weird comparison as these two interfaces are in totally different leagues. My take on color: you can always add it later with plugins in whatever way you want. Once it's there, you're not really going to be able to take it out.
The Black Lion sounds nice, but the thing is you can't "uncolor" it. The Zen Go is very clean but with the DSP fx you can get a similarly colored sound, or use an external preamp. So in my view the Zen Go just seems more versatile overall. Black Lion does sound nice though.
I TESTED BOTH!: So yeah. I ordered both and tested them in my acoustically treated studio. And I can say this. Jackob is correct. BUT I will give you my opinion as audio engineer guy. Antelope sounded better to me in focus 3D, definitely more beefy bass and more mids (overall it's flat). Blcak Lion sounded like it has more highs, they are pronounced and crisp bi Antelope has more 3D in highs but less transients. So it's up to taste. Bass in BLA is less round than in Antelope but is fast and precise. Headphone out is batter as well in BLA. Antelope is not bad but is not BLA. Antelope has problems with ground noise form my computer, so I have to rework my studio to keep power cleaner. BLA is dead quiet. You can hear they worked on decoupling more so plus for BLA. But that could be solved with proper cable management and grounding (but my grouding sux so...). Regarding power, BLA has equivalent power output on half volume and Antelope has on 80%, so BLA is nuclear power facility and can go loud quick. Antelope kills BLA with software. Drivers are way better (fastest on the market) and has additional professional mixer AND Plugins that run off Card not CPU. SO Clear win for Antelope here. Finally clocking. Antelope wins this. Sound is more focused and more distinguished within 3D. BLA is not bat, don't get me wrong. Is close but Antelope is has clearer picture. As Jacob said. If you are musician looking for kick ass sound and loud sound card to blast your music then definitely go wit BLA. Simple drivers. Simple to use. Great sound. Just works. If you are more music producer or engineer, then definitely go with Antelope. It is tailored for such use. Advanced software, additional plugins, multiple routing options. Better clocking. As a second guy I choose antelope but if I were just a guy with a guitar that want to record stuff and don't be bothered with setting up software for half an hour then BLA is one o the best sounding devices out there. BLA Revolution 2x2 or Audient id14 MK 2 - are more equal contenders. Antelope it's on different field for different purposes. I hope it helps. If you have any questions I'll be happy to help.
Solid pair of big dynaudio monitors and processing in daw would achieve same depth and there isn't that much of a difference between zen and lion to warrant buying plastic and more compressors and eq's. Your intuition mixed with your studio acoustics will achieve better result than an interface that needs plugins to sound better..
@@davidleasterlingjr2038 You're wrong. Antelope doesn't need plugins to sound better. It does sound better. Better DAC + better clocking + better preamps is sufficient for me to pay just 150€ more for a Zen Go. Easy decision. And no, you won't achieve same depth with better monitors. You obviously don't know what you're talking about. Try Antelope and hear it for yourself. And I don't agree with the reviewer that you need to be an engineer to buy Antelope. If you do music production you have everything to gain using Antelope interfaces. As UA or RME and the likes. Thing is, you need a 1500€ RME to sound as good as a Zen Go.
I am VO and having exactly what the microphone registers is essential in my work. I love my Discrete 4 SC. Super "sharp" preamp. Previously I used a Clarett, Antelope is far superior.
Excellent video. I would go with the Zen Pro out of the two. My SSL 2 is fantastic paired with my WA-87 R2 thanks to your reviews. I would love to try out Studio One Artist. Hope you feel better. 🙏🏾
One thing that puts the Zen Go far ahead is the low latency processing you can add in the pre stage. You can get a similar colour out of the box and have more flexibility. I've done music production, VO, mixing, audio for games and a lot more. One thing I've learned over the years and thousands of dollars of gear later is that it's better to have a clean signal with flexibility than something that locks you in. Personally I'd go with something like an RME or MOTU if you have the budget and then add external gear, pre-amps, etc if you truly want that sound hardware sound. That is super-expensive though, which is why I think most would be better off with the Zen Go over the Revolution. Even I'm considering pairing a Zen Go with one of the Antelope Audio mics. The revolution is honestly something unfathomable ten years ago, but it's still a bit of a one trick pony in my mind and at the price point you could get something cleaner and add hardware. Another thing that you didn't mention is that Studio One has Mix Engine FX in the professional version which has buss level cross processing to simulate a fancy mixer more accurately. I think people could save their money, get like an M4 or Audient and upgrade to Studio One Professional. The Mix FX plugins are the only DSP that has sounded game changing to me in recent years that isn't a DSP option like UAD or Synergy Core. All food for thought anyways. I just wanted to call this out as I've been down a lot of these similar roads and pure excitement for gear is something I love to see people have, and there are just so many options out there that I think it's helpful to get the most bang for your buck and to think two steps down the road. That being said, having fun and perfecting the art of writing, mixing, and/or mastering is something you should enjoy regardless!
Yes, the Revolution does sound different, but no that is not something you want in an audio-interface. Much less in a dac device. Saying they’ll make your monitors sound better is honestly just misleading. Professional audio gear is (largely) meant to be as neutral as possible, not color the output. On the preamps your argument may be true for some people, but absolutely not on the outputs.
I find it interesting that you assume all musicians prefer a bit of colour in the preamps. I am a musician and I prefer completely neutral low noise preamps. I mainly record acoustic instruments and for those a clean signal is a high priority.
I have had the zen go for a while now. And the Zen is just collecting dust. Like he said post mixing, forget about it. You can't. DSP means nothing in post for the zen. It's all CPU for you if you buy it. Not saying it's terrible for other application's.And the software is unstable, not completely but enough to really notice. But it's just so useless to me. Wish I would have watched this before I bought this thing. Back to U.A. for me. Dig you're channel and great job.
A chance to get a full working DAW at my budget is incredibly exciting. I'm disabled so on a low fixed income. I"m trying to get a musical project started to change my circumstances. But you know how everything in the industry costs more and more money and just can't financially keep up. Any kind of help toward my goals of having a small working home studio is gratefully received. Thanks for the opportunity and really the video shoot out was very well done and informative.
Having now owned both of these, I’ve gotta give the nod to the Zen Go. It just seems easier to get what I’d like from it and, in the end, isn’t that all that matters? My BLA Revolution just never seemed to get the signal I desired. It still sounded real nice, but after three years, I never bonded with it.
RME is ahead. I sold my Zen Go. I bought an RME bf pro fs and became happy. Zen GO created a lot of problems for me , it hurts me to remember it. Everything is fine on paper and in advertising, but in fact the Sound is bad , the drivers are bad, like everything else. I'm done with ANTELOPE once and for all !!! Six months ago, Zen Go was worth + 150 euros. Now + 1600 euros. for the same money. In this regard, it was difficult for me to sell Zen Go/ I had to sell it very cheap. Stop marketing !!!
Another excellent overview, Jacob... Though both are certainly quality interfaces, I think it would be the GO for me. Offers so much more than the standard interface.
I running on free free free at the moment... I'm used to a DAW and MPC beats is a pain for anyone used to a proper DAW... I use the ASIO for low latency on the normal laptop output... it'll be nice to win to try out this DAW before later on getting a full set up again and see if I can stick with this software for my productions... why not?
nobody talks about daw functions. latency, direct audio option etc.(👍) the rme Babyface is my competitor..... intern Mixer, midi, self xoded tght driver, Usb Chips,... would love to see RMe Babyface vs Zen p.s. Zen looks promise ,..intern Mixer, latency looks good, etc..
👀 SHOTS FIRED 🔫 lol “Ask actual musicians” “numbers don’t mean everything” Love it man! Love the honesty and review! Out of the rev and ssl2 2x2?!? No instruments, jus mic plugs and rap vocals?!? Can’t wait for that Axino review! Seen some amazing specs with it. For musicians and streamers 🚀 Also would love studio 1 to try a new daw!
Thank you for finally making this video as I was one of them who requested to do this comparison on the Black Lion Audio Revolution review video. It's really good. And yes, I'm a Studio One Prime user for almost 3 years and if I get the Artist version, it'll be really helpful for me. :)
Hey Jacob great video as always. I have it narrowed down to the black lion revolution and zen go. Simple question: learning curve. Which of the two seems to be overall “set up and get to work” friendly. Using Presonus Studio One Pro 5.0. Thanks man!
Superb brother! Exactly what I was waiting for. A real pro non biased review! Looks great, sounds great, can’t ask for more. Keep it up! I have been a huge fan of BLA for a long time! It’s still hard for me to decide because it’s been a huge part of my chain for so long. However, I like the features and the plug ins as well. By the way, I hope you get to feeling better my friend!
Another fire video. I feel like the revolution lost in the shootout tho but not enough to sell and try and get something better. I literally mix my vocals to a two track beat. Maybe once I start really dealing with stems I'll feel the need to upgrade. I'm working on getting my 500 rack so if revo has problems pushing a full 6-8 slot then yea. Time to go but I think it'll be fine
did you level-match both vocal test? if yes, wow. that revolution preamp sounds goooooood. so full of mojo and forward sounding but not harsh. while the zen go is veeery clinical, but man, with those plugins, they are a steal. i see what you're talking about when you say "if you're a musician or engineer". nice work.
@@JacobDarkOfficial is there a way you can link both the preamps on the revolution for stereo use like the zen go besides setting them both on the same gain level?
My bad man lol, I'm super swamped right now working on the next review as we speak while pre planning a photo shoot I have tonight, good problems to have
I had a Zen Studio in the past, big sounding preamps and large sound but too clinical and 0 vibe to my taste. This Zen Go remember that sound, while the Revoluiton fits more to me.
Awesome shoot-out by the way, very nicely done bro! I’d like to own a copy of studio 1 because it would be awesome to go by two different DAW’s for different purposes. For example; Cakewalk by bandlab would be for recording, levelling gain staging and possibly a starting point static mix. Then I’d move the project to studio one for the main mixing and mastering.
I wish I could remember a year or so ago…I would swore the Black Lion box was $499 at most places and now can be had for half that! Wonder why the price drop
It was $399 I believe, I've been following pricing trends and most of the time when gear has a price decrease it's because they're about to release a new model, I think UA will drop new Apollos as well, time will tell
Jacob i need that revolution now now send it to me in jamaica its the best there is in terms of sound quality not even stand alone ad da conveeters comes close
You keep removing my comment about Zen Go because you are sponsored by Antelope Audio.I owned one and something was shaking round loose inside and so were 3 others we opened in our music shop! Can't handle a bit of cold hard truth dude? I was SO disappointed I wanted to love this unit .
Received my BLA Revolution interface today and all I can say is wow. This the best interface I have ever used. My previous devices: Motu M4 Id14 Apogee Duet Firewie. Out of the above list I can honestly say that the BLA is clearly and audibly better in-terms of DACs & Headphone output. I am yet to test the Pres and ADCs. I bought because the M4 though on paper should be better did not convince me and also had sound leaking into the speakers when the headphones were plugged despite the speaker volume nob being turned completely down. This is my experience and may defer for others but I believe this will be my interface for a long time until BLA release a bigger brother.
@@JacobDarkOfficial either model. They have a smaller version stacked with loads of everything. Not just a 2x2, per se. And then there's the larger 'Studio' version.
The zen go is cheap. Feels like plastic and the screen is atrocious. I have heard much cheaper interfaces that sound better dynamically and are built better. Antelope software is the hook And what your paying for. Overpriced. The mixer app and the Virtual plugins bundle.. I'm not impressed at all. Feels like a cheap toy. The plugins are nice and they are the real gem. Not the interface. I have plenty of good plugins. I feel Antelopes entry interfaces is geared more towards noisey thin rock. Not buttery velvet Been mixing and making music for 15 +. For all the smoke blowing everyone has done I thought gold dust was going to come out the monitors. Antelope failed with this one. Used it for a week and put it back in the box and returned it. They should focus on making it durable and sounding good. I wouldn't be proud of the zen go if I was Antelope. Gave them an honest testing. Don't waste your money. Bells and whistles. Trying to mirror UA. Black lion definitely has the better quality all around. Plus they didn't look at computer statistics. The most important thing about music. Your ears. Haven't purchased the black lion but it's looking like they focused on the important things.. not Lcd screens and extra software baggage to make it sound better. Circuits make things sound better. Period. RUclipsrs need to man up and stop being vague and passive when reviewing gear because they were payed by companies or don't want to upset viewers. A honest comparison shouldn't end in saying what specs say and that their both good. Say which one sounded better and clearest out of the two and which one you liked more when listening to your beats and music.
Them high end capacitors crush that Zen go fk inputs im a single man producer black lion is superior to zen go and if you want to even get more real analog mojo just use it with acoustica audio plugins and you have a 15,000 analog hybrid mixing desk
@@davisone76 Only the greatest plug in designers on the planet!!! Giancarlo has been at this for awhile, even larger payoffs soon!!! Go try some for free, and get blown away!
I grabbed the revolution and a Audient id4mkii ( I also have the old one) Vocal quality with the revolution is decent but not worth the price, it’s thin sounding. The Audient id4mkii is more full bodied but more in you’re face sounding , the old id4 sounds like a vintage pre it’s more warm,,, Also the DAC on the old ID4 sounds almost the same as the revolution. The ID4Mkii has a bigger and cleaner sound then both
@@JacobDarkOfficial are you talking about the DAC? Or the sound of the pres? And which version the old or new Audient? I can see the newer Audient sounding a bit sterile or perhaps boring I should say, the old id4 has a vintage type sound to the pre and DAC , but I find the old id4 to sound quite similar to the revolution which is pretty cool , just the pres sound different
Hello. I just bought my black lion interface. Can't record in Windows 11 PC. Would you please help me with Windows drivers for revolution 2x2. I had the worst experience registering the product in their website. I have even given up on their studio one and izotopes. For me the website is not working properly 😒 for all the times I tried. They don't even have a video guide on how to registering the product in you tube unlike focuslite. I don't have money to buy a Mac. Send me the windows 11 pc drivers here please for your kindness. please don't send me to their website. Send the drivers here if you have them and help your brother who is stuck please 🙏.
Great job man I have the antelope Zen go but I just purchased the antelope discreet 4 Because I needed to be able to use the Antelope plug-ins in Logic and garage band When mixing And the word clock and the adat I will clock the zen go with the Discrete four for extra inputs and what’s great is both Devices use a external power supply Not taxing any power from my M1 MacBook air 16 gig . I would like to see you clock The black lion With that zen go using spdif Power the black lion with the computer and then clock zen go to the black lion .make the black lion master clock the best of both worlds zen go runs off of five amp power source you can check out the phone adapters Research it👍🏾🎸🎸🥁🎤🎶🎸🤩I may pick up the revolution More inputs I would like to hear the playback from what you recorded in the revolution playing back out to Zen go .
@@knifeboy88 Zen Q doesn’t have adat in and out it only has adat in .It does not come with the power supply it Hass to be hooked up to your computer It doesn’t have a word clock out or in .It does have thunderbolt three which is nice Where the discreet four Has thunderbolt two The ZQ only has one chip where the discreet for has two chips 👍🏾 It’s about a $250 difference
@@Marchuevoreal it does look cooler. Everything on top is pretty cool im.not sure how I feel.about pushing the button to select gain and then turning the knob but I'm so damn old school it ain't ain't funny
![Eminem - Fuel (Shady Edition) feat. Westside Boogie & GRIP [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/k1OquBida9s/mqdefault.jpg)
weird comparison as these two interfaces are in totally different leagues. My take on color: you can always add it later with plugins in whatever way you want. Once it's there, you're not really going to be able to take it out.
Its not weird comparison. BLA colour character is amazing. so depend which you choose
The Black Lion sounds nice, but the thing is you can't "uncolor" it. The Zen Go is very clean but with the DSP fx you can get a similarly colored sound, or use an external preamp. So in my view the Zen Go just seems more versatile overall. Black Lion does sound nice though.
good point
I TESTED BOTH!:
So yeah. I ordered both and tested them in my acoustically treated studio. And I can say this. Jackob is correct. BUT I will give you my opinion as audio engineer guy.
Antelope sounded better to me in focus 3D, definitely more beefy bass and more mids (overall it's flat).
Blcak Lion sounded like it has more highs, they are pronounced and crisp bi Antelope has more 3D in highs but less transients. So it's up to taste. Bass in BLA is less round than in Antelope but is fast and precise. Headphone out is batter as well in BLA. Antelope is not bad but is not BLA.
Antelope has problems with ground noise form my computer, so I have to rework my studio to keep power cleaner. BLA is dead quiet. You can hear they worked on decoupling more so plus for BLA. But that could be solved with proper cable management and grounding (but my grouding sux so...). Regarding power, BLA has equivalent power output on half volume and Antelope has on 80%, so BLA is nuclear power facility and can go loud quick.
Antelope kills BLA with software. Drivers are way better (fastest on the market) and has additional professional mixer AND Plugins that run off Card not CPU. SO Clear win for Antelope here.
Finally clocking. Antelope wins this. Sound is more focused and more distinguished within 3D. BLA is not bat, don't get me wrong. Is close but Antelope is has clearer picture.
As Jacob said. If you are musician looking for kick ass sound and loud sound card to blast your music then definitely go wit BLA. Simple drivers. Simple to use. Great sound. Just works.
If you are more music producer or engineer, then definitely go with Antelope. It is tailored for such use. Advanced software, additional plugins, multiple routing options. Better clocking.
As a second guy I choose antelope but if I were just a guy with a guitar that want to record stuff and don't be bothered with setting up software for half an hour then BLA is one o the best sounding devices out there.
BLA Revolution 2x2 or Audient id14 MK 2 - are more equal contenders. Antelope it's on different field for different purposes.
I hope it helps. If you have any questions I'll be happy to help.
Thanks for the feedback!
Solid pair of big dynaudio monitors and processing in daw would achieve same depth and there isn't that much of a difference between zen and lion to warrant buying plastic and more compressors and eq's. Your intuition mixed with your studio acoustics will achieve better result than an interface that needs plugins to sound better..
@@davidleasterlingjr2038 You're wrong. Antelope doesn't need plugins to sound better. It does sound better. Better DAC + better clocking + better preamps is sufficient for me to pay just 150€ more for a Zen Go. Easy decision. And no, you won't achieve same depth with better monitors. You obviously don't know what you're talking about. Try Antelope and hear it for yourself. And I don't agree with the reviewer that you need to be an engineer to buy Antelope. If you do music production you have everything to gain using Antelope interfaces. As UA or RME and the likes. Thing is, you need a 1500€ RME to sound as good as a Zen Go.
@@luisalmeida2866 Glad it works for you Luis
@@davidleasterlingjr2038 Basically BLA is for a noob that wants to have some fun making music. Zen Go is next level.
I am VO and having exactly what the microphone registers is essential in my work. I love my Discrete 4 SC. Super "sharp" preamp. Previously I used a Clarett, Antelope is far superior.
I just did a similar shootout on my channel and I agree...in real world applications, despite the specs, the Revolution just sounds great.
Appreciate your video, though I believe the BL's LED's are a stereo signal output, only. Cheers!
Excellent video. I would go with the Zen Pro out of the two. My SSL 2 is fantastic paired with my WA-87 R2 thanks to your reviews. I would love to try out Studio One Artist. Hope you feel better. 🙏🏾
I need studio one artist because I’ve been using prime for a while and it’s time to make that leap. Thank you JD!
One thing that puts the Zen Go far ahead is the low latency processing you can add in the pre stage. You can get a similar colour out of the box and have more flexibility. I've done music production, VO, mixing, audio for games and a lot more. One thing I've learned over the years and thousands of dollars of gear later is that it's better to have a clean signal with flexibility than something that locks you in.
Personally I'd go with something like an RME or MOTU if you have the budget and then add external gear, pre-amps, etc if you truly want that sound hardware sound. That is super-expensive though, which is why I think most would be better off with the Zen Go over the Revolution. Even I'm considering pairing a Zen Go with one of the Antelope Audio mics. The revolution is honestly something unfathomable ten years ago, but it's still a bit of a one trick pony in my mind and at the price point you could get something cleaner and add hardware.
Another thing that you didn't mention is that Studio One has Mix Engine FX in the professional version which has buss level cross processing to simulate a fancy mixer more accurately. I think people could save their money, get like an M4 or Audient and upgrade to Studio One Professional. The Mix FX plugins are the only DSP that has sounded game changing to me in recent years that isn't a DSP option like UAD or Synergy Core.
All food for thought anyways. I just wanted to call this out as I've been down a lot of these similar roads and pure excitement for gear is something I love to see people have, and there are just so many options out there that I think it's helpful to get the most bang for your buck and to think two steps down the road. That being said, having fun and perfecting the art of writing, mixing, and/or mastering is something you should enjoy regardless!
Motu is 🗑
Oooh meaty midrange on your vocal coming through the revolution smooth top end too. The antelope has nice bloomy lowend
Yes, the Revolution does sound different, but no that is not something you want in an audio-interface. Much less in a dac device. Saying they’ll make your monitors sound better is honestly just misleading. Professional audio gear is (largely) meant to be as neutral as possible, not color the output. On the preamps your argument may be true for some people, but absolutely not on the outputs.
The revolution sounds warm but slightly colored. Plus if you bring up the gain significantly it sounds like the sound is getting slightly compressed
I believe in feel n Music sound... Not in Number love this Lion😎
I find it interesting that you assume all musicians prefer a bit of colour in the preamps. I am a musician and I prefer completely neutral low noise preamps. I mainly record acoustic instruments and for those a clean signal is a high priority.
Guess I should've said singer/songwriter, sounds like the Zen Go would be the better option for you!
If you truly want the cleanest most neutral preamp you'd have to get a preamp from earthworks. Go to sweetwater.
I have had the zen go for a while now. And the Zen is just collecting dust. Like he said post mixing, forget about it. You can't. DSP means nothing in post for the zen. It's all CPU for you if you buy it. Not saying it's terrible for other application's.And the software is unstable, not completely but enough to really notice. But it's just so useless to me. Wish I would have watched this before I bought this thing. Back to U.A. for me. Dig you're channel and great job.
A chance to get a full working DAW at my budget is incredibly exciting. I'm disabled so on a low fixed income. I"m trying to get a musical project started to change my circumstances. But you know how everything in the industry costs more and more money and just can't financially keep up. Any kind of help toward my goals of having a small working home studio is gratefully received. Thanks for the opportunity and really the video shoot out was very well done and informative.
Thanks for chiming in, I've done a few How to build a studio for $300 type videos, I'd recommend checking them out
@@JacobDarkOfficial thanks I will look.
I want studio one because it has really good tracking abilities
I think the zen go fx give it the edge
exactly, the fx will give you a more colored sound if you want, and you actually have control over that aspect
great video! I hope you are feeling good. It's nice when you are comparing two great products...no losers here
Having now owned both of these, I’ve gotta give the nod to the Zen Go. It just seems easier to get what I’d like from it and, in the end, isn’t that all that matters? My BLA Revolution just never seemed to get the signal I desired. It still sounded real nice, but after three years, I never bonded with it.
If all you can get right now is a mic and an interface tho I'd def go for the revo
Zen Go is a raw budget version of which wins on plug-ins, Black Lion is a good-sounding machine.
Better than the zen.
RME is ahead. I sold my Zen Go. I bought an RME bf pro fs and became happy. Zen GO created a lot of problems for me , it hurts me to remember it. Everything is fine on paper and in advertising, but in fact the Sound is bad , the drivers are bad, like everything else. I'm done with ANTELOPE once and for all !!! Six months ago, Zen Go was worth + 150 euros. Now + 1600 euros. for the same money. In this regard, it was difficult for me to sell Zen Go/ I had to sell it very cheap. Stop marketing !!!
Plastic garbage and not pleasing to my ears.
I try both and I like more the sound of revolution
I have been using Prime but I have a lot of 3rd party plugins that would benefit from Artist. Studio One is a beast!!!!! Thanks JD!!!!!
Great test!!! Still shopping for my audio interface.
These days you really can't lose no matter which way you go, buy for your connectivity needs
I want to win as I’m literally contemplating what DAW I should implement!!
I apologize man, the giveaway already ended!
i'd really love to get studio one cause i'm actually working on an album of mine and was looking for software to purchase
Another excellent overview, Jacob...
Though both are certainly quality interfaces, I think it would be the GO for me. Offers so much more than the standard interface.
Great video! I'd love to get studio one cause I want to try a new DAW and the prices are extremely high in my country due to exchange rates! Thx man!
I'd like studio one for my lil brothers bday tomorrow. Just donated my mobile setup and a new saw would be the icing on the 🎂😬
How about your choice? Is revo still on your desktop?
I running on free free free at the moment... I'm used to a DAW and MPC beats is a pain for anyone used to a proper DAW... I use the ASIO for low latency on the normal laptop output... it'll be nice to win to try out this DAW before later on getting a full set up again and see if I can stick with this software for my productions... why not?
I just ordered the bigger zen Tour today to replace my ancient Roland Octacapture. I cant wait :-)
Super comparison! 👍🏻👏🏻
nobody talks about daw functions.
latency, direct audio option etc.(👍)
the rme Babyface is my competitor.....
intern Mixer, midi, self xoded tght driver, Usb Chips,...
would love to see RMe Babyface vs Zen
p.s. Zen looks promise ,..intern Mixer, latency looks good, etc..
9:25 can you tell he how to capture your screen with the audio. Is it recorded together, capturing screen and capturing audio at same time?
👀 SHOTS FIRED 🔫 lol “Ask actual musicians” “numbers don’t mean everything”
Love it man! Love the honesty and review! Out of the rev and ssl2 2x2?!? No instruments, jus mic plugs and rap vocals?!?
Can’t wait for that Axino review! Seen some amazing specs with it. For musicians and streamers 🚀
Also would love studio 1 to try a new daw!
Axino review is up, you can't go wrong either interface tbh, just get what works for you and focus on the music vs the gear
Thank you for finally making this video as I was one of them who requested to do this comparison on the Black Lion Audio Revolution review video. It's really good. And yes, I'm a Studio One Prime user for almost 3 years and if I get the Artist version, it'll be really helpful for me. :)
Hey Jacob great video as always. I have it narrowed down to the black lion revolution and zen go. Simple question: learning curve. Which of the two seems to be overall “set up and get to work” friendly. Using Presonus Studio One Pro 5.0. Thanks man!
BLA is definitely the way to go for plug n play
I'm just starting out so it would help me out BIG TIME!!!
Which one of these should I buy over a used Apogee element 46?? or should i go with the apogee!??
Superb brother! Exactly what I was waiting for. A real pro non biased review! Looks great, sounds great, can’t ask for more. Keep it up!
I have been a huge fan of BLA for a long time! It’s still hard for me to decide because it’s been a huge part of my chain for so long. However, I like the features and the plug ins as well.
By the way, I hope you get to feeling better my friend!
Appreciate the love, definitely more on the way! Health is good, just trying to get better in every aspect of life!
@@JacobDarkOfficial My friend that is exactly what I’m trying to do. You will do well I can see it in your work.
I need studio one artist because I've hit the limitations of Studio One Prime. Would really help if I can upgrade to track more inputs.
They sound the same to me for the most part. Can you compare these to the MixPre 3 II?
Another fire video. I feel like the revolution lost in the shootout tho but not enough to sell and try and get something better. I literally mix my vocals to a two track beat. Maybe once I start really dealing with stems I'll feel the need to upgrade. I'm working on getting my 500 rack so if revo has problems pushing a full 6-8 slot then yea. Time to go but I think it'll be fine
did you level-match both vocal test? if yes, wow. that revolution preamp sounds goooooood. so full of mojo and forward sounding but not harsh. while the zen go is veeery clinical, but man, with those plugins, they are a steal. i see what you're talking about when you say "if you're a musician or engineer". nice work.
Yes, level matched, thanks for the feedback!
@@JacobDarkOfficial is there a way you can link both the preamps on the revolution for stereo use like the zen go besides setting them both on the same gain level?
@@circusreturn2397 Not sure, been a bit since I've had it in my hands, I'd check with Black Lion
@@JacobDarkOfficial ah, that'd be too much of a hassle for you, man! i'll do it myself! thank you for your help!
My bad man lol, I'm super swamped right now working on the next review as we speak while pre planning a photo shoot I have tonight, good problems to have
Would love either of these beauties 💝
Sir.. Does it works with Hackinthosh? Just let me know sir🙏
ì would love to have that license cuz i didnt get anything for my birthday last month D':
Would love to have that license so that I can move on from the demo version of FL Studio which doesn’t let me save my projects!
I had a Zen Studio in the past, big sounding preamps and large sound but too clinical and 0 vibe to my taste. This Zen Go remember that sound, while the Revoluiton fits more to me.
Can you add effects from your personal stash or only the zen go vsts ?
Black Lion all the way.
BLA for me again for the sound
For a better future in the music industry I need that giveaway copy
Excelent video of both super interfaces
Much appreciated
No mention of midi in/out??
how do those LED meters measure input level?
Would love it to start my recording
Awesome shoot-out by the way, very nicely done bro!
I’d like to own a copy of studio 1 because it would be awesome to go by two different DAW’s for different purposes. For example;
Cakewalk by bandlab would be for recording, levelling gain staging and possibly a starting point static mix.
Then I’d move the project to studio one for the main mixing and mastering.
Gotcha!
Julian Krause "USE YOUR GAIN! "
I wish I could remember a year or so ago…I would swore the Black Lion box was $499 at most places and now can be had for half that! Wonder why the price drop
It was $399 I believe, I've been following pricing trends and most of the time when gear has a price decrease it's because they're about to release a new model, I think UA will drop new Apollos as well, time will tell
@@JacobDarkOfficial thanks
I just got the Motu M4, wondering if either of those are actually better.
Honestly, I've reviewed so many interfaces I feel like you should just get what works for you and if it does, focus on other areas
pls comparision between Zen Go synergy core vs Apollo Solo
thx jacob
Jacob i need that revolution now now send it to me in jamaica its the best there is in terms of sound quality not even stand alone ad da conveeters comes close
Love the BLA!
You keep removing my comment about Zen Go because you are sponsored by Antelope Audio.I owned one and something was shaking round loose inside and so were 3 others we opened in our music shop! Can't handle a bit of cold hard truth dude? I was SO disappointed I wanted to love this unit .
I don't remove comments, however RUclips will auto delete if it's something it thinks is spam or a link to somewhere
Received my BLA Revolution interface today and all I can say is wow. This the best interface I have ever used.
My previous devices:
Motu M4
Id14
Apogee Duet Firewie.
Out of the above list I can honestly say that the BLA is clearly and audibly better in-terms of DACs & Headphone output. I am yet to test the Pres and ADCs.
I bought because the M4 though on paper should be better did not convince me and also had sound leaking into the speakers when the headphones were plugged despite the speaker volume nob being turned completely down.
This is my experience and may defer for others but I believe this will be my interface for a long time until BLA release a bigger brother.
You’ve posted this same comment on pretty much every video about the BLA revolution. At this point I’m fully convinced you work for BLA
@@jared8572 really? I had no idea that I did that!
no sound comparison. just talk about the specs
I would love 2 win so I can finally learn how to do this
Most important question, which one are you keeping lol 😬
I didn't notice if you've reviewed the arturia audiofuse studio?
I have not, it's impossible to get my hands on every device but I'm definitely open to it!
@@JacobDarkOfficial either model. They have a smaller version stacked with loads of everything. Not just a 2x2, per se. And then there's the larger 'Studio' version.
@@larrycom I sent the audiofuse back BLA on the way
can you make the same with apollo mk2 and the zen go?
I cannot. Simply because it would cost me $1200 to buy an Apollo and while technically I could, I don't have a need for a new interface
i would love to win it for my son, who is just about to start getting shit together.
Congrats, you've won Studio One Artist! Shoot me your email
@@JacobDarkOfficial sweet!! Thank you so much! My son is going to be super happy! Jvphx@cox.net
The zen go is cheap. Feels like plastic and the screen is atrocious.
I have heard much cheaper interfaces that sound better dynamically and are built better.
Antelope software is the hook
And what your paying for. Overpriced. The mixer app and the Virtual plugins bundle.. I'm not impressed at all. Feels like a cheap toy. The plugins are nice and they are the real gem. Not the interface. I have plenty of good plugins. I feel Antelopes entry interfaces is geared more towards noisey thin rock. Not buttery velvet
Been mixing and making music for 15 +. For all the smoke blowing everyone has done I thought gold dust was going to come out the monitors. Antelope failed with this one. Used it for a week and put it back in the box and returned it. They should focus on making it durable and sounding good. I wouldn't be proud of the zen go if I was Antelope. Gave them an honest testing. Don't waste your money. Bells and whistles. Trying to mirror UA. Black lion definitely has the better quality all around. Plus they didn't look at computer statistics. The most important thing about music. Your ears. Haven't purchased the black lion but it's looking like they focused on the important things.. not Lcd screens and extra software baggage to make it sound better. Circuits make things sound better. Period. RUclipsrs need to man up and stop being vague and passive when reviewing gear because they were payed by companies or don't want to upset viewers. A honest comparison shouldn't end in saying what specs say and that their both good. Say which one sounded better and clearest out of the two and which one you liked more when listening to your beats and music.
That Black Lion sounds amazing! GO FALCONS lol
Jacob i need studio one cause i want to leave PT. It is time to abandon that software that only consumes resources from the pc.
Them high end capacitors crush that Zen go fk inputs im a single man producer black lion is superior to zen go and if you want to even get more real analog mojo just use it with acoustica audio plugins and you have a 15,000 analog hybrid mixing desk
Acoustica huh? Never heard of them. Who makes them? I’m a gonna check em out!! Thanks!!
@@davisone76 Only the greatest plug in designers on the planet!!! Giancarlo has been at this for awhile, even larger payoffs soon!!! Go try some for free, and get blown away!
Remind him to get a fast computer!!!
BLA Sounds good
I would like to stop pressing the "still evaluationg" buttom on reaper one day
Buy it.
The Revolution sounds better by leaps and bounds.
⚫ 🦁 sound is more strong am going to change my ssl to ⚫ 🦁 this month after i get my office salary😅
what about zen go vs apollo??
They are like coke and Pepsi. Advertising pros
I grabbed the revolution and a Audient id4mkii ( I also have the old one)
Vocal quality with the revolution is decent but not worth the price, it’s thin sounding.
The Audient id4mkii is more full bodied but more in you’re face sounding , the old id4 sounds like a vintage pre it’s more warm,,,
Also the DAC on the old ID4 sounds almost the same as the revolution. The ID4Mkii has a bigger and cleaner sound then both
Guess it's all subjective, I found the Audient sterile with the Revolution having the more pleasing sound
@@JacobDarkOfficial are you talking about the DAC? Or the sound of the pres? And which version the old or new Audient?
I can see the newer Audient sounding a bit sterile or perhaps boring I should say, the old id4 has a vintage type sound to the pre and DAC , but I find the old id4 to sound quite similar to the revolution which is pretty cool , just the pres sound different
Yea the new, haven't had either for a while now but that was my impression
Go Bills
I can respect Buffalo, my motto is anyone but the Cowboys lol
I had the zen go and all I can say it's a thin digital sound. Don't like it. Id22 is far better.
I use the iD14 Mkii now as my daily
Hello. I just bought my black lion interface. Can't record in Windows 11 PC. Would you please help me with Windows drivers for revolution 2x2. I had the worst experience registering the product in their website. I have even given up on their studio one and izotopes. For me the website is not working properly 😒 for all the times I tried. They don't even have a video guide on how to registering the product in you tube unlike focuslite. I don't have money to buy a Mac. Send me the windows 11 pc drivers here please for your kindness. please don't send me to their website. Send the drivers here if you have them and help your brother who is stuck please 🙏.
Great job man I have the antelope Zen go but I just purchased the antelope discreet 4 Because I needed to be able to use the Antelope plug-ins in Logic and garage band When mixing And the word clock and the adat I will clock the zen go with the Discrete four for extra inputs and what’s great is both Devices use a external power supply Not taxing any power from my M1 MacBook air 16 gig . I would like to see you clock The black lion With that zen go using spdif Power the black lion with the computer and then clock zen go to the black lion .make the black lion master clock the best of both worlds zen go runs off of five amp power source you can check out the phone adapters Research it👍🏾🎸🎸🥁🎤🎶🎸🤩I may pick up the revolution More inputs I would like to hear the playback from what you recorded in the revolution playing back out to Zen go .
Why not choosed the new Zen Q?
@@knifeboy88 Zen Q doesn’t have adat in and out it only has adat in .It does not come with the power supply it Hass to be hooked up to your computer It doesn’t have a word clock out or in .It does have thunderbolt three which is nice Where the discreet four Has thunderbolt two The ZQ only has one chip where the discreet for has two chips 👍🏾 It’s about a $250 difference
Peeps gotta stop making excuses for Black Lion Audio. From a company that claims to improve specs of other interfaces, it’s downright embarrassing
Black Lion Revolution sounds better...fact.
Aku mau berkarya 🙏 mudah-mudahan dapet, Amin. Zen Go is the if i get best i will always promotion this stuff 😊
Quality is the most important thing but come on, that black lion has an ugly design
Lol stop it
I like it because it looks like most outboard equipment. Interfaces are the only thing getting sexy these days. Everything with knobs is ugly
@@4brotroydavis haha
@@4brotroydavis i personally like this kind of design from antelope, Apollo, SSL
@@Marchuevoreal it does look cooler. Everything on top is pretty cool im.not sure how I feel.about pushing the button to select gain and then turning the knob but I'm so damn old school it ain't ain't funny