Outstanding. Julian, you provide a service that is so unique. Telling us the truth about these audio interfaces. Most valuable - thank you. The variable frequency response with different levels of gain, and true gain of mic preamps as well as headphone performance are key examples which are never covered by manufacturers specs. Thank you.
Man, I respect the heck out of you! I come to your channel if I'm looking for a interface, or just want to check out new gear, which I do now and again in my line of work. You should know that your effort and dedication to clear and concise informative videos are showing, and it is very much appreciated! I tip my hat. Request: the podcast market is booming - would you have a look at the new Røde Rødecaster Pro II? Just came out, I believe.
The feature i appreciate the most is the damn Power SWITCH. I don't understand why devices of all kind, and not just audio interfaces, don't have one anymore.
Yes please! As always you have the greatest reviews of audio interfaces, I'm right now looking forward to upgrading my audio interface and I need to record at least 8 channels, so a comparison between this and the new Audient Evo 16 would be absolutely what I need, or at least a review for that! I'm definitely waiting for your opinions on that, and I'd love to see some of your opinions on this direct comparison on your video since those two audio interfaces are obvious contemporary competitors. Waiting for you!
Great video as always, i love my 8i6 3rd gen and i use it with DT880 250 Ohms, so no problems there - i think it's solid for the price as the whole range
Your videos are so well done and helpful. I have been eyeing the scarlett 18i20 and Audient Evo 16. I would greatly appreciate your take on the Evo 16.
I've had this unit for about a year Julian. Agree with your 2 points about talkback and headphone output. When I switched to the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80-ohm, problem solved. However, when I first used my audio technica headphones I was using, I did have a "what the heck" reaction. Thank you for clarifying this issue on your broadcast.
too bad, i really like this interface due to the fact that it has two headphone outs and can be rack mounted, but for me who is mainly using the AT m50x, the THD is too high
Great review as always. This one helped me eliminate the 18i20 Gen 3 from consideration. YES ... review the Audient Evo 16 as soon as you can get your hands on one ... there is so much pre release hype about the Evo 16 ... how convenient it is to use ... but not a peep about sound quality. Lots of people seem interested in the Evo 16 and a prompt review of the sound quality could potentially save some of us from purchasing a dud.
Love the videos, if you ever test the Audient Evo 16 I would be very curious to see how it stacks up. It is in the same price range but features digitally controlled gain, along with other cool features.
Yes, you are right but support is excellent. I ring the company they either remote in or guide me by phone. The Hardware is excellent the best I have ever had in my studio. The "silence" is not at all colored and it has a slight virtyally imperceptible natural warmth, rather than the usual synthetic harshness
@@Notmehimorthem Yeah, I absolutely love the hardware. It's been instrumental in getting my rig up and running. I'm running an MPC Key 61 with two 18i20's connected to it. Gives me a bunch of IO that I use for hardware effects and it all sounds so good.
Hi Julian, Your reviews are quite helpful in so many ways. I know there are a lot audio interfaces and you can't review them all but I wonder if you would consider reviewing a few items like the Zoom Livetrack L-8. It bridges several genres of audio production such as podcasting, live sound, studio audio interface and field recorder. In many ways it seems like a very useful tool for people who have their hand in many different facets of audio recording. Thanks again. Jones
Hey Jones, big fan and user of the L12 here. One thing I noticed, I worked on a Motu Ultralite Hybrid for years, switched to Livetrak as an audio interface because the Motu eventually broke down, didn't really notice any big difference, then switched to a RME Fireface and noticed an incredible difference in quality / detail. It was quite shocking, I had to re-do a lot of mixes that I had done on the L12. I think it's fine to use the Livetrak as a audio interface to record jams, live shows, etc, but not as your main studio audio interface, if the desired goal is to release music.
Yes, please review the Evo 16. From what i have seen so far, it should be perfect for my needs and has some features, that other Interfaces are missing. And, btw, it´s a shame that almost no manufacturer can produce an interface with low impedance Headphone Out, that has enough power and will not distort. Because of the too high Output impedance of my Interface, i couldn´t use the AKG 371, the sound was colored and it didn´t sound right. Let´s hope, that the Evo 16 does a better Job than most interfaces.
I bought this during covid because it was available when my 1st choice wasn't. The Motu at the same price point. This has a bit more IO but no DSP. Running stereo in is sort of a pain because you can't pair inputs as stereo and control gain with just one knob. So you always have to check levels or knob positions. This mix software is easy to work with.
Aye bro, this video told me everything I needed to know about the product. Thank you for getting straight to the point. I feel less intimated by it now.
I must compliment my ears 'cause I heard at first play of familiar CDs that the headphone out was a bit "grungy" and not as good sounding as other HP amps I have. All of this with a 25 Ohm load. At first I thought I was allucinating or hearing distortion that was present in those very familiar albums but never noticed. I should trust my ears more often... Thansk for confirming this!
I used this interface for years but I never was satisfied with it. I had a bigger latency with it than with every other audio interface and I always had to increase the monitor level to its peak because I have 250 ohm headphones which results in noise. Finally I switched to another Focusrite and it was a good decision. Good video where you explained all the bad things.
I did notice the latency as well and discovered that there's a driver you can install from their website to reduce it. Does not make it perfect, but helps a bit.
Will you test the actual "48v" voltage? My testing has shown many are not even 40, many below 30v! This has been a huge issue for me using budget interfaces.
I'm pretty sure the "48v" is just a legacy term at this point. Transducers are so much more energy efficient and advanced these days that the microphones most likely don't even need an additional 30v or 40v to be fully-powered. Likewise, many preamps probably don't need to deliver the full 48v, and so they probably aren't designed to anymore. The "48v" terminology probably just stuck around as a legacy thing, since the term is interchangeable with 'phantom power' and it's what everyone in the industry understands it to be
Is the clarett+ or motu ultralite mk5 a significant increase in sound quality of the outputs/conversion? Trying to upgrade from my 18i8. Thank you and love the videos!
Great review Julian, thanks! I would love to hear your opinion on the Evo 16 too (as well as the Rodecaster Pro I/II and the Tascam Mixcast4 especially on how they stack up in your mega table of truth 🤥😂 One more thing: you don’t actually need a hook for us to stick around. 👍😉
Amazing review! You go into lots of technical details that are very important to me. Can you do a similar style review for the Steinberg AXR4? It is an extremely under-reviewed interface that hasn't been tested by anyone online to this extent.
I have one, the unit is really good. The software is a bit obtuse, but support is excellent. I ring the company they either remote in or guide me by phone. The Hardware is excellent the best I have ever had in my studio. The "silence" is not at all electronially colored and it has a slight virtyally imperceptible natural warmth, rather than the usual synthetic harshness
Cheers for the great content, best reviewer out there! I would like to see some high end audio interfaces reviewed-RME ADI 2 Pro FS R, Prism Lyra, Lynx Hilo-It would be nice to compare the quality and see if it’s worth the extra investment. keep up the good work
This was extremely interesting. I currently don’t need this many inputs, but if I ever reach that point, I will most certainly be returning to this video. Do you have any plans to review the Neve 88M Interface? It looks like it should be pretty amazing based on specs.
Good evening Julian ! I've got a question if you don't mind. I am a sound engineer and I spend alot of my time at events and before the events to set up the speakers, the tools, the mixer, the sound etc... I use to have my own studio 10 years ago and now I want to re open my studio and also make a home studio. For the normal studio I have a RME Babyface Pro FS audio interface and Adam A7x active monitors and a Neumann U87 Ai microphone, but for my home studio I don't really know what to buy. Do you believe it would be enough if I would buy a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface, Adam T5V active monitors and a Rode NT 1 5th generation studio microphone? I also use Cubase 12 Pro for mixing and mastering . I would really apreciate your answer. Gott sei mit dir !
I think the logic behind the headphone outputs comes from the fact that the vast majority of studio-grade headphones are minimum 80ohms. 32ohm headphones tend to be more focused towards portable devices. Therefore there shouldn't really be many people affected by this issue. That's not to say that they shouldn't have avoided this problem altogether, but there's a fair chance that this would have added to the cost of the unit, and since the Scarlett series is the entry-level product line, I think that this was done as a compromise to keep price down.
Random thought: Have you considered putting any of your headphone/mic pre/etc performance numbers up on a website somewhere (or at least a publicly available Google Sheet) for us to reference without bouncing in and out of one of your videos and damaging retention? I often find myself going back to a video to look at the headphone or noise floor data because I have a terrible memory. Obviously, it should have affiliate links to make it worthwhile. :D
Would be great to include some guitar preamps like AxeFx FM3/9, Quad Cortex, and the Eleven rack. Would be interesting to see if the mic inputs on those units are comparible or just a garbage after thought. Headphone output too.
how do you feel about this vs the motu ultralite mk5? i'm just a single recording artist looking for incorporate a few outboard gear for vocals and sometimes guitar and midi. thinking about returning the motu for this.
I have both the Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen and the MOTU Ultralite mk5. Both sound the same and both have rock-solid drivers for Windows users. I'm more of a surround sound enthusiast so the one thing I don't like about the 18i20 is that the interface only shows input meters. The MOTU Ultralite mk5, however, shows both input and output meters. The output meters are great for me, as I can instantly see if I'm getting a full 5.1 source output. But for surround sound, there is a tradeoff between the two. Focusrite makes Windows drivers that are WDM compatible with 5.1 and 7.1 surround by default. MOTU does not. To get the MOTU Ultralite mk5 to work with Windows surround I have to run VB-Audio VoiceMeeter to get it to work. Not ideal, but it works. I had a MOTU engineer walk me through setting up the VB-Audio VoiceMeeter. Overall Focusrite has the edge in drivers, but MOTU has better input/output meter displays.
@julian krause do you think 50 ohm/96 db/mW headphones like the fostex t40rp mk ii are high enough to prevent the distortion on headphone monitoring you spotted? Great review as always❤
Hey Julian, any chance you could review a device like the RODECaster PRO II to see how it compares to USB Audio Interfaces like the Audient, Focusrite, etc.? There are a lot of reviews in the internet but none are focused on pre-amps, RTL, A/D converters, etc.
Hi Julian; I would like the analisys of the Mackie Onix Artist; In the specifications say that Max input level is better that Scarlet, but no there are much information as dynamicr range or impedance, great mistery!. How can to get the max input level in yours another interface reviews?
Thanks for this video - very helpful In terms of audio quality and longevity (including specifically, expected driver support), how would you rate the 18i20 in comparison to the Evo 16 - which would you buy? I am looking to replace an Avid MBOX Pro 3 - which I was happy with, however it is no longer supported! Very frustrating.
I have this very Focusrite interface. For value and input/output numbers this interface suits my needs. The two headphone jacks with individual control was another reason I purchased this model. Obviously a rack mount that needs 240V AC is not very portable. It sits in my studio and it was great when i need to record a drum kit or a live band. Personally, i find microphone quality to be more important. At the moment my set of mics costs almost 15 times more than I paid for the 18i/20. I also prefer to buy musical instruments and some specialised software.
Great review. Do you have one walking through their software for the interface in more detail.. also wondering if their software runs on an Android tablet? I'm looking for a portable 6+ input ISO field recorder that lets us quickly monitor individual channels, and which records 48Khz 24-bit or higher... oddly difficult to find with these basic features?! Someone recommended I look at the Scarlett line... unclear how we'd monitor all inputs on their smaller-footprint model while in the field.
All of that extra space on the software is where your inputs for that out panel channel go. The output tab is really the input/output tab. While the input tab is actually useless. But yea thats what that extra space is for. Mines all filled up.
Hi Julian! I would like to ask for your recommendation. I am looking for an audio interface to record my stereo signal coming from a looper. I need two Hi-Z input , MIDI function, USB-C connection, a monitoring knob (between input and playback). and a loopback function would be also great. I found that the Motu M4 has these features, but I dont know what other interfaces could be proper too. Can you give me advice? Thank you!
Love the videos, Julian. Got to your videos searching about DACs vs audio interfaces; have a Focusrite 18i20 and was dismayed to see such high THD+N at 32 ohms for the smaller Gen3 offerings. Started considering headphones with higher impedance but haven't canvassed how much more they would cost, or whether the improvement in sound quality would be worth it. Thoughts? Was so excited to see this model being reviewed, and to comment, that I haven't finished the video. Back to it. By the way, love the structured approach - thank you for your hard work in making this information available. Side thought - the Motu interface you featured in your previous review seems like a fantastic value for those on the entry-level market, but you already knew that 😉 Edit: 80+ ohms, noted!
Hey Julian, first of all, thanks for sharing your confidence-inspiring manner to bring your knowledge to us !!! All the best to you, und mach weiter so! Pleeeeeaaase take a look at "IK Multimedia AXE I/O" and "Universal Audio Apollo Twin"
Hi Julian... I am new to your channel and watched a few of your reviews. They are the best I've seen. I have a question: Between Audient Evo 8 and Tascam US-4x4HR, which is the best in your opinion? Or do you have any other suggestion in this price range? Thanks in advance....
Habe es mir in Kombination mit dem octopre als Erweiterung geholt. Ich hoffe nur dass ich alle 16 Kanäle durch die beiden Kopfhörer Ausgänge als Monitoring Latenz frei raus bekomme
Hello, great review! There is only one thing you didn't mention: are the 8 outputs (excluding the main L&R) fully usable to send 4 busses into an analog mixer or 3-4 can only be used as alt monitoring? thanks!
This was a ridiculously detailed and comprehensive review, appreciate the hardwork on it! Didnt expect to learn this much lol
And it’s why I just subscribed to this channel!
Outstanding. Julian, you provide a service that is so unique. Telling us the truth about these audio interfaces. Most valuable - thank you. The variable frequency response with different levels of gain, and true gain of mic preamps as well as headphone performance are key examples which are never covered by manufacturers specs. Thank you.
excellent review, better than most other outlets out there, instant sub, my scarlett is arriving today to record drums!
Man, I respect the heck out of you! I come to your channel if I'm looking for a interface, or just want to check out new gear, which I do now and again in my line of work. You should know that your effort and dedication to clear and concise informative videos are showing, and it is very much appreciated! I tip my hat.
Request: the podcast market is booming - would you have a look at the new Røde Rødecaster Pro II? Just came out, I believe.
Great review as always. And yes, a review of the Evo 16 would be awesome.
Very impressed with your knowledge young Man I glad I bought this
Thanks for the heads up on the headphones!
review of the evo 16 would be awesome. great video
Danke für deinen Videos Ich lerne so viel!
Great video. I just got a Scarlett 18i20 last month. I love it so far...
The feature i appreciate the most is the damn Power SWITCH. I don't understand why devices of all kind, and not just audio interfaces, don't have one anymore.
Penny pinching.
I was going to say “cost” and “chinciness,” but the above is accurate and succinct.
The best value audio interface out there!
Yes please! As always you have the greatest reviews of audio interfaces, I'm right now looking forward to upgrading my audio interface and I need to record at least 8 channels, so a comparison between this and the new Audient Evo 16 would be absolutely what I need, or at least a review for that! I'm definitely waiting for your opinions on that, and I'd love to see some of your opinions on this direct comparison on your video since those two audio interfaces are obvious contemporary competitors. Waiting for you!
Excellent video! First time on your channel and i love how deep you go into the subject. i own a 18i20 3rd gen and i am happy with it. it does it job
Great video as always, i love my 8i6 3rd gen and i use it with DT880 250 Ohms, so no problems there - i think it's solid for the price as the whole range
Your reviews are thorough, fair and very informative. Thanks for all your hard work.
Danke schone Julian. I'd love to see the UMC1820 put through a similarly thorough inspection. For it's price it just seems to good to be true!
Nice video! You go deep. Sounds like a great interface for the $z 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Its excellent. If you are deciding between this and another I can confirm its a dream. Use it in my studio every day.
Your videos are so well done and helpful. I have been eyeing the scarlett 18i20 and Audient Evo 16. I would greatly appreciate your take on the Evo 16.
Thanks for the video
Super Review! Thanks Julian!
Hey Julian, I don't usually comment on videos but I'll make an exception here. Keep up the good work, always appreciate the content !
Audient EVO 16 will be great to see on your channel. I might buy this unit if it shows good performance. Thanks for your work!
I've had this unit for about a year Julian. Agree with your 2 points about talkback and headphone output. When I switched to the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80-ohm, problem solved. However, when I first used my audio technica headphones I was using, I did have a "what the heck" reaction. Thank you for clarifying this issue on your broadcast.
too bad, i really like this interface due to the fact that it has two headphone outs and can be rack mounted, but for me who is mainly using the AT m50x, the THD is too high
Absolutely. Full review of EVO16 please!! Great videos, thanks for all the information.
I want you to take a look at the Behringer UMC1820! An Audio Interface that lends itself to be a direct comparison to the Scarlett 18i20
yes can we please get a comparison video of Scarlet 18i20 and Behringer UMC1820
Best review on YT 👌
Evo 16 Yes! Great Review as always... thanks
Please please do review the EVO 16. It's the one I'm most anticipated and you are one of the few reviewers I trust!
Great review, this is very helpful. I'd also like to see the EVO16 review you mentioned. Thanks!
Great review as always. This one helped me eliminate the 18i20 Gen 3 from consideration.
YES ... review the Audient Evo 16 as soon as you can get your hands on one ... there is so much pre release hype about the Evo 16 ... how convenient it is to use ... but not a peep about sound quality. Lots of people seem interested in the Evo 16 and a prompt review of the sound quality could potentially save some of us from purchasing a dud.
Love the videos, if you ever test the Audient Evo 16 I would be very curious to see how it stacks up. It is in the same price range but features digitally controlled gain, along with other cool features.
Me too
+1
Me too!
+1
I'm waiting eagerly for Julian to review it as well
Been fairly satisfied with my 18i20 gen 3 aside from the software. The software is such a pain compared to the older focusrite control software.
Yes, you are right but support is excellent. I ring the company they either remote in or guide me by phone. The Hardware is excellent the best I have ever had in my studio. The "silence" is not at all colored and it has a slight virtyally imperceptible natural warmth, rather than the usual synthetic harshness
@@Notmehimorthem Yeah, I absolutely love the hardware. It's been instrumental in getting my rig up and running. I'm running an MPC Key 61 with two 18i20's connected to it. Gives me a bunch of IO that I use for hardware effects and it all sounds so good.
Thanks Julian, your content is always outstanding!
And yes, please do an Audient Evo 16 review!
comprehensive review!!
Hi Julian,
Your reviews are quite helpful in so many ways. I know there are a lot audio interfaces and you can't review them all but I wonder if you would consider reviewing a few items like the Zoom Livetrack L-8. It bridges several genres of audio production such as podcasting, live sound, studio audio interface and field recorder. In many ways it seems like a very useful tool for people who have their hand in many different facets of audio recording.
Thanks again.
Jones
Hey Jones, big fan and user of the L12 here. One thing I noticed, I worked on a Motu Ultralite Hybrid for years, switched to Livetrak as an audio interface because the Motu eventually broke down, didn't really notice any big difference, then switched to a RME Fireface and noticed an incredible difference in quality / detail. It was quite shocking, I had to re-do a lot of mixes that I had done on the L12. I think it's fine to use the Livetrak as a audio interface to record jams, live shows, etc, but not as your main studio audio interface, if the desired goal is to release music.
Yes, please review the Evo 16. From what i have seen so far, it should be perfect for my needs and has some features, that other Interfaces are missing. And, btw, it´s a shame that almost no manufacturer can produce an interface with low impedance Headphone Out, that has enough power and will not distort. Because of the too high Output impedance of my Interface, i couldn´t use the AKG 371, the sound was colored and it didn´t sound right.
Let´s hope, that the Evo 16 does a better Job than most interfaces.
Great review as always! I would love to see a full review of the EVO16 as I'm considering it. Thank you!
I bought this during covid because it was available when my 1st choice wasn't. The Motu at the same price point. This has a bit more IO but no DSP. Running stereo in is sort of a pain because you can't pair inputs as stereo and control gain with just one knob. So you always have to check levels or knob positions. This mix software is easy to work with.
Aye bro, this video told me everything I needed to know about the product. Thank you for getting straight to the point. I feel less intimated by it now.
Thanks for this video!
Great info🤘thx so much
I use it as a keyboard mixer primarily as I also have an Antelope ZenQ for vocal recording …
Super review!
You are the definitive audio interface reviewer
I must compliment my ears 'cause I heard at first play of familiar CDs that the headphone out was a bit "grungy" and not as good sounding as other HP amps I have. All of this with a 25 Ohm load. At first I thought I was allucinating or hearing distortion that was present in those very familiar albums but never noticed. I should trust my ears more often... Thansk for confirming this!
I used this interface for years but I never was satisfied with it. I had a bigger latency with it than with every other audio interface and I always had to increase the monitor level to its peak because I have 250 ohm headphones which results in noise. Finally I switched to another Focusrite and it was a good decision. Good video where you explained all the bad things.
I did notice the latency as well and discovered that there's a driver you can install from their website to reduce it. Does not make it perfect, but helps a bit.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh I've been waiting for this one!!!
I would really love to know how it compares to the Arturia AudioFuse 8pre
Much helpful detailed VDo, Pls Upload detailed comparison about UAD Apollo Interfaces
Will you test the actual "48v" voltage? My testing has shown many are not even 40, many below 30v! This has been a huge issue for me using budget interfaces.
I'm pretty sure the "48v" is just a legacy term at this point. Transducers are so much more energy efficient and advanced these days that the microphones most likely don't even need an additional 30v or 40v to be fully-powered.
Likewise, many preamps probably don't need to deliver the full 48v, and so they probably aren't designed to anymore.
The "48v" terminology probably just stuck around as a legacy thing, since the term is interchangeable with 'phantom power' and it's what everyone in the industry understands it to be
Is the clarett+ or motu ultralite mk5 a significant increase in sound quality of the outputs/conversion? Trying to upgrade from my 18i8. Thank you and love the videos!
Great review Julian, thanks! I would love to hear your opinion on the Evo 16 too (as well as the Rodecaster Pro I/II and the Tascam Mixcast4 especially on how they stack up in your mega table of truth 🤥😂
One more thing: you don’t actually need a hook for us to stick around. 👍😉
Please make a vídeo of the evo16, great vídeo!
Fantastic video.
Amazing review! You go into lots of technical details that are very important to me. Can you do a similar style review for the Steinberg AXR4? It is an extremely under-reviewed interface that hasn't been tested by anyone online to this extent.
I would love you to do your comprehensive analysis on the Scarlett 8i6..
I have one, the unit is really good. The software is a bit obtuse, but support is excellent. I ring the company they either remote in or guide me by phone. The Hardware is excellent the best I have ever had in my studio. The "silence" is not at all electronially colored and it has a slight virtyally imperceptible natural warmth, rather than the usual synthetic harshness
I’m interested in seeing how this compares to similar interfaces like the Behringer UMC1820.
Same
Cheers for the great content, best reviewer out there! I would like to see some high end audio interfaces reviewed-RME ADI 2 Pro FS R, Prism Lyra, Lynx Hilo-It would be nice to compare the quality and see if it’s worth the extra investment. keep up the good work
Plz do ESI u108 pre! I basiclly cannot buy recording equipment unless Julian Krausse has reviewed it.
Would like to see a video test of Arturia Audiofuse Studio if you can! Thanks a lot for the videos, really nice job!
Great video & please do the Evo 16!!! The Ultralite 5 is back in stock but I want to see if the Evo has better audio quality. 👍
Julian! I’d love to see you review studio monitors! Consider getting a klippel once finances allow it!
So, what would be your best "all around" pick for an interface with a minimum of 4 XLR input up tp 8?
This was extremely interesting. I currently don’t need this many inputs, but if I ever reach that point, I will most certainly be returning to this video. Do you have any plans to review the Neve 88M Interface? It looks like it should be pretty amazing based on specs.
Good evening Julian ! I've got a question if you don't mind. I am a sound engineer and I spend alot of my time at events and before the events to set up the speakers, the tools, the mixer, the sound etc... I use to have my own studio 10 years ago and now I want to re open my studio and also make a home studio. For the normal studio I have a RME Babyface Pro FS audio interface and Adam A7x active monitors and a Neumann U87 Ai microphone, but for my home studio I don't really know what to buy. Do you believe it would be enough if I would buy a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface, Adam T5V active monitors and a Rode NT 1 5th generation studio microphone? I also use Cubase 12 Pro for mixing and mastering . I would really apreciate your answer. Gott sei mit dir !
I think the logic behind the headphone outputs comes from the fact that the vast majority of studio-grade headphones are minimum 80ohms. 32ohm headphones tend to be more focused towards portable devices. Therefore there shouldn't really be many people affected by this issue.
That's not to say that they shouldn't have avoided this problem altogether, but there's a fair chance that this would have added to the cost of the unit, and since the Scarlett series is the entry-level product line, I think that this was done as a compromise to keep price down.
Random thought: Have you considered putting any of your headphone/mic pre/etc performance numbers up on a website somewhere (or at least a publicly available Google Sheet) for us to reference without bouncing in and out of one of your videos and damaging retention? I often find myself going back to a video to look at the headphone or noise floor data because I have a terrible memory. Obviously, it should have affiliate links to make it worthwhile. :D
As always, great, in-depth, review. What is your idea of the 'best' rack interface ($1000 or under), best inputes/outputs/headphone outs etc? Thanks.
Hey Julian alot of new budget audio interfaces have now come into the market
Could you make a review about your personal favourite among them pleaee
You should really review the Arutia AudioFuse Studio.
Duet 3 review? if you can get your hands on one! ...king of the interface reviews...
I love your videos, very informative. Any chance to review the Apogee Duet 3?
Would be great to include some guitar preamps like AxeFx FM3/9, Quad Cortex, and the Eleven rack. Would be interesting to see if the mic inputs on those units are comparible or just a garbage after thought. Headphone output too.
how do you feel about this vs the motu ultralite mk5? i'm just a single recording artist looking for incorporate a few outboard gear for vocals and sometimes guitar and midi. thinking about returning the motu for this.
I have both the Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen and the MOTU Ultralite mk5. Both sound the same and both have rock-solid drivers for Windows users. I'm more of a surround sound enthusiast so the one thing I don't like about the 18i20 is that the interface only shows input meters. The MOTU Ultralite mk5, however, shows both input and output meters. The output meters are great for me, as I can instantly see if I'm getting a full 5.1 source output. But for surround sound, there is a tradeoff between the two. Focusrite makes Windows drivers that are WDM compatible with 5.1 and 7.1 surround by default. MOTU does not. To get the MOTU Ultralite mk5 to work with Windows surround I have to run VB-Audio VoiceMeeter to get it to work. Not ideal, but it works. I had a MOTU engineer walk me through setting up the VB-Audio VoiceMeeter. Overall Focusrite has the edge in drivers, but MOTU has better input/output meter displays.
@julian krause do you think 50 ohm/96 db/mW headphones like the fostex t40rp mk ii are high enough to prevent the distortion on headphone monitoring you spotted? Great review as always❤
Hey Julian, any chance you could review a device like the RODECaster PRO II to see how it compares to USB Audio Interfaces like the Audient, Focusrite, etc.? There are a lot of reviews in the internet but none are focused on pre-amps, RTL, A/D converters, etc.
PLEASE MAKE A REVIEW OF THE PRESONUS STUDIO 192! THANK YOU. VERY HELPFUL VIDEOS. I RECOMMEND YOUR CHANNEL.
Yes, please do a Audient Evo 16 review. Cheers!!!
Hi Julian; I would like the analisys of the Mackie Onix Artist; In the specifications say that Max input level is better that Scarlet, but no there are much information as dynamicr range or impedance, great mistery!.
How can to get the max input level in yours another interface reviews?
Seconded. I want to see how Mackie audio quality stacks up.
Thanks for this video - very helpful
In terms of audio quality and longevity (including specifically, expected driver support), how would you rate the 18i20 in comparison to the Evo 16 - which would you buy?
I am looking to replace an Avid MBOX Pro 3 - which I was happy with, however it is no longer supported! Very frustrating.
I have this very Focusrite interface.
For value and input/output numbers this interface suits my needs.
The two headphone jacks with individual control was another reason I purchased this model.
Obviously a rack mount that needs 240V AC is not very portable.
It sits in my studio and it was great when i need to record a drum kit or a live band.
Personally, i find microphone quality to be more important. At the moment my set of mics costs almost 15 times more than I paid for the 18i/20.
I also prefer to buy musical instruments and some specialised software.
Do you have any plans for testing the Neumann mt48 and Avid Mbox studio?
I really like your channel.
Please test the Evo 16 and the Clarett+ 8Pre.
Great review. Do you have one walking through their software for the interface in more detail.. also wondering if their software runs on an Android tablet? I'm looking for a portable 6+ input ISO field recorder that lets us quickly monitor individual channels, and which records 48Khz 24-bit or higher... oddly difficult to find with these basic features?! Someone recommended I look at the Scarlett line... unclear how we'd monitor all inputs on their smaller-footprint model while in the field.
Will you ever review any apogee interfaces? I’d love to see your data on the Duet 3
All of that extra space on the software is where your inputs for that out panel channel go. The output tab is really the input/output tab. While the input tab is actually useless. But yea thats what that extra space is for. Mines all filled up.
Of course, the EVO 16 needs to be reviewed!
Hi Julian! I would like to ask for your recommendation. I am looking for an audio interface to record my stereo signal coming from a looper. I need two Hi-Z input , MIDI function, USB-C connection, a monitoring knob (between input and playback). and a loopback function would be also great. I found that the Motu M4 has these features, but I dont know what other interfaces could be proper too. Can you give me advice? Thank you!
Great review wondering how this stacks up against the clarett+ 8pre or the evo 16 you mentioned. Thanks!
Love the videos, Julian. Got to your videos searching about DACs vs audio interfaces; have a Focusrite 18i20 and was dismayed to see such high THD+N at 32 ohms for the smaller Gen3 offerings. Started considering headphones with higher impedance but haven't canvassed how much more they would cost, or whether the improvement in sound quality would be worth it. Thoughts? Was so excited to see this model being reviewed, and to comment, that I haven't finished the video. Back to it. By the way, love the structured approach - thank you for your hard work in making this information available. Side thought - the Motu interface you featured in your previous review seems like a fantastic value for those on the entry-level market, but you already knew that 😉
Edit: 80+ ohms, noted!
Hey Julian, first of all, thanks for sharing your confidence-inspiring manner to bring your knowledge to us !!! All the best to you, und mach weiter so!
Pleeeeeaaase take a look at "IK Multimedia AXE I/O" and "Universal Audio Apollo Twin"
Can I use the 3rd gen Scarlett 18i20 as an expander for I/Os since it has ADAT and connect it to a UA Twin Quad?
The data sheet has helped me predict max dB for this unit with my new HD600 headphones (9.2 rms mW @ 300ohms) via headphonesty calculator (101db)
Hi Julian... I am new to your channel and watched a few of your reviews. They are the best I've seen.
I have a question: Between Audient Evo 8 and Tascam US-4x4HR, which is the best in your opinion? Or do you have any other suggestion in this price range?
Thanks in advance....
Ahh my old interface. Very good interface in my opinion. Hard to beat in its price range.
Habe es mir in Kombination mit dem octopre als Erweiterung geholt. Ich hoffe nur dass ich alle 16 Kanäle durch die beiden Kopfhörer Ausgänge als Monitoring Latenz frei raus bekomme
Hello, great review! There is only one thing you didn't mention: are the 8 outputs (excluding the main L&R) fully usable to send 4 busses into an analog mixer or 3-4 can only be used as alt monitoring? thanks!
looking at all the graphs and i guess i'm gonna just order a motu ultralite
Why ?