Decent USB Audio interface $300-$500 range (non rack)

D

dschaaf

Experienced
Just wondering if there any recommendations for a decent USB audio interface (non-rack mounted) in the $300-$500 range?

Thanks,
D
 
Chris@KatsuKuriMedia said:
define decent.

what features do you need?
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris...good point! No sure really...I don't need many in/outs, I just want to be able to use it to record with my Axe II (I know I can use the Axe's built in functionality) and to record with my Kemper.

I guess I am really looking for recommended brands....Focusrite, RME etc more than anything

Thanks,
D
 
Best cheap and great sounding interface I know is the Native Instrument Komplete Audio 6.
4in 6 out midi 96 Khz.
Comes with some cool bundled software and special on right now get Guitar Rig 5 free. Less than $300.00 bucks.
Zero problems with Mac and PC.
 
Thanks...that may be an option :) I do already own Komplete 8 and would be able to utilize it with that stuff.

Thanks,
D
 
Can't go wrong with Focusrite. Got me a Saffire Pro 24 DSP, extremely happy with it. But that's firewire so it's not for you. I'd look at the Saffire usb series of I were you.
 
ztevie said:
Can't go wrong with Focusrite. Got me a Saffire Pro 24 DSP, extremely happy with it. But that's firewire so it's not for you. I'd look at the Saffire usb series of I were you.
Click to expand...
I sold mine to get a big fat MOTU and to be honest I miss the Saffire a lot. It was fabulous.
 
One last thing....If I go with the a Focusrite model, am I better to go with a USB or Firewire version...or is there much of a difference? My new MB Pro has 2 USB3 ports and 2 Thunderbolt ports that I can connect firewire to via an adapter.

Thanks,
D
 
dschaaf said:
One last thing....If I go with the a Focusrite model, am I better to go with a USB or Firewire version...or is there much of a difference? My new MB Pro has 2 USB3 ports and 2 Thunderbolt ports that I can connect firewire to via an adapter.

Thanks,
D
Click to expand...
Not sure about the adapter thing and how well it works, but I always go firewire for audio interfaces. It's not a bandwidth issue (even though that's a concern for older USB ports), it's a matter of latency. USB tends to take more time for the round trip than firewire does even though USB 2.0 can do it with a slightly bigger pipe. I've also had some flakiness with too many USB devices over the years; firewire has always been rock solid for me.

As for USB3.0 I am not 100% sure if there are any devices that fully utilize anything that it brings to the table, but there could be backwards compatibility issues as well.

All my personal opinion and experiences so that means it's not the only way to do it, just the way that I prefer.
 
shasha said:
Not sure about the adapter thing and how well it works, but I always go firewire for audio interfaces. It's not a bandwidth issue (even though that's a concern for older USB ports), it's a matter of latency. USB tends to take more time for the round trip than firewire does even though USB 2.0 can do it with a slightly bigger pipe. I've also had some flakiness with too many USB devices over the years; firewire has always been rock solid for me.

As for USB3.0 I am not 100% sure if there are any devices that fully utilize anything that it brings to the table, but there could be backwards compatibility issues as well.

All my personal opinion and experiences so that means it's not the only way to do it, just the way that I prefer.
Click to expand...

Excellent, thanks Shasha!
 
dschaaf said:
One last thing....If I go with the a Focusrite model, am I better to go with a USB or Firewire version...or is there much of a difference? My new MB Pro has 2 USB3 ports and 2 Thunderbolt ports that I can connect firewire to via an adapter.

Thanks,
D
Click to expand...
GO USB!!!!
Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 USB is awesome and inexpensive. Most (90%) of the additional gear you may use will be USB. I'm 100% mac since 1989 , and even though Firewire was the next big thing ,it is slowly being phased out.

FireWire (FW) is a different protocol that is faster than USB2 and more importantly, it is far more reliable than the USB protocol. While on paper it is much better than the USB protocol, lack of universal use and intergration on the FW protocol means that USB won the "war" and FW is on the way out. Thunderbolt is its replacement (of sorts), though TB itself is a bit of a niche product.

The Focusrite 18i8 also has an Opitical input which will give you an additional 8 inputs. So recording 16 tracks at once is a breeze!
The bandwidth requirements for audio processing is not particularly huge. USB2.0 has no problem handling multiple recording streams and audio paths over USB2
 
RME 9632, you just cant beat that card for value, it has amazing AD/DA for the price and the most stable drivers in the industry. Search ebay for used or closeouts on them. Actually anything by RME will be perfect
 
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