Buying a USB Audio Interface? Hear This First

[@cameraconspiracies]

If you buy today's gear through my affiliate links, you'll be able to hear Bigfoot's screams better. Julian Krause channel www.youtube.com/@JulianKrause M-Audio Air 192 - 6 amzn.to/3Y5im5k or USED amzn.to/44ZtIKl Tascam US 2x2 HR amzn.to/3Q7ZgK1 or USED amzn.to/3Osre1B SSL 2+ amzn.to/3Q5AOsG Motu M2 amzn.to/44FhRBw Audient ID14 mkii amzn.to/3rJlKH2 Instagram instagram.com/vegetablepolice/ All my gear and recommended products can be found in my affiliate shop, thanks for shopping around! www.amazon.com/shop/vegetablepolice Topaz Video AI for enhancing and slowing down footage! www.topazlabs.com/topaz-video-ai/ref/1640/

[@dontcallmebrave]

Julian is the man when it comes to audio interface noise testing!

[@PaulSwansonIdAu]

Behringer UMC204HD. Has Midas mic preamps (very low noise floor), zero latency monitoring, $179CAD; problem solved.

[@deaffatalbruno]

@RockPolitics yes, SM7B needs a lot of gain, but you can just add a cloudlifter or DM1 dynamite at the front and all will be fine. ( also works well for ribbons and protects those from accidental 48V exposer)

[@willfest]

5 years is too soon but you do use it a lot. but I have had one go 20 + years and it still works great. the SSL is AWESOME pre-amps. M-Audio is mid grade. Tascam is mid-grade. the scarlett isn't bad actually same with Behringer. Apogee is good. Audient is pretty good but 5 years is too soon. the phantom power is not going to hurt your dynamic mic but I agree and don't like it.. I use independent phantom power per channel. I mean.. I would recommend the Midas MR12 but its 500 bucks and geared towards live performance but it is very nice sounding, upgrade from behringer. SSL ( Solid State Logic ) is very very good. the only other option you haven't mentioned at the level of SSL or better is NEVE. all you need is 48kHz 24 bit. The NEVE 88M ($1250 US) is pretty solid. Honestly for your voice ?? the SSL DESTROYS the Tascam sound quality wise. honestly, the Sennheiser e945 into an SSL is kind of a joke. with an SSL, most people are probably plugging in a $1500 mic on up. still, its only 2 channels.. so go Tascam for the price.. if you want to buy one that has 8 inputs or more.. then get a SSL or NEVE so you can record a drum-set

[@RodrigoPolo]

Try the RODE RODECaster Pro II.

[@JulianKrause]

Liked the 3D-pop of the 4K option on the SSL! Totally agree with your conclusion: Usability is a big part of choosing an interface 😊Huge thanks for the shoutout! Cheers, James

[@MustafaShaheen]

Haha I caught the "James" thing, too

[@finnman89]

"James" Krause belong on the UFC conspiracies channel. He was in the UFC but now is not because of the conspiracies he was involved with.

[@frankluo230]

Hi James, how are you doing?

[@cameraconspiracies]

Thanks "James"! lol. Thanks for letting me steal your work :)

[@jamesm8935]

I'm going good thanks

[@66Vogelsang]

5:33 Your dynamic mic doesn't require phantom power but it doesn't get hurt by it either. The only mics which get broken by phantom power are ribbon mics. - Well, technically ribbon mics are dynamic mics as well. But yours is a moving coil mic. Just to be specific.

[@tejeguitar]

Dude, I am always having a fun time watching you and your lil monologues. Like your sense of humour haha. Cheers!

[@DICARLOPRODUCTIONS]

I‘ve had an Audient ID 44 for over 6 years, and never had a problem with it. Solid metal construction. No plastic!!! Great preamps!!! Great sound!!! 😊

[@Fiveash-Art]

The SSL2 is garbage ... I was able to use mine for a couple of months until it pretty much broke.

[@joshmcdzz6925]

I have both the audient and ssl2. The SSL2 is way way more durable and feels rugged. The audient's is pretty on the outside but the build quality really pales when compared to the ssl2.. my knobs popped out although I fixed them. I record live music with both and I can tell you from experience the ssl2 is a better option to buy - cheaper, better build quality and that harmonic 4k distortion is amazing.. the audient is flat which is also a good thing just like the ssl2 without the 4k.

[@Fiveash-Art]

@@joshmcdzz6925 The build quality is absolutely not good on the SSL2 .. I have no clue about the Audient .. All the push buttons on mine were super loose and fuzzy and the whole thing just feels like plastic. I have no clue what people are raving about with this thing. Even if the thing weren't clunky, it sounded like garbage until it didn't work. I don't know if I just got a lemon, but I'd still say the build quality is not that great on these things. It's gimmicky branding with the SSL stamp in my opinion.

[@DICARLOPRODUCTIONS]

@@joshmcdzz6925 How could the SSL2 be "way way more durable than the Audient", when the SSL 2 is PLASTIC, and the AUDIENT is METAL?! LOL

[@joshmcdzz6925]

@@DICARLOPRODUCTIONS because I have both and from experience it is.. I know 2 ppl whose audient bricked out within a space of 3-4years

[@luancav]

The pre-amp chart is just for low noise level, not "quality". Between the first ones there's a minimal difference in quality.

[@jacksmith4460]

sat here with my "budget" Focusrite 2I4 2nd gen, still works after 7 years, and I love it. I know its a low cost option, but it works and I get good results and it allows me to do what I need to do.

[@urbnctrl]

The 2i4 is Focusrites lost gem. Mine is alsp 7 to 8 years old and still rocking hard in my studio. It is better than the 3rd gen 2i2 and 4i4 imo. Yes the preamps are older but the functions are better than the new .models!

[@Izya__]

​@@urbnctrlso you recommend Scarlett 4i4 gen 2 in front of gen 3?

[@SirIanPost-wz9cl]

Just FYI, dynamic mics do not mind having phantom power applied to them. They will not blow up or smoke or anything.

[@sillywwabbit]

Correct. I have a 16 channel mixer that when you turn on Phantom Power it turns it on for all mics. I routinely will have both dynamic and condenser mics plugged in and the dynamic mics are fine.

[@edwinmyers900]

Yeah, I was going to mention the same thing. Some audio ocd here but even though it doesn’t do anything, it still bothers the crap out of me having phantom on a dynamic mic.

[@rmorris8544]

Yes. There is no voltage across the coil system because both ends are at 48V relative to pin 1.

[@AnthonyChhan]

Yup. As long as you're not using a ribbon mic you'll be safe

[@elnyoutube123]

Unless it doesn't have a transformer. Then phantom power is a big no no. But almost all dynamic mics have a transformer unless you remove it yourself.

[@acejaystephens1110]

Omg I love this guy! I’m glad you’re still making content 🫶🏿

[@justinmclaren4268]

The 4K button is in reference to the SSL 4000 series recording consoles from the 80’s. They have a character (distortion) we all have heard and love in our music. For podcasting duties I doubt you’ll use it. But, if your mic (or the source) sounds a little boring, then switch it in for some digitally emulated old school analogue character.

[@zoanyway]

According to SSL, the 4K emulator circuit on these is completely analog. Which of course also means it's burnt into the recording...

[@petegunns9275]

Does a great job on guitars and bass

[@thomascoolberth2648]

If you play heavy metal the 4k summons Satan, trust me on that one.

[@jas_bataille]

They put tiny lil transformers in it :3 Isn't that's adorable?! UwU So the noisefloor is like 0.0000001% higher than Tascam bs

[@stuffnuns]

I upgraded from a Focusrite 2i4 to the SSL 2+, and not only is the panel layout terrific, the clarity and separation of the audio is better than I deserve. The two free SSL plugins included, the Drumstrip and Vocalstrip, are together, cost more than the price of the interface. The plugins alone are worth getting the Interface.

[@urbnctrl]

The 2i4 is my unit as well and just copped the SSL2+.

[@Z3Chosen1]

Hi hope you can answer , is the two free ssl plugins included in all purchases?

[@_20nine_]

The graph you are looking at is noise floor (how much noise do you want in your recording), but that doesn't equate to a better pre-amp; It depends on your purpose. You want low noise floor when recording Foley or very detailed recordings. Noise is subjective as well, I believe it is psychoacoustics for defining a "warm" signal = a more analog sound. I have owned multiple devices over the years. A little noise floor is okay, and often welcome.

[@Josec823]

Yes, this guy is hilarious using that chart and believing that the "best" preamps in the market are in a budget M-Audio interface. 🤣🤣

[@StirfriedGerman]

Good purchase, the preamps are indeed decent, although you probably won't hear a significant difference between the top 20 in Julian's list. More importantly, the SSL has great playback quality, loopback, excellent headphone amps and the software is super stable. I have the bigger SSL12 and it's a winner so far.

[@mr.e8432]

I have to agree with your premise. I’ve come to the conclusion most (99%) of the gear nerds are full of $h!t. You can take 10 interfaces ranging from $20,000 to $200, run the exact same audio through them and nobody is going to be able to tell you which is which. The quality of affordable gear today is crazy compared to what was available just 10 or 15 years ago. Thanks to Julian’s videos I saved myself over $1k on my last purchase.

[@davebrownentertainment7191]

I own 6 or 7 interfaces, have been through dozens (I follow Julian, as well as several other experts on KZbin. Podcastage is another great one for learning about the latest and greatest interfaces, and how they sound/perform). It's a fun hobby to try out new budget ones. My two most used interfaces are my Audient Evo 8 (on my home computer 24/7), and my work one (I run karaoke 4 nights a week) is a Midas MR18 mixer with 16 mic inputs, and sweet sounding preamps. I also have a Motu LP64 32 channel ADAT USB interface, that I can connect four 8-channel ADAT preamps to, for 32 in/32 out for any bigger jobs than running karaoke (can run a concert with that thing!), and I figured out how to run Waves plugins from my laptop over the USB cable, with super low latency. Neat stuff!

[@charlesrocks]

Yep you’re gettin a sub. This was hilarious, and informative.

[@EddieJarnowski]

I like the truthfulness honest approach with mixed in slang. I'm subbing too :)

[@Studeep]

This guy is genuinely funny whilst delivering value as well, you got it boss 👏

[@chrisl.6158]

As an audio engineer it is quite enjoyable to watch a video guy's approach on choosing an audio interface. :-) Thanks for this video. Anyways, although mic preamps are important, the microphone itself is way more important. Also the quality isn't just determined by noise floor. SSL is known as one of the two to four greatest mixing console manufacturers from the 80ies till now; they build some great audio stuff but decided to move production to the Far East; still good products though. With lots of interfaces available (even just in that 2 mic inputs range) I think you picked the right one. Desktop interfaces should have their controls on the top and I am surprised that there's lots of interfaces with controls on the side (front). In a podcast/content creation/etc. environment, volume and mic gain are controls you need all the time even though you wouldn't notice it. You WILL notice, when those knobs are hard to reach.

[@Fiveash-Art]

Just because they stamp a 'cool' brand on it, doesn't mean it's any good. My SSL2 was unusable within a couple of months. All hype in my opinion ... either that or I just got a lemon. I could still never recommend that interface.

[@chrisl.6158]

@@TobiasRieperGood @TobiasRieperGood I'm afraid I have to strongly disagree there. It's not just a moving membrane. Even if it was, the way, the membrane is built - diamter, material, etc - has a huge impact on the sound. And then it has to be transformed into an electrical signal. There's huge differences in sound. Or would you say, just because every eardrum is just a moving membrane, everybody hears the same way? Or vocal cords all function the same way, so every voice sounds the same? The closer you get to the sound source the more important is quality of the component. starting with a good speaker's voice, then room acoustics, then microphone, then preamp, then ADC. I'm sure more people can hear a difference between microphones but only a few can tell the difference between preamps or even ADCs.

[@beautgrainger147]

To be fair, there have been a couple of rack preamps with variable impedance, and the Chinese are getting better at copying mics. It'll be interesting to see if "any decent mic" will replace a lot of the good mics in future

[@1dgram]

​@@beautgrainger147I wonder if MEMS microphone tech will advance in such a way that arrays of these produce superior mics at a very low price point.

[@HR2635]

@@Fiveash-Artnope.. 2 of my friends had a SSL2 crapping out within 6 months... its garbage.

[@paulcaskey]

I have a Behringer UMC22. Cheap and works fine.

[@RudolfWolph]

FWIW: a stage dynamic microphone like you have will typically have a step up transformer inside that will also serve as protection against the capsule receiving phantom power. I went through a similarly frustrating journey. My first interface was basically perfect. M-Audio C400. The preamps were good enough to amplify pretty much any dynamic mic without hiss, including an SM7b. It had a nice big level meter right up on top. It had the big knob on top that the current M-Audio interface has. The headphone amp was good enough for my planar magnetics. They haven't updated the drivers since 2014 and it now gives my computer the blue screen of death. The Focusrite Scarlett was never on the same level, so I never considered that as a possible replacement. The Steinberg UR12 has a funny sounding name (you are 12?) and has horribly hissy preamps that completely devalue its good driver support, and it only has a single LED for clipping instead of a level meter. The Motu M2 made weird noises until I updated my motherboard's firmware, and now it's a pretty suitable replacement for my old C400... if anything else has better preamps, the difference is going to be inaudible. It is SLIGHTLY disappointing to see that the SSL2 is cheaper though, because I like that layout a little more than all the knobs being on the front.

[@jonmc07]

In the audio world, SSL is world-renown for mixers and preamps. You chose wisely.

[@jamesbrown4107]

Yeap, they make very expensive audio mixing consoles and are perhaps the world leaders.

[@josuastangl7140]

Absolutely, SSL is great. Same goes for Audient tho, don’t know why his died. I love my iD44.

[@nobodynoone2500]

Not the same engineers or production. Only thing the same is the name. And they WERE known for a certain 80's sound that wouldn't fly today with few people still using their desks unless producing 80s style music. They had a signature, but were not the best. Certainly no Neve.

[@innabit5961]

Don't be fooled by branding. While SSL have made some great consoles and outboard, audio interfaces.... not so much. SSL have never been known for their convertors. In fact their history here would point to shitty drivers and them abandoning tech product support early. IMO an RME or GEN4 Focusrite are vastly superior, better drivers, better build quality.... and preamps differences at this price is irrelevant but both are as good as the SSL Also. the 4K button is a console emulation, not HD vs 4k

[@davidfrisken1617]

-129db to -133db noise level is a silly gauge. "No noise" vs "no noise" does not equate to which is best.

[@bigtb1717]

In normal use, I doubt you would notice a difference in the pre-amps between the top ten or so interfaces on Julian's list. It's a sub-1 dB difference between the Tascam and the SSL 2.

[@cameraconspiracies]

It's more of a mental problem after seeing the chart lol.

[@craftedpixel]

Even professional voice actors have no problem using a focusrite scarlett

[@bassyey]

@@craftedpixel People who lack talent and technical skills of their craft resort to gear-buying spree. The most talented players I've met personally aren't playing Gibson guitars. Those are reserved for dentists who can't play.

[@danieljung2810]

​@bassyey Whoaaa, whooaaa let's calm down, it's not just reserve it for dentists here, we have to include other professionals like doctors, lawyers, managers of businesses etc. Let's not discriminate the business professionals for no talent, gear lust, which includes me. 😂

[@WayneRECs]

@JulianKrause is the GOAT when it comes to audio interfaces. He is also a subtle comedic genius.

[@sashanvak]

Excellent presentation. Straight and honest with a pinch of humor. Thank you.

[@michaelcaldwell7107]

Love your sense of humour. User Interface (that’s right, I ain’t afraid to spell things out), is so very important. What you want to pass off intially as ‘Yeah. Don’t like it, but I’ll get USED to it.’, but then you deal with some bogus layout every day and ‘dealing with it’ turns into hate, oh so easily. I subscribed. Thanks.

[@thejasontlewis]

You can run phantom power to a dynamic mic without hurting it. You only have to worry about ribbon mics and phantom power.

[@21CHIMES]

"i said descroy and i stick it, with it" made my belly hurt, take my sub

[@AZisk]

SSL consoles are legendary. They entered the prosumer market only recently, but have been around in pro studios for decades. Hopefully they won’t ruin a good thing like Focusrite did

[@subsystemd]

Aw man, your storytelling, demeanor and accent is just so precious. Save this man at all cost!

[@peterbondmusic]

FYI the SSL is much better for conversion and preamps than the Tascam. That chart you're looking at tells you nothing about sound quality. You made the right choice for sure.

[@eflip3]

Just went through the SAME thing as I have 4 audio interfaces sitting in front of me right now. Well I should say, 3 in front of me and ONE plugged in, the SSL+! Was also my favorite and you just reassured me I was right in my thinking!

[@1800cxllect]

This is honestly hilarious and informative. Thank you so much !

[@_innerscape_]

5:35 if the dynamc mic is of decent quality it should have a transformer inside that balances the signal and boosts the gain a bit (in the sm58 it's a 6 dB boost I think) and, as every transformer, blocks any DC current and lets only AC current pass (only audio), so the phantom power gets "trapped" in the core of the transformer and turns into heat: no damage to the mic. If in doubt check the inner schematic of your mic or ask on gearspace. All ribbon mics have a transformer because the impedance of the aluminium strip (the ribbon) is very low and the output signal very low too. They might get damaged by phantom if the pins are not wired as standard (so, very old specimens), or if an adapter from Tuchel (old german connector) to XLR is used mixing the pin numbering (again, old stuff before standards were implemented), or an XLR to XLR modern cable is used (with any mic) with improper pin numbering or shorting pin 2 or 3 to ground (pin 1), this can kill even a dynamic mic with transformer! Generally it's recommended to plug first all the mic and then turn on the phantom, and turn off the phantom and wait a few seconds before unplugging: the spike when hot plugging might damage very sensitive condenser mics, and those are designed for phantom. So, - proper cables - proper pin numbering - no hot swapping

[@brianhintze6440]

Heehee….love your sense of humor. Very watchable. Good job. I have the SSL 2+ and enjoy it.

[@dentboxhero1717]

RME Babyface one and done. Best driver support in pro-audio sphere

[@radiozelaza]

I've had MOTU M2 for 3 years, wonderful preamps (funnily it's a bit low on the chart) compared to stuff like Line6 Pod Studio I had had 10 years ago. It's 2023 and it's really hard to screw up audio interfaces these days... but evidently some do

[@CoffeeTalkandTechJohnRyan]

After my motu m2 drivers stopped working I went and got a SSL2+ and man it's rock solid and new firmware includes loopback too. If you want the best audio routing pair the SSL2+ with the streamdeck plus and then your in heaven. The wavelink software and fantastic preamps for the win.

[@DLtPoE]

Hey Ryan, I love my Motu M2. Forgive me..Drivers are the software that give the correct instructions to the hardware, right? Your motu m2 works, just it is not being updated to work with your gear???

[@_robsa]

this the best video i've found in KZbin about audio so far

[@MyRackley]

First of all, I would have sought out a repairer in my neighbourhood. I have two in my local shopping mall, "iSmash" and "Mobile Lab". They both specialise in mobile phone repair, but the latter one fixed my Mac Mini for me and I'm very happy with it. Secondly, I have a Yamaha AG06 mixer, which is awesome. It's a combined Interface and DAC with inputs for mics, guitar, keyboards, etc. One great feature is the "loopback" facility, which allows me to play back audio from my computer, and mix and record audio also to a file on my computer. I'm very happy with the sound quality.

[@tasenova2717]

Your confidence but maturity is refreshing. I'm not sure what it is, but I could see you smiling as you made small jokes. and it just felt fun. so thanks.

[@innercynic2784]

I've an SSL 2 and it's pretty damn good. Preamps are plenty quiet and give you all of the power you'll need

[@jas_bataille]

As a sound engineer, I highly recommend ESI audio. For 200 bucks get the Amber i1. Stereo input, mic pre, instrument or line. Simple. Noiseless, no perceivable latency. Nice lil control panel with a mute button. Easily the most underrated maker. They're SO cool they even make a PCI-E audio card with 4 inputs if you still live in the 90's like me and put your old gaming PC in a rackcase that weight as much as your first partner did back in college.

[@TheGardenGame]

Your videos are ART!!! lol. Thank you!!! Because your reviews are on point!

[@Almitaskitchen]

4K refers to their 4000 series consoles. They are legends in the recording industry.

[@akbgaming1987]

I've the M Audio the same one and have had nothing wrong with it it's the best audio interface I've used

[@nashwpg]

I think the 4K refers to SSL's classic 4k recording consoles. SSL is known for making the most famous analog console for mixing records on. The button gives your preamp a little bit of their analog console sound vs. a more flat sounding digital preamp.

[@InfamousInternetVillainJackSix]

2:52 The guy that named it that, is the owner of inMusic, the parent company of M-Audio. He currently owns Numark, Alesis, Akai, Rane Co, Denon, and Moog.. which is only half of the pro-audio companies he's acquired since 1992, when he originally bought Numark. One really cool thing about the guy, aside from being one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Audio Interface / MIDI development history, is that he likes to honor the names of the companies he acquires and pays homage to the people that made those companies successful, by naming his products after those companies. He purchased M-Audio and AIR Software Group from Avid back in 2012. Hence why it was named the M-Audio AIR. The 192 signifies it's ability to record in 192khz resolution, which was unheard of on prosumer interfaces of that era. The Focusrite Scarlett didn't have that ability until Generation 2, and NOT ONE of the Audient interfaces on that chart are capable or resolutions above 96khz, despite the cheapest unit being sold for $199 while the M-Audio AIR 192 was originally sold for $129. Granted, the SSL is capable of 192khz, but it has noisier preamps and was still $50 more than the M-Audio AIR. Then again, I can't really fathom why you would even care, being that you're using it in an untreated environment, which is noisier than the Preamps on the Presonus Audiobox 96. By the way, that "bullshit" Tascam is the closest thing you have ever gotten to a piece of pro-audio hardware. The knobs are a little small because it was designed by Japanese people, to Japanese standards, for Japanese hands. They have more knowledge in their tiny fingers, than you obviously have in your entire fucking head. Hence why TASCAM actually IS what the professionals use. It's the only interface you've mentioned that's actually used professionally. I wouldn't expect you to know what a field recorder is, given how little knowledge went into making this joke of a video, but TASCAM makes some of the best in the world. Next time you're watching an action movie, enjoying how crisp the audio is, despite being shot outdoors in a single take? Yeah, you can thank TASCAM and their tiny Japanese hands for that shit. But I'm sure in 2 years, when those dinky plastic wheels are cracked and stripping on the potentiometers of that SSL, you will have figured out why TASCAM used smaller, higher quality machined aluminum knobs. A feature you will ONLY find on a Japanese designed interface, near that price point. That said, maybe if you weren't such a knob, you would have figured that you can replace them with softer rubberized knobs that better suit your man-sized baby hands. Here's a piece of advice. Try taking the time to research the people you're running your mouth about. You might have learned something from them, that solved your problem.. before you went out and bought a used interface, and then went on to blame M-Audio, as if it were purchased new. Also, if you had spent less time yapping into the interface and spent more time reading the user manual, for said interface, you would know that it's perfectly safe to use a balanced dynamic microphone with phantom power enabled. .. but before you say: "How do I know if my dynamic mic is balanced?!" You read the damn manual for the microphone!! .. alternatively, you can figure it out on your own, if you can count to 3. Surely you can count to 3... Does the connector on the end of your microphone have a standard 3-Prong Male XLR connector? Yes? Then congratulations, you have a balanced dynamic microphone. You know .. The funny thing about getting older, is the realization that arrogance isn't a symptom of ego. It's actually just a symptom of stupidity. You don't sound like a badass when you're arrogantly running your mouth about people and subjects that you clearly know very little about. You just sound like a dumbass, dumbass.

[@brunoquaresma8024]

Never expected watching a video of a dude talking about audio interfaces and love the personality of that dude so much xD You're great dude keep it up.

[@jessetimmmiller1870]

I had the Audient for years. Gave it to my son. He used it for years, then it broke. I now have an SSL 2+ and my son has the UA Volt 276. The Volt is WAY better. I like my SSL, but the M610 preamp and 1176 compressor simulation buttons on the Volt are a homerun. I'm gonna use my SSL for now, but I'll eventually replace it with a UA Volt. For context, I've owned the UA Apollo and didn't love the software matrix routing. Had a UA Arrow. Same problem. The Volt fixes all of that with emulation buttons instead of software emulations, and a direct monitoring button for latency-free monitoring.

[@LTPottenger]

Thanks for the input. I have been considering between the two and glad to hear the compressor works well.

[@t3rrmusic]

Came for the review, stayed for the laughs... I've been trying to make up my mind on getting the SSL 2 vs M-Audio Air 192-4. Thanks for sharing!

[@Sumbibebe]

For some reason, I don’t know why, I really loved your video. It felt to be so honest👍🏾

[@bradbloom5649]

I know you’re using a Sound Devices MixPre3, which is very good. If you weren’t using that and wanted something with similar amount of preamps without also being able to fill the role of a field recorder, I’d absolutely recommend RME Babyface Pro or RME UCX II. You will not find more stable, reliable drivers or lifetime updates and support than RME. For studio I use an RME UFX, field recording I use a Sound Devices 833, which your MixPre3 is 99.9% of the time is indiscernible from and for a solo operator scenario is totally the way to go IMO. So with your Sound Devices MixPre3 I’d say you chose wisely Keep up the great work. 👍

[@benspeeds]

My personal hell has been what I like to call "The Phase Hemorrhage!" I will forever be indebted to auto align 2 for helping me deal with that little nightmare. It's one of the few plugins I personally can't live without. It's expensive but it's worth every penny.

[@REYNmusician]

Good choice! SSL has been around for ages. Most big hits in the 80's and beyond are mixed on those huge mixing desks. A huge pro player that went to the consumer market.

[@peterkapunkt6783]

But can it do 4k 240p audio?

[@robertphillips4155]

Thanks for sharing, you kept cracking me up!

[@AaronGallant]

I recently got a MOTU ultra-lite mk5 and really enjoying it. I have some external preamps plugged into the MOTU but the built in preamps on the unit are solid.

[@StratsRUs]

MOTU is excellent.My previous MOTU lasted for 16 years.

[@emeralds222]

I love your humor and common sense. I am feeling confidence of the ss2+

[@DreamslideProductions]

This guy is hilarious! He is Def from the camera world VS the audio world, But I'd watch his reviews any day 😂😂

[@LTPottenger]

The biggest problem I have with all the reviews for audio interfaces is it is based off a unit that actually works, and doesn't come covered in cheetoh fingerprints with a volume knob that goes from zero to one hundred when you twist it two millimeters and have the software already registered to someone in Argentina. Which is basically 50% of all electronics that ships from Amazon today.

[@franksaint-ghislain9010]

Love your content! You always bring a smile to my face!

[@Music-Tech-Life]

You should do stand up. Very funny and amusing. You know what you like and don't like. Although a bit picky. That's a good thing.

[@520worldwide]

love the way you talk and structure the vid my g

[@tomerm5619]

Thanks for the laughs..truly!!! and info

[@rjkral]

Wild and fun to watch you review an audio interface...I'm a pro composer and hobbyist photographer, so I've been watching you for years and it's a treat to see you review interfaces. ANYWAY, 4K...isn't a reference to video 4K higher definition or whatever (but I wonder if they deliberately chose it as a double meaning for those not in the know)...here's a description: "SSL built their reputation on their celebrated large format consoles, through which countless hit records and Grammy-award winning albums have flowed. In particular, the SSL 4000 series console has inspired generations of musicians, producers, and engineers with its undeniable analog mojo. The SSL2+ brings that signature 4000 series sound into your project studio with its Legacy 4K feature, which, with the push of a button, imparts the preamps with two essential characteristics of the 4000 series signal chain. The first thing you’ll hear is a musical, high-frequency EQ boost that will push your vocal or instrument forward in the sound field, for a deeper, more dimensional sonic profile. Then, you’ll notice a subtle addition of harmonic distortion that sweetens the sound and adds personality to the signal. For small format recording interfaces, there is nothing quite like the Legacy 4K button, available on the SSL2+." Yay!

[@derekfromtauranga6012]

The comedian of interface reviews. I enjoyed your mini rave about different interface designs. If they have to cram all the knobs into a tiny space so make the interface bigger or put some on top, job done! I have a Steinberg UR22C which doesn’t rate that high on preamp noise but it works for me. I’m only an amateur recording musician but it is a solid piece of kit and just works for me without any fuss. I think many get excited and orgasmic by low noise preamps but in real world use they are not such a big problem and not so noticeable unless you are an audio freak. 🤓

[@tjc601]

RME Babyface Pro FS for outstanding all-round abilities and quality, including the most rock solid drivers. The differnce between -129 and -131 as a clincher? Well . . .

[@Razor2048]

For the failed USB audio interface, were you to open the casing and then while plugged in, check each voltage rail to see if any of the rails failed? Usually if it is a simple DC to DC converter fail, or or other similar failure, then the repair is extremely easy since voltage regulators are often easy to get, and often have low pin counts, then also easy to solder.

[@JohnShalamskas]

That's good advice on troubleshooting the dead USB audio interface. It's always a good idea to use power conditioning on sensitive electronics like audio, video, and computers. Silicon chips are very sensitive to voltage spikes from inductive loads coming on and off the power line, like compressors in refrigerators and HVAC, the motors in your laundry machines, and any lightning within a few miles. Outlet strips with spike suppressors are a good start. A quality UPS with electromagnetic noise filtering and voltage surge suppression can increase the lifespan of your electronics quite a bit.

[@matoflynn]

Truly perfected this format, loved this

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

I have used a firewire interface for over 10 years called mackie u420d. I bought a couple of them for my analogue audio to digital transfer / restoration business - it has never let me down - it's even designed as an all in one radio / podcast mixer if one was to use it in that vein.

[@rldays9179]

I will subscribe to watch you. Not worried about the content I'm sure you will deliver it successfully. Bromancing the stone.

[@TheHouseOfHouseYT]

I had 2 Audient ID22’s. Loved them, sound great but they both died after like 2 years. Switched to Scarlett and no problems so far

[@SCULPTURAMAplus]

Hi. Sound Devices MixPre3 Mk 1 or 2. If you want portable. You can attach powered monitors to it and you have 3 channels with incredible preamps. If it’s always desk bound then UAD Apollo Twin X Duo if you want to do music too. Van

[@muziqfreek]

+1 for the Apollo (can also be modded by blacklionaudio for even better AD/DA performance)

[@videobrains]

Phantom power will not damage a dynamic mic. It will not do anything to the mic. But it will destroy a ribbon mic.

[@TheRaveBarn]

The SSL blows anything made by Tascam or M-Audio out of the water sound quality-wise. SSL is a legacy company known for making $100,000+ mixers. The preamps in this interface are a similar topology to their full large format consoles. Not as good as an API or Neve preamp, but still very good, some of the best you can get on a 2x2 interface. For overall driver stability, RME make the beat interfaces and have loads of clean gain in the preamps, but they are significantly more expensive. You make a good decision with SSL.

[@audioupgrades]

In reality, there's very little difference between different branded audio interfaces at a given price point. They're all similar SMD components with the same dacs and opamps. Probably made in the same factory too.

[@Notinserviceij]

You are relying on look rather than sound Ssl is great but I bet you haven't used one

[@dasnack]

Of all the things I expected from this video, a mention of Julian Krause and his godlike reviews wasn't one. Good choice with the SSL 2+ too. Make sure you get a look at his table of headphone outputs when selecting an interface too.

[@SuperZardo]

The 4k button clearly is not about image resolution, but about *colour* space. You get better colours ("analogue colour enhancement, inspired by classic SSL consoles") by pressing these 4 k buttons. Ever heard of people having synesthesia? Some of them see sound as colours. Makes sense, right? They'll get a more vivid sound expericence, with vivid colours, because of the 4k bit depth for audio colour space ;-)

[@djerikfox]

2 years with ssl2, i love it...gonna replace it with the new mk2...its amazing!!!

[@miguelsalami]

Put a toe tag on it & ship it back with a detailed letter for suggested improvements. After an Exhaustive Audio interface search I decided the SSL2 would fit my needs perfectly but not my budget so for now it's the UMC204HD Behringer as an upgrade from my focusrite Solo. The SSL2 will be my next audio interface upgrade.🔥

[@80-80.]

I preferred the sound with the 4K button activated. Crisper.

[@keepitgrimy]

Love your style of content I’m rolling 😂 😂 peak humor subbed 👍🏾

[@njparkin5894]

The SSL is the best one! Simply layout, easy to use and the sound quality is great! I had a Motu before, I didn't like its small multifunction buttons. Although the sound was good.

[@olafkliemt1145]

nobody talks about it, but it has everything, can do everything, and has excellent specs : Tascam Series 102i

[@paylnyles]

You are fantastic describing real world problems, I'm thinking of buying the same equipment and now will reasses all options x.

[@jameshasseriousedoubtsabou560]

Importantly, 48v wont damage dynamic microphones. You can use it safely knowing it will be fine. 49v can completly destory ribbon microhpones within seconds, and some other devices like laptops, synths ect, if you plan to record from them.

[@frontprochproduction]

I used an Apollo Duo for years and loved it but switched back to pc and went to the SSL 2 Plus. Love it. FYI, the 4K button isn't a gimmick. It's an effect of sorts that emulates the analog character of the SSL 4K board. It is a use it or don't choice depending on what you want. I love it on acoustic guitar tracks and some vocal tracks, but not on everything. It's a nice option to have, and once you get used to what it does, it only takes a moment to decide whether you want to use it or not on a track you are recording.

[@ogonzilla]

We are in the same rabbit hole, my friend.

[@danieljung2810]

Julian is amazing! There is someone else I recently found that is an actual music producer and bought the interfaces himself. Get.beautiful.recordings. He actually explains why noise of modern day preamps don't really matter, goes into converters, volume knob on headphone issues and as someone who professionaly mixes and masters gives insite as to what actually matters.

[@longwelsh]

Why are the "I'M ON!" lights always so damned bright, and usually BLUE! The wee SSL interfaces are really great and well designed.

[@binarycodes]

I have been listening to you more for the subtle humor than the actual reviews :D Keep it up.

[@BrockMcLellan]

I watch Julian Krause videos when I want advice, and your videos when I want entertainment. That does not mean I follow anyone's advice. If I did, I would probably not own a Native Instruments Audio 6 audio interface. You might even like it, because it has a big dial/ knob for output volume. I don't have to worry about switching phantom power (48V) on and off because I only own one microphone, a Røde N1, which requires it on.

[@v3zMedia]

RME > Apogee > Motu > Presonus Quantum > UAD (sucks on PC though)... After 10+ years of testing out interfaces both high and low. Best budget friendly companies in 2023 are SSL and Audient.

[@TheDarkFoxOfficial]

best video i seen in ages what a character I like you mate your a good lad

[@Thekingdomwithinco]

I appreciate your tone and sense of humour sir 🙂

[@Baratheon.]

I love this guys vibe. 2:56

[@rolisaenz]

nice review ! now i get an SSL2+

[@ignatius_guitar7452]

Another option for pro level would Sounddevices. Those are the standard in the film industry!

[@UFOFU]

This is going to work out great for your 3rd channel Techno new waver vids. I can’t wait to hear your beats.

[@DelticEngine]

Thanks for the helpful video. Input noise isn't all that matters, though. This may sound odd, but I'm glad the M-Audio didn't work out for you and you sent it back. The internal electronics are poor in that they are known to fail and it's a chip that needs replacing...I know because I unfortunately have one that's died. It's also the reason they often show up as 'parts only' on eBay. My research taught me to avoid M-Audio audio interfaces like the plague. ----- Regarding dynamic mics and phantom power... In a nutshell it depends how they're wired and that includes the cables and not just the mic itself. Of the three pins on an XLR, pin 1 is ground, pin 2 is the + or in-phase signal and pin 3 is the - or inverse-phase signal. Ideally, the ground or pin 1 connection is never connected to any other connection and the audio signal is transmitted just using pins 2 and 3.Phantom power is sent by putting a positive voltage on both pins 2 and 3 equally and uses pin 1 as the 0v or ground return. As the voltage is applied equally to both pins 2(+) and 3(-) the audio signal itself is not affected. As a dynamic mic normally uses only pins 2 and 3 connected to the mic capsule there is no problem as there is no voltage actually across the capsule: If phantom power is present it's the same voltage on both connections of the dynamic mic capsule so there's no voltage difference so no current flow and therefore no problem. However, problems do arise where a cable or mic is incorrectly wired in that there is a connection between the audio pair and ground connection somewhere. Some cables may have pin 3 (-) also connected to pin t (Ground) and some microphones may do similarly. This is what causes the problems because there is a return path introduced to the phantom power voltage which causes current to flow through the dynamic mic capsule, potentially damaging the microphone. Up to a point, a direct connection between pins 2 or 3 and pin 1 shorts out the phantom power voltage but because there is always a small resistance there will be a voltage so there will be current flow. If you're electronically inclined, a digital multimeter set to read resistance (NOT diode check) can safely be used to determine the electrical configuration of cables and microphones. Any 'problematic' equipment can either be marked, corrected or disposed of prevent errors and possible future equipment damage.

[@ReddPursuit]

Good sense of humor lol thanks for the heads up!