If you buy today's gear through my affiliate links, you'll be able to hear Bigfoot's screams better. Julian Krause channel www.youtube.com/@JulianKrause M-Audio Air 192 - 6 amzn.to/3Y5im5k or USED amzn.to/44ZtIKl Tascam US 2x2 HR amzn.to/3Q7ZgK1 or USED amzn.to/3Osre1B SSL 2+ amzn.to/3Q5AOsG Motu M2 amzn.to/44FhRBw Audient ID14 mkii amzn.to/3rJlKH2 Instagram instagram.com/vegetablepolice/ All my gear and recommended products can be found in my affiliate shop, thanks for shopping around! www.amazon.com/shop/vegetablepolice Topaz Video AI for enhancing and slowing down footage! www.topazlabs.com/topaz-video-ai/ref/1640/
@RockPolitics yes, SM7B needs a lot of gain, but you can just add a cloudlifter or DM1 dynamite at the front and all will be fine. ( also works well for ribbons and protects those from accidental 48V exposer)
5 years is too soon but you do use it a lot. but I have had one go 20 + years and it still works great. the SSL is AWESOME pre-amps. M-Audio is mid grade. Tascam is mid-grade. the scarlett isn't bad actually same with Behringer. Apogee is good. Audient is pretty good but 5 years is too soon. the phantom power is not going to hurt your dynamic mic but I agree and don't like it.. I use independent phantom power per channel. I mean.. I would recommend the Midas MR12 but its 500 bucks and geared towards live performance but it is very nice sounding, upgrade from behringer. SSL ( Solid State Logic ) is very very good. the only other option you haven't mentioned at the level of SSL or better is NEVE. all you need is 48kHz 24 bit. The NEVE 88M ($1250 US) is pretty solid. Honestly for your voice ?? the SSL DESTROYS the Tascam sound quality wise. honestly, the Sennheiser e945 into an SSL is kind of a joke. with an SSL, most people are probably plugging in a $1500 mic on up. still, its only 2 channels.. so go Tascam for the price.. if you want to buy one that has 8 inputs or more.. then get a SSL or NEVE so you can record a drum-set
Liked the 3D-pop of the 4K option on the SSL! Totally agree with your conclusion: Usability is a big part of choosing an interface 😊Huge thanks for the shoutout! Cheers, James
5:33 Your dynamic mic doesn't require phantom power but it doesn't get hurt by it either. The only mics which get broken by phantom power are ribbon mics. - Well, technically ribbon mics are dynamic mics as well. But yours is a moving coil mic. Just to be specific.
sat here with my "budget" Focusrite 2I4 2nd gen, still works after 7 years, and I love it. I know its a low cost option, but it works and I get good results and it allows me to do what I need to do.
The 2i4 is Focusrites lost gem. Mine is alsp 7 to 8 years old and still rocking hard in my studio. It is better than the 3rd gen 2i2 and 4i4 imo. Yes the preamps are older but the functions are better than the new .models!
Correct. I have a 16 channel mixer that when you turn on Phantom Power it turns it on for all mics. I routinely will have both dynamic and condenser mics plugged in and the dynamic mics are fine.
Yeah, I was going to mention the same thing. Some audio ocd here but even though it doesn’t do anything, it still bothers the crap out of me having phantom on a dynamic mic.
Good purchase, the preamps are indeed decent, although you probably won't hear a significant difference between the top 20 in Julian's list. More importantly, the SSL has great playback quality, loopback, excellent headphone amps and the software is super stable. I have the bigger SSL12 and it's a winner so far.
I have to agree with your premise. I’ve come to the conclusion most (99%) of the gear nerds are full of $h!t. You can take 10 interfaces ranging from $20,000 to $200, run the exact same audio through them and nobody is going to be able to tell you which is which. The quality of affordable gear today is crazy compared to what was available just 10 or 15 years ago. Thanks to Julian’s videos I saved myself over $1k on my last purchase.
The 4K button is in reference to the SSL 4000 series recording consoles from the 80’s. They have a character (distortion) we all have heard and love in our music. For podcasting duties I doubt you’ll use it. But, if your mic (or the source) sounds a little boring, then switch it in for some digitally emulated old school analogue character.
In normal use, I doubt you would notice a difference in the pre-amps between the top ten or so interfaces on Julian's list. It's a sub-1 dB difference between the Tascam and the SSL 2.
@@craftedpixel People who lack talent and technical skills of their craft resort to gear-buying spree. The most talented players I've met personally aren't playing Gibson guitars. Those are reserved for dentists who can't play.
@bassyey Whoaaa, whooaaa let's calm down, it's not just reserve it for dentists here, we have to include other professionals like doctors, lawyers, managers of businesses etc. Let's not discriminate the business professionals for no talent, gear lust, which includes me. 😂
I own 6 or 7 interfaces, have been through dozens (I follow Julian, as well as several other experts on RUclips. Podcastage is another great one for learning about the latest and greatest interfaces, and how they sound/perform). It's a fun hobby to try out new budget ones. My two most used interfaces are my Audient Evo 8 (on my home computer 24/7), and my work one (I run karaoke 4 nights a week) is a Midas MR18 mixer with 16 mic inputs, and sweet sounding preamps. I also have a Motu LP64 32 channel ADAT USB interface, that I can connect four 8-channel ADAT preamps to, for 32 in/32 out for any bigger jobs than running karaoke (can run a concert with that thing!), and I figured out how to run Waves plugins from my laptop over the USB cable, with super low latency. Neat stuff!
The graph you are looking at is noise floor (how much noise do you want in your recording), but that doesn't equate to a better pre-amp; It depends on your purpose. You want low noise floor when recording Foley or very detailed recordings. Noise is subjective as well, I believe it is psychoacoustics for defining a "warm" signal = a more analog sound. I have owned multiple devices over the years. A little noise floor is okay, and often welcome.
SSL consoles are legendary. They entered the prosumer market only recently, but have been around in pro studios for decades. Hopefully they won’t ruin a good thing like Focusrite did
As an audio engineer it is quite enjoyable to watch a video guy's approach on choosing an audio interface. :-) Thanks for this video. Anyways, although mic preamps are important, the microphone itself is way more important. Also the quality isn't just determined by noise floor. SSL is known as one of the two to four greatest mixing console manufacturers from the 80ies till now; they build some great audio stuff but decided to move production to the Far East; still good products though. With lots of interfaces available (even just in that 2 mic inputs range) I think you picked the right one. Desktop interfaces should have their controls on the top and I am surprised that there's lots of interfaces with controls on the side (front). In a podcast/content creation/etc. environment, volume and mic gain are controls you need all the time even though you wouldn't notice it. You WILL notice, when those knobs are hard to reach.
Just because they stamp a 'cool' brand on it, doesn't mean it's any good. My SSL2 was unusable within a couple of months. All hype in my opinion ... either that or I just got a lemon. I could still never recommend that interface.
@@TobiasRieperGood @TobiasRieperGood I'm afraid I have to strongly disagree there. It's not just a moving membrane. Even if it was, the way, the membrane is built - diamter, material, etc - has a huge impact on the sound. And then it has to be transformed into an electrical signal. There's huge differences in sound. Or would you say, just because every eardrum is just a moving membrane, everybody hears the same way? Or vocal cords all function the same way, so every voice sounds the same? The closer you get to the sound source the more important is quality of the component. starting with a good speaker's voice, then room acoustics, then microphone, then preamp, then ADC. I'm sure more people can hear a difference between microphones but only a few can tell the difference between preamps or even ADCs.
To be fair, there have been a couple of rack preamps with variable impedance, and the Chinese are getting better at copying mics. It'll be interesting to see if "any decent mic" will replace a lot of the good mics in future
5:35 if the dynamc mic is of decent quality it should have a transformer inside that balances the signal and boosts the gain a bit (in the sm58 it's a 6 dB boost I think) and, as every transformer, blocks any DC current and lets only AC current pass (only audio), so the phantom power gets "trapped" in the core of the transformer and turns into heat: no damage to the mic. If in doubt check the inner schematic of your mic or ask on gearspace. All ribbon mics have a transformer because the impedance of the aluminium strip (the ribbon) is very low and the output signal very low too. They might get damaged by phantom if the pins are not wired as standard (so, very old specimens), or if an adapter from Tuchel (old german connector) to XLR is used mixing the pin numbering (again, old stuff before standards were implemented), or an XLR to XLR modern cable is used (with any mic) with improper pin numbering or shorting pin 2 or 3 to ground (pin 1), this can kill even a dynamic mic with transformer! Generally it's recommended to plug first all the mic and then turn on the phantom, and turn off the phantom and wait a few seconds before unplugging: the spike when hot plugging might damage very sensitive condenser mics, and those are designed for phantom. So, - proper cables - proper pin numbering - no hot swapping
I have both the audient and ssl2. The SSL2 is way way more durable and feels rugged. The audient's is pretty on the outside but the build quality really pales when compared to the ssl2.. my knobs popped out although I fixed them. I record live music with both and I can tell you from experience the ssl2 is a better option to buy - cheaper, better build quality and that harmonic 4k distortion is amazing.. the audient is flat which is also a good thing just like the ssl2 without the 4k.
@@joshmcdzz6925 The build quality is absolutely not good on the SSL2 .. I have no clue about the Audient .. All the push buttons on mine were super loose and fuzzy and the whole thing just feels like plastic. I have no clue what people are raving about with this thing. Even if the thing weren't clunky, it sounded like garbage until it didn't work. I don't know if I just got a lemon, but I'd still say the build quality is not that great on these things. It's gimmicky branding with the SSL stamp in my opinion.
I upgraded from a Focusrite 2i4 to the SSL 2+, and not only is the panel layout terrific, the clarity and separation of the audio is better than I deserve. The two free SSL plugins included, the Drumstrip and Vocalstrip, are together, cost more than the price of the interface. The plugins alone are worth getting the Interface.
Love your sense of humour. User Interface (that’s right, I ain’t afraid to spell things out), is so very important. What you want to pass off intially as ‘Yeah. Don’t like it, but I’ll get USED to it.’, but then you deal with some bogus layout every day and ‘dealing with it’ turns into hate, oh so easily. I subscribed. Thanks.
FWIW: a stage dynamic microphone like you have will typically have a step up transformer inside that will also serve as protection against the capsule receiving phantom power. I went through a similarly frustrating journey. My first interface was basically perfect. M-Audio C400. The preamps were good enough to amplify pretty much any dynamic mic without hiss, including an SM7b. It had a nice big level meter right up on top. It had the big knob on top that the current M-Audio interface has. The headphone amp was good enough for my planar magnetics. They haven't updated the drivers since 2014 and it now gives my computer the blue screen of death. The Focusrite Scarlett was never on the same level, so I never considered that as a possible replacement. The Steinberg UR12 has a funny sounding name (you are 12?) and has horribly hissy preamps that completely devalue its good driver support, and it only has a single LED for clipping instead of a level meter. The Motu M2 made weird noises until I updated my motherboard's firmware, and now it's a pretty suitable replacement for my old C400... if anything else has better preamps, the difference is going to be inaudible. It is SLIGHTLY disappointing to see that the SSL2 is cheaper though, because I like that layout a little more than all the knobs being on the front.
Wild and fun to watch you review an audio interface...I'm a pro composer and hobbyist photographer, so I've been watching you for years and it's a treat to see you review interfaces. ANYWAY, 4K...isn't a reference to video 4K higher definition or whatever (but I wonder if they deliberately chose it as a double meaning for those not in the know)...here's a description: "SSL built their reputation on their celebrated large format consoles, through which countless hit records and Grammy-award winning albums have flowed. In particular, the SSL 4000 series console has inspired generations of musicians, producers, and engineers with its undeniable analog mojo. The SSL2+ brings that signature 4000 series sound into your project studio with its Legacy 4K feature, which, with the push of a button, imparts the preamps with two essential characteristics of the 4000 series signal chain. The first thing you’ll hear is a musical, high-frequency EQ boost that will push your vocal or instrument forward in the sound field, for a deeper, more dimensional sonic profile. Then, you’ll notice a subtle addition of harmonic distortion that sweetens the sound and adds personality to the signal. For small format recording interfaces, there is nothing quite like the Legacy 4K button, available on the SSL2+." Yay!
I've had MOTU M2 for 3 years, wonderful preamps (funnily it's a bit low on the chart) compared to stuff like Line6 Pod Studio I had had 10 years ago. It's 2023 and it's really hard to screw up audio interfaces these days... but evidently some do
FYI the SSL is much better for conversion and preamps than the Tascam. That chart you're looking at tells you nothing about sound quality. You made the right choice for sure.
I recently got a MOTU ultra-lite mk5 and really enjoying it. I have some external preamps plugged into the MOTU but the built in preamps on the unit are solid.
The 4k button clearly is not about image resolution, but about *colour* space. You get better colours ("analogue colour enhancement, inspired by classic SSL consoles") by pressing these 4 k buttons. Ever heard of people having synesthesia? Some of them see sound as colours. Makes sense, right? They'll get a more vivid sound expericence, with vivid colours, because of the 4k bit depth for audio colour space ;-)
The SSL blows anything made by Tascam or M-Audio out of the water sound quality-wise. SSL is a legacy company known for making $100,000+ mixers. The preamps in this interface are a similar topology to their full large format consoles. Not as good as an API or Neve preamp, but still very good, some of the best you can get on a 2x2 interface. For overall driver stability, RME make the beat interfaces and have loads of clean gain in the preamps, but they are significantly more expensive. You make a good decision with SSL.
In reality, there's very little difference between different branded audio interfaces at a given price point. They're all similar SMD components with the same dacs and opamps. Probably made in the same factory too.
Not the same engineers or production. Only thing the same is the name. And they WERE known for a certain 80's sound that wouldn't fly today with few people still using their desks unless producing 80s style music. They had a signature, but were not the best. Certainly no Neve.
Don't be fooled by branding. While SSL have made some great consoles and outboard, audio interfaces.... not so much. SSL have never been known for their convertors. In fact their history here would point to shitty drivers and them abandoning tech product support early. IMO an RME or GEN4 Focusrite are vastly superior, better drivers, better build quality.... and preamps differences at this price is irrelevant but both are as good as the SSL Also. the 4K button is a console emulation, not HD vs 4k
I used an Apollo Duo for years and loved it but switched back to pc and went to the SSL 2 Plus. Love it. FYI, the 4K button isn't a gimmick. It's an effect of sorts that emulates the analog character of the SSL 4K board. It is a use it or don't choice depending on what you want. I love it on acoustic guitar tracks and some vocal tracks, but not on everything. It's a nice option to have, and once you get used to what it does, it only takes a moment to decide whether you want to use it or not on a track you are recording.
I LOVED this video! This is the first time I've ever seen one of your videos and your dialogue and humor had me rolling! I freaking love it! I instantly subscribed - brilliant stuff!
After my motu m2 drivers stopped working I went and got a SSL2+ and man it's rock solid and new firmware includes loopback too. If you want the best audio routing pair the SSL2+ with the streamdeck plus and then your in heaven. The wavelink software and fantastic preamps for the win.
Hey Ryan, I love my Motu M2. Forgive me..Drivers are the software that give the correct instructions to the hardware, right? Your motu m2 works, just it is not being updated to work with your gear???
Never expected watching a video of a dude talking about audio interfaces and love the personality of that dude so much xD You're great dude keep it up.
I was needing some good audio interface info and a good laugh. I got both in the same video. You are hilarious! You had me in tears. Straight up comedy routine! Thankyou! You earnt a New Subscriber.
Just went through the SAME thing as I have 4 audio interfaces sitting in front of me right now. Well I should say, 3 in front of me and ONE plugged in, the SSL+! Was also my favorite and you just reassured me I was right in my thinking!
Good choice! SSL has been around for ages. Most big hits in the 80's and beyond are mixed on those huge mixing desks. A huge pro player that went to the consumer market.
FWIW - just because a preamp has a sound-to-noise ratio of 131 dB or lower doesn't automatically mean it's going to be a good quality preamp. Past around -129 dBfs it's all esoterical anyway, because that's roughly where every (superb) analog circuit will have its background noise. And these little low-voltage boxes with their PCBs and printed signal paths DEFINITELY have an internal background noise level way above -129 dBfs, and this isn't even considering crossfeed or channel bleed yet. Those dB values don't say anything about the behaviour of the preamp, e.g. how much it "buzzes" (adds harmonics) when driven, or how fast its slew rate can respond to incoming singals, and they don't say anything about the THD or the SNR of the A/D converters the mic signal has to pass after preamplification. They're just theoretical abstract and intangible values. Marketing tactics. SSL in full is Solid State Logic, they've been around since the late 60s, they were a pioneer in transistor / solid state technology (hence the name) which was more affordable, more reliable, cleaner, less noisy and lower-maintenance than the mostly valve/tube based other audio technology available at the time. Pretty certain that the vast majority of (actual) 80s songs you know and love were mixed on an SSL console. They had a few very famous and much-liked console systems, one of them was the 9000 J - which is, I believe, what the preamps in the SSL audio interfaces were designed after. The other was the 4000 E/G series, and allegedly that 4K "more than Full HD" button on the SSL audio interface does something inside the box that turns the 9000-ish preamps into 4000-ish preamps.
RME Babyface Pro FS for outstanding all-round abilities and quality, including the most rock solid drivers. The differnce between -129 and -131 as a clincher? Well . . .
Your confidence but maturity is refreshing. I'm not sure what it is, but I could see you smiling as you made small jokes. and it just felt fun. so thanks.
Hi. Sound Devices MixPre3 Mk 1 or 2. If you want portable. You can attach powered monitors to it and you have 3 channels with incredible preamps. If it’s always desk bound then UAD Apollo Twin X Duo if you want to do music too. Van
First of all, I would have sought out a repairer in my neighbourhood. I have two in my local shopping mall, "iSmash" and "Mobile Lab". They both specialise in mobile phone repair, but the latter one fixed my Mac Mini for me and I'm very happy with it. Secondly, I have a Yamaha AG06 mixer, which is awesome. It's a combined Interface and DAC with inputs for mics, guitar, keyboards, etc. One great feature is the "loopback" facility, which allows me to play back audio from my computer, and mix and record audio also to a file on my computer. I'm very happy with the sound quality.
I think the 4K refers to SSL's classic 4k recording consoles. SSL is known for making the most famous analog console for mixing records on. The button gives your preamp a little bit of their analog console sound vs. a more flat sounding digital preamp.
Importantly, 48v wont damage dynamic microphones. You can use it safely knowing it will be fine. 49v can completly destory ribbon microhpones within seconds, and some other devices like laptops, synths ect, if you plan to record from them.
I came from an ESI audio interface which had NO buttons at all besides phantom power. I can't stress enough how important the tactile feedback of hardware switches, buttons and knobs is. The Audient ID14 MK2 is very solid though. Premature hardware death can happen with any brand, including SSL. I find it kinda silly that you wouldn't get another one especially if you were satisfied with your purchase.
I was just thinkin' I hadn't come across your vids in a while, yet the algorithm gods must have heard my plea (or they just figured since I had first been over on Julian Krause's channel also). Though super stoked you popped up today, because shit I needed a good laugh and you always deliver. Plus yes, audio interface hell is what I'm facing. And as usual, you some how mange to hit the right wave length every time. I've now narrowed it down to SSL 2+. Thanks for your assitance. PS. Your voice in the 4K mode sounds awesome. Toodals!
The comedian of interface reviews. I enjoyed your mini rave about different interface designs. If they have to cram all the knobs into a tiny space so make the interface bigger or put some on top, job done! I have a Steinberg UR22C which doesn’t rate that high on preamp noise but it works for me. I’m only an amateur recording musician but it is a solid piece of kit and just works for me without any fuss. I think many get excited and orgasmic by low noise preamps but in real world use they are not such a big problem and not so noticeable unless you are an audio freak. 🤓
The biggest problem I have with all the reviews for audio interfaces is it is based off a unit that actually works, and doesn't come covered in cheetoh fingerprints with a volume knob that goes from zero to one hundred when you twist it two millimeters and have the software already registered to someone in Argentina. Which is basically 50% of all electronics that ships from Amazon today.
Of all the things I expected from this video, a mention of Julian Krause and his godlike reviews wasn't one. Good choice with the SSL 2+ too. Make sure you get a look at his table of headphone outputs when selecting an interface too.
my audient id22 died in a weird way aswell. One day its simply not outputting sound, meters work, windows thinks it works, well even this thing thinks it works, it shows me on the level . So i unplugged it left it on the table to wither away. 2 years later i decide to plug it into my new computer, and guess what... it just worked until it did not after just a week. I payed like 420 euros and kinda sad it died only after 4 -5 years of usage.
I'm using the SSL Big SiX mixer and the pres are great. It has USB interfacing also, so you can sum through it. The 4k is an unfortunate name, but it's just a simulation of their 4000 series console sound.
SSL is pretty high end.. tascam has some decent stuff but the unit he was showing is just commercial off the shelf grade stuff. not bad.. I personally would not use it for anything important. that particular 2 channel SSL however- I"m not sure that is anywhere near as good as a legit SSL board or your big 6 either.
@@willfest If you go by the EIN numbers, as he has done, it's important to check how they were measured. Some manufacturers don't state this. 150 ohms is standard and most of them are A-weighted measurements. If you lower the resistance, it's not an even playing field anymore.
@@bitspacemusic in the end.. dynamic range matters particularly if you are trying to capture "quiet" sounds but talking in a room isn't very quiet. He so far has complained about the sounds in the room that the mic is picking up in my opinion -- how many people have an actual "silent" sound proofed room where the actual EIN noise-floor becomes a factor???? that is why I rarely concern myself with that end of the spectrum.. in music which I am more interested or as interested in as video. I CAN DEFINITELY SEE for with video, you may want a VERY silent part of a movie for drama-- but in my opinion, the low end interfaces are going to be good enough. if you listen to the audio in movies.. sure some are very clear but the mixes are really all over the place.. you have talking too quiet, explosions waaaay too loud, sound effects too loud or too soft.. the EQ for these effects is questionable (not always) but also I hear the lack of ability to use compression when it is truly needed so -- long before you need to "perfect" your inputs, I'd say perfect your outputs and by then, for video you probably would be very happy with any of the products mentioned unless you truly are an audio artist capturing audio for the sound which you intend on mixing into the film at some extraordinary way which I RARELY see in Hollywood. and then.. well let me put this in perspective. I have some Senheiser mics like Casey's.. I have 3 of them and I have let at least 500 different bands handle them, throw them, drop them, scream directly into them, stick them into their mouths, spit into them, spill beer into them. I knew this would happen when I bought them. I have 1 that only a few friends have used live.. which is in very good condition. These mics do wear out after a while.. I suppose the abused ones have a crusty film on the diaphragm which is like a plastic surface with a coil glued under it. My point is, its a great mic.. for me its more of a "hand held mic" for interviewing and the interviewee should hold that mic up to their mouth and speak into it while on camera. In my opinion, THAT is the intended use by the manufacturer for that microphone (e835, e845, e945 etc). you can also put them on a stand and sing directly into them or mic a guitar cab or snare drum etc with them but that is their intended mice. these dynamic mics are intended for close-range use. HOWEVER, the microphones that he complained about are actually more suited for the purpose he intends because they are "omni" directional mics. you set them up out of the shot and they pick up the whole room. alternatively you could use a shot-gun which are extremely directional but with a shotgun, you actually have to aim it directly at the sound source to get it right and you probably will have to fiddle more with the EQ in post. on the omni, you will be dealing with room sounds more because it is "omni-directional".. with the sennheiser, it is cardioid which means it is "more" directional than the omni but much less directional than a hypercardioid or shotgun.. also a dynamic cardioid mic is going to be a more close-proximity microphone. THESE are the main reasons why his audio sounds much clearer on them and less becasue it is dynamic because there are plenty of non-dynamic mics which are more directional and MUCH cleaner, MUCH more clear than the sennheiser e945 ! ! ! that is my main point. I was mixing stadiums 20 years ago.. and to this day mix primarily outdoor events. I do NOT consider myself an "expert" . but I am a seasoned user of many many microphones and pre-amps and uasually when I am using them, there is a large crowd watching over my shoulder. or a small crowd.. and a hand-ful of musicians who typically know the gear pretty darned well because these are the the musicians at the level where they have a hired sound-man running sound for them. all I am doing is trying to spread the knowledge because I think there are some valuable nuggets in here which can probably not only solve his questions but they can bump him up several levels of how he is looking at it-- at which he will still be learning his own way of doing things which is different from my way--- but he will will see "ahaa.. yes, this perspective is helpful indeed " I mean.. 30 years of operating microphones into hot amps and speakers before a crowd.. if you think "hissing sound" is bad in a video-- try amping up to 30,000 or 100,000 watts!!!! that "seashell ocean" sound can get quite loud ! ! ! so you won't be mixing very many shows if you have "hissing" or "noise".. and many of those years I was using some downright crap gear in the beginning 10 years or so.. still plenty of power, but the crap gear forces you to learn about the noise floor and signals etc...
As a sound engineer, I highly recommend ESI audio. For 200 bucks get the Amber i1. Stereo input, mic pre, instrument or line. Simple. Noiseless, no perceivable latency. Nice lil control panel with a mute button. Easily the most underrated maker. They're SO cool they even make a PCI-E audio card with 4 inputs if you still live in the 90's like me and put your old gaming PC in a rackcase that weight as much as your first partner did back in college.
I had the Audient for years. Gave it to my son. He used it for years, then it broke. I now have an SSL 2+ and my son has the UA Volt 276. The Volt is WAY better. I like my SSL, but the M610 preamp and 1176 compressor simulation buttons on the Volt are a homerun. I'm gonna use my SSL for now, but I'll eventually replace it with a UA Volt. For context, I've owned the UA Apollo and didn't love the software matrix routing. Had a UA Arrow. Same problem. The Volt fixes all of that with emulation buttons instead of software emulations, and a direct monitoring button for latency-free monitoring.
I work with the Ssl2+ and a Neumann tlm103 in conjunction with the 4k button. I have very crisp and clear vocals with a slight vintage analog touch. I love this combo especially for rap vocals 
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If you buy today's gear through my affiliate links, you'll be able to hear Bigfoot's screams better.
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M-Audio Air 192 - 6 amzn.to/3Y5im5k or USED amzn.to/44ZtIKl
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Julian is the man when it comes to audio interface noise testing!
Behringer UMC204HD. Has Midas mic preamps (very low noise floor), zero latency monitoring, $179CAD; problem solved.
@RockPolitics yes, SM7B needs a lot of gain, but you can just add a cloudlifter or DM1 dynamite at the front and all will be fine. ( also works well for ribbons and protects those from accidental 48V exposer)
5 years is too soon but you do use it a lot. but I have had one go 20 + years and it still works great. the SSL is AWESOME pre-amps. M-Audio is mid grade. Tascam is mid-grade. the scarlett isn't bad actually same with Behringer. Apogee is good. Audient is pretty good but 5 years is too soon. the phantom power is not going to hurt your dynamic mic but I agree and don't like it.. I use independent phantom power per channel. I mean.. I would recommend the Midas MR12 but its 500 bucks and geared towards live performance but it is very nice sounding, upgrade from behringer. SSL ( Solid State Logic ) is very very good. the only other option you haven't mentioned at the level of SSL or better is NEVE. all you need is 48kHz 24 bit. The NEVE 88M ($1250 US) is pretty solid. Honestly for your voice ?? the SSL DESTROYS the Tascam sound quality wise. honestly, the Sennheiser e945 into an SSL is kind of a joke. with an SSL, most people are probably plugging in a $1500 mic on up. still, its only 2 channels.. so go Tascam for the price.. if you want to buy one that has 8 inputs or more.. then get a SSL or NEVE so you can record a drum-set
Try the RODE RODECaster Pro II.
Liked the 3D-pop of the 4K option on the SSL! Totally agree with your conclusion: Usability is a big part of choosing an interface 😊Huge thanks for the shoutout! Cheers, James
Haha I caught the "James" thing, too
"James" Krause belong on the UFC conspiracies channel. He was in the UFC but now is not because of the conspiracies he was involved with.
Hi James, how are you doing?
Thanks "James"! lol. Thanks for letting me steal your work :)
I'm going good thanks
5:33 Your dynamic mic doesn't require phantom power but it doesn't get hurt by it either. The only mics which get broken by phantom power are ribbon mics. - Well, technically ribbon mics are dynamic mics as well. But yours is a moving coil mic. Just to be specific.
Dude, I am always having a fun time watching you and your lil monologues. Like your sense of humour haha. Cheers!
sat here with my "budget" Focusrite 2I4 2nd gen, still works after 7 years, and I love it.
I know its a low cost option, but it works and I get good results and it allows me to do what I need to do.
The 2i4 is Focusrites lost gem. Mine is alsp 7 to 8 years old and still rocking hard in my studio. It is better than the 3rd gen 2i2 and 4i4 imo. Yes the preamps are older but the functions are better than the new .models!
@@urbnctrlso you recommend Scarlett 4i4 gen 2 in front of gen 3?
Just FYI, dynamic mics do not mind having phantom power applied to them. They will not blow up or smoke or anything.
Correct. I have a 16 channel mixer that when you turn on Phantom Power it turns it on for all mics. I routinely will have both dynamic and condenser mics plugged in and the dynamic mics are fine.
Yeah, I was going to mention the same thing. Some audio ocd here but even though it doesn’t do anything, it still bothers the crap out of me having phantom on a dynamic mic.
Yes. There is no voltage across the coil system because both ends are at 48V relative to pin 1.
Yup. As long as you're not using a ribbon mic you'll be safe
Unless it doesn't have a transformer. Then phantom power is a big no no. But almost all dynamic mics have a transformer unless you remove it yourself.
The pre-amp chart is just for low noise level, not "quality". Between the first ones there's a minimal difference in quality.
Omg I love this guy! I’m glad you’re still making content 🫶🏿
Yep you’re gettin a sub. This was hilarious, and informative.
I like the truthfulness honest approach with mixed in slang. I'm subbing too :)
First time on your channel. I'm currently orientating in the world of audio interfaces and your video made that so much fun. Thank you sir!
Good purchase, the preamps are indeed decent, although you probably won't hear a significant difference between the top 20 in Julian's list. More importantly, the SSL has great playback quality, loopback, excellent headphone amps and the software is super stable. I have the bigger SSL12 and it's a winner so far.
I have to agree with your premise. I’ve come to the conclusion most (99%) of the gear nerds are full of $h!t. You can take 10 interfaces ranging from $20,000 to $200, run the exact same audio through them and nobody is going to be able to tell you which is which. The quality of affordable gear today is crazy compared to what was available just 10 or 15 years ago. Thanks to Julian’s videos I saved myself over $1k on my last purchase.
The 4K button is in reference to the SSL 4000 series recording consoles from the 80’s. They have a character (distortion) we all have heard and love in our music. For podcasting duties I doubt you’ll use it. But, if your mic (or the source) sounds a little boring, then switch it in for some digitally emulated old school analogue character.
According to SSL, the 4K emulator circuit on these is completely analog. Which of course also means it's burnt into the recording...
Does a great job on guitars and bass
If you play heavy metal the 4k summons Satan, trust me on that one.
They put tiny lil transformers in it :3
Isn't that's adorable?! UwU So the noisefloor is like 0.0000001% higher than Tascam bs
You can run phantom power to a dynamic mic without hurting it. You only have to worry about ribbon mics and phantom power.
In normal use, I doubt you would notice a difference in the pre-amps between the top ten or so interfaces on Julian's list. It's a sub-1 dB difference between the Tascam and the SSL 2.
It's more of a mental problem after seeing the chart lol.
Even professional voice actors have no problem using a focusrite scarlett
@@craftedpixel People who lack talent and technical skills of their craft resort to gear-buying spree. The most talented players I've met personally aren't playing Gibson guitars. Those are reserved for dentists who can't play.
@bassyey Whoaaa, whooaaa let's calm down, it's not just reserve it for dentists here, we have to include other professionals like doctors, lawyers, managers of businesses etc. Let's not discriminate the business professionals for no talent, gear lust, which includes me. 😂
I own 6 or 7 interfaces, have been through dozens (I follow Julian, as well as several other experts on RUclips. Podcastage is another great one for learning about the latest and greatest interfaces, and how they sound/perform). It's a fun hobby to try out new budget ones. My two most used interfaces are my Audient Evo 8 (on my home computer 24/7), and my work one (I run karaoke 4 nights a week) is a Midas MR18 mixer with 16 mic inputs, and sweet sounding preamps. I also have a Motu LP64 32 channel ADAT USB interface, that I can connect four 8-channel ADAT preamps to, for 32 in/32 out for any bigger jobs than running karaoke (can run a concert with that thing!), and I figured out how to run Waves plugins from my laptop over the USB cable, with super low latency. Neat stuff!
Cheers, I found this clip after sourcing myself the SSL2 Mkii already. Glad that I made the right choise based on similar criteria.
The graph you are looking at is noise floor (how much noise do you want in your recording), but that doesn't equate to a better pre-amp; It depends on your purpose. You want low noise floor when recording Foley or very detailed recordings. Noise is subjective as well, I believe it is psychoacoustics for defining a "warm" signal = a more analog sound. I have owned multiple devices over the years. A little noise floor is okay, and often welcome.
Yes, this guy is hilarious using that chart and believing that the "best" preamps in the market are in a budget M-Audio interface. 🤣🤣
SSL consoles are legendary. They entered the prosumer market only recently, but have been around in pro studios for decades. Hopefully they won’t ruin a good thing like Focusrite did
As an audio engineer it is quite enjoyable to watch a video guy's approach on choosing an audio interface. :-) Thanks for this video. Anyways, although mic preamps are important, the microphone itself is way more important. Also the quality isn't just determined by noise floor. SSL is known as one of the two to four greatest mixing console manufacturers from the 80ies till now; they build some great audio stuff but decided to move production to the Far East; still good products though. With lots of interfaces available (even just in that 2 mic inputs range) I think you picked the right one. Desktop interfaces should have their controls on the top and I am surprised that there's lots of interfaces with controls on the side (front). In a podcast/content creation/etc. environment, volume and mic gain are controls you need all the time even though you wouldn't notice it. You WILL notice, when those knobs are hard to reach.
Just because they stamp a 'cool' brand on it, doesn't mean it's any good. My SSL2 was unusable within a couple of months. All hype in my opinion ... either that or I just got a lemon. I could still never recommend that interface.
@@TobiasRieperGood @TobiasRieperGood I'm afraid I have to strongly disagree there. It's not just a moving membrane. Even if it was, the way, the membrane is built - diamter, material, etc - has a huge impact on the sound. And then it has to be transformed into an electrical signal. There's huge differences in sound.
Or would you say, just because every eardrum is just a moving membrane, everybody hears the same way? Or vocal cords all function the same way, so every voice sounds the same?
The closer you get to the sound source the more important is quality of the component. starting with a good speaker's voice, then room acoustics, then microphone, then preamp, then ADC. I'm sure more people can hear a difference between microphones but only a few can tell the difference between preamps or even ADCs.
To be fair, there have been a couple of rack preamps with variable impedance, and the Chinese are getting better at copying mics.
It'll be interesting to see if "any decent mic" will replace a lot of the good mics in future
@@beautgrainger147I wonder if MEMS microphone tech will advance in such a way that arrays of these produce superior mics at a very low price point.
@@Fiveash-Artnope.. 2 of my friends had a SSL2 crapping out within 6 months... its garbage.
5:35 if the dynamc mic is of decent quality it should have a transformer inside that balances the signal and boosts the gain a bit (in the sm58 it's a 6 dB boost I think) and, as every transformer, blocks any DC current and lets only AC current pass (only audio), so the phantom power gets "trapped" in the core of the transformer and turns into heat: no damage to the mic. If in doubt check the inner schematic of your mic or ask on gearspace.
All ribbon mics have a transformer because the impedance of the aluminium strip (the ribbon) is very low and the output signal very low too. They might get damaged by phantom if the pins are not wired as standard (so, very old specimens), or if an adapter from Tuchel (old german connector) to XLR is used mixing the pin numbering (again, old stuff before standards were implemented), or an XLR to XLR modern cable is used (with any mic) with improper pin numbering or shorting pin 2 or 3 to ground (pin 1), this can kill even a dynamic mic with transformer!
Generally it's recommended to plug first all the mic and then turn on the phantom, and turn off the phantom and wait a few seconds before unplugging: the spike when hot plugging might damage very sensitive condenser mics, and those are designed for phantom.
So,
- proper cables
- proper pin numbering
- no hot swapping
I‘ve had an Audient ID 44 for over 6 years, and never had a problem with it. Solid metal construction. No plastic!!! Great preamps!!! Great sound!!! 😊
The SSL2 is garbage ... I was able to use mine for a couple of months until it pretty much broke.
I have both the audient and ssl2. The SSL2 is way way more durable and feels rugged. The audient's is pretty on the outside but the build quality really pales when compared to the ssl2.. my knobs popped out although I fixed them. I record live music with both and I can tell you from experience the ssl2 is a better option to buy - cheaper, better build quality and that harmonic 4k distortion is amazing.. the audient is flat which is also a good thing just like the ssl2 without the 4k.
@@joshmcdzz6925 The build quality is absolutely not good on the SSL2 .. I have no clue about the Audient .. All the push buttons on mine were super loose and fuzzy and the whole thing just feels like plastic. I have no clue what people are raving about with this thing. Even if the thing weren't clunky, it sounded like garbage until it didn't work. I don't know if I just got a lemon, but I'd still say the build quality is not that great on these things. It's gimmicky branding with the SSL stamp in my opinion.
@@joshmcdzz6925 How could the SSL2 be "way way more durable than the Audient", when the SSL 2 is PLASTIC, and the AUDIENT is METAL?! LOL
@@DICARLOPRODUCTIONS because I have both and from experience it is.. I know 2 ppl whose audient bricked out within a space of 3-4years
I upgraded from a Focusrite 2i4 to the SSL 2+, and not only is the panel layout terrific, the clarity and separation of the audio is better than I deserve. The two free SSL plugins included, the Drumstrip and Vocalstrip, are together, cost more than the price of the interface. The plugins alone are worth getting the Interface.
The 2i4 is my unit as well and just copped the SSL2+.
Hi hope you can answer , is the two free ssl plugins included in all purchases?
@@Z3Chosen1 as long as you buy it new i suppose..
Fun tut... keep posting. I have been using the SSL2+ for over a year... awsome!!
Love your sense of humour. User Interface (that’s right, I ain’t afraid to spell things out), is so very important. What you want to pass off intially as ‘Yeah. Don’t like it, but I’ll get USED to it.’, but then you deal with some bogus layout every day and ‘dealing with it’ turns into hate, oh so easily. I subscribed. Thanks.
Love your style of content I’m rolling 😂 😂 peak humor subbed 👍🏾
FWIW: a stage dynamic microphone like you have will typically have a step up transformer inside that will also serve as protection against the capsule receiving phantom power.
I went through a similarly frustrating journey. My first interface was basically perfect. M-Audio C400.
The preamps were good enough to amplify pretty much any dynamic mic without hiss, including an SM7b. It had a nice big level meter right up on top. It had the big knob on top that the current M-Audio interface has. The headphone amp was good enough for my planar magnetics.
They haven't updated the drivers since 2014 and it now gives my computer the blue screen of death.
The Focusrite Scarlett was never on the same level, so I never considered that as a possible replacement.
The Steinberg UR12 has a funny sounding name (you are 12?) and has horribly hissy preamps that completely devalue its good driver support, and it only has a single LED for clipping instead of a level meter.
The Motu M2 made weird noises until I updated my motherboard's firmware, and now it's a pretty suitable replacement for my old C400... if anything else has better preamps, the difference is going to be inaudible. It is SLIGHTLY disappointing to see that the SSL2 is cheaper though, because I like that layout a little more than all the knobs being on the front.
-129db to -133db noise level is a silly gauge. "No noise" vs "no noise" does not equate to which is best.
Wild and fun to watch you review an audio interface...I'm a pro composer and hobbyist photographer, so I've been watching you for years and it's a treat to see you review interfaces. ANYWAY, 4K...isn't a reference to video 4K higher definition or whatever (but I wonder if they deliberately chose it as a double meaning for those not in the know)...here's a description: "SSL built their reputation on their celebrated large format consoles, through which countless hit records and Grammy-award winning albums have flowed. In particular, the SSL 4000 series console has inspired generations of musicians, producers, and engineers with its undeniable analog mojo. The SSL2+ brings that signature 4000 series sound into your project studio with its Legacy 4K feature, which, with the push of a button, imparts the preamps with two essential characteristics of the 4000 series signal chain. The first thing you’ll hear is a musical, high-frequency EQ boost that will push your vocal or instrument forward in the sound field, for a deeper, more dimensional sonic profile. Then, you’ll notice a subtle addition of harmonic distortion that sweetens the sound and adds personality to the signal. For small format recording interfaces, there is nothing quite like the Legacy 4K button, available on the SSL2+." Yay!
I've had MOTU M2 for 3 years, wonderful preamps (funnily it's a bit low on the chart) compared to stuff like Line6 Pod Studio I had had 10 years ago. It's 2023 and it's really hard to screw up audio interfaces these days... but evidently some do
This guy is genuinely funny whilst delivering value as well, you got it boss 👏
Heehee….love your sense of humor. Very watchable. Good job. I have the SSL 2+ and enjoy it.
FYI the SSL is much better for conversion and preamps than the Tascam. That chart you're looking at tells you nothing about sound quality. You made the right choice for sure.
We are in the same rabbit hole, my friend.
Your videos are ART!!! lol. Thank you!!! Because your reviews are on point!
This guy is hilarious! He is Def from the camera world VS the audio world, But I'd watch his reviews any day 😂😂
Love your content! You always bring a smile to my face!
I recently got a MOTU ultra-lite mk5 and really enjoying it. I have some external preamps plugged into the MOTU but the built in preamps on the unit are solid.
MOTU is excellent.My previous MOTU lasted for 16 years.
This is honestly hilarious and informative. Thank you so much !
Excellent presentation. Straight and honest with a pinch of humor. Thank you.
"i said descroy and i stick it, with it" made my belly hurt, take my sub
If I hadn't just purchased an interface I'd buy anything you are selling here just because you cracked me up...terrific.... LOL
But can it do 4k 240p audio?
The 4k button clearly is not about image resolution, but about *colour* space. You get better colours ("analogue colour enhancement, inspired by classic SSL consoles") by pressing these 4 k buttons. Ever heard of people having synesthesia? Some of them see sound as colours. Makes sense, right? They'll get a more vivid sound expericence, with vivid colours, because of the 4k bit depth for audio colour space ;-)
The SSL blows anything made by Tascam or M-Audio out of the water sound quality-wise. SSL is a legacy company known for making $100,000+ mixers. The preamps in this interface are a similar topology to their full large format consoles. Not as good as an API or Neve preamp, but still very good, some of the best you can get on a 2x2 interface. For overall driver stability, RME make the beat interfaces and have loads of clean gain in the preamps, but they are significantly more expensive.
You make a good decision with SSL.
In reality, there's very little difference between different branded audio interfaces at a given price point. They're all similar SMD components with the same dacs and opamps. Probably made in the same factory too.
You are relying on look rather than sound
Ssl is great but I bet you haven't used one
In the audio world, SSL is world-renown for mixers and preamps. You chose wisely.
Yeap, they make very expensive audio mixing consoles and are perhaps the world leaders.
Absolutely, SSL is great.
Same goes for Audient tho, don’t know why his died.
I love my iD44.
Not the same engineers or production. Only thing the same is the name. And they WERE known for a certain 80's sound that wouldn't fly today with few people still using their desks unless producing 80s style music. They had a signature, but were not the best. Certainly no Neve.
Don't be fooled by branding. While SSL have made some great consoles and outboard, audio interfaces.... not so much. SSL have never been known for their convertors. In fact their history here would point to shitty drivers and them abandoning tech product support early. IMO an RME or GEN4 Focusrite are vastly superior, better drivers, better build quality.... and preamps differences at this price is irrelevant but both are as good as the SSL
Also. the 4K button is a console emulation, not HD vs 4k
I used an Apollo Duo for years and loved it but switched back to pc and went to the SSL 2 Plus. Love it. FYI, the 4K button isn't a gimmick. It's an effect of sorts that emulates the analog character of the SSL 4K board. It is a use it or don't choice depending on what you want. I love it on acoustic guitar tracks and some vocal tracks, but not on everything. It's a nice option to have, and once you get used to what it does, it only takes a moment to decide whether you want to use it or not on a track you are recording.
Truly perfected this format, loved this
At last....someone who actually gives you a real life view of using some kit, well done sir.
Thanks for sharing, you kept cracking me up!
love the way you talk and structure the vid my g
I have a Behringer UMC22. Cheap and works fine.
I LOVED this video! This is the first time I've ever seen one of your videos and your dialogue and humor had me rolling! I freaking love it! I instantly subscribed - brilliant stuff!
After my motu m2 drivers stopped working I went and got a SSL2+ and man it's rock solid and new firmware includes loopback too. If you want the best audio routing pair the SSL2+ with the streamdeck plus and then your in heaven. The wavelink software and fantastic preamps for the win.
Hey Ryan, I love my Motu M2. Forgive me..Drivers are the software that give the correct instructions to the hardware, right? Your motu m2 works, just it is not being updated to work with your gear???
Never expected watching a video of a dude talking about audio interfaces and love the personality of that dude so much xD
You're great dude keep it up.
this the best video i've found in RUclips about audio so far
I was needing some good audio interface info and a good laugh. I got both in the same video. You are hilarious! You had me in tears. Straight up comedy routine! Thankyou! You earnt a New Subscriber.
Just went through the SAME thing as I have 4 audio interfaces sitting in front of me right now. Well I should say, 3 in front of me and ONE plugged in, the SSL+! Was also my favorite and you just reassured me I was right in my thinking!
Good choice! SSL has been around for ages. Most big hits in the 80's and beyond are mixed on those huge mixing desks. A huge pro player that went to the consumer market.
I love this video 🙂 Thank you! Not only informational I was cackle laughing while watching! 10/10
FWIW - just because a preamp has a sound-to-noise ratio of 131 dB or lower doesn't automatically mean it's going to be a good quality preamp. Past around -129 dBfs it's all esoterical anyway, because that's roughly where every (superb) analog circuit will have its background noise. And these little low-voltage boxes with their PCBs and printed signal paths DEFINITELY have an internal background noise level way above -129 dBfs, and this isn't even considering crossfeed or channel bleed yet.
Those dB values don't say anything about the behaviour of the preamp, e.g. how much it "buzzes" (adds harmonics) when driven, or how fast its slew rate can respond to incoming singals, and they don't say anything about the THD or the SNR of the A/D converters the mic signal has to pass after preamplification. They're just theoretical abstract and intangible values. Marketing tactics.
SSL in full is Solid State Logic, they've been around since the late 60s, they were a pioneer in transistor / solid state technology (hence the name) which was more affordable, more reliable, cleaner, less noisy and lower-maintenance than the mostly valve/tube based other audio technology available at the time. Pretty certain that the vast majority of (actual) 80s songs you know and love were mixed on an SSL console.
They had a few very famous and much-liked console systems, one of them was the 9000 J - which is, I believe, what the preamps in the SSL audio interfaces were designed after. The other was the 4000 E/G series, and allegedly that 4K "more than Full HD" button on the SSL audio interface does something inside the box that turns the 9000-ish preamps into 4000-ish preamps.
@JulianKrause is the GOAT when it comes to audio interfaces. He is also a subtle comedic genius.
Thanks for the laughs..truly!!! and info
RME Babyface Pro FS for outstanding all-round abilities and quality, including the most rock solid drivers. The differnce between -129 and -131 as a clincher? Well . . .
I've an SSL 2 and it's pretty damn good. Preamps are plenty quiet and give you all of the power you'll need
Phantom power will not damage a dynamic mic. It will not do anything to the mic. But it will destroy a ribbon mic.
Your confidence but maturity is refreshing. I'm not sure what it is, but I could see you smiling as you made small jokes. and it just felt fun. so thanks.
Hi. Sound Devices MixPre3 Mk 1 or 2. If you want portable. You can attach powered monitors to it and you have 3 channels with incredible preamps. If it’s always desk bound then UAD Apollo Twin X Duo if you want to do music too. Van
+1 for the Apollo (can also be modded by blacklionaudio for even better AD/DA performance)
First of all, I would have sought out a repairer in my neighbourhood. I have two in my local shopping mall, "iSmash" and "Mobile Lab". They both specialise in mobile phone repair, but the latter one fixed my Mac Mini for me and I'm very happy with it.
Secondly, I have a Yamaha AG06 mixer, which is awesome. It's a combined Interface and DAC with inputs for mics, guitar, keyboards, etc. One great feature is the "loopback" facility, which allows me to play back audio from my computer, and mix and record audio also to a file on my computer. I'm very happy with the sound quality.
I think the 4K refers to SSL's classic 4k recording consoles. SSL is known for making the most famous analog console for mixing records on. The button gives your preamp a little bit of their analog console sound vs. a more flat sounding digital preamp.
Importantly, 48v wont damage dynamic microphones. You can use it safely knowing it will be fine.
49v can completly destory ribbon microhpones within seconds, and some other devices like laptops, synths ect, if you plan to record from them.
I love your humor and common sense. I am feeling confidence of the ss2+
I came from an ESI audio interface which had NO buttons at all besides phantom power. I can't stress enough how important the tactile feedback of hardware switches, buttons and knobs is.
The Audient ID14 MK2 is very solid though. Premature hardware death can happen with any brand, including SSL. I find it kinda silly that you wouldn't get another one especially if you were satisfied with your purchase.
Came for the review, stayed for the laughs... I've been trying to make up my mind on getting the SSL 2 vs M-Audio Air 192-4. Thanks for sharing!
I was just thinkin' I hadn't come across your vids in a while, yet the algorithm gods must have heard my plea (or they just figured since I had first been over on Julian Krause's channel also). Though super stoked you popped up today, because shit I needed a good laugh and you always deliver. Plus yes, audio interface hell is what I'm facing. And as usual, you some how mange to hit the right wave length every time. I've now narrowed it down to SSL 2+. Thanks for your assitance. PS. Your voice in the 4K mode sounds awesome. Toodals!
The comedian of interface reviews. I enjoyed your mini rave about different interface designs. If they have to cram all the knobs into a tiny space so make the interface bigger or put some on top, job done!
I have a Steinberg UR22C which doesn’t rate that high on preamp noise but it works for me. I’m only an amateur recording musician but it is a solid piece of kit and just works for me without any fuss.
I think many get excited and orgasmic by low noise preamps but in real world use they are not such a big problem and not so noticeable unless you are an audio freak. 🤓
Vegetable Cop! I didn't know you had this channel, good to see you!
LOVE your delivery, man.
Great review, very informative
And entertaining as shit!!
lol
Thanks for that!
The biggest problem I have with all the reviews for audio interfaces is it is based off a unit that actually works, and doesn't come covered in cheetoh fingerprints with a volume knob that goes from zero to one hundred when you twist it two millimeters and have the software already registered to someone in Argentina. Which is basically 50% of all electronics that ships from Amazon today.
Of all the things I expected from this video, a mention of Julian Krause and his godlike reviews wasn't one. Good choice with the SSL 2+ too. Make sure you get a look at his table of headphone outputs when selecting an interface too.
Most entertaining video I’ve seen in years😂👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Aw man, your storytelling, demeanor and accent is just so precious. Save this man at all cost!
I will subscribe to watch you. Not worried about the content I'm sure you will deliver it successfully. Bromancing the stone.
my audient id22 died in a weird way aswell. One day its simply not outputting sound, meters work, windows thinks it works, well even this thing thinks it works, it shows me on the level . So i unplugged it left it on the table to wither away. 2 years later i decide to plug it into my new computer, and guess what... it just worked until it did not after just a week. I payed like 420 euros and kinda sad it died only after 4 -5 years of usage.
I'm using the SSL Big SiX mixer and the pres are great. It has USB interfacing also, so you can sum through it. The 4k is an unfortunate name, but it's just a simulation of their 4000 series console sound.
SSL is pretty high end.. tascam has some decent stuff but the unit he was showing is just commercial off the shelf grade stuff. not bad.. I personally would not use it for anything important. that particular 2 channel SSL however- I"m not sure that is anywhere near as good as a legit SSL board or your big 6 either.
@@willfest If you go by the EIN numbers, as he has done, it's important to check how they were measured. Some manufacturers don't state this. 150 ohms is standard and most of them are A-weighted measurements. If you lower the resistance, it's not an even playing field anymore.
@@bitspacemusic in the end.. dynamic range matters particularly if you are trying to capture "quiet" sounds but talking in a room isn't very quiet. He so far has complained about the sounds in the room that the mic is picking up in my opinion -- how many people have an actual "silent" sound proofed room where the actual EIN noise-floor becomes a factor???? that is why I rarely concern myself with that end of the spectrum.. in music which I am more interested or as interested in as video. I CAN DEFINITELY SEE for with video, you may want a VERY silent part of a movie for drama-- but in my opinion, the low end interfaces are going to be good enough. if you listen to the audio in movies.. sure some are very clear but the mixes are really all over the place.. you have talking too quiet, explosions waaaay too loud, sound effects too loud or too soft.. the EQ for these effects is questionable (not always) but also I hear the lack of ability to use compression when it is truly needed so --
long before you need to "perfect" your inputs, I'd say perfect your outputs and by then, for video you probably would be very happy with any of the products mentioned unless you truly are an audio artist capturing audio for the sound which you intend on mixing into the film at some extraordinary way which I RARELY see in Hollywood. and then.. well let me put this in perspective. I have some Senheiser mics like Casey's.. I have 3 of them and I have let at least 500 different bands handle them, throw them, drop them, scream directly into them, stick them into their mouths, spit into them, spill beer into them. I knew this would happen when I bought them. I have 1 that only a few friends have used live.. which is in very good condition. These mics do wear out after a while.. I suppose the abused ones have a crusty film on the diaphragm which is like a plastic surface with a coil glued under it. My point is, its a great mic.. for me its more of a "hand held mic" for interviewing and the interviewee should hold that mic up to their mouth and speak into it while on camera. In my opinion, THAT is the intended use by the manufacturer for that microphone (e835, e845, e945 etc). you can also put them on a stand and sing directly into them or mic a guitar cab or snare drum etc with them but that is their intended mice. these dynamic mics are intended for close-range use. HOWEVER, the microphones that he complained about are actually more suited for the purpose he intends because they are "omni" directional mics. you set them up out of the shot and they pick up the whole room. alternatively you could use a shot-gun which are extremely directional but with a shotgun, you actually have to aim it directly at the sound source to get it right and you probably will have to fiddle more with the EQ in post. on the omni, you will be dealing with room sounds more because it is "omni-directional".. with the sennheiser, it is cardioid which means it is "more" directional than the omni but much less directional than a hypercardioid or shotgun.. also a dynamic cardioid mic is going to be a more close-proximity microphone. THESE are the main reasons why his audio sounds much clearer on them and less becasue it is dynamic because there are plenty of non-dynamic mics which are more directional and MUCH cleaner, MUCH more clear than the sennheiser e945 ! ! ! that is my main point. I was mixing stadiums 20 years ago.. and to this day mix primarily outdoor events. I do NOT consider myself an "expert" . but I am a seasoned user of many many microphones and pre-amps and uasually when I am using them, there is a large crowd watching over my shoulder. or a small crowd.. and a hand-ful of musicians who typically know the gear pretty darned well because these are the the musicians at the level where they have a hired sound-man running sound for them. all I am doing is trying to spread the knowledge because I think there are some valuable nuggets in here which can probably not only solve his questions but they can bump him up several levels of how he is looking at it-- at which he will still be learning his own way of doing things which is different from my way--- but he will will see "ahaa.. yes, this perspective is helpful indeed " I mean.. 30 years of operating microphones into hot amps and speakers before a crowd.. if you think "hissing sound" is bad in a video-- try amping up to 30,000 or 100,000 watts!!!! that "seashell ocean" sound can get quite loud ! ! ! so you won't be mixing very many shows if you have "hissing" or "noise".. and many of those years I was using some downright crap gear in the beginning 10 years or so.. still plenty of power, but the crap gear forces you to learn about the noise floor and signals etc...
loved it! thanks so much.. subscribed!
I appreciate your tone and sense of humour sir 🙂
Lol I came for the SSL but stayed for your comedy. You’re funny as hell. “What hurts more, the finger or the wrist” 😂
I have been listening to you more for the subtle humor than the actual reviews :D Keep it up.
For some reason, I don’t know why, I really loved your video. It felt to be so honest👍🏾
best video i seen in ages what a character I like you mate your a good lad
As a sound engineer, I highly recommend ESI audio. For 200 bucks get the Amber i1. Stereo input, mic pre, instrument or line. Simple. Noiseless, no perceivable latency. Nice lil control panel with a mute button. Easily the most underrated maker. They're SO cool they even make a PCI-E audio card with 4 inputs if you still live in the 90's like me and put your old gaming PC in a rackcase that weight as much as your first partner did back in college.
Great video bro. Thanks for making my choices a bit more simple... enjoy the comedic sarcasm as well. ;)
Why are the "I'M ON!" lights always so damned bright, and usually BLUE! The wee SSL interfaces are really great and well designed.
nice review ! now i get an SSL2+
I use the M-Audio Air 192, works fine for me, no clicking, everything was recognised instantly. I guess yours must have been broken.
Yeah I use the same & been a great interface / says it was a used Amazon deal 😂 prob defective model that went into “try and sell” bin
This is going to work out great for your 3rd channel Techno new waver vids. I can’t wait to hear your beats.
I had 2 Audient ID22’s. Loved them, sound great but they both died after like 2 years. Switched to Scarlett and no problems so far
Good method of communicating. Excellent presentation. … I got it.
I had the Audient for years. Gave it to my son. He used it for years, then it broke. I now have an SSL 2+ and my son has the UA Volt 276. The Volt is WAY better. I like my SSL, but the M610 preamp and 1176 compressor simulation buttons on the Volt are a homerun. I'm gonna use my SSL for now, but I'll eventually replace it with a UA Volt. For context, I've owned the UA Apollo and didn't love the software matrix routing. Had a UA Arrow. Same problem. The Volt fixes all of that with emulation buttons instead of software emulations, and a direct monitoring button for latency-free monitoring.
Thanks for the input. I have been considering between the two and glad to hear the compressor works well.
I work with the Ssl2+ and a Neumann tlm103 in conjunction with the 4k button. I have very crisp and clear vocals with a slight vintage analog touch. I love this combo especially for rap vocals