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.

[@mandolin-george-uk]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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?!

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@Faridbenmiles]

​@@JC-fj7oo I'm on the hunt for a new interface to replace a tascam 2x2 which broke after about 4 years of rare use.

[@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.

[@Nedvio]

09:04 You guys focus on the recording aspect. However, I am interested in playback (with the purpose of mixing and mastering). Will a 1000 dollar interface provide me higher audio quality playback while listening to music from my speakers and headphones?

[@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. 👍

[@arinin77]

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

[@whatchadiscomb]

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

[@JulianKrause]

Thank you very much!! 😃

[@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.

[@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.

[@onthewaycyam]

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

[@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)

[@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.

[@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!

[@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?!

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

[@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!

[@DanielWayShadow]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 ?!!

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@EdoZ-cs6yb]

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

[@tlatolcalli682]

This video is so on point! Thanks for the info!

[@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.

[@nikolas_navarro]

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

[@nixandersson]

@Julian Krause Excellent video, thank you! I have the BOSS RC-600 looper and I also use it as an Audio Interface, but since I never used other ones I couldn't say if it in comparison is any good. Could you be interested in doing such a comparison?

[@chicksgrowtoo]

I would LOVE to see this, too! 🥳🥳🥳

[@asplmn]

I'm very impressed with the Babyface Pro FS

[@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.

[@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!!!

[@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.

[@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 ?

[@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.

[@thomaswidter]

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

[@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.

[@unnecessary-roughness3303]

Ok since this is the ultimate guide. What if I DO NOT want ins. I dont want to pay for pre amps. My monitors take both TRS and RCA. Any suggestions?

[@timothynoll4886]

I love that you called the section about the manual "RTFM." Learned that in the Marines and it's very good advice: READ THE FUCKING MANUAL! Thanks for an awesome guide that really is the ultimate one, this helps out so much! Fantastic job!

[@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).

[@COMATRON.]

really great video! what would be interesting for me is the asio-driver-performance in latency settings. for example: different interfaces have a different usage of the CPU on the same buffer-settings. so a steinberg/yamaha interface was hitting my CPU harder at a buffer of 64 samples than a audient or a focusrite for example. i tried a lot of interaces aswell exactly for that "low cpu usage on low latencies" and at least for me there were some mbig differences. interesting when u wanna have bigger projects with different amp-sims in "kinda realtime" etc. - results for VSTi synths did differ aswell here. imo focusrite and audient perform very good regarding how optimized the driver / chip combo handle the buffers. would make a great video aswell. cheerz from saarland :)

[@williammchugh4361]

>100%< While a lot of these interfaces in a specific price range deliver close enough on hardware specs to be negligible, that doesn't say anything about the quality/dependability of their software drivers. Unfortunately, this is something you only discover later or not at all. RME's bread and butter is the quality of their drivers. I've heard good things about MOTU on their drivers, but not so much praise for them on the Windows side.

[@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!

[@adde65]

Thanks for the comprehensive video! I have had ab EVO-4 for a couple of years, and I'm very happy with it. By the way, would love to see you review of the Tula USB mic, if you can get your hands on one.

[@gutaninblanco]

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

[@dibellodesign4585]

awesome. I am searching for the best 24 bit 192 k interface for analog tape archiving. I've recently received many reel to reel tapes of my various bands from 30-40 years ago and need to archive/capture them for possible release on vinyl. I don't need mic pre's. I need high quality converters working with line inputs. Seems all the interfaces under $700 are based off mic/line combo inputs.

[@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.

[@MarceloLaraM]

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

[@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.

[@alex_montoya]

What a great channel

[@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! !!

[@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.

[@alpenglow4243]

Excellent overview on how to choose an audio interface.

[@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.

[@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 !

[@TheSactoSmile]

I know it's not strictly an interface but I would be very curious to see one of your deep analysis reviews of the Midas MR18 used as an interface

[@sampletheworld-music]

I'd like to see an interface directed toward "mobile" musicians/producers who might not need a "mobile" interface in the traditional sense, but are focused on tablets/phones instead of laptops/pcs. With the limited ports available on mobile phones & tablets, it would be nice to see more manufacturers provide an on-board usb hubs with power delivery for charging.

[@johannjohann6523]

Just fyi: For around the $200 - $400 range the Universal Audio Volt includes an 1176 compressor, something others in this price range don't have. And it does make a difference. In fact, it's quite good.

[@Taobyby]

Thx for all the work you put in this. One thing I can take away from your chart at 14:12 is, there is not a single audio interface that is capable to do everything perfect and you always should choose the Interface together with your HP. I am in a weird spot with DT990 Pro 250 ohm and the Focusrite clarett+ 2Pre seems nearly perfect to me, but the bad value at channel balance might be a deal breaker, not sure how pronounced this 5.00 would be. Currently I have the focusrite scarlett 6i6 2nd gen. And while it is ok overall, I always have the feeling that my headphones are driving with engaged handbrakes.

[@axefromrussia]

Please do a review on the Yamaha AG03.

[@troublesomecorsair]

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

[@kontaktopiloto]

Dear Julian, thanks for a such informative and useful videos. Much appreciated! Can you please give me a suggestion which interface suits me best. I record audio books (MAXIMUM 2 PERSONS AT THE TIME) produce music and sing. Have a rode NT1A mic, GAP Pre 73 MKIII pre amp, Seinheiser HD 650 headphones and would like to have 2 separate headphones outputs. My budget is 400 euros. Andrius

[@jackson7078]

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

[@aeonlancer]

The MOTU M2 is the one. The Steinberg UR-RT2 (not in this review) looks interesting too.

[@AZisk]

great vid! What interface were you using to record the audio for this video?

[@uzefulvideos3440]

Something must be wrong here. The Behringer UM2 has an extreme amount of mic noise, it was unusable for its intended purpose of running a condenser mic standing on my brother's desk for voice chat in games. Noise was way more than not only my Behringer UMC202HD (which is only listed as having a measly ~2 dB lower noise here), but also the Steinberg UR22 MKII, which is listed as having much higher mic noise in the chart. I do think the testing methodology must have failed here in some way.

[@BatistaBass]

I read somewhere that behringer uses different preamps in some models (some has midas, others senyx or something like that) or Maybe you had grounding issues.

[@uzefulvideos3440]

@@BatistaBass I don't think it's the preamps, but the electronics later that introduces the noise.

[@DavidOwen314]

Thank you for your reviews! I'm curious how interfaces in mixers, such as the Yamaha MG10XU, compare. They seem like a really good deal, but maybe the the conversion is not as good as a dedicated audio interface.

[@TheProfessionalGambler]

Great "how to" guide, thanks! I would like to see the TC-Helicon GO XLR (Mini) products and their position in the gain table 13:19. Do you have a plan for them?

[@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?

[@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 !

[@dezolatetrax]

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

[@djteknovibe93]

I have two interfaces in mind that I want to choose between but I have no idea which one to buy, one is the Audient ID44 mkII and the other is the Apogee Duet 3. I'll be recording my dj mixes using the audio interface, dj dj software is Native Instruments Traktor Pro 3 and my dj mixer is an Allen & Heath PX5, I use Technics SL1210mkII turntables with timecoded vinyl with Traktor and my PX5 in Traktor is set to 24bit/96khz playback. I'll be using the audio interface for that, to record dj mixes and also to record my vinyl onto my laptop at 24bit/96khz so I can play the recorded vinyl in Traktor and i'll be using NCH Wavepad to record the vinyl audio. When i'm not recording dj mixes and recording my vinyl onto my laptop i'll be using the audio interface as a DAC in my bedroom where I have Alesis M1Active mkII monitors and my bedroom is slightly acoustically treated. I used to use a Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 100 but after years of use it died so I figured I might as well use the Audient or Apogee in my bedroom as a DAC when not using it to record dj mixes and vinyl. Which in YOUR opinion Julian has the best sound quality between the two? By sound quality I mean they both have excellent noise floor specs but I mean which sounds the most pleasing oif the two? In your opinion. I have asked this question on studio gear forums but after a month no-one has answered so I figured i'd ask your opinion. I'm not bothered about features because like I mentioned above I will only be using it for the three purposes mentioned above. Thanks.

[@sikwitit773]

If I'm spending that kind of money I'm getting a RME interface

[@djteknovibe93]

@@sikwitit773 I went with the Apogee Boom and wow the sound quality is amazing, on my Alesis M1 Actives mkII studio monitors it actually sounds like artists are performing right in front of me. It's unbelievable.

[@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.

[@6point72billion]

Thanks!

[@JulianKrause]

Thank you too!!

[@nomojo1110]

Choosing an interface is a pain in the arse. Two of the three I'm looking at are guitar-centric and are difficult to find comprehensive reviews on. The Audient Sono's switchable 12AX7 and tone stack is appealing but I've read the h/phone out is noisy (could simply require the ground point on the chassis being connected - or not). The Axe I/O Solo is also of interest though I don't have much love for IK's software - is it Amplitube focused? Finally, the UR-RT with switchable RND xformers that can be bypassed directly to the D-Pre's. It's a mine field!

[@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.

[@ag-k]

The thing is sample rate actually does give you a bit more of a clean mix because you have to think about it like this: basically everything above 20khz isnt audible to us but we percieve it as "airy" frequencies. if you use 44.1khz sample rate everything until 20khz of audible frequencies sounds fine because you need at least double the hz in sample rate of what you want to be audible without artifacts or even phasing in some instances probably. when you distort sine waves they can fold backwards in the frequency spectrum and leak back into the audible spectrum and i think that applies to everything in a song to some extend. the higher the sample rate the cleaner the signal without artifacts. mind you these artifacts are barely audible but they can unconciously throw you off a bit and the mix could sound like about 0.0005 percent less good xD. but after all i guess if you come accustomed to the sound you can find ways around the possible problems it could cause

[@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.

[@carpediemearth]

Do you have any video that's on the best budget interfaces (~$100 under)?

[@Rescue84-z8h]

Hello, i am wondering if you can review the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6. The reason is because it can be wall powered. I would like to see if wall powered interfaces can be better than usb hub powered ones, avoiding the need for things like a cloud lifter or fet head to boost the gain. This is especially the case with dynamic mics. For USB powered interfaces, they are limited by the constraints of USB wiring specification so they cannot draw as much power unlike AC powered interfaces. Many thanks.

[@gabrielgoetz13]

I got the Audient ID24 and i notice a slight output colouring to my monitors. U always used the ur242c. Which one did colour the sound yet haha. Now I think i should go with the apollo twin x because this seems to be the best for me... no sound colouring and very good latency with nice plugins

[@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.

[@aeonlancer]

I have a MKE600. I connect it directly to the laptop jack because it can be powered with an AA battery. So, I feel I don't need an audio interface but I understand very little about audio.

[@hpa4355]

well, an audio interface will help with noise floors, latency, pro i/o, convenience/flexibility. But if that works for you, its great! you dont need to change what aint broken

[@aeonlancer]

@@hpa4355 I would really like to take advantage of the full power of the microphone, but I'm always afraid of about making a bad decision.

[@TrggrWarning]

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

[@artysanmobile]

You placed the discussion of specifications exactly where it belongs - at the end. With feature sets numbering in the scores if not hundreds, an interface choice must concentrate entirely on needed or desired features first. Only after this has narrowed the choices to a handful or two should specifications be considered.

[@Eric_In_SF]

I can tell you one thing, it was easy to decide which interfaces I didn’t want. I ran a line 6 toneport for about 15 years and loved it. Traded it in for a scarlet and hated the thing. Don’t know why but I just couldn’t get anything out of it besides a sterile boring sound. Then I said screw it I bought a 1/8th inch adapter for my guitar and a USB microphone and recorded with that just fine for two years straight into the computer card ha ha. But finally after watching enough of your videos I realized there’s not enough difference between these so I went with some thing that had the deciding factor which was a built-in compressor. you know which one. And the nice wooden sides just gave her a flair that looked good on the desk.

[@JC-fj7oo]

So.... You made your choice based on looks? Interesting. Luckily that is a nice device you ended up with.

[@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

[@dakidstyles6018]

hey man you prolly get asked this alot i figured id still ask you think i could get a good audio interface from the 20 sitting behind you if not its cools

[@DamienTheCat]

Julian, desperately hoping for an answer from you. I admire you coming out and saying "if you can't get results on a 100 dollar unit, you won't get results on a 1,000 dollar unit" Does this mean all the RME hype is overblown? A lot of other youtubers who I love always say that there is a large NOTICEABLE difference when you upgrade to an RME Fireface UCX 2. I am using a Scarlett 3rd Gen 18i20... and I am liking the sound I get most of the time.. but 99% of the time it sounds a thousand times better in the DAW... when I bounce and listen on anything else or a CD... it seems like I'm losing 50% or more of my quality. If I get an RME, which has fabled incredible DA conversion or something like that, will I barely be making a difference? 1600 dollars is not necessarily unattainable for me, but I cannot make a ton of big purchases like that each year. I need to make them count.

[@xfghffhfg]

If anyone says that they hear a large difference in the sound of modern a/d d/a converters, their critical thinking comes into question, I'm sure they will not diffrient any focusrite from RME on a well conducted blind AB test (Or any semi pro interface to another no matter how high-end it is). You can improve the numbers but it will not sound any different (not including converters like Burl that color the sound) Losing quality after bouncing has nothing to do with your audio interface, you can actually bounce without an audio interface :) RME is the best, but sound is not the important factor, it's about latency, reliability, unparalleled connectivity to other products and long support.

[@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. 👍🏾

[@kenl2861]

Brilliant overview. Thank you!!

[@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.

[@redaxnela]

Wow. This channel is pure gold!

[@ricardopineda8224]

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