Audio Interfaces - Much of a muchness?

monquixote

Looking for a basic audio interface.

Seen a few reviews that suggest once you get to about £100-150 they are all pretty similar unless you get really spendy and the main difference is the number of inputs and software bundle.

I've been looking at Presonus, Arturia, Focusright and UA.

Presonus comes with loads of software so that seems a logical choice.

Any thoughts?

octatonic

At the entry level yeah pretty much.

One software update can dramatically change things though in terms of stability so I would suggest established companies with an ability and desire to sort problems- Focusrite, Audient, Presonus, MOTU, UA etc.

joeyowen

What level are you hoping to record at?  I've always thought if you sound crap on a Focusrite scarlet, you will sound crap on a top end too.

However, it can be those super fine margins at the top that make a difference.

I've used an 18i20 for years, and never had an issue, and never had anyone complain about the sound quality!  well, apart from my singing ha

octatonic

joeyowen said:

What level are you hoping to record at?  I've always thought if you sound crap on a Focusrite scarlet, you will sound crap on a top end too.

However, it can be those super fine margins at the top that make a difference.

I've used an 18i20 for years, and never had an issue, and never had anyone complain about the sound quality!  well, apart from my singing ha

Converter quality is pretty marginal these days.

Yes there is a difference between entry level converters and top end DAD/Prism etc but if you don't have a great sounding room and excellent monitors then you won't hear it.

Most people aren't mixing for commercial release and the issue is going to be their mixing ability before anything else.
Converters are the last thing I would worry about in 2022- acoustic treatment is so much more important and almost everyone ignores it.

monquixote

joeyowen said:

What level are you hoping to record at?  I've always thought if you sound crap on a Focusrite scarlet, you will sound crap on a top end too.

However, it can be those super fine margins at the top that make a difference.

I've used an 18i20 for years, and never had an issue, and never had anyone complain about the sound quality!  well, apart from my singing ha

I don't care that much.

I'll mostly be using it for better quality audio outputs when producing EDM. I might use the inputs for guitar, but I'll probably use USB from the GT-1000 for that anyway.

Clecko

I got a PreSonus 26c, simply because it came with a full copy of Studio One 5 Artist, which was the DAW I'd decided to get to know. Can't really answer the original question, but that made sense to me and the quality seems... fine. 

grappagreen

octatonic said:

joeyowen said:

What level are you hoping to record at?  I've always thought if you sound crap on a Focusrite scarlet, you will sound crap on a top end too.

However, it can be those super fine margins at the top that make a difference.

I've used an 18i20 for years, and never had an issue, and never had anyone complain about the sound quality!  well, apart from my singing ha

Converter quality is pretty marginal these days.

Yes there is a difference between entry level converters and top end DAD/Prism etc but if you don't have a great sounding room and excellent monitors then you won't hear it.

Most people aren't mixing for commercial release and the issue is going to be their mixing ability before anything else.
Converters are the last thing I would worry about in 2022- acoustic treatment is so much more important and almost everyone ignores it.

This!

If you can't hear it, it makes no difference. Without wanting to sound even more negative, even in an environment that can portray it you may not hear it. Finally, even if you can hear it, you need to know what to do with it.

I've always been fascinated by the engineering/mixing/production process and have been lucky enough to spend some time with folks who know what they are doing. It's art and science combined and I quickly realised that the ramp to any level of competence and the investment required to create a space worth bothering in, was futile.. not saying it can't be fun but..

Si

octatonic

grappagreen said:

octatonic said:

joeyowen said:

What level are you hoping to record at?  I've always thought if you sound crap on a Focusrite scarlet, you will sound crap on a top end too.

However, it can be those super fine margins at the top that make a difference.

I've used an 18i20 for years, and never had an issue, and never had anyone complain about the sound quality!  well, apart from my singing ha

Converter quality is pretty marginal these days.

Yes there is a difference between entry level converters and top end DAD/Prism etc but if you don't have a great sounding room and excellent monitors then you won't hear it.

Most people aren't mixing for commercial release and the issue is going to be their mixing ability before anything else.
Converters are the last thing I would worry about in 2022- acoustic treatment is so much more important and almost everyone ignores it.

This!

If you can't hear it, it makes no difference. Without wanting to sound even more negative, even in an environment that can portray it you may not hear it. Finally, even if you can hear it, you need to know what to do with it.

I've always been fascinated by the engineering/mixing/production process and have been lucky enough to spend some time with folks who know what they are doing. It's art and science combined and I quickly realised that the ramp to any level of competence and the investment required to create a space worth bothering in, was futile.. not saying it can't be fun but..

Si

That isn't what I am saying.

You will be able to hear it in an excellent room with top shelf monitors, which almost no one here has- because it is fucking expensive.

There is a reason that professional producers spend a lot of money on room/monitors/converters, which is that it allows them to produce the best quality audio possible.
It doesn't matter that people listen on earbuds on public transport, the point is to make the best choices possible so that it sounds the best it can under ideal conditions.

But it has to be a total solution, without the room and monitors then high end converters do not help.
(Plus microphones, preamps, perhaps analogue outboard)

It does matter though, but the difference between high end monitors and low end monitors is much greater than high/low end converters.

PolarityMan

I think one thing worth pointing out is the mixer/routing software which can make a big difference in the consumer market. I'd also steer clear of tascam and behringer as never had good experiences with either of those. WOuld def reccomend focusrite. 

monquixote

PolarityMan said:

I think one thing worth pointing out is the mixer/routing software which can make a big difference in the consumer market. I'd also steer clear of tascam and behringer as never had good experiences with either of those. WOuld def reccomend focusrite. 

The roundup I watched said the Behringer and other cheapies are balls, but one you get to the Focusrite / Presonus levels there is no appreciable advantage for prosumer applications.

My background is in radio studios with several £100k of kit in them, but I don't know much about the home level.

In my previous life it was all RME and Genelecs.

octatonic

RME are still the best PC drivers in town.

grappagreen

octatonic said:

grappagreen said:

octatonic said:

joeyowen said:

What level are you hoping to record at?  I've always thought if you sound crap on a Focusrite scarlet, you will sound crap on a top end too.

However, it can be those super fine margins at the top that make a difference.

I've used an 18i20 for years, and never had an issue, and never had anyone complain about the sound quality!  well, apart from my singing ha

Converter quality is pretty marginal these days.

Yes there is a difference between entry level converters and top end DAD/Prism etc but if you don't have a great sounding room and excellent monitors then you won't hear it.

Most people aren't mixing for commercial release and the issue is going to be their mixing ability before anything else.
Converters are the last thing I would worry about in 2022- acoustic treatment is so much more important and almost everyone ignores it.

This!

If you can't hear it, it makes no difference. Without wanting to sound even more negative, even in an environment that can portray it you may not hear it. Finally, even if you can hear it, you need to know what to do with it.

I've always been fascinated by the engineering/mixing/production process and have been lucky enough to spend some time with folks who know what they are doing. It's art and science combined and I quickly realised that the ramp to any level of competence and the investment required to create a space worth bothering in, was futile.. not saying it can't be fun but..

Si

That isn't what I am saying.

You will be able to hear it in an excellent room with top shelf monitors, which almost no one here has- because it is fucking expensive.

There is a reason that professional producers spend a lot of money on room/monitors/converters, which is that it allows them to produce the best quality audio possible.
It doesn't matter that people listen on earbuds on public transport, the point is to make the best choices possible so that it sounds the best it can under ideal conditions.

But it has to be a total solution, without the room and monitors then high end converters do not help.
(Plus microphones, preamps, perhaps analogue outboard)

It does matter though, but the difference between high end monitors and low end monitors is much greater than high/low end converters.

I think my response was misunderstood as I am actually agreeing with you. It's why I spent £1000's on treating my room and a small fortune on my monitors, monitor isolation, stands filled with sand blah blah blah. Obviously nothing like you have - I've stood in your room btw  

It's also why stole the room in my house with the best ratio etc to the annoyance of my wife

Si

TTony

I have one of these not being used.

https://www.presonus.com/products/audiobox-ione

Obviously only one input, but you did say “basic”.

The bundled software is - I believe - all downloadable FoC.

blobb

Latency.

monquixote

TTony said:

I have one of these not being used.

https://www.presonus.com/products/audiobox-ione

Obviously only one input, but you did say “basic”.

The bundled software is - I believe - all downloadable FoC.

I'm assuming you can only claim it once per purchase though?

Be interested to know how much you would like for it none the less.

goldtop

If you really want to get into the dBs of it, Julian Krause's Youtube channel is a perfect example of German analysis brought to bear on audio interfaces. See here: 

That said, it soon becomes clear that - aside from a few dBs here and there and some interfaces' inability to drive high impedance headphones - there's not a lot in it for the home/hobbyist musician.

For me, driver support and latency are the issues, so I pay a bit extra for RME.

TTony

monquixote said:

I'm assuming you can only claim it once per purchase though?

Don't think it's restricted like that - the free stuff is just to get you on the upgrade path into paid versions.

monquixote

TTony said:

monquixote said:

I'm assuming you can only claim it once per purchase though?

Don't think it's restricted like that - the free stuff is just to get you on the upgrade path into paid versions.

I think in the case of Presonus their interfaces come with a version of Studio One Artist which is otherwise $99

It's not that big of a deal as I've tried the trial of Presonus and I don't like it as much as FL or Ableton, but it's always nice to have it to play with.

TTony

monquixote said:

I think in the case of Presonus their interfaces come with a version of Studio One Artist which is otherwise $99

It's not that big of a deal as I've tried the trial of Presonus and I don't like it as much as FL or Ableton, but it's always nice to have it to play with.

Wow - just checked, and you're right!

How mad is that.  Buy a hardware interface for £80, and get an £80 s/w package for free - well, for the time of creating an account and downloading the software.  I'd assumed that it was the free (Prime) version rather than than intermediate (Artist) version that was bundled.

I've never used this one - only used/registered its slightly bigger  brother.

monquixote

TTony said:

monquixote said:

I think in the case of Presonus their interfaces come with a version of Studio One Artist which is otherwise $99

It's not that big of a deal as I've tried the trial of Presonus and I don't like it as much as FL or Ableton, but it's always nice to have it to play with.

Wow - just checked, and you're right!

How mad is that.  Buy a hardware interface for £80, and get an £80 s/w package for free - well, for the time of creating an account and downloading the software.  I'd assumed that it was the free (Prime) version rather than than intermediate (Artist) version that was bundled.

I've never used this one - only used/registered its slightly bigger  brother.

The bundled software with interfaces can be really significant. 

For example if you want Ableton you can either pay £70 for Intro, or get it free with almost every soundcard or MIDI controller. That software isn't all that useful as it's quite limited, but once you have Intro you can get Standard for £260 rather than £320.
It basically means you can get free hardware if you were intending to buy the software anyway.

The same is true for FL Studio with the Akai Fire. 

duotone

@TTony ;

Just to let you guys know your external plugin from Waves/Toontrack etc. will NOT work on Presonus Studio One Artist