Which Recording Interface to Buy

[@talltaleaudio]

An RME interface is the single best audio purchase I have made in my 25 year career. No question. Outstanding stuff. Barry is right.

[@mrflynn01]

RME was my choice before I purchased my Apollo SF “that I used less then 5 times” since 2013!!!! I’m currently using my SSL2!! I’m going to purchase Apollo 8p, I have dam near every UAD plugin. So I get it.

[@rcprod9631]

I haven't looked back since purchasing my RME UFX. The UAD interfaces also look tempting though I have no experience with the dependability of their drivers.

[@adambell4513]

For me it was and is the Audient id44. It’s really hard to beat the id44 for the mid to upper mid range. Totally agree with you on your points on what to look for. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!

[@QbanThunder]

I love my iD44 MkI. The best interface that I’ve used so far!😊🤘

[@bryanblackburn9673]

Looking at Id 24 but may opt for the 44

[@jeffbucklew926]

Agreed. Those sends/returns put the id44 over the top, and the conversion is incredible. I actually bought an id24 for mixing/overdubs and use the id44 as the centerpiece for larger recording.

[@tonylukashuk4965]

I used a Presonus Studio 192 for 10 years. I recently purchased a UFX 2 for my Main PC (to replace my 192) and bought a UCX 2 for my guitar rack which I slaved to the UFX by by Wordclock. UCX is connected to laptop but they are connected by adat. I did my research and watched plenty of tutorials on Totalmix FX (including yours) before I made the purchase and so I was able to hit the ground running. Totalmix FX blows my mind. There is literally nothing I can't do. LITERALLY. I can bounce any comination of the 8 ins and 8 outs on each interface back and forth by adat to my hearts content. Oh, and latency is now a thing of the past to boot. I could not recommend RME enough based on my experience thus far. The ARC USB has also blown my mind for speaker combinations. I button mapped different cominations/standalone outputs for main speakers/B Speakers / Subwoofer as well as to my THX receiver for every listening experience at the touch of a button. AWESOME. And unlike many others (including my studio 192) RME gives you a choice between adat and optical in/out on ADAT connections allowing direct connection for any digital audio. This allowed me to directly connect my UFX 2 to my receiver. And if that is not enough, I wheel my UCX 2 rack around the house and record jam sessions by way of the standalone DURECorder feature which is present on every RME interface from the UCX 2 up.

[@georgeharatzoglou]

I use RME interfaces since 2007.I have the FF400 for 17 years now, still working fine, I bought a Babyface Pro in 2019 for mobile use with my laptop and just now I bought a UFXII.The UFXII has been upgraded since it came out in 2017 and now it has all the same specs(converters, preamps, steady clock FS, DC-Coupled outputs, Du-rec, etc)as the UFXIII minus MADI I/O and a USB3 connection, which is way more than I'll ever need in my home studio, or even for recording elsewhere.I agree with you that this company ticks all the boxes and I hope that the UFXII will last me at least 15-20 years, if not forever.Thanks for all the great videos, I'm watching you from Greece(I guess you know where that is😊)!

[@MerajTypeBeat]

7:22 once I heard that part, I said “RME” to myself before hearing you say it. They truly do make amazing quality stuff. Can’t recommend them enough!

[@DanaVastman]

Moved from RME Babyface to Presonus Quantum And I've never looked back... It's economic, Rock solid, extremely low latency And perfect for my home recording needs.

[@thepatzer]

The new Quantum ES and (especially) HD series look nice, especially vs some of the previous interfaces by PreSonus, which seemed underwhelming. As a guitarist, I'm interested in whether the DI inputs are good (and how they compare to the Audient instrument inputs).

[@mdmorris6193]

Lynx Aurora (n) here. 24i/o. Came from an Apogee Symphony 1. Eighteen months after I bought my S1, the Symphony 2 came out and suddenly Apogee’s support for the S1 became…hmmm…less than stellar. With Lynx, legacy support is exemplary. If I want to up my Aurora to 32 i/o I just send it back to the distributor and they add another card to it. If Apple suddenly bring out a new interface standard, I can be pretty sure Lynx will have a new interface card for it within six months, long before Apple’s drivers stop working. In terms of sound…I find Lynx honest and seriously transparent.

[@nine27]

you have me thinking I should return this RME UFX III I just bought and get an Aurora (n) instead as well.. The lack of outs of the UFX has me hot since I was going to replace my Drawmer mc2.1 with a dbox plus for monitor control and summing. Plus Lynx and Rme both have support with Sonarworks..

[@Filipmarinchev72]

RME is gone be again my choice ! I am steel on RME Fireface 800 - iMac m1 . Never let me down . Amazing product ! Love your channel Mr. Barry Johns !!! Regards from Norway

[@realtonedigital]

Merging Anubis is the best interface , I have ever used. Dynamic range for this converter is 139 db and preamp dynamic range is 139 too.

[@checkitout611]

My favorite still is the Presonus 2626. $700 with 8 inputs on the front and 2 Adat's In and Out which I run into a Cranborne 500Adat which then also runs into my rack outboard gear. No DB-25 needed. It does need a computer that has Thunderbolt though and built my PC around that need (ProArt X570-CREATOR). At $700 or less I just have not found a better interface. RME is fantastic and did have a Fireface UC and it was great and can't go wrong with them and it's built like a tank.

[@JoeLSoL]

I love my apogee quartet, came out in 2013. I bought it in 2018 full price at 1495 and has been very reliable and still supported today even on older Macs. Used market about 400 now. Always connects relatively low latency. It has 6 monitor outputs, 4 mice pres. with 75 db of gain. DA is 123 db, you can bypass the pres and use external preamps wish it had two headphone outs but gonna use it till the wheels fall off.

[@terry2315]

I am slowly saving for the UFX 3. RME has an excellent reputation for keeping their drivers updated and high build quality. Plus, you nailed the big one beside a/d and d/a, which is expandability. With MADI, DANTE, ADAT, and the others there are a lot of options. Of course, I would love a Flock Audio patch bay to digitally patch things not having to move patch cables but my wife would kill me. Saving and getting the USX 3 is going to be bad enough. I appreciate your channel and advice. I had minimalist recording set up in the late '90s early 2000s just to record as my band and work out songs I wrote. I got out of it for years and am now writing and recording myself and others. Keep up the good work Barry.

[@tjjansen6642]

I have a Babyface Pro FS and it is a nice piece. That said, 6 months ago I invested in a Cranborne Audio 500R8. Awesome piece...love the sound, the utility....and I don't have to use that annoying TotalMix software (pain in the arse if you ask me). The Cranborne is high quality...great, easy monitoring...and it allowed me to begin my conversion to hybrid workflow with some analog gear when recording, and after the fact while mixing. I use a 500 series SSL Stereo Bus Compressor in slots 7 and 8 and run all of my mixes through it for final glue and tone. Significantly elevated my mixes and I'm at a new level now. Love it and I recommend it. No skin in the game with Cranborne...they don't know me from Adam.

[@rockchunk9417]

Something to consider when choosing your interfaces. I got caught out with pro tools, I have 3 presonus interfaces and they work beautifully in all other daws giving me 48 analog outputs, using all of their analog outputs, but protools only sees the first 64 channels of inputs and outputs whether they are used or not, so when an interface has adat/spdif protools counts these as part of the first 64 so it’s possible to max out protools 64I/o with just 2 interfaces. Hears hopping protools will allow you to choose which 64 I/O you want to use.

[@Steviee8]

I recently bought a Motu 24Ai and a 24Ao simply because I already have outhouses Pres. Abs I also have 32 ch of AVB. For me this was one of those things for the money that will allow me to do soooo much more for a lot less money. (Of course I spent too much for the outboard gear and AVB I/o but I can swap bit by bit and still keep an amazing converter. 24 analog in 24 ADAT and 24 AVB all at once. With an internal stand alone mixer if needed for monitor mixes or heck even live mixing with an iPad. I do like RME and looked into them but for the money there are not inexpensive. Thanks for the video. Take care!

[@michaelschuberth7802]

EVERYTHING you said about RME was spot on! Went to RME about 10 years ago, best decision I've made.

[@risingphoenix1484]

I recently upgraded to a Antelope Audio Orion studio core.. fabulous the software is hard to learn but once you do .... the options are unbelievable.

[@clicks59]

The choice of professionals.

[@Feerlyss]

@@clicks59 Love my Orion!

[@EricJohnson-fh8zj]

My zen Q thunderbolt has been awesome for portable bus powered recording off a laptop. I've had it for like a year and a half, there were a few kinks to work out at first...but Antelope customer support was actually pretty amazing in terms of getting back to me promptly and helping me work everything out. I highly recommend them for that.

[@risingphoenix1484]

@@EricJohnson-fh8zj I can't say I have had a good experience with their customer service.... I figured things out from watching KZbin videos I am thinking about doing my own series on using it because I have a pretty complex setup.

[@trollkilla7681]

@@clicks59 lol

[@campfirecoyote]

Been really happy with the Presonus Quantum 2626, no need for DSP with a silicon mac, can track no problem with next to no latency, plenty of I/O, reasonably priced, etc..

[@lmrecorders]

I've been an a la carte conversion guy for 20+ years. I've used 4 different "interfaces" to host those converters which were apogee AD/DA16X. I've always used interfaces with adat, or aes connectivity. Last year I began moving on from apogee as their connectivity limitations were making them less flexible going forward. I arrived at burl converters because they have plentiful connectivity options and I can march forward with some sense of security that I'll be able to connect them to whatever interfaces are available. I also like the modular design that allows me to add, replace, and reconfigure should the need arise or something needs servicing. Currently I'm on a motu digital i/o only interface. It's been great.

[@petergeo9446]

I bought Babyface pro 6 months ago mostly based on your reviews and comments. I progressed to reccording drum kits using ADAT. Works flawlessly.

[@Feerlyss]

You didn't mention Antelope, they get slack, but I went from RME to Antelope Orion. The RME served me perfectly for 7 years rock solid. Went with Antelope because of the built in plug ins and the I/O and obviously the better conversion. Aurora and Antelope interfaces are pretty close on graph when it comes to AD/DA, especially the AD.

[@Tav_cr]

MT 48 by Neumann was my choice and I'm very happy I bite the bullet on it.

[@latentsea]

Good choice.

[@itsabadbadbadmovie4457]

Great video, I would add one thing that I think is more important these days, perhaps less so in the past, and that is portability. This also goes back to your thing about the importance of having good long lasting ports. For me, I want something I can carry around and do not need a dedicated power supply, something I can run off my computer, for scratch audio, or some live shows where the PA system is either bad, or none at all.

[@eshortsax]

Great video! For Christmas I purchased the Presonus 16r and RME UCX II and I love it. I use the Presonus strictly for recording (typically I’m only recording 8 lines at a time so like I have 8 as a just in case plus primary DAW is studio one) and RME for mixing and mastering since its converters are better and lasts forever it seems lol.

[@brucegregori]

I was a hard core UAD user for over years. Five pieces of their hardware - Apollo 8s, two quad satellites, and a quad twin, just to get off the plate to record with their whole DSP model. I got a RME interface and within a day sold all the UAD stuff. They are just better.

[@BarryJohns]

If you haven’t done so yet, watch my videos on totalmix.

[@POGFROGULPOP]

The really good thing about my RME UFX+ that I'd completely forgotten about was the Thunderbolt 2 connection. I was previously running a PCIE RME Madi card/ cable from my old 2010 Mac Pro 5.1, but recently bought the Mac Studio with thunderbolt 4. Bought the thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt 2 adapter, and it's running great. I can then re-transmit/ receive Madi from the UFX+ to my other Madi interfaces like the SPL Madison and Behringer X32. RME future proofed me.

[@saschavomscheidt4910]

I totally agree to your comments to RME, I owned a UFX and a Multiface USB and I still use a Frieface 800 … with a FireWire /thunderbolt adapters it can be still used with a nowadays common computer, it still will outperform a lot of interfaces in terms of sound quality, besides from that it is extremely stable and can be remote controlled with iPad , can be used in stand alone as a 8-Channel ad/da converter in up to 96 kHz , i think 192 kHz I also possible … it is the Best Buy of my life considering that it has been releases 20 years ago !!!!

[@rademasi]

Agree. I also have RME FF800 and UFXII. I run FF800 as ADDA on Mac M1 but I still have not upgraded. Does anyone know if there’s a workaround for Apple discontinuing support for FireWire?

[@saschavomscheidt4910]

@@rademasi you need 2 apple adapters firewire 800 to thunderbolt2 and thunderbolt 2 to thunderbolt 3, working without any problems

[@saschavomscheidt4910]

mac M1 PRO on sonoma

[@rademasi]

@@saschavomscheidt4910 thanks yes I do that now with outdated OS, I understand Ventura not compatible, is there any workaround you are aware of since I eventually want to upgrade my OS and when I do I understand I can’t reconfigure the FF800 in its AD/DA converter state. Thx

[@GearZenChannel]

Scarlett 18i20 with a Behringer ADA800. You get a boatload of in/out that sounds good for a nice price.

[@teashea1]

The best source , by far, is the YT channel of Julian Krause. He has excellent measurements of several parameters.

[@braxal6983]

RME is coming out with the new M-1620 Pro. It has 16 I/O. I just got the Ferrofish A32 pro and took it back to get this one that releases in AUG/SEP to go with my RME UFX III.

[@fjzingo]

RME just works, still there are drivers supporting my original babyface!!!

[@KacyDennis]

Barry, I honestly don't think those high end converters that you mentioned sound better to the listener (i.e., more accurate and faithful to the source) than the upper range of RME models that also have the femtosecond clocking. They just sound a little different from RME, (and also different from each other). Of course some of them even have analog or DSP processing features to purposely make them sound different (Burl, Cranesong…), to make them sound more "analog" or add tape saturation, etc. Anyway, thanks Barry for all of your investment of time and money in producing these videos.

[@rdstreets]

My first audio interface was a MOTU828mk2. It has served me well over the years until the company decided to no longer update the drivers. After a lot of research and dithering I went RME for a few reasons. I have a ton of outboard gear, so UFX3 along with the Ferrofish Pulse16, Digiface USB and TotalMix software, I find I have an easily customizable network setup in my room for whatever projects come to pass… And I know none of these bits of hardware will become a paperweight anytime soon…

[@TonyThomas10000]

I am still rocking my Behringer UMC204HD. Best bang for the buck!

[@wtcornet]

I've used RME interfaces since 2004. In fact my RME HDSP 9632 PCI still works fine after 20 years.

[@andreamorse6064]

I appreciate your support of RME, I am certainly a fan girl. In fact, it was your three part video series on TotalMix FX that helped me get over the hump. I have a UFX III and have added a XTC MiCpre and love the system. I agree and believe this is the most future proof system on the market.

[@sinuous1]

Getting the Cranborne interface and their adat extension to have 16 channels of 500 series channel was the way I chose to go, and I'm stoked on my setup.

[@BrentIraEnman]

RME has been a game changer for my studio

[@Circharles]

Neumann mt48 🙌🏼🙌🏼 I love it!

[@deonlee7353]

Have been running the home studio with the UFX III and Babyface Pro FS flawlessly coming from the Apogee Symphony I.

[@mostyles328]

Pair of Presonus Quantums with thunderbolt into WIn10/11 has been rock solid for me. Wish they still made the 4848 model.

[@nicotravaini]

Definitely the video I needed to watch, I've been using Focusrite for over ten years now, I sold my Scarlett a couple of months ago before I moved. So now I'm thinking what interface should I get and I believe it's time for an upgrade in quality. I don't want something as large as the UFX so I was thinking about the UFC, what do you think about that one? I like the format a little bit more than the baby face 😁

[@robfoster5500]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! This is a perfectly timed video! I'm now deciding between the Babyface Pro FS and the UCX II. If I get the BFP, I'll need to get an ADAT extension pretty quickly but I think the UCX II has everything I'll need for the next few years, so that might have answered my own question here. ha!

[@blvkqmusicgroup]

Get the UCXII. I had both of those at the same time and the UCXII sounded better. I could even hear the difference in the mic pre. By no means is the baby face bad but once you compare it to the UCXII it’s def a step down.

[@robfoster5500]

@@blvkqmusicgroup thank you so much! Thats where I’m leaning. It’s $700 more but with the compression DSP and new room EQ as well as the additional IO onboard it’s feeling like the right decision. Like Barry said it’s better to save a little more and buy something that you won’t have to upgrade any time soon.

[@blvkqmusicgroup]

@@robfoster5500 buy used if you don’t mind and get a great deal. I saved a lot doing so.

[@SteveWilliams-5150]

Antelope Audio Synergy Core for me. Fantastic interface.

[@tubefixxer]

Like you Barry I’m choosing RME. Saving a little more for the new UFXIII and the 16 channel Interface like you have. Need lots of IO….. thanks for another fine video. Nashville….

[@sectiondrecords4580]

Barry; I have enjoyed your channel for many years but can't agree on your pick here. The Avid M-box Studio is the winner for features and sound. Currently you get a perpetual copy of Pro Tools Studio and the M-box hardware for $599. I have lynx, Apollo's, Audiofuse, and motu but cannot say there is much if any difference when mixing, mastering in the box.

[@audiotalk6155]

How much was the RME?

[@watchtheskies]

I recently upgraded from the original firewire Apogee Duet to the RME OCX II and I am very happy with it

[@MurnerJoel]

To me the duet one has one of the best sounds … analogue and musical not perfect … miss it dearly

[@RR_85]

RME UFX III been pretty solid for me. I'm waiting for the next intel CPU release to upgrade that to hopefully helps with certain plugins pushing my CPU up.

[@anthonyrock5039]

My main interface Lynx (n) and have configured with 4 pres and usb for now Dante for later. The modularity works well.

[@demondrive147]

Last week I bought babyface pro and couldn't been happier. Goodbye to pops and clicks of my older interface 😂 Also PAD function finally solved my clipping DI's problem ❤

[@AnthonyRochester]

My converters are behringer ada8000 from about 20 years ago and I still don't feel I need to upgrade. Why should I?

[@ARKenMan]

I think I need to buy an RME. I just bought the Clarett+ 8pre interface and I really love it, but after having successfully mixed my first song now, I'm ready to get something a lot better I think. I've been hearing about RME for a time and had already decided on Apollo but now I'm thinking RME.

[@tonyvalenti6614]

Wish this video came out last year! You mention several DigiDesign Interfaces. I had a DigiDesign MBOX 2 over a decade ago when I made an entry level attempt at audio. Well life diverted me, but last year I decided to refresh things with a new drum kit, cymbals and audio. Though I was a beginner my experience with DigiDesign was a good one. So, at the moment I was buying my instruments Avid (and I know your love/hate for them) had just released the MBOX Studio. So, I bought one. I’m still trying to work out all my I/O’s but am (fearfully) interested in your thoughts on it. Let me have it! 😳

[@django3108]

All the research I did... RME Babyface Pro FS seems like the best thing I could get for someone who JUST records vocals and is always on the go. A UFX3 would be good when I finally have my own home studio space again. Also note to people, the Babyface Pro & and the Babyface Pro FS are SEPARATE products, and the Pro FS IS better!!!!

[@dspoet1]

I was going back and forth about this. I currently have an X6. I also have a Prism Titan coming next week to demo for two weeks. This should be fun.

[@gabrielr4329]

How was the Titan compared to UAD?

[@Mitsch76]

Yeah, of course I would go for an RME UFX..... but I have not the budget right now so I keep saving my money. I have an SSL12 for some time now and I am pretty satisfied to this point. But to make it clear....RME is the final goal. 🙂

[@gerardogregory]

Just had to ditch my UA gear because of my needs for analog inputs and outs. With only 8 channels ADAT and 8 analog ins with 22 outs was not scalable enough for me. I had bought a Ferro Fish Pulse 16 MX to help my needs and from there i ended up ditching UA and bought an RME UFX III

[@boomspot]

Yep, grabbed a UFX III when it dropped and pretty much stopped looking at interfaces.

[@CharlieHinesStudios]

Thanks for this. I am right in the middle of this. I am using an Apogee Ensemble, I bought 13 years ago. Would like to upgrade to a Lynx Aurora $$$$ though.

[@mojito6629]

I agree. However the problem for me is 1. The prices of RME is higher than the competitors although I think that is worth it, and 2. There's no RME Distributor, no one selling RME in my country, (it used to be there was a company but not anymore now IDK why), so it's impossible for me to buy any RME devices except to import it which make it much much more expensive & risky to do. So I have to buy the next quality interface below it, which I think is.. Audient ID series.

[@BarryJohns]

I recent did a review of the Audient ID44, it was very good.

[@cd1057]

Looking forward to my NEVE 1073SPX-D arriving some time this week

[@jeremiahreilly9739]

Thanks, Barry. Much need, much appreciated.

[@jeremy_woods]

Clock that RME to a Grimm. Changes things 😂. I replaced the UFX3 with a Titan at the end of the day though.

[@jcpuga]

Have iD22. Saving up for Apogee Symphony Desktop.

[@DaMixWizard]

What camera are you using in this video? Awesome Quality 👌🏽

[@TigroGumi]

Watching your video on DSP being dead. What about input latency? Not about something running mix plugins but for input latency. Putting plugins on a vocal input for instance or even guitars effects plugins etc.... there is still a big difference on input latency right? I need to know becuase I'd like to not have to buy a Carbon. I rather the Oria for Atmos, that thing can play any Atmos format on a computer without any hassle. Go from mixing to watching a Movie just like that... or to listening to streaming Atmos songs just like that... very important thing to be able to do when working in Atmos... Mix references or simply just quickly getting inspiration. And then for recording and stereo mixing I'd probably go with a MOTU 8D as my stereo monitors currently will be a Dynaudio Core Sub Compact and the Present Day Production MUM-6's and will require a digital out put. While I'll be going with the ADAM Audio A's series monitors for Atmos along with the Dynaudio Core Sub Compact using the one analogue input to the also use it as the Atmos Sub. I intend on using the MUM-6's to process Atmos objects before placing them. Most mixers of Atmos are finding they do not like to process audio behind them or above them.... they usually throw it forward to process then place it. My idea is to utilize better speakers I can't afford to put around a entire room to do the processing then switch back to the A series Atmos setup to work on the Atmos composure. I have toys with the idea of the A77H's being my main monitors but only if they had digital inputs!!! they have DSP, such a weird move not to have digital inputs also. That would make the setup so much easier as the Atmos setup would simply have the A44H's on top of the A77H's and then I have the same sound to switch between. I would not use the A77H's in the Atmos setup due to many mixers finding it is not helping to have much bigger stereo speakers in a Atmos setup. Currently it'll be two A7V's next to the MUM-6's and one A44H in the centre and the rest will be A4V's... that way it'll just be a little bigger which will be like most home setups in the stereo and translate well enough... I hope. For my recording needs, I do not record bands. I am a producer and will build a track slowly. If it is with a group of people, it will be built slow too... no live performances, so do not need to record many tracks at the same time with plugins on the input. In the past this was fine with a good computer but once a song was pretty jam packed the latency would go up and up until it was impossible and it would be a case of adding the plugin after. I don't want that problem ever and just want to record hearing all processing effects put on the input with near zero latency. With the new M1 to M3 Max-Ultra would this be fine for input latency even when a sound is full of processing and many tracks or will a DSP system like the Carbon still be useful? Am I one of those people that will have a excuse for a Carbon or not? Becuase I would rather not have to use a Carbon. I'm having the add a Mutec MC-4 for frig sake just so I can get the AES ins and outs I need for monitoring and mastering converters and the system I know will always be a nightmare when using different DAW's or having to do things outside of a DAW... I rather not this headache if I can avoid it. P.S... didn't realise I hadn't subscribed yet, now finally am... love this content, very to the point in a way I was missing in other channels... the ones I watch all have that one approach I need, this one adds to that... thank you

[@willieelliott352]

Your truth and knowledge is priceless

[@mixwithjerry]

Great informative video! Is it possible to have multiple loop back channels setup with the RME? For instance, having a mic being sent to a loopback channel and then also your DAW audio being sent to a separate loopback channel.

[@BarryJohns]

Yes you’d have to do the routing.

[@fenderplus]

Being better is subjective ....I had a prism titan Dante version which all it gave was headaches!!!! Regarding the sound not sure what do you mean by better.....the babyface pro FS sounded cleaner then the Prism Titan but the Prism had more that dimensional sound!!! So I guess the word better would be better in what!!! But yes I do agree that RME is the BEST overall interface for price, performance and build quality. I ordered myself an UFXIII because there is nothing else better at this moment!

[@lyleanderson5407]

Lots of good stuff happening at the AES 2024

[@Frank290578]

I have the apogee symphony mk1 one of the best interface there is

[@MrDoublebeats]

I am going with a rme digiface and a black Lion audio revolution exp and another one down the line. I love how black Lion audio sound and I love rme reliability best of both worlds

[@GothicCoalition]

I have an audient id44, basic I/O for the past 2 years but I DEFINITELY think I want just better converters, clearer converters but I have 0 need for I/O other than my mic input for recording as I'm fine with everything in the box OR putting a compressor into my mic chain while recording. There's multiple RME small boxes that could do that but also being multiple idk what is the best to choose. Which one would you recommend? Again, just for recording, mixing and I'll possibly be mastering in the box for certain songs.

[@UncleT525]

I have Apollo x6, Apollo twin x, and Audient ID14 MKII. The Audient converters hold up and are more transparent to me than the UAD. I use both but I actually like the audient more cause it’s just plug in and go with it’s mic pres and conversion and sounds good. UAD is a little more versatile when it comes to tone shaping instruments while tracking but I mostly record vocals. Focus more on features and I/0 than sound quality because they all are good these days. Audient just translates very well when listening on different devices ,while monitoring on Apollo I hear a difference on each device when bounced

[@GothicCoalition]

@@UncleT525 Strange, oh ok.. cause I've only used low end converters before and the ID44 is the highest end I've ever got to work with so I thought I may be shooting myself in the foot not buying better converters. Recently I tried matching J Cole's "7 Minute Drill" mix and I just couldn't get the mix to sound as wide open as his does so I figured it may be my converters lol There's A LOT I don't know cause of never getting to work or learn alongside actual engineers so I'm trying to figure out where I'm messing up

[@UncleT525]

@@GothicCoalition Audient is on par with a lot of converters 126 dynamic range, most of what you are hearing in 7 min drill is the mix of the beat and the mixing decisons that's being made to widen the stereo image. Use panning and stereo seperation , you are also hearing the outboard Vocal chain that Cole used on it might be a combination of Pre, Comp, EQ could be anything . Really wide vocals would be Teezo Touchdown his mixes are always very wide. So you basically have the lead vocals center, and any vocal stacks you put you can play with the stereo image and add doublers, wideners, different effects just mask you tuck them under or around the main vocals. Then mastering is a different whole aspect they could be running it through some things as well to widen the image

[@liothomasart]

Sold the Babyface Pro FS and kept the Apollo x4 , no regrets. Stability and drivers king is RME. Plugins King is UAD.

[@DChek8]

Thanks for your videos! What do you think about NEVE 88m?

[@MySCSStory]

I’m now running an Antelope coming from HD TDM.

[@teashea1]

A new generation audio interface has better converters than a prior generation audio interface.

[@Todzuum]

I always wonder if I should upgrade I’m using the old steinberg mr816x, I’ve had thing for 12 or so years. I haven’t had any problems with anything. Would upgrading increase quality in sound ? I’ve really thought about getting an rme

[@ervd.o.a9269]

Wow Barry love your channel you didn't even mention Universal Audio

[@terry2315]

Barry just did a video on Universal Audio which explains why he wouldn't recommend them. If you can get a good buy and already are invested in their plug ins great. With the new Mac chipsets having DSP is not as important. I would make sure you have a good computer with as much memory as you can afford.

[@PharaohLawLess1]

I wonder how big of a difference in sound and converters between the the RME BabyFace Pro and the SSL 2+? 🤔

[@justsomeguy1074]

I believe the RME has a lower noise floor than the SSL

[@stingylizard]

RME will blow the SSL out of the water every time. The SSL's are quality,too---just not RME level

[@stevenroach2296]

8:34 to get to the point. Geezus. I really enjoy your channel but damn. And yes RME is worth every freaking penny. Driver support is top notch. It seems every month or 2 there are new drivers.

[@tjmitch57]

Speaking of audio interfaces I've had #2,ssl 2+ stop working after 6 months. I of course contacted ssl after the 1st one stopped working and all they did was offer a discount on the 2nd which as I've mentioned also stopped working. I am not new to audio recordings with a computer having been at it since the 90's beginning with a early version of cakewalk for midi. I have a M Audio Delta 1010 audio interface that I use with a Dell computer running pro tools 8 that's a real work horse and have been working fine going on 15 years. My suspicions are ssl audio interface is made with cheap components. I know I may be off topic is this a problem others are having not only with ssl but other brands.

[@AnalogFlava]

Im actually curious about older 90s recording setups, such as the delta 1010 interface which was a great one back then. Do you notice big difference in fidelity and do you think if one would want to recreate the 90s sound as much as possible that the interface makes a difference? Like, I am thinking I should make an old setup with a delta 1010 for example in order to get the true 90s sound from top to bottom (analog mixers, fx, mixer etc)

[@tjmitch57]

@@AnalogFlava I can't comment on does it recreate a 90 sound. I can say I really love this interface for me what I love about it is its reliability. I'm sure you could get one at a good price. Here's the thing my wife and I go between two houses in the spring when we're at are northeastern house I use a bare Bones setup with a Dell Tower Windows XP pro tools 8 and the delta. The only drawback is I am limited with the plugins I can use otherwise it works great for me.

[@tjmitch57]

@@AnalogFlavajust checked out your channel and see you have a ton of analog hardware really cool. Concerning the Delta 1010 I don't know when they stop making drivers for this particular unit. But seeing the variety of analog synth gear you have I'm sure you could do some things with the 1010 and an older operating system.

[@AnalogFlava]

@@tjmitch57 sounds great...and im sure it'll last a lifetime! I had the an EMU, one of the earlier 4 in/out interfaces for my PC around 98 and then upgraded to a motu 828mk1 around 2001 or so instead of the Delta. That one didn't last more than a few years then it got fried or something lol, but yeah I am also building a second studio away from home now which is why I need a new card. Don't have much space her otherwise I would set up my old PC as well...but sounds like a solid rig you got with pro tools8! I don't know what music you make, but plugin wise, I mainly use the old waves anyway and try to use as little as possible just because back then we didn't have much other than that, and music to me just sounds better from those days.

[@AnalogFlava]

@@tjmitch57 Yeah thanks, I have managed to build a pretty neat collection of great gear, mostly 90s stuff, over the past 4+ years or so, apart from the stuff I had in the 90s. Was sick and tired of working in the box only, not inspiring to me, so one thing led to another

[@mikeillgaming4224]

I'm going to try the new heritage audio i73 once its available

[@andyr72]

Why UAD not even mentioned? You’ve certainly talked a lot about them in the past.

[@emersonward6996]

As soon as Barry mentioned drivers ... we all knew he was speaking about RME.

[@davidreeves1976]

Any opinion on roland studio capture or any of the smaller roland interfaces?

[@DjDrumfreak]

I’m looking for a solution to a session studio where I can record a live band with the right gear. Which interface should I buy, probably rme, but which, and I may need more mic inputs than 4 😅 do I need an adat solution ✌️🙌

[@sri7727]

Hello Sir. Any recommendations for a beginner who is getting into music production?

[@musicalintelligence]

I am tempted to go from a clarett+ to RME. I am also considering Cranborne's 500r8. Any cues or advice about that ?

[@BarryJohns]

I am having one sent to me to evaluate. Here’s what I heard so far, that asa recording interface. It has its problems.

[@AlexStrabala]

The RME will be an upgrade in terms of mic pre clarity, I/O conversion clarity, headphone amps, and routing flexibility. I tried the Clarett+ 4pre next to the Babyface and while the Focusrite was good, the Babyface just outperforms it in terms of clarity/detail. Hard to explain but the difference was surprisingly clear to me even though I kind of wanted to switch to the Focusrite for the additional I/O and simpler control software.

[@AH20XX]

I have a 500r8 and LOVE IT!! WORKHORSE!! great converters

[@AdamGotheridge]

I picked up the clrarett+ mic pre to go with my ufx3, replacing a failed asp880 audient unit. With voice and a bunch of mics, I thought the clarett sounded good, but then I put it on drums and it sounded like mud. Ended up just getting the auditent fixed. Not sure if that really applies to the Clarett interface, but the mic press really underwhelmed me. The 4 preamps on the ufx3 sound good to me. Just my 2 cents.

[@sinuous1]

I have both the Cranbourne R2 and the Adat, and I love it! I've had no issues.

[@Studio_4to1]

Your videos are great…but dam’…give us chapters and structure. It’s a bit daunting to go through your videos without a chapter structure. Great point of views, though

[@mechpade]

Heh. Finally had enough pennies to upgrade my 4i4 to UCXii. Night and day difference 😏

[@ErixSamson]

I ned to upgrade my current interface and I'm hesitating between Audient, Antelope, Heritage and SSL.

[@stingylizard]

First two👍

[@scottphillipsvo]

I have Audient and Antelope. I prefer Antelope Synergy Core. My Audient is sitting in my cupboard collecting dust.

[@stingylizard]

@@scottphillipsvo Yes,to that,as the Synergy Core preamps alone are superior to all the others. Our problem has been we are located in a rural area with limited wifi. A couple of times(3 actually) our sessions were stopped/blocked until we could get wifi to upgrade the Antelope routing software and it was a downer hassle. The mkii version of Audient iD24 and iD14 are worthy "backups" and track nicely in S1 or Samplitude.

[@AnalogFlava]

@@scottphillipsvo on a Mac you can create an aggregate device and use both!

[@kricke243]

What do you think about Ferrofish, eg Pulse16? Lots of i/o for the price.

[@iRevolVeR21]

Bahhh I knew you were gonna say rme! Yeah got an ancient rme card still works till this day never an issue. Though currently I’m ua.

[@davidnle]

does a good audio interface produce a better recording sound that you can notice? is it a warmer thicker vocal tone? Why is there no mention of the Focusrite interface here or is this pretty much an entry level? thnks

[@BarryJohns]

A more expensive interface today is not as much about clicking. Its stability, expandability, types of I/O, improved Preamps. Will you notice a difference when recording and mixing with top of the line conversion, yes, will it make any difference whatsoever to the end product. I prefer improved conversion to help me make better decisions, but today you can get very good conversion for not a lot of money.

[@jamesstanford8452]

Why isnt Metric Halo a Superior interface to RME in your experience?

[@BarryJohns]

Very good question, both are amazing, RME offers DANTE and MADI. If that’s not important then either is a great choice.

[@audiotalk6155]

Barry- can you review the M Box Studio? It’s. Whole lotta of interface for $599. Thank you.

[@mr.monkei]

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Heritage Audio i73 interface?

[@SteveRobz1]

It’s good but people are sticking with Apollo

[@derekcasanares4785]

Excellent advice

[@djdanger9812]

I still have my RME FF800 must be 20yrs old and never missed a beat. Im at the point now where I want 24+ io and have no idea what to do. I start looking at RME and others, its option paralysis. Im on Mac Pro. Any suggestion?