HOW TO choose an Audio Interface - The Ultimate Guide

[@bennysuts814]

Longevity of driver support is underrated too

[@JC-fj7oo]

Totally true, but very hard to quantify. Just because the company had long lasting driver support for their last product doesn't mean they won't screw you on the next one.

[@theAristocrap]

Yep. Focusrite was terrible - is good since v3. Tascam dropped me with their first series of 4x4's. Emu stopped supporting their older devices very quickly...

[@actioncameraspro]

So which u recomendd for 100 euros?

[@theAristocrap]

@@actioncameraspro Depends on your needs. If your budget is hard 100 and nothing more: Arturia's MiniFuse could be a good choice or NI's Komplete Audio 1.

[@actioncameraspro]

@@theAristocrap like max 120 euros, need only one mic line and i would use on windows 10 with dynamic mic.

[@joesalyers]

Julian here's an idea for a video, how about going through a few of the interfaces you have had for a year or two years to see if there is any degradation to them and compare them to your original charts. My guess is not much would change with most of them but a few might show more signs of wear than others. It might be a dumb idea that shows no problems and then again the results might surprise us. Cheers for all your hard work!!

[@JC-fj7oo]

Actually there has been reports of it happening with the behringer and a few others... That's a great episode idea since he has all of them right there it's a good time to run some tests.

[@joesalyers]

@@JC-fj7oo That is what I was thinking after I saw all of them on the table. I know it's a lot of work but it is interesting content to see what brands hold up after a year or two. Cheers!

[@JulianKrause]

Hey Joe, that's a pretty interesting idea. Some interface I have owned for quite some time now and it would be interesting to see if anything changed.

[@joesalyers]

@@JulianKrause love the channel and after seeing all of those interfaces on your desk I thought maybe a long term review might be interesting. Cheers!

[@mandalorian8922]

@@JulianKrause Hey Julian! Thanks for your videos! Probably for more than a year I've been asking you to make a video about Apollo Twin X. I ask very much, could you check all aspects of this sound card?!

[@trekstortablet7711]

Thanks for giving a sane and intelligent talk,I am 63 and have all the outboard,just want to get it into my daw and use my midi keyboard to play virtual instruments. Have asked Santa for m audio air 192 / 6 as it had midi in/ out. Wish me luck and Happy Christmas Julien

[@deeliciousplum]

Oh? This new upload's thumbnail reveals an overwhelming number of choices. Even with being overwhelmed, I am forever grateful to Julian for sharing very helpful tips and insights into not only sound gear, but of a diversity of other topics which are essential for somone who wishes to record or to learn about sound/music.

[@LuisAlexanderAlarcon]

Hi, greetings from Venezuela, i find your videos really useful and practical, i think you are a really honest KZbinr. I hope you continues doing videos. Hugs and cheers from South America.

[@ulysg]

One thing I think is important to watch for, especially if you want to use an iPad or Linux, is if the interface is class compliant

[@AG_before]

Fantastic video! For some, the technical jargon might be confusing, but (to anyone who might read this) please keep some of the initial advice in mind. It will help you a lot: 1. What are you using it for now. 2. Which features are _critical_ for you, now that they have been addressed and simplified. 3. Expensive doesn't mean better. 4. Garbage in, garbage out. A lot of the comments will help as well. This will filter out a _lot_ of them. You might just have to make a choice between two or three then - maybe even have the one. Thank you so much for this Julian. 👍

[@mandolin-george-uk]

The gold standard audio interface video on KZbin . Well done .

[@BJ-fj6jw]

Now this is excellence. Grand daddy of all Audio Interface Guides for 2023. Thank you for taking the time to do this!

[@WimmelJimmel]

Julian, you know what I'd love to see: how classic vintage interfaces, like the RME FF 800, Metric Halo, Focusrite Saffire PRO 40 etc. still stand up to todays interfaces in comparison.

[@Jo-Ann-d9u]

My saffire Pro-40 still works. I have it aggregated with Behringer UMC1820/Behringer 8200 adat on my Mac. All units are working with no issues. Sound quality is nice with no jitter.

[@MaartenBlij]

Thanks for the note about DSP. I saw is mentioned somewhere else and thought it might be worth the extra cash. Your remark about this mostly being useful for live scenario's is very welcome.

[@musicalneptunian]

First priority for me is "will it work on Linux?" I do audio book narration. I use a focusrite 2i2 3rd gen because it is easy to get the Linux drivers to work. I like the Air mode.

[@CrazyDriverSwed]

The most difficult part of choosing an audio interface is to find one that really works with you computer. There are so many things, operating system, drivers, buffer settings, hw firmware, usb-cables and more that can affect the stability and quality of the sound. I recently bought an Motu M2 interface to my new PC. I decided to go for a well known brand and not the cheapest and still I've ended up with an audio interface that makes me spend more time on troubleshooting than making music. You really should make a video about troubleshooting audio interfaces. It's not just about buffer settings, it's choosing the right USB port (faster is not always better) and fine tuning the system to minimize interference from other components. I just wish there was a better way to verify that everything works and not having to rely on your ears to identify clicks n pops and other issues with digital jitter. It's unbelievable that we are still having the same problem with audio interfaces today that we had 20 years ago.

[@JC-fj7oo]

Motu is a pretty small brand overall. And their interfaces are known for being problematic with their connections creating a lot of clicks unless your pc is perfectly setup. Give the tascam 2x2hr a try. It does everything the motu does (and has the blend knob) and it latches on to every computer I've tried. Including windows 7, windows 10, an old apple laptop, a brand new macbook, and several iphones and android phones. Even without the drivers it works perfectly on all of them. And the drivers work well. If you need to test for latency and jitter to see if your computer is working correctly for music, try latencymon. It's free and it scans your computer in real time to see what's not working.

[@48cloudpierre48]

motu is known to have driver issues/issues with computers. drivers are really the biggest difference between interfaces at similar price points these days. scarlett 3rd gen are rock solid and a better choice.

[@xfghffhfg]

Just buy RME. If your computer is suitible for audio it will work fine for many years.

[@CrazyDriverSwed]

@@xfghffhfg For many years i used my RME hdsp 9632 until some evil guy invented pci-e. :) Today I mainly need a simple 2 channel interface so RME might be a bit overkill. But I agree, RME is great.

[@xfghffhfg]

@@CrazyDriverSwed maybe digiface usb, if you don't need analog inputs

[@onthewaycyam]

I was not expecting to receive this much information all at once. Thanks for this!

[@USNVA-yn6cp]

Outstanding information given here..This is actually a very decent and proper tutorial! Thank you so much for doing this for us. Much appreciated!!

[@rockatanescu]

Excellent content, Julian! I own a UA Volt 276 (based on Julian's review) and I use it mostly for Zoom calls and listening to music. It's a great interface which can easily drive my 600s and pairs nicely with my Lewitt 440 Pure microphone. However, I kind of hope that manufacturers would think a bit more about people working from home and create products that not only work well, but also look nice on a desk. For example, my UA 276 would be perfect if they would have placed the microphone inputs, have an extra headphone jack at the back (same output, just a duplicated jack) and use a more wedge-like form factor so they could put the knobs and LEDs in the front, not on top. Otherwise, it's so easy to buy an amazing audio interface nowadays, as long as there are passionate people like Julian reviewing them.

[@EdoZ-cs6yb]

No one has made such a comparison in KZbin. Excellet video. Congratulation.

[@tporter23]

Another great video, love all of them Julian. MOTU has finally released their M6 interface and I'd love to see how it compares to the M4 and Focusrite 8i6!

[@LucasMastropasqua]

Great video! I am currently considering which interface I am going to choose and of all the specs and features I am concerned with the RTL is at the top of the list! I am fully aware that the computer specs have a lot to do with RTL but at the same time I want to be sure that the interface itself is capable of supporting as low a latency as possible. The main use of my interface is for recording guitar and bass tracks while also monitoring my playing using amp sims and even though the RTL isn't necessarily audible under a certain point, in my experience the RTL is quite noticeable when it comes to the feeling and response of amp sims when playing a bass or guitar. You are one of the reviewers that include RTL in you videos however I am surprised with how few reviews cover this especially considering the amount of people that use their interface in this same scenario. Specs are great to have but we almost need someone to do a comparison with the interfaces used for tracking guitar using an amp sim. Thanks for all the great videos!

[@henrikstolpe]

Hi, which interface did you end up with?

[@LucasMastropasqua]

@@henrikstolpeKind of a long story but I haven’t bought one yet. It’s going to happen in a couple months so I’ll let you know once I’ve decided.

[@arinin77]

Professional "Technical Review" instead of "paid ones" as always. A true German sound engineering. Thanks.

[@Producelikeapro]

Always the best Videos on KZbin! I love how you look at every aspect of audio interfaces. Absolutely superb video. Thank you ever so much for making this!

[@JulianKrause]

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated!!!

[@mandalorian8922]

​@@JulianKrause Hey Julian! Thanks for your videos! Probably for more than a year I've been asking you to make a video about Apollo Twin X. I ask very much, could you check all aspects of this sound card?!

[@SaccoBelmonte]

I have a combo TASCAM 2x2HR for system sounds and record from the other interface when capturing, and TASCAM 16x08 for music production / recording / broadcasting with low latency ASIO and DSP. Cannot be happier. These are quite problem free, have super clean converters and cost way less than what they should/could. Plus is a nice looking combo.

[@JC-fj7oo]

Built like a tank too. I never realized how wobbly other knobs really were until I tried to flex the 2x2 knobs.

[@thomaswidter]

Thank you for another year of excellent videos on a niche topic. I really value your work.

[@MarceloLaraM]

Thank you Julian!! We all appreciate your time and knowledge.

[@nikolasnavarro4161]

Hey Julian! Thank you for your work. It's been really helpful. Would you consider making a database for all of your measurements? I was trying to find a chart on the lowest RTL interfaces you reviewed, but I couldn't find it.

[@mhsbosco]

i'd love some more info on RTL as well!

[@АлексКо-ы3п]

Cheap cards, even the FOCUSRITE Clarett level, have high latency. Here is the king of RME. Even at Apollo they are higher than RME

[@RaphaelBalzer]

God praise this video!! I’ve listened to a dozen videos all explaining bits and pieces of what I was searching for and this guy explains it all within 20 min. Informative and straight to the point, I love my German people 😂🙏🏾 keep it up buddy !

That's a lot of interfaces. No wounder why you have the best data, presented in a neat and understandable way.

[@jonastaedr3862]

Hello! Thanks for your video! My recommendation for your Part 2 of this video is to evaluate each important specs category by giving score to each audio interface for said category, score for standing in its range (size, price, etc.) highlited extra points for extra features, e.g. AIR mode would be bonus points for Mic/Hi-Z category.. score for user reviews, software usefulness/driver stability, longevity etc... you could even poll as extra category and to compare this to the price of the product, services of the company and so on.... Because some interfaces are clearly worth more than the others, this could help decide for alot of ppl even better.. I think it's a logical step since you've done all these complex measurements and are already halfway there. This could bring much more attention to your channel or even get more relevant in the industry, as companies are already watching your content. Good luck! !!

[@whatchadiscomb]

This is the best video I have ever watched on KZbin. Fantastic!

[@JulianKrause]

Thank you very much!! 😃

[@DanielWayShadow]

I'm in AWE of your savvy with the audio sciences.

[@redbigapplefloppa302]

I just realized that my first (and current) audio interface i bought without any knowledge fits me perfectly, just by sheer luck😅 thank you for making me feel even better about my already much loved steinberg ur22mk2

[@SWATTECHNOLOGIES]

Thank you, Julian, for pushing through the marketing to explain the generally silliness of 192K, something as you point out we cannot even hear.

[@steve_one]

An absolute brilliant one stop shop video for me. Thanks for making this and taking the time to explain things in detail. Much appreciated.

[@methanbreather]

I wanted an usb interface that could drive my headphones nicely, with no prominent noise. Something my soundcards have mostly failed at. I also wanted an interface that had phantom power, so I could remove one brick from my desk. Bonus: while I only talk into my mic, make it sound not too atrocious was somewhat desired. Another point: I do not use windows nor macos. And then I stumbled over your channel. I watched a lot of your videos. This helped me a lot. I read up on those interfaces that looked most interesting to me. And I settled with an m-audio 192/4. I really do not regret buying it. The music I listen to never sound better (onboard sound and even pricey-er pcie cards just don't cut it). It was totally hassle free and if I decided to torture people on discord or teamspeak or teams with my singing, it sounds exactly as horrific as intended. Which is really nice. So... Vielen Dank, Herr Krause. Ohne ihre Videos würde ich mich noch immer mit verrauschter computer Musik quälen.

[@ejmikk]

Would it be possible for you to make a table of the RTL times similar to the headphone measurement spec table? Round trip latency is very important to me and it would be awesome to see all of the interface times/sample rates in a single table! Thanks anyways the awesome videos! :)

[@sinocelt]

This is _not_ Julian Krause. Ignore the scammer, everyone.

[@rajivmodha3693]

Assuming most of us here are recording music at home, also pay attention to all the noise that can get into the recording. For example, 60 Hz hum; proximity of devices that interfere - cellphones, computers, cables, single coil guitar pickups, power strips, noise from household appliances etc. In my situation, these sources impacted my recordings to a much greater degree than the quality of my interface (Presonus Audiobox USB96). Perhaps JK can do a video on that ?!!

[@helmanfrow]

I would put a lot more emphasis on drivers, performance and stability, but my focus is on music production, and recording live instruments into heavy sessions. I can see how this is less important for, say, a streamer or podcaster.

[@doodoogtube]

By watching your videos in the past, I finally realized why my low impedance $1200 headphones need to be turned almost all the way up...because the output impedance was too high on my audio interface. I then knew I had to replace what I have with something more suitable like the SSL 12 that just came out. From looking at the specs it looks like it's a winner paired with my Audeze CD-X's. Would love to see you review the new SSL 12. Looks like they have been watching your videos because they really upgraded the specs compared to their earlier units. 👍🏾

[@Oberkobold]

Are you planning to do an updated video since it's going to be a year soon? Would love to see some new interfaces like the Neumann MT48, the Audient iD44 Mk2, the MOTU M6 or the SSL 12. Thanks for all of the work you put into these videos! Super Typ!

[@klstay]

There is a case to be made for something like the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 IF you use a mixer with analog send/return (FX) loops AND have an iPad. I have a mixer with 4 mono send/stereo returns which I picked up for $150. It has 6 mono and 4 stereo channels; 3 of the latter used as returns. This allows for 4 independent effects channels in AUM. There are a LOT of great iPad effects (some the EXACT same as the much more expensive PC version) available for relatively quite low cost.

[@aquaticborealis4877]

Don’t you have to configure routing for the 8i6 on a computer before hooking up the interface to an iPad?

[@klstay]

@@aquaticborealis4877 Focusrite released (and abandoned) an iPad control app so basically you really should use a PC for configuration.

[@ricardopineda8224]

Thank you very much for this information. Your comments are very accurate and neutral.

[@dezolatestation]

Julian, am glad to found ur channel, comparing audio interface with built in motherboard system was insanely impactfull to me, thanks!

[@onlymyopiniontech]

Great video! I was a little disappointed in the Audient EVO4. For one thing mine seems to not have enough gain to even drive an SM57. Turned all the way up I still don't get much output although it is clean enough. The other interesting thing to me is their decision to add the flashing LED's for output and then have then on the top. Unless you lean in over it you can't see the LED's.

[@Bwalston910]

Great video! I chose the MOTU Ultralight MK5 as my interface, thank you for these incredibly useful videos!

[@BatistaBass]

Did you like the mk5? I am thinking in getting one

[@Bwalston910]

@@BatistaBass Its awesome but I notice you have to restart it periodically or the mic audio becomes warbly and jittered. Seems like the PSU they supply is pretty cheap so I'd recommend replacing that. There may be better interfaces on the market today, keep researching friend. I believe you can get a better bang for your buck.

[@Thisiskaerson]

Damn. Julian just put out the ultimate final level boss video of this channel

[@Thisiskaerson]

But it still would be cool to get a video about the Maschine MK3 as an audio interface (since it can be used as one)

[@matthewmatiki]

I was looking for a video like this , that is up to date . All the others I found were for a years ago or a few months. Thanks so much.

[@TrggrWarning]

Step 6 no problem you have helped me and others lots. Will do!

[@coacharielandersson]

Appreciate all the detail and the sneaky humor gave me a smile even on info overload:)) THANK you.. danke

[@schronos76]

Great Julian! Thanks! Here's a suggestion. I don't know if it's feasible, but I would find it interesting to know the power consumption of the interfaces, as more and more people are using them on the go, directly powered on portable devices with USB-C port like Ipads, phones, laptops and have a direct impact on the battery life. Thanks for your work, it's great!

[@SianaGearz]

It is feasible, you can insert something like the Ruideng meter into the USB chain.

[@El.morkvochino]

Спачибо тебе Джулиан! Давно тебя смотрю. Где-то месяц думал на какую звуковую карту переходить, у меня MAYA 22usb. На русском ютюбе мало новых видео про аудионтерфейсы. Думаю твое видео мне поможет с выбором.

[@nicktumi]

Dude, thank you so much. With your data charts I was finally able to come to a decision on which one to get. I decided on the Motu Ultralight Mk5 based on your data. Got it on sale too for 4th July sale! GB

[@gutaninblanco]

You are the Best! Great knowledge and so clear delivery, love the channel

[@arxaaron]

Great, practical, straight forward info. Love your accent as well! 🙂

[@nora.tv23]

Hi Julian. Nice and professional guide! Perhaps you can help us to choose an interface for my daughter?. I haven’t deep knowledge, but I will try to define the scope of the question: She has started studying modern music professionally (university) and we think that her needs are: INPUTS - 2mics (w or w/o condenser) + midi keyboard (in the worst case 2 channels could be used for keyboard) + perhaps 1 electrical guitar/bass or another instrument; OUTPUTS - 4 at least (minimum: 2 balanced) & 2 headphones preferred, with direct monitoring; her teachers RECOMMEND adat+spdif+rca, but we are not sure if are needed for her first years considering that means higher cost and current needs; SIZE, TYPE: it’s mainly to work at home/school; she has started working with cubase under windows, but we also have an iPad Pro (I think it’s an interesting solution for mobility) so we hope that is interesting to have usb power supply but, additionally, could use external power source; nice to have hardware based effects to be used without computer (right?), but also over-the-mix & custom mix software for the future?; we are thinking about 250-400€. Nowadays, our pre-selection is MOTU M4, UA VOLT 476P, SSL 12, Audient iD24 (but hasn’t midi) and Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 4th gen. What do you think? Your preferred ones? Thanks in advanced!!!

[@alpenglow4243]

Excellent overview on how to choose an audio interface.

[@lizardltd]

This video is astonishing - the dedication and hard work put into it are truly remarkable.

[@electricwhiterabbit]

One thing that is important that is not mentioned in this video is the reliability and length of support for the interface and drivers. Foe example, i am still using a RME Multiface for over 18 years. They keep supporting the drivers for it as newer versions of Windows come out. The drivers have never given me an issue ever. Rock solid. Some cards they only make the drivers for maybe a couple of Windows releases then that is is and you are forced to upgrade.

[@JC-fj7oo]

The real trick is to keep your recording build of windows the same. Either on a safe partition or a separate computer. If you never upgrade it, your stuff will stay stable and work forever.

[@OpenGL4ever]

@@JC-fj7oo Windows 95 is not a very reliable operating system and the CPUs of that time are not very fast and do have a high energy consumption and thus require loud fans. My trick is to use Linux and open source drivers + open source software.

[@JC-fj7oo]

@@OpenGL4ever nobody said to use Windows 95. But it is interesting that your recommendation is to use and even less stable operating system with worse drivers. Good luck with that.

[@OpenGL4ever]

@@JC-fj7oo Of course you did. You said, if you never upgrade, your stuff will stay stable and work forever. A lot of people bought their first Audio setup 1995, with an old Steinberg Cubase version for Windows 95 and a professional soundcard with good mic inputs. LOL, now i have to laugh,. Because Linux is much more stable than Windows 95. And the drivers depend on your hardware. For example, the open source drivers for the 1st and 2nd Focusrite Scarlett generation and the GUI software is much better, than the one from Focusrite shipped with their hardware for Windows "NT".

[@JC-fj7oo]

@@OpenGL4ever and who would you assume is currently building a recording PC using Windows 95? Okay then so your comment and go right back up the bull it plopped out of... And yes, that is 100% true that if your recording station is working perfectly, it will continue to do so as long as you don't change anything. And the fact that Linux is terrible for recording is one of the main reasons I switched to windows. It's also why you'll never see Linux in a professional studio. Anyway, I hope you and your bad faith arguments have a good day.

[@jotainmuuta8233]

This was an excellent video. Comprehensive, well structured and efficient. Thank you.

[@GaryInHell]

I just want the best quality for vocals. I don’t need bunch of inputs or other stuff because gonna be solo vocals. I just want to record vocals and go wow! This sounds crisp

[@leavingfebruary]

All valid points Julian! I still think that the best option how to choose an audio interface: is to get one, test one and return one in case you're not satisfied. There are too many factors on a table, and you can't predict or foresee all them - like how the interface will work with exactly your computer, your operating system, chipset, etc. How often there are driver updates and how good ASIO drivers are written. You can read a ton of reviews on the same interface and there will be literally always very good reviews, and very bad reviews. Which zeroes out the effort, and give the impression that you are playing a lottery, basically if you got an interface and if it works steady, w.o. pops, cracks and misfunctioning - good for you.

[@jackson7078]

Thanks for another great video! Would love to see measurements and your opinions on universal audio Apollo solo

[@asplmn]

I'm very impressed with the Babyface Pro FS

[@chrismadog8004]

One consideration to bear in mind if interfacing with other equipment is whether the output is differentially balanced or impedance balanced. Differentially balanced is where both conductors carry the signal at 180 degrees opposite to each other. Impedance balanced is where often the -ve side has a resistor that matches the output impedance on the +ve side and carries no signal. Essentially it is an unbalanced signal with a resistor to ground on the 'ground' leg. The BIG difference is the level of signal. The Differentially Balanced signal almost always has +6dBV gain over an impedance balanced output. The noise immunity is therefore +6dBr 'better' in the differentially balanced line over the impedance balanced. This may not make a lot of, or even a noticeable difference in the majority of uses, however there are occassions where this could make a difference. Personally, I have had to put an external unbalanced to balanced converter on a USB/Audio device because it did not have enough level to drive the next item's input to it's optimal level. I had the choice of introducing an amplifier or making it a balanced signal. As the next item of equipment used a differentially balanced input, it was decided to supply that differntial signal and get the 6dB gain. Easily done with a single IC with spectacular specs and cheap as well. But when purchasing an audio interface, it is something that should be checked - is the input or output of the device differentially balanced verses Impedance Balanced - and will it make a difference ?

[@mr_whyy]

Man where do you work ? All these companies should hire you as a consultant 😄 you'd be a perfect product owner with all that knowledge !

[@riccardominuto]

Hi Julian! Awesome quality content as always. Have you ever tried the Arturia Audiofuse Studio? I would like very much to hear what you think about it (in comparison to something like an Audient iD44 MKII). Thank you for the wonderful service you provide for the community, cheers ❤

[@denisyermak3891]

It was straight to the point, thank you for this guide ❤

[@maigonis.elleris]

One more thing about ASIO - it bypasses Windows mixer. That's why it have lower latency, but also bypasses Windows applied system effects and any other processioning (like resampling).

[@puddingstar2340]

Thanks for bundling all types of Audio Interfaces. I looked your great presentation but I found some missing points. My recommendation for future of audio interfaces will need to consider "Audio Over Internet Protocol/AOIP" "Merging Technologies" is the name of the brand to look out for your upcoming future video.

[@Windiguana]

Don't know where to comment this, but super interested in your review and analysis of the new audient evo 16. Thanks for all the hard work that you do making these videos.

[@Azraenore]

Thanks a lot for the work put to make this video.

[@BraVia96]

Wow such a highly informative video! Thank you a lot for all your hard work!!! 😊

[@davidsinclair699]

Superb video with excellent advice. Thanks Julian.

[@jackjames3914]

love you videos , keep this going dude 🔥

[@lisan_al-ghaib]

Great work Julian! Wondering what you think about the SSL 12. Is it a true native 32-bit implementation?

[@MrDatomi]

thanks for your work on this video helped me much. keep up your way you doing this type of videos they are really understandable and well done and explains everything i wanted to know 👍

[@tateforgey]

Great video! I'm looking at the iConnectivity Audio4C for the dual USB C inputs (can connect an iPad and computer at the same time.) I'd love to see you do some measurements with that and maybe cover other interfaces with a comparable feature set especially as it relates to the world if iOS music.

[@MichaelNatrin]

Fantastic video! You covered such a broad range of considerations. Can't imagine testing that many interfaces.

[@joelkulesha8284]

I got the motu ultralite mk5 after your videos and while it doesn't have problems when it works. The amount of time when it does work is spotty at best. Sometimes midi cuts out, sometimes audio, and motu support just runs me in circles without letting me RMA it. I hope it can be resolved but that's something I'd consider when getting that interface. I probably got unlucky but still. For $700 I'd expect it to work.

[@BatistaBass]

What do you mean? That this video is fake or that the bad comments about Ultralite are fake? ​@@sinocelt

[@sinocelt]

@@BatistaBass My post was about a scammer's post that has since been deleted. So now I've deleted my own post too.

[@troublesomecorsair]

Step 1: RME UFX+ Done. Just kidding. Great video!

[@alex_montoya]

What a great channel

[@Ariocarpus2000]

Well... Perfectly put together :-)! What I need is mainly a D/A USB audio interface to pass the audio of my Mac to a pair of active monitors on one pair of channels, and the same audio to another pair of channels, to Headphones. This second pair should have crossfeed filter possibility inside the interface, and of course, enough power and very low output impedance (Austrian Audio Headphones have rather low impedance, and AKG are not so High either at 62Ohms). An extra balanced or unbalanced input line is a bonus (no Microphones amp needed, I already have a SoundDevices Mix-Pre 6 II for that). What is truely my bottleneck for the moment is a damn good and cheap routing/loopback Mac solution without having to resort to a DAW). And that will be Rogue Amoeba Loopback if I don't find something else free (Blackhole is not doing that kind of stuff, only a plain loopback). Take into Account that the second pair of channel will go out of Sonarworks SoundID Reference, in order to correct frequency responses of headphones. Sooooo, I think (sadly ;-) that I need an RME ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition... :-). If one day you review this, that would be tremendously exciting, but maybe it is more in the Headphones amp territory than in your field of recording audio interface, but who knows...

[@benoittissier58]

Remember that if your interface depends on software, Microsoft or Apple decide of its lifetime. My IO14 with its FireWire connection works fine with up to date DAW softwares thanks to Linux, but if I want to change the monitoring mix, I have to run Vista or 7.

[@SianaGearz]

There are some USB interfaces which use a HID tunnel for software control; so they don't necessarily need original drivers for that, just the original application and you can even run it in WINE on Linux for this purpose. ESI Maya22 USB is one such example, and alternatve control applications native to Linux have been ceated as well. I think that's a really elegant solution for this purpose. Unfortunately other devices may be less futureproof. The more the device leverages standard protocols, the better.

[@maximeheberttalbot4505]

Just when I’m wondering what interface to buy! Haha such a nice timing!

[@fabiancugbechie2374]

Thanks a lot, Julian. I really found your review helpful. I sing and play the acoustic guitar. Now I need a good voice/sound recording interface for quality post production. My producer lives abroad. I have a small budget of less than £100 and I don't mind a used one, if possible with a good microphone. Kindly recommend or help sell me one of your old stock.

[@redaxnela]

Wow. This channel is pure gold!

[@NME_REK]

Really good video here probably best I’ve seen on interfaces 👍🏻

[@NghiaKTS]

Hi Julian, your reviews and comparisons are always sharp and clear. Do you think one day you will review more studio headphones, true wireless earbuds or Studio monitor? Good luck and keep up this great work. Thank you!

[@ProgTheater]

insane work as usual Julian!, what interface would you recommend for listening and recording heavy guitar tones with an amp simulator like neural DSP, guitar rig, AmpliTube etc...?

[@gururcanb]

rez

[@jesus4pincho]

One with low preamp noise

[@GaunCochran]

I don’t use amp sims primarily but I found as a side effect of buying low latency interface using thunderbolt the amp sim playability was much better. Could keep the buffer size somewhere my cpu could keep up with (64 or 128 depending on the plugin/what else is running). Motu 828x, but I can’t imagine that interface being the most appealing to a lot of people (not everyone needs/wants 8 trs line ins/outs). But yeah RME and motu seem to both have low latency and that makes a difference. I had to keep the buffer on 32 to have low enough latency on ssl 2+ and that really limited plugin choice since when tracking no cpu dropouts are acceptable unless you want to ruin the perfect take.

[@QrchackOfficial]

@@jesus4pincho in my experience for guitar/bass recording, most "preamp noise" is actually coming from your screen's power supply and a dozen other devices you keep around in your studio. Mind the Electro-Magnetic Interference, single-coil pickups effectively become radio receivers once you go heavy enough.

[@_B.C_]

Great video. Lots of great information for anyone at any level. I noticed two types of interfaces that I use that aren’t on your list. I use a Roland MX1 performance mixer to tie all my synths and drum machines together. The second is my Sound Blaster AE-9 pcie audio interface.

[@Solid_Brass]

Great overview and look on specs! I would also have appreciated the Behringer Flow 8 in your selection. It seems to meet the needs of many amateur musicians due to its features.

[@physsong]

Yes, this video is DEFINITELY great.

[@DAMIENrap]

Hi Julian, is there a reason why you never covered Apollo's ? i would like to see where it stands compared to all the others. I really like your channel btw!

[@psycofdo]

Great summary. Love your reviews, very clear and in-depth. You're my top review source for audio interfaces and measurements, and also my top recommendation for people that may be looking for detailed information. Thanks for your work man!.

[@sinocelt]

This is _not_ Julian Krause. Ignore the scammer, everyone.

[@jjrusy7438]

great video. You have made my interface replacement choice confirmed. I have had a 1st gen scarlett 2i4 for ?10 years. it is falling apart. the USB connector is in 2 pieces and the monitor mix pot is worn beyond cleaning and completely drops out in places. It makes USB noise and i also learned that the ring LED's are useless, so i will not buy another focusrite. I need the input/playback monitor mix for recording in-sync to a track that is playing back. The basic interfaces do not have this. SO, i had chosen a MOTU M4 as my replacement because it is low latency and it has meters that i can actually use, AND it has the input/playback mix for simul-sync recording AND it is a reasonable price (US$270ish) considering that 2i4 was $199 10 years ago. So i will buy the M4 for sure. froeliche Weinachten !

[@okutet]

Thanks again for the content, I bought a Motu M2 a little after your video reviewing the unit. It helped with my decision and I am quite satisfied. If only we had better prices in Japan with imported stuff tho… ^^

[@l.m.892]

Sample rate is directly related to overall audio quality. Lower sample rates require oversampling in software to give an accurate reproduction of higher frequencies, and will inherently be more accurate at lower frequencies. Higher sample rates allow for more accurate reproduction at higher frequencies. If it were possible to record at 2 samples per second, most of the sound content would be lost for any recording, even when the audio is at 20 Hz (20 cycles per second). The more samples per second, the more information that is recorded per second.

[@vminator]

I have a MOTU ultralight MKII and it works and sounds great in my studio. The software is solid, no issues yet. Expanded the inputs with an Audient ASP 880. Running a pair of Focal Alpha 80's. It's been perfect.

[@BatistaBass]

What has been your experience with the MKII?

[@eddynaim6082]

Great Review Julian! Maybe next time you do something similar you can cover the use of the MIDI I/O on interfaces. Thanks,

[@sheepbunmonster]

What an awesome video! Wish I had it a few months ago when my friends were asking me which audio interfaces they should get. To add to build quality, it's worth considering what environment an audio interface will be used in. Will it be shared in a bigger studio or moved around a lot? Maybe go for something all metal, has better built knobs, or lacks a screen. Will it just live on a desk for a streaming setup? Perhaps it's all good to get something a bit cheaper, or more fancy & intricate. Picking the right level of build quality is important for making sure your equipment lasts wherever it's used.

[@kenl2861]

Brilliant overview. Thank you!!