ssl... I think they only test what is given to them by manufacturers for a review. This is the downside to using YT as a measuring stick. But I'm just here for the beer anyway
Home recording for fun? Really? Wrong business. Right.
@BluegillGreg over the 20 years I have been mixing I have seen it. It starts out as fun then everyone is a mix engineer. I'm not saying that it mustn't be fun. I'm just saying if you are going to take it a bit more serious learn or do research on other equipment. Especially if you are messing with other people's art and taking money for it
The specific problem with this statement is that not everyone learns everything at the same time or in the same way. To make blanket statements like this comes off as kinda smarmy. That being said, I know what you're trying to communicate which is that knowing gear is incredibly useful as you progress, but that doesn't come across here. It reads as gatekeeping.
@zantilla I'm sorry I'm not here to hurt feelings. I'm sure if you asked any guitarist if they know the brand Fender they would. Drummers Tama. Keys Korg. Just some examples. You get into stuff like this and do research before jumping in the deep end wouldn't you agree?
How can you not have the great Audient ID24 in this review
yeah...that makes this kinda silly....also Antelope stuff....
Great review! Any converter comparisons considered in similar fashion?
Not a single Audient interface, how strange
which one do you have? i want to replace my focusrite solo with ID 14, is it good idea?
I have the ID14 Mk2. It has a great di input for instruments it sounds really clean with electric guitars. It also has nice mic pre amps for the price. The only thing that bothered me was I had to take the monitors up in volume in contrast to my old Steinberg MR816. But it's a great interface none the less. If you have ajy questions let me know and I'll help.
@@punkpop101 Thank you! Is it comfortable to use?
@@lebutch5005 What do you mean by comfortable?
I was hoping to see Audient too. I have a id14 mkIi and its stellar and hangs with the sound quality of UA. My only hang up was there is no power button.
Hey nerds. 💀
thank you for the great information and ideas. If I want to drive a power amp do I then need rca outputs from the audio interface?
I found this video while researching interfaces. I just need something i can plug a mic and my digital piano into to stream on twitch. The piano has usb-c to host and midi in/out. I'm new to interfaces and daws but I know I'll be using FL studio for recording/editing
Focusrite Scarlett is the worst of all, especially on windows
thanks for commenting :)
Focusrite makes rock-solid drivers for Windows. I own two MOTUs, an Antelope, and two Focusrite interfaces. Universal Audio drivers are crap for Windows users. Antelope drivers are garbage for Windows users. For Windows users, I only recommend MOTU and Focusrite because the drivers are so good. Currently for Windows WDM surround 5.1 and 7.1 in games and movies... Focusrite makes the ONLY drivers that work natively in Windows surround. If you want Windows surround from MOTU drivers you MUST use Voicemeeter Banana to do it. That alone shows you the superiority of Focusrite drivers.
Vert helpful video! Do you think even the beingher provides enough dynamic range? I see everyone obsessed about that and i'm worried! Many thanks!
Great video 🎉 Just wondering, I'm looking to buy the volt 476, How is the DSP compared to the Twin? I need an upgrade from my Gen 2 focusrite where the DSP is making me angry 😂
Solid information and details, thank you
Great comparison, would have been great if you also had a ZOOM H6 and H8 which are also a great audio interface solution as well as a portable digital recorder.
Peace😊
I've been tempted by the UAD Volt and the SSL interfaces, but they'd probably have a minimal (if any) benefit over my current setup's noise floor. Running a Babyface Pro FS w/ a Motu Ultralite MK4 connected over ADAT for more I/O .. RME are rock solid, extremely low latancy and low jitter interfaces, with some of the best drivers in the business.
I sold mine and bought an apollo twin x I miss it the eq that comes with the drivers are topnotch
Great video! Subscribed. What when you mainly record line level only ( electronic music) ? I send my analog gear into an 8 channel vintage mixer ( Fostex 350 ) it’s known for its preamps and kicks on drums and synths ! Do I not use them then if I’m going for one of these audio interfaces ?
I would like to record at least 4 channels at a time, 8 would be ideal tho. Any suggestions?
Hi,
Yeah, you’d be best to go straight into an audio interface, and not use the vintage mixer. The mixer will add to the noise floor, and it’s not necessary.
The SSL 12 might suit your needs well. It’s very high quality, and has 4 dedicated line inputs. It’s also expandable to have 8 more inputs for a total of 12.
Man, I was hesitating about "upgrading" my SSL 2+ for an Apollo twin lol. Thanks to ur video I stepped back and realized I didn't need that DSP or plugins. No value. I prefer tweaking a little more but with a better preamp.
An unmentioned benefit of the apollo is not just “so you can hear reverb in your headphones” lol… it also makes it possible to track through any given signal process inside the unit itself - eg i like to use an API/SSL channel strip when im tracking from my older noisier 80s samplers and drum machines for things like gating / preamps and sometimes the eq and it certainly sounds closer to the pleasing sound of analogue than using kost plugins despite how brilliant they have become. I personally have some workflows i have created in the box in order to mimic or mirror some analogue stuff which may even be a placebo i dunno. That said i have spent a lot of time and effort looking at available options for tone shaping before a-d conversion and its a surprisingly sparse part of a hugely saturated market which i still struggle to understand as to why
Yeah, I agree that the UAD plugins are closer to the real thing than any others. The reason I don’t consider tracking through all those other effects to be a benefit is because i honestly don’t think it’s necessary. In my own studio, I provide the raw vocal track to the headphone mix, and I’ve never had an artist ask for compression or eq on it.
Thanks for your comment:)
I think you might like the neve 88m. It has great preamps that can go out before the conversion and go in (I think) bypassing the preamps.
out of curiosity, I bought a foucerite Scarlett solo 3rd gen a couple of months ago and was told by sweetwater that it was the same preamp as the 212, just with less input options. I opted for it due to the size that is real small. Were they correct or is the 2i2 better sounding and is the Berringer better sounding?
They were correct, they both use the exact same circuit per individual channel.
It would be very close between the Scarlett and the behringer umc interfaces.
NICE !
Thank you very much for the great video.
You earned a subscriber.
Greetings from Brasil.
The best Regards
Cheers :)
Man I love the Specs of floor level and all that Tech stuff, actually tested out.... Although I didnt see the volt 2 or 4 in there..... But I really wonder how you feel about teh Audient iD4 MKII and its OFFICAL floor level, I have been looking for a New Audio interface, to replace my second Gen scarlett Solo... and have been Stuck between the SSL2 the Volt2, the Audient ID4 MKII and lastly the Motu M2
Great video, thank you. Can anyone comment on why some people in reviews are making big claims on latency? They appear to be folks who have been doing this but, how much I'm not sure. The UA Volt 4 seems to have all the features I need for home recording, especially the 2 line ins to use my Seventh Circle preamps and outboard FX racks. It seem as though at this point in time any issues with current production digital audio interfaces would know better or have previsions to address anything that would purportedly make a unit like this "unusable" due to latency or inability to mix inputs with mixes. Thank you.