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!!
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.
@@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 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?!
Hi, greetings from Venezuela, i find your videos really useful and practical, i think you are a really honest TH-camr. I hope you continues doing videos. Hugs and cheers from South America.
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 !
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.
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 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.
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! !!
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. 👍🏾
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
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!!!
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.
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.
I've got an Universal Audio Apollo Twin X and boy, it really is amazing. I considered just getting a far cheaper Focusrite Scarlett, but I have for a decade been drooling over access to the LA-2A and 1176 plugins (it really changed everything in my mixes). For everyone's information, the dynamic range chart doesn't have the Apollo Twin on it, but it is 127 dB.
Happy New Year Julian and greetings from Greece! Could we hope for an apollo solo review in near future, or is it that you're skipping it since you' re using windows? Keep up the good work!!!
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Considering the fact that Scarletts are regarded so highly, from your measurements, the Behringer UMC 202HD seems to provide much better preamp gain and lower preamp noise at a much cheaper price. I had a choice between a 202HD or a Scarlett 2i2 3rd gen. Went for the latter. Using a dynamic Shure SM 58, I have to shout or we have to amplify the sound in post production so it's audible, turning to max causes clipping, and with the SM 58, people can almost not hear me on Discord at all, despite a 100% gain.
i have a 3rd gen scarlett and a 202 (and 404) from behringer.. a sm58 needs to be cranked on all 3 devices and the scarlett sounds slightly less noisy to me but it may be plecebo. i haven't run in depth tests or anything but all 3 seem VERY similar. i would recommend a cloudlifter or alternative for all 3 devices tbh
Great video ! How is your setup (hardware and software) for measuring audio performances ? And plot frequency response, impedance chart, THD etc? Thank you very much !!!
Have you analyzed any Apollo interfaces? I have a UAD apollo solo, and would love to even figure out how to analyze it myself and compare ... but I have no idea how to do that. After using it for a year, I've wondered what's under the hood sonically (all the frills aside). What I do know is that the headphone out has audible noise at around 60% volume.
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.
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.
Really hoping you can investigate claims made about the NEVE 88M. I have heard more than one user say that it reveals audio signals in a way not heard before - highlighting its ability to capture audio signals as they sound in person. Would love to see what you discover and to hear your conclusions.
Here's the question to ask that user: "How do you measure that? What units?" All of that is garbage words. "reveals signals" how? "not heard before" or "as they sound in person" which is it?
Hi, Thanks for these useful informations. I'd appreciate your opinion concerning the copy of the DAT recordings on PC. My Motu traveler has no Win10 driver. I have to find a solution to copy old recordings on a PC. DAT player has SPDIF Digital output and analog outputs (XLR & RCA) on the DAT player. Very difficult to find an affordable card with SPDIF In USB out. Should it be interesting to get the analog sound out and digitalize it with a good quality card or interface ? What kind of sound interface you recommend ? Thanks in advance for your kind feedback Greetings.
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
Would be nice to know which AD converter in the Behringer xenyx used 😉 could you do a test ? Or a test on USB Mixer also like the Zoom LiveTrek. They are also Audio Interfaces 😉
To simplify. I want a four input interface with the most useful features. To record vocals, guitar, keyboard. A balance of quality and price. Which one?
Hi Julian. Great piece of information. Thanks for your vid! I own a Roland Quad Capture interface that works flawlesly (for more than 15 years now). For streaming is so practical! It comes with a software thal has a compressor and a noise gate. Do you know of any other model / brand having this feature? Mine is not going to endure forever, I guess... Thank you again.
Hi Julian. I wanted to comment about a very specialized type of interface that is so uncommon that even my guitar teacher who owns a guitar recording studio haven't heard of. I only record electric guitars and have a very specific problem which is that I only use Linux, so I didn't wanted to by a usb interface to later find out it's not compatible with Linux, and found just the perfect thing. It's a pedal by TC Electronics called the Wiretap. You connect it like a normal pedal and you can put it in front or after your pedals, and that thing will record your signal, and leave it available to copy via a usb interface or via a bluetooth via a phone-only-app. For my type of workflow it's just amazing, I don't have to bother about monitoring or latency or anything like that. Recommended for guitar/bass players.
Why not just put a partition of windows for recording? It's free and it actually works with all the industry standard recording methods. Having to record a signal and then move it into your daw is pretty ridiculous... That's not a hack, it's a cry for help.
@@JC-fj7oo You can go ahead and re-read the part where it says that I only use Linux. This is not just a philosophy thing, but an availability thing. Currently I'm writing this on RISCV hardware, which only runs Linux. But not only that, I can record all I want just with my pedalboard, without any desktops at all, so it's extremely portable as well.
@@figueroalabs For someone that can't get a standard chipset, I guess.... But if you're serious about music enough to even bother recording it you really should look for a standard computer running standard software.
Great video! This just popped into my recommended and now I feel I have to upgrade my 2i2 gen 1 with a crackly vol knob 😄. I wonder if you could help before I go down a rabbit hole; What sort of setup would I need to record a track into a daw, and then have full control of that recording with REAL pedals and outboard gear, NOT vsts to add or takeaway from a mix as and when needed, would this include mixers and looping the signal back through? You def earned a sub for this vid, cheers!
If you can consider still using your current interface, you can use contact cleaner and solve the cracking issue. Worked great with a 15 years old IO14.
@@benoittissier58 Yeah I’ve been meaning to use contact cleaner for a while, I didn’t want to take it all apart. I got used to the crackly knob, Its got “Charm” ha. Considering I bought it in 2015 It’s still perfectly fine to use so I should just give it a good clean. Cheers!
I love your channel! My first ever interface was a Presonus Audiobox USB, currently I'm using a Gen2 Focusrite 18i8, but I recently just migrated from a Win10 PC to an iMac (late 2013 model running Catalina), so my question is... As a guitarist who's now almost exclusively using amp sim plugins, would it be noticeably that more beneficial (merely from a RTL perspective) to ditch my current USB 2.0 Focusrite Scarlett and opt for something that's compatible with Thunderbolt 2? Thanks in advance!
I want a audio interface to use as a sound card for my iPad Pro. Do you have any recommendations. I don’t need mic input etc . Only playing you tube. It Will function as a dac
i think some calculations are wrong, i checked a lot of forums online and they say the id14 mk2 maximum gain of mic input is around -60 db (-56 db clean)
On interfaces with a shared line/instrument input, but no instrument button, how does this impact recording guitar and bass (both passive and active pickups)? Quite a few have the button, but interfaces such as PreSonus Studio 24C or Moto M2 don't and I'm wondering if I would struggle with guitar or bass.
Hello, my name is Dario, and I'm from Argentina. I wanted to ask you about some audio interfaces: Audient EVO 4 / Audient ID14 mkII (output impedance @1kHz / 22,10 - 22,14 ohms). Which 150-ohm impedance headphones (make and model) do you recommend for mixing, mastering, and reference monitoring?
Will you test the Swissonic Audio 1/2? My Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen is just starting to not function anymore (perfectly timed after the warranty ended), so I need a new interface. ☹
hi julian, im getting an audio interface to livestream and occasionally record music at home. do you have any recommendations for an interface that has 2 headphone outputs?
Hi, Julian please suggest which is better for home recording guitar/bass with headphones monitors or midrange home table monitors from below: Scarlett 2i4 3gen Claret Pre2 USB VOLT276 ID4 mk2 SSL2 I am using Scarlett 2i4 2gen and want some upgrade Thanks
Any recommendation for a two channel XLR input audio interface used for recording seminars (so voice not music). Two channels minimum and must have the facility to pan either channel LCR via a switch or dial. Thanks
hello thank you very much for this quality test. Can you help me ? I'm looking for a sound card just for electric guitar with plugins like neural etc. I'm looking to have the best sound possible to play live at home. I only need one instrument input. Which sound card do you recommend: Universal Audio Volt 1 MOTU M2 Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen Audient iD4 MKII I know that the Motu 2 has two instrument inputs but everyone says good things about it only it is more expensive what do you recommend?
Maybe a stupid question but does the audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett Solo for example) make the music louder compared to the default computer settings? My Asus is not that loud unfortunately so I need something else to help with that. Thanks in advance!
Julian, can you please help me: I own an Apollo x8p and I am not happy with the sound. I want a new Audiointerface with the best ADDA converters, because I work with outboard preamps. I only record stereo sources, so actually I only use 2 ins at the same time, then I work "in the box" and then I send it to someone to master it. Can you recommend me a converter or audio interface not more expensive than 2000 Euros. Thanks in advance
Great job but my big concern is how the interface (Motu M2) works with Windows 11 software and assigned drivers-I don't think you have covered that anywhere? thanks
If it helps, I own a MOTU Ultralight mk5 (not quite the same thing, but I believe the drivers are similar), and the ASIO drivers work flawlessly with Windows 11.
I tried a new Motu M6 with my Windows 10 machine, didn't work. Returned. Audio cracking and stopping. Have an old interface that works fine. A lot of this depends on your PC. I use Ryzen and from what I understand a lot of these issues with Motu seem to have AMD in common (from the various complaints I have read). So, you're not wrong, the winner here is any quality interface that actually works with Windows. I'd try a different Motu model but given what i experienced with a brand new model I wouldn't expect any of them to work.
Hello, I'm a beginner in recording. I have a synthesizer with mono l/r analog output. I want to be able to record me playing on the synthesizer on a pc. Which is a recommended interface?
Juilan no.presouns relevator io 24, your thoughts any good it's 100 dollars at a music store. Just need to know because it has dsp good gain but not sure about headphones output dyanminc range is stated 126dbu (A)
Always the best Videos on TH-cam! I love how you look at every aspect of audio interfaces. Absolutely superb video. Thank you ever so much for making this!
@@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?!
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.
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! :)
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.
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.
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!!
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.
@@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!
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.
@@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!
@@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?!
Now this is excellence. Grand daddy of all Audio Interface Guides for 2023. Thank you for taking the time to do this!
The gold standard audio interface video on TH-cam . Well done .
Outstanding information given here..This is actually a very decent and proper tutorial! Thank you so much for doing this for us. Much appreciated!!
Hi, greetings from Venezuela, i find your videos really useful and practical, i think you are a really honest TH-camr. I hope you continues doing videos. Hugs and cheers from South America.
Thank you, Julian, for pushing through the marketing to explain the generally silliness of 192K, something as you point out we cannot even hear.
This video is astonishing - the dedication and hard work put into it are truly remarkable.
That's a lot of interfaces. No wounder why you have the best data, presented in a neat and understandable way.
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 !
Longevity of driver support is underrated too
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.
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...
So which u recomendd for 100 euros?
@@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.
@@theAristocrap like max 120 euros, need only one mic line and i would use on windows 10 with dynamic mic.
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! !!
Thank you for another year of excellent videos on a niche topic. I really value your work.
This is the best video I have ever watched on TH-cam. Fantastic!
Thank you very much!! 😃
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.
I'm in AWE of your savvy with the audio sciences.
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. 👍🏾
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
Thanks for another great video! Would love to see measurements and your opinions on universal audio Apollo solo
Great, practical, straight forward info. Love your accent as well! 🙂
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!!!
Step 1:
RME UFX+
Done.
Just kidding. Great video!
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.
Hey Julian, thanks for your reviews, always very helpful! Will you review any Apollo any time soon?
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.
I've got an Universal Audio Apollo Twin X and boy, it really is amazing. I considered just getting a far cheaper Focusrite Scarlett, but I have for a decade been drooling over access to the LA-2A and 1176 plugins (it really changed everything in my mixes).
For everyone's information, the dynamic range chart doesn't have the Apollo Twin on it, but it is 127 dB.
Great work Julian!
Wondering what you think about the SSL 12. Is it a true native 32-bit implementation?
Excellent Review!!
Happy New Year Julian and greetings from Greece! Could we hope for an apollo solo review in near future, or is it that you're skipping it since you' re using windows? Keep up the good work!!!
great vid! What interface were you using to record the audio for this video?
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...
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.
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.
So.... You made your choice based on looks? Interesting. Luckily that is a nice device you ended up with.
Great comprehensive breakdown! Do you think you'll be covering the new SSL 12? Cheers from snowy old England!
I hope to ge my hands on it soon :)
Fabulous video as always !!!!!!
Excellent wrap up 👍🏼👍🏼
Awesome as always!
Thanks your videos are so useful 💜
Well done.
You make great great points
nice video! very very helpful :) i'm intersted in better and/or lower latency for recording, wich would you recommend?
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.
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.
I bought the TASCAM 2x2 HR.... For my Zoom meetings. Because, why not? 🤷♂️
Thanks Julian for your big brain ! , What's a really good interface to use to power the PC speakers , the interfaces with the best preamps ? thank you
very good information.. THX!
Considering the fact that Scarletts are regarded so highly, from your measurements, the Behringer UMC 202HD seems to provide much better preamp gain and lower preamp noise at a much cheaper price. I had a choice between a 202HD or a Scarlett 2i2 3rd gen. Went for the latter. Using a dynamic Shure SM 58, I have to shout or we have to amplify the sound in post production so it's audible, turning to max causes clipping, and with the SM 58, people can almost not hear me on Discord at all, despite a 100% gain.
i have a 3rd gen scarlett and a 202 (and 404) from behringer.. a sm58 needs to be cranked on all 3 devices and the scarlett sounds slightly less noisy to me but it may be plecebo. i haven't run in depth tests or anything but all 3 seem VERY similar. i would recommend a cloudlifter or alternative for all 3 devices tbh
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?
Great video ! How is your setup (hardware and software) for measuring audio performances ? And plot frequency response, impedance chart, THD etc?
Thank you very much !!!
Really like the timestamps
Hey Julian! Would love to see UA's Apollo added in your extensive testing. Do you think it would be possible for you to review it? Thank you so much
Have you analyzed any Apollo interfaces? I have a UAD apollo solo, and would love to even figure out how to analyze it myself and compare ... but I have no idea how to do that. After using it for a year, I've wondered what's under the hood sonically (all the frills aside). What I do know is that the headphone out has audible noise at around 60% volume.
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.
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.
@@BatistaBass I don't think it's the preamps, but the electronics later that introduces the noise.
Really hoping you can investigate claims made about the NEVE 88M. I have heard more than one user say that it reveals audio signals in a way not heard before - highlighting its ability to capture audio signals as they sound in person. Would love to see what you discover and to hear your conclusions.
Here's the question to ask that user: "How do you measure that? What units?"
All of that is garbage words. "reveals signals" how?
"not heard before" or "as they sound in person" which is it?
Good video, thank you!!
Hi, Thanks for these useful informations. I'd appreciate your opinion concerning the copy of the DAT recordings on PC. My Motu traveler has no Win10 driver. I have to find a solution to copy old recordings on a PC. DAT player has SPDIF Digital output and analog outputs (XLR & RCA) on the DAT player. Very difficult to find an affordable card with SPDIF In USB out. Should it be interesting to get the analog sound out and digitalize it with a good quality card or interface ? What kind of sound interface you recommend ? Thanks in advance for your kind feedback Greetings.
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
Would be nice to know which AD converter in the Behringer xenyx used 😉 could you do a test ? Or a test on USB Mixer also like the Zoom LiveTrek. They are also Audio Interfaces 😉
To simplify. I want a four input interface with the most useful features. To record vocals, guitar, keyboard. A balance of quality and price. Which one?
I wouldve expected black lion audio to be higher on the list
Hi Julian. Great piece of information. Thanks for your vid! I own a Roland Quad Capture interface that works flawlesly (for more than 15 years now). For streaming is so practical! It comes with a software thal has a compressor and a noise gate. Do you know of any other model / brand having this feature? Mine is not going to endure forever, I guess... Thank you again.
Hi Julian. I wanted to comment about a very specialized type of interface that is so uncommon that even my guitar teacher who owns a guitar recording studio haven't heard of.
I only record electric guitars and have a very specific problem which is that I only use Linux, so I didn't wanted to by a usb interface to later find out it's not compatible with Linux, and found just the perfect thing.
It's a pedal by TC Electronics called the Wiretap. You connect it like a normal pedal and you can put it in front or after your pedals, and that thing will record your signal, and leave it available to copy via a usb interface or via a bluetooth via a phone-only-app.
For my type of workflow it's just amazing, I don't have to bother about monitoring or latency or anything like that. Recommended for guitar/bass players.
Why not just put a partition of windows for recording? It's free and it actually works with all the industry standard recording methods. Having to record a signal and then move it into your daw is pretty ridiculous... That's not a hack, it's a cry for help.
@@JC-fj7oo You can go ahead and re-read the part where it says that I only use Linux. This is not just a philosophy thing, but an availability thing. Currently I'm writing this on RISCV hardware, which only runs Linux.
But not only that, I can record all I want just with my pedalboard, without any desktops at all, so it's extremely portable as well.
@@figueroalabs For someone that can't get a standard chipset, I guess.... But if you're serious about music enough to even bother recording it you really should look for a standard computer running standard software.
Great video! This just popped into my recommended and now I feel I have to upgrade my 2i2 gen 1 with a crackly vol knob 😄.
I wonder if you could help before I go down a rabbit hole; What sort of setup would I need to record a track into a daw, and then have full control of that recording with REAL pedals and outboard gear, NOT vsts to add or takeaway from a mix as and when needed, would this include mixers and looping the signal back through? You def earned a sub for this vid, cheers!
If you can consider still using your current interface, you can use contact cleaner and solve the cracking issue. Worked great with a 15 years old IO14.
@@benoittissier58 Yeah I’ve been meaning to use contact cleaner for a while, I didn’t want to take it all apart. I got used to the crackly knob, Its got “Charm” ha. Considering I bought it in 2015 It’s still perfectly fine to use so I should just give it a good clean. Cheers!
I love your channel!
My first ever interface was a Presonus Audiobox USB, currently I'm using a Gen2 Focusrite 18i8, but I recently just migrated from a Win10 PC to an iMac (late 2013 model running Catalina), so my question is...
As a guitarist who's now almost exclusively using amp sim plugins,
would it be noticeably that more beneficial (merely from a RTL perspective)
to ditch my current USB 2.0 Focusrite Scarlett and opt for something that's compatible with Thunderbolt 2?
Thanks in advance!
Nice tips 👍 What if I want to record my synth with my Android phone ? What would be the best solution in terms of application ?
I want a audio interface to use as a sound card for my iPad Pro. Do you have any recommendations. I don’t need mic input etc . Only playing you tube. It Will function as a dac
You must resist acquisition syndrome, lol. Great video.
Any chance you could try using the zoom f8n pro field recorder as an audio interface and see how it stacks up against dedicated audio interfaces?
i think some calculations are wrong, i checked a lot of forums online and they say the id14 mk2 maximum gain of mic input is around -60 db (-56 db clean)
All I want to know is, which one has the best conversation under 250 ,
Which interfaces have soft starts so your speaker won't pop?
Short answer, the best one you can get in your budget.
Good video
On interfaces with a shared line/instrument input, but no instrument button, how does this impact recording guitar and bass (both passive and active pickups)?
Quite a few have the button, but interfaces such as PreSonus Studio 24C or Moto M2 don't and I'm wondering if I would struggle with guitar or bass.
Hi Julian which is better to use as a headphone amp? The motu m2 or the topping dx3 pro+ ?
Hello, my name is Dario, and I'm from Argentina. I wanted to ask you about some audio interfaces: Audient EVO 4 / Audient ID14 mkII (output impedance @1kHz / 22,10 - 22,14 ohms). Which 150-ohm impedance headphones (make and model) do you recommend for mixing, mastering, and reference monitoring?
Will you test the Swissonic Audio 1/2?
My Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen is just starting to not function anymore (perfectly timed after the warranty ended), so I need a new interface. ☹
hi julian, im getting an audio interface to livestream and occasionally record music at home. do you have any recommendations for an interface that has 2 headphone outputs?
Thank you
Anyone use a interface they like with Devinci Resolve?
I’m having a terrible time trying to get the Scarlet to work
Hello, wanted to ask if audient id4 will be a good choice for beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 250 ohm headphones?
Hi, Julian please suggest which is better for home recording guitar/bass with headphones monitors or midrange home table monitors from below:
Scarlett 2i4 3gen
Claret Pre2 USB
VOLT276
ID4 mk2
SSL2
I am using Scarlett 2i4 2gen and want some upgrade
Thanks
Where can I see a comparison in midi and D to A quality??
Which one has best adjustments and bundled software?
Depends what you want to do with it?
Any recommendation for a two channel XLR input audio interface used for recording seminars (so voice not music). Two channels minimum and must have the facility to pan either channel LCR via a switch or dial. Thanks
hello thank you very much for this quality test. Can you help me ? I'm looking for a sound card just for electric guitar with plugins like neural etc. I'm looking to have the best sound possible to play live at home. I only need one instrument input. Which sound card do you recommend:
Universal Audio Volt 1
MOTU M2
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
Audient iD4 MKII
I know that the Motu 2 has two instrument inputs but everyone says good things about it only it is more expensive what do you recommend?
Maybe a stupid question but does the audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett Solo for example) make the music louder compared to the default computer settings? My Asus is not that loud unfortunately so I need something else to help with that. Thanks in advance!
krass sauber abgemischt ... es kitzelt im nacken wenn du sprichst ^^
Julian, can you please help me: I own an Apollo x8p and I am not happy with the sound. I want a new Audiointerface with the best ADDA converters, because I work with outboard preamps. I only record stereo sources, so actually I only use 2 ins at the same time, then I work "in the box" and then I send it to someone to master it. Can you recommend me a converter or audio interface not more expensive than 2000 Euros. Thanks in advance
Great job but my big concern is how the interface (Motu M2) works with Windows 11 software and assigned drivers-I don't think you have covered that anywhere? thanks
If it helps, I own a MOTU Ultralight mk5 (not quite the same thing, but I believe the drivers are similar), and the ASIO drivers work flawlessly with Windows 11.
I tried a new Motu M6 with my Windows 10 machine, didn't work. Returned. Audio cracking and stopping. Have an old interface that works fine. A lot of this depends on your PC. I use Ryzen and from what I understand a lot of these issues with Motu seem to have AMD in common (from the various complaints I have read). So, you're not wrong, the winner here is any quality interface that actually works with Windows. I'd try a different Motu model but given what i experienced with a brand new model I wouldn't expect any of them to work.
I have a Motu M4, I often get glitches with Windows 10 and AMD Ryzen...
0:20 you mean like building a wall out of audio interfaces?
La verdad incómoda pero esperanzadora 9:00.
Any chance you can review Behringer studio xl? Thank you!
@Julian_Krause.
Hello, Happy new year! Look forward to your reviews this year as well.
Hello, I'm a beginner in recording. I have a synthesizer with mono l/r analog output. I want to be able to record me playing on the synthesizer on a pc. Which is a recommended interface?
@Juliankrause. look out everybody, this is a scammer criminal.
That UAD VOLT 276 SOUNDS WAY BETTER THAN A SCARLETT.
liking the video but months too late, already bought ur22c with sl75c and liking it so far.
Juilan no.presouns relevator io 24, your thoughts any good it's 100 dollars at a music store. Just need to know because it has dsp good gain but not sure about headphones output dyanminc range is stated 126dbu (A)
👍👍👍 good work!! Now review od Merging anubis 😍🫶
Always the best Videos on TH-cam! I love how you look at every aspect of audio interfaces. Absolutely superb video. Thank you ever so much for making this!
Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated!!!
@@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?!
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.
i'd love some more info on RTL as well!
Cheap cards, even the FOCUSRITE Clarett level, have high latency. Here is the king of RME. Even at Apollo they are higher than RME
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! :)
This is _not_ Julian Krause. Ignore the scammer, everyone.
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.
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.