As a bedroom studio user I say thank you so much for this excellent test. Even though I have my audio interface already I now know that I don’t want to change it because you tested it. Thank you! 🙏
@@andriimotsyk3018 Your response is not at all honest or logical... I've only seen two videos of this guy, and it's clear he's not lying. And regarding your too-quick remark ==> the previous video I have seen is the one where he puts the same Behringer audio interface at the very bottom of the scale regarding residual noise in the headphone sound... You should need to learn to check before say something. 😉
Ok, this is hands down the best video on audio interfaces. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this, you answered so many questions in this one presentation.
Very well made video, and well documented objective tests! However I would like to say, I did try to replicate your test with the Motu M2 on my Motu M4, and did not experience the same outcome, there was no change with headphone volume. IMO, the M4/M6 is a massive step up from the M2 in features, and does in fact have dedicated line level inputs on 3/4 which bypass the preamp. Also, the M4 was one of the few interfaces I found with RCA line level inputs/outputs, which for my use case is very handy.
I own a Motu M2 and I couldn't reproduce the issue: my inputs remains absolutely clean whatever the headphone gain setting. Either he had a faulty unit or he made an error during his test.
@@Ambolik were you actually sending a very loud signal to power-hungry headphones or were you just turning up the knob on no sound? Because the issue, if replicable, would imply you're sending a large amount of current to headphones.
From an engineering standpoint, the headphone output level to mic input distortion correlation is probably caused by a non-optimal internal power supply design. Small interfaces like this often use internal boost-buck converters to step up the voltage coming from the USB or some other data link interface to a higher, dual polarity supply, usually +15V and -15V. These power rails are often used in common by all the analog audio circuitry, so both the headphone amp and mic inputs are internally run from the same power rails. When the headphone amplifier output is delivering a high amount of current into the headphones, this can cause the common power supply voltage to "sag" and drop below +-15V, causing the mic preamps to clip earlier because now their signal can't swing the entire voltage range that it was designed to.
@@ObscureSampology an interface that isn't bus-powered, or that has an option not to be. Alternatively, a Thunderbolt interface, which has a much higher power rating than USB.
Would this problem go away with an interface such as the Behringer UMC404HD if you use the optional DC power supply? Maybe I should get a power supply for it.
@@distortingjack USB-C should be also be able to supply oodles of power, assuming the ports in question adhere to one of the higher power delivery standards.
Another for RME here! Been using a Multiface II for over a decade now, am ordering the FireFace UFX III this afternoon though. Amazing sound quality, superb driver support, serious build quality etc...
Agreed. I'm using a FF800 and an ADI2 Pro FSR. There's definitely a difference listening to the ADI2! The Fireface 800 is flawless and also sounds brilliant, 23 years old now, and working fine with Windows 10. Yet to test it with Sonoma on mac with Legacy Patcher.
same here my m4 is perfect and ive owned many of these other interfaces. for the the price the m4 was the best in its class when i got it. this guys trippen lol! he probably has a fucked up or defective device and should probably reconsider his review. whatever tho we're content haha
Marketing strategies have become more refined. There are many brands and these are the tricks that are used to fight in the market. In reality they are not informative videos but very targeted marketing. There are communication courses to learn how to screw people even when it doesn't seem like it. The ways of speaking and directing the gaze, the tone of voice, setting the speech. These are the concepts of NLP
@@kempdaw6726 Lol. So, u think this small youtuber got paid by 3 DIFFERENT manufacturers to praise their products and put ONE brand down?! 😅💀OR maybe, just maybe, these are his actual findings based on his actual measurements! Paid marketing with fluffy information surely exists, but this is not it. His general results line up with the general consensus of these products by all the other reviews.
Man...this is THE video on Audio Interfaces. Absolutely stellar work dude! Awesome to see that it's getting some solid views, hope it continues to get shared around even more! 💪
Julian Krause has been my go-to for audio interface reviews and now this channel has been added to that list. Amazing reviews. Thanks! I feel really good about buying the iD4 now lol.
This video was fantastic! Thank you so much for the in depth analysis! I have been wanting to upgrade from my 2nd gen 2i2 to the 4th gen, but after this video I'm now debating getting the SSL2 instead. I love these kinds of videos that dive deeper into a subject and helps the audience make decisions for themselves instead of being told what to get, so keep it up!!!
I've used my id44 for a few years now and I LOVE it. I'd be hard pressed to get anything else. My few interactions with their support team have been fabulous as well. Can't recommend them enough
This is the best audio interface comparison video / buyer's guide I've across on the internet. The only thing this is missing is a discussion about the reliability of the products. Despite being USB class compliant audio devices, all interfaces don't seem to be equally reliable in the real world. It's very difficult to test in this kind of a video but it might be valuable to mention as something that can affect your user experience depending on which box you end up buying.
Thank you for the effort you invested. So much great technical detail, blended with just the right amount of personal input. I certainty hope you can continue your channel and share your in-depth analysis. Much to be proud of. For this type of audience, this was as well done as any RUclips video out there. Earned my subscription.
I just got the Neumann to replace my 2nd gen Scarlett 18i8. The difference not only in recording quality but playback quality on my Adam A7's is absolutely astonishing. The biggest reason besides just being a much better interface than the Scarlett is that I have it setup to take to acoustic duet shows and run a couple of powered PA speakers out of the unit. After playing around with it at home, it works for that really well and is a fraction the size of our old beat up Peavey mixer, has a nice compressor, great reverb for vocals and guitar, etc. We only have 2 vocal mics and a guitar instrument input so it's perfect for that.
Thank you so much for this. I recently switched from the SSL2 to the MOTU M2 and liked the M2 a lot on the NT1, but it's because I liked the distortion! On my shotgun mic and especially dynamic mics it was unusable. And yes, the distortion is noticeable if the M2 headphone jack is above 60%. I just did an A/B with the MOTU M2 and the SSL and it bore out your findings.
great video. super comprehensive. would love to see tascam, and NI (among others) in there in the future. great stuff, I'm headed over to the fb group and page
Nice one for taking your time to produce this video explaining all the terms and measurements people use when buying any audio interface but really most don’t actually know the real differences, and wouldn’t be able to tell any difference or very minimal. Your explanations and visual & sound recordings/diagrams to backup your findings are spot on mate. Personally having studied in sound, recording, production etc I understand the terms used but I play and work with many other musicians in my own band, other bands etc who ask about these terms and best interface for them. I might know ajj by out these but I’m not the best at actually explaining verbally to people so your video has been really helpful as I’ve forwarded it to various musicians when asked any of these. So thanks again a god send video for me. Cheers Steve (Manchester, England).
Really good video, thanks! A little off-topic: I have an ancient RME HDSP 9632 Hammerfall PCI(non-e) card, and I grow more and more fond of it every year. I don't suppose there's many of them left on the second-hand market, but if you find one, and it's working properly - and your computer has a PCI slot - it will knock all of these out of the water.
This is undoubtedly the best research and analysis of interfaces available on RUclips. It's completely transparent and allows you to determine what’s best for you based on real factors that will affect your workflow in a home studio. I was planning to get the SSL 12+, and now I'm convinced it's the ideal choice for me, especially after discovering the preamp bypass feature. Thank you for truly supporting the audio community!
Hi Chris! :) Thanks for all these tests! I have a question about your Motu M2 unit. Was this unit assembled in USA (original version) or it's "second revision" which was made in China? I heard in second revision Motu changed the internals (another controller, another ADC/DAC).
I'm interested in this too. 1st rev (2019) had ESS ES9016 (like professional MOTU interfaces) and XMOS chip while 2nd rev (2021) has ESS ES9026PRO and NXP
Wow - what a great in-depth comparison - excellent. One thing I like about the UMC204HD (and it's bigger brother the UMC404HD as well) are the inserts which let you send the audio off to external processors then receive it back in.
Great review, I wish you could have included the iConnectivity Audio4C that is also the only affordable interface that can be used with 2 devices at the same time, I don't now why most manufactures overlook this aspect as nowadays most musicians or audio techs use more than one device, for example for me I use my Windows laptop and iPad at the same time and the only affordable interface that enables me to do that is the iConnectivity Audio4C which also has really good preamps and both front panel and software controls
I totally agree. I create on the IPad but, would love to switch between my iPad and MacBook Pro. I currently use an Audient ID44 and I am concerned about the conversion on the Iconnectivity 4C. So, little information on that piece.
I wanted to replace my Steinberg U22 because I don't like the pre-amps and did know how to start looking for another Audio Interface since there are so many. Found this video and it was A PERFECT analysis. I am so appreciative you took the time to do these test and post for public use. Thank you so much. Outstanding work, outstanding job.
Wow. I’m blown away by this shootout. Everything a home studio producer would ever need to know about 99% of the interface options they are likely considering. Hat tip. Well done.
Very nice video. A likely reason for the Motu mic distortion increase is that it is entirely powered by the USB3 coming from the computer. So it relies on your computer to have enough power to power the current needy headphones and not starve the voltage needy preamps. It would be interesting to see if the issues also happened if using a decent externally powered USB splitter. It may still be possible depending on how it balances the current draw needs of some headphones with the voltage draw needed for the mic preamps but it would be an interesting test. Also it would be very interesting to see how the more profitable larger 8 channel+ interfaces compare against each other and to their lower end 2 channel siblings.
@@ConCoClem Glad it worked for you. 3 things come into play - He was measuring not listening. We often cannot hear distortion well. It depends on the impedance of your headphones. Lower impedance headphones require more current especially it at higher volumes. It's computer dependent. It could also be his system being unable to provide the needed current for the load.
@@ConCoClem I have been using a MOTU M4 for four years. I just did a test with both Mic Pre's set to max gain (nothing plugged into jacks) and routed into Audio channels in Cubase. Background noise reported by Cubase was ~ -53 dB plus or minus 0.1 dB - and this was not affected - at all - by the volume setting of the headphones with music played as the source. On the direct monitoring latency topic, I use this interface 99% of the time for VST Drum or EZ Drummer fed by my Roland TD-27KV2 V-drum kit. I am very sensitive to latency. I'm running a mid-line HP laptop with the Meteor Lake chipset, and with the MOTU set to 192 ks/s and 24 bit, I can set the buffer to 64 samples, which EZ reports as a 0.3 ms delay. This is a one-way delay, just audio out because I feed MIDI from the TD-27 into the PC via the TD-27's USB-MIDI interface. I stepped through the buffer sizes to see at what point I noticed the latency. I noticed 2 ms, and perceived the difference between 1 and 2 ms. When I run the audio from the TD-27 into LINE 3/4 on the MOTU and Monitor that directly, I have no perceivable latency. That tells me that with my MOTU, the monitor performance is likely 1 ms or less. The MOTU website, and their introduction videos, state "Zero latency monitoring". It seems like there was an issue with the M2 or the test setup in beautifulrecording's evaluation. I don't have an oscilloscope or a pulse generator so I can't measure the monitoring delay but the exercise I went through convinces me it is much less than the 2.4 ms the tester observed. I think it would be good for him to get another MOTU sample and carefully repeat the tests. I would not expect there to be any difference between the M2 and M4, but my experience is with the M4. I have had zero problems with the MOTU, and the documentation and support are excellent. The meters are very useful as well. My MOTU is bus-powered from a USB 3.1 Type A connection.
Thank you for doing this you helped me make a solid decision on my upgrade from a focusrite Solo to a Behringer UMC204HD with the Midas preamps. Nice work👍👍
The chart of all the interfaces is still a work in progress, but it is posted at www.getbeautifulrecordings.com I intend to post the other charts there in the future as well. Thanks, I’m glad you liked the video :)
Yeah this is a scientific analysis, and as others have said probably one of the best one out there. Kudos on the amount of work that went into it. I have an older Antelope Audio Discreet 4 with USB2 and it’s excellent for my home studio, although I don’t use any of their software plugins. It is my third and final interface.
This is probably the best audio gear analysis on RUclips. Seriously. If you want to test another one, a lot of beginner synth people end up with something from the Arturia Fuse line, since Arturia is one of the biggest synth manufacturers and has what is objectively the best starter synth (MicroFreak). That's actually what I was about to get when I found this video, but I'm going for an SSL2+ now instead.
Great video! If you take into consideration that the ID24 uses a digital encoder for volume (it resets), that drivers are not always rock solid and that you need to create an account and login to Audient to retrieve said drivers, SSL12 takes the win for me at +100 USD. My SSL12 is rock solid on Win10 and 11 on 3 different machines, power on/off switch with minimal on/off plop, awesome direct monitoring options with great mixer software on SSL360, which also notifies about and updates your drivers and firmware when necessary, with one click, no accounts no logins. Sounds great, easy to use, even talkback is included. I've used it on the go for a string quartet and vocal sessions with Schoeps CMC mics, fantastic, it's just been the most pleasant experience all-round. It's the "finally !" interface for me after having suffered so many others over the years.
And I heard how Audient drivers are most stable in Windows environments. SSL is pretty attractive, and luckily I found out that they released SSL 2+ MKII (but they don't have the RCA outputs compared to MKI which is a bit of a downside to me) and I almost bought MK1. I still think I will go with the Audient. It's either Audient or SSL for me. I don't want or like anything else. And you can download Audient drivers without signing in on their website. I tried it a few minutes ago.
Camera lense analogy is spot on. Both cases involve recording information contained in temporal waves for later recall. Both cases have the risk of adding noise to the signal too! This is quite the informative vid. Thanks.
I switched from an Apollo MKII to a UXC II recently and love it. I am by no means as technical as you are but and would very much appreciate to hear your thoughts, or have you include some of the RME equipment in your next videos. great vidoes btw!
I also have the UCX ii and just checked the specs. I couldn't immediately find the information presented the same way as shown here, but I think it is on the high end of this group. I would also like to see it added for a direct comparison.
Like others have said, +1 for RME. Buy literally any RME interface and enjoy the best of everything: ultra low noise preamps, crystal clear AD-DA, and the most stable drivers in the industry on PC or Mac. I tried several other brands on this list over the years and I’m sticking with RME for life now.
I’m sure he didn’t include RME because this is for a mass audience. Most beginners or even intermediates won’t be using RME. And as far as RME goes it sounds good but not on par with Prism Sound.
@@seratractivo7231 Which RME ADC and DAC do you compare to which Prism ADC and DAC? Best of all worlds, take a RME interface for digital communication with the DAW and connect your favourite analog converters to the RME interface using formats like AVB, Dante, MADI, MILAN or Ravenna. And there are also still AES3, S/Pdif coax, Toslink and ADAT. Everybody in the industry agrees about the fact that nothing beats the stability of RME. If you can not afford downtime you get a RME interface. For anything else, these days there are no really bad interfaces anymore. You obviously get what you pay for. A descend budget will buy you a descent interface, but when you are on a budget you can still get a pretty descent interface. What counts is that the interface doesn't get in your way, and for that reason a lot of people end up using RME.
This is the sort of in-depth testing the big music tech channels just don't do, i am now kicking myself over getting rid of a behringer umc for a focusrite scarlett!.
Just subscribed - an amazing amount of thought, knowledge, and ingenuity has gone into this extremely thorough and exhaustive series of tests. I have the SSL 12 interface, and love it. One advantage of having more inputs is that one can leave multiple different mics plugged in and ready to go, eg for recording an acoustic guitar followed by the singer putting down the vocal tracks. No mic cable juggling, no pulling plugs in and out, etc - just switch to the different active mic channel on the SSL.
I got rid of my Behringer Uphoria 1820 because it didn't play nice with cubase. Always trouble loading up and shutting down. I sold it and got an RME Babyface Pro FS. which is an expensive interface but it's killer on all fronts. I never looked back. My Behringer XR18 is still going strong though.
Wow, thanks for this super detailed and informative video. I bought an Audient id 24 interface about a year or so ago to replace my old apogee element 24 interface, but to my surprise listening to the same songs on Apple Music, in the same room , with the same studio monitors, I felt that the apogee element 24 interface sounded better. Maybe I'm crazy. Thinking about buying the id 24 or the new ssl 2+ mk 2 and giving this another go.
Thanks for the great review! Since in your previous video you said the SSL2 was the best pick for home recording (better than the Behringer), would you say that for vocals and voiceovers only it's still a better pick over Audient ID14 MKII, or is the Audient a better pick? Have you tried testing if SSL2 MKII has the same noise floor and preamps like the SSL2 you recommend? Is there a difference in the noise floor and premps for between ID14 and ID24, or are they both equally good if I want to save money?
Hi there! I hope this is okay but just wanted to let you know that something might be wrong with your MOTU M2 test. I tested this multiple times and didn't have distortion. But I think what 'may' be causing some distortion is that you had your 2nd input to the max. Doing that will make you hear much more noise that isn't there. ruclips.net/video/u7OroM-YVeE/видео.html
I didn’t show it in the video, but I experimented with several other parameters to see if it had an effect on this, such as the volume of the other input, different headphone impedances, and applying 48 volt. These had no impact on the results.
I agree. I have a Motu M2 that I use through a powered USB hub. I couldn’t replicate this issue. I purchased my M2 in April 2024 from Sweetwater. There was a revision of the M2 at some point. Maybe the one used in this video is an older version or a faulty one.
Great video. Covered things no one mentions. Of the three you recommended at the end are any of them class compliant for use with iPad ? I have a live performance issue where I must use the iPad and need to connect to it to utilise effects etc
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings Make it a priority. Sound quality and build quality can be a topic of discussion for every interface on the market but when it comes to the complete package RME is the gold standard with the most solid drivers and longest support. Buy a RME device today and you will still be using it in 15 years from now. It is the best investment ever.
Curious why you went for the Audient ID24 over the SSL2+. You said SSL 2 are some of your favourite preamps and you are getting the pure octo etc. and use the SSL2 outside the studio. So why recommend the ID24? I guess it's pretty close between them either way. Did you just pick the ID24 cos for the average user it might be a little better value with the direct line inputs and digital inputs? In that case would the SSL 12 be an option if you needed those two features?
I loved how thorough he was. I have been looking for a no compromise mid range audio interface since last six months but found it challenging being an audio interface noob, despite all the research on YT, forum etc. But now I know.👍
Very engaging and informational for a subject that is so obfuscated from marketing. Subbed. Also, I have the Volt 2 and I'm glad to see it reviewed. I really like mine because of it's simplicity.
I've been using SSL2+ since 2022, and I dig its sound quality and everything-only when it's working. The problem is that the little square buttons are unstable, causing issues such as hums, constant reconnecting (phantom power), intermittent loss of instrument signal, etc. These problems can be temporarily solved by re-pushing the buttons, but even the slightest accidental touch could mess it up again, and it seems like these issues are not unique to my unit. They should've done a recall.
I’m experiencing the exact same issue! This is exactly why I’m now shopping for new interfaces. I’m experiencing it particularly in Channel 2 around the square buttons!
The Best Info-Amazingly thorough,thanks. We've used them all. Our fave preamps are in the Antelope Audio Synergy Core 4,followed by RME BF. Still,we're back to using Audient iD14 and iD24 interfaces. The SSL 12 is the only other option for our needs. We must add,the tiny Lewitt blew our ears away-stellar interface.
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings It absolutely has to be in your test. The Babyface pro is the most boring interface out there, the bloody thing always works and never gets in you way. Rock solid sound and the best drivers in the industry, look no further, get a RME. This is the best advice I you can give your fellow creators.
OMG i think that this is one of the best video test that i have watched. Incredible the dedication and the patience. Idk why im still going with the SSL 2+ T.T i think im being stubborn uu
There were only three models of audio interfaces available in my city and I chose Behringer UMC22HD was the cheapest of all so I bought it for having shrinked budget. That was the best choice for that sum of money. So glad for that
@@adsm6464 In the end a RME is actually cheeper than 'having to' buy a new interface because you can't find any new drivers anymore. Even for a serious amateur RME is by far the best choice. Professionals know it's the most robust and reliable interface out there. The best investment you will ever make because a RME will last you 15 years or longer due to well build hardware and very long driver support.
Really good video. Thanks for doing all this research and work. I would have liked to see some of the really high-end interfaces included just to find out how these cheaper ones stack up to something like Prism Sound, Lynx Aurora (n), Apogee Symphony, Antelope, etc. I'd love to see you do that.
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings thanks 🥳😂😍 No...seriously....I really like your video because it states exactly what experience will tell you only after years. Almost all available Audio Interfaces today - also the very affordable ones - will be totally fine for 99.9% of users. I'm still not sure whether or not RME is indeed providing you with direct monitoring..... Anyhow.....since I'm a very convinced RME customer, I can only state that latency is between ultra-low and negligible with all RME products I know. And their driver support and standalone capabilities are also outstanding. Cheers and keep up the good informative work. The re-looping tests are really cool.
As the Behringer UMC204 is at $79 right now (is it about to be replaced?) I decided to take it off my wish list and ordered one. So I'm not sure I'm supposed to thank you for encouraging me to spend money... I'll let you know later.
I own 2 MOTU ( 828 mkIII and 828x both Amazing !!! ), a Focusrite Clarett 4, Line6 Helix and MAudio (a hate this hahah) The pres of MOTU are really beautiful.
My current setup is based on an Audient ID44 with Audient ASP 880 extensions. The sound quality is really very good, especially for the price. Love how to blend/mix the different signals for monitoring and queuing. I love the fact that the ASP can easily be configured to either use or bypass the Preamp stage. There are 2 things I'm missing: outputs on the ASP and a per channel metering option.
This is weird, I have a Motu M2, Mac m1. I don't have that problem that you have increasing the headphones volume, actually I don't have any complain about noise at all. Is true the headphones output is low but I use my interface connected to a mixer.
What an excellent thorough video. I especially like the part where you mentioned that most line input actually go through the microphone pre-amplifier. Another way to go get something like the Midas MR-18 mixer and use that for a 16 channel interface with those wonderful Midas preamps. I have been using that for live multitrack recording.
this guys tripping my motu m4 sounds perfectly fine when headphones are turned to max. you also fail to mention that the m4 has dedicated line inputs 3/4 and had rca in/outs. i didnt see any other interfaces with rca inputs and for monitors too. i bought and sold many of these interfaces as a side hustle since when the pandemic started and in my estimation the motu m4 sounded the best. go home guy youre drunk!!!!!
42:00 I think you are pretty harsh and suss by claiming the Motu m2 is unusable. I have this device and it's very usable and specs are excellent, definitely not the worst, that's laughable to claim. For instance, you say the preamp noise floor is 9.3 dB ...how did you formulate these values on the noise floor chart you showed? dB is not a unit of measurement. Typically, measurements like this are presented in dBU. An accurate measurement of the noise floor of the preamp is -129 dBU A-weighted, which is very good. At 42:05 you claim the motu line output / input are not great ... I understand the goal of this test, but it's not a very scientific way to test either the outputs or inputs on the device. The inputs on this interface are designed to accommodate instrument signals, so there will be some high pass filtering. Repeatedly sending the same signal through this input will result in a recording without any low frequency information. The Line outs on the M2 are excellently spec'd. If you were to perform this loop test with another input designed specifically as a line input, you would achieve near perfect conversion. At 42:36 you claim that distortion from the preamps of the microphone inputs can get introduced into the recording at max volume on the headphone jack ... well it's somewhat of an expected behavior, though running into this in any normal use-case is extremely unlikely. The test in the video requires sending a full scale test tone out of the headphone output with the level at maximum. This results in a massive power draw from the phones output which can impact distortion performance on the mic inputs. The headphone output on the M2 is very powerful, so a test like this would produce an extremely loud signal, which I don't expect the average user would need. This increased distortion result will only occur with a constant full scale tone sent to the phones out. A typical audio signal with transients and dynamics will not demand the same power from the headphone amp and will not impact the performance of the microphone inputs.
Bro I know you are mad because it's your device But if it works for you it works for you No need to be upset trying to scramble up every possible explanation you have for the product It's not suss at all it's just facts Again if it works for you then great
@@Notinserviceij facts lol. you sound upset bub. I shared this detailed response for anyone else who might come across this video and be led astray. So hopefully they read my comment and can make a more informed decision. If that bothers you, you should ask yourself why … And if you actually read and understood what I wrote you wouldn’t be so disingenuous and flippant. I provide clear detailed information that brings in to question the claims made by the reviewer in the video. If you don’t agree bring an argument in place of your ego. Because that’s all I see in your comment. Ego. If you don’t care then that’s your issue not mine.
@@ridesharesydneydrivers8592 The testing methods in that video are not a legit way to test the in/out of the audio interfaces, nor do they represent any practical scenario. Good for you for taking the time writing about this, you are a better person than me. It seems this video is aimed at beginners, this makes it only worse because they can't diffreeint the issues and will actually base their decision on it. The bright side is we are at a point where most audio interfaces sound transparent so as far as sound is concerned, it doesn't really matter.
Chris, you are absolutely and utterly right with the Motu M2! After reading so many rave reviews, I cannot believe they did not pick this up with their testing. I purchased this and did the usual updating of the firmware and driver for lower latency for hours upon hours, thinking it was my other expensive studio equipment or just me. After much trial and error, both here and there, a lot of frustration and wated time. I sat down in a huff and came across your video. Thank the good lord! These were the exact same issues I was having with the Motu M2 that you mentioned. This is totally unacceptable for this highly-reviewed Motu M2. I quickly ordered the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202HD USB Audio Interface, a cheap one close to the one you mentioned (I think one below the 2024), and it works brilliantly. The mic preamps sound fantastic, all connected to my Apple Mac M1! Thank you Chris for your efforts and time on all this!
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wow, what an incredibly well researched and presented video. subscribed!
You said it best. I was going to say this, but you beat me to it. Just wow. Thank you sir.
The SSL 2X has been above and beyond for my podcast. Great loopback function and zero latency monitoring with monitor mix. Great video!!
How would you compare it to the Audient ID24? @mikeb.7845
Yeah I've gone through so many audio interfaces but the SSL 2+ does its job so well, and the control panel is easy to access and excellent.
i got the ssl 12 runs quite well
Dude! That's a lot of friggin work you did. Thank You.
As a bedroom studio user I say thank you so much for this excellent test. Even though I have my audio interface already I now know that I don’t want to change it because you tested it. Thank you! 🙏
Which one is it
I do not smell any sponsor in this video at all. Great job
Behringer?
@@andriimotsyk3018 I don't think so, he trully spoke about the xenyx preamps
@@andriimotsyk3018 Your response is not at all honest or logical... I've only seen two videos of this guy, and it's clear he's not lying. And regarding your too-quick remark ==> the previous video I have seen is the one where he puts the same Behringer audio interface at the very bottom of the scale regarding residual noise in the headphone sound... You should need to learn to check before say something. 😉
@@autosmiley1532 better go check Julian Krause. Totally no buIIsht tests there
@@andriimotsyk3018 Or Universal Audio, all of them sponsored him if we follow your logic.
Ok, this is hands down the best video on audio interfaces. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this, you answered so many questions in this one presentation.
Very well made video, and well documented objective tests! However I would like to say, I did try to replicate your test with the Motu M2 on my Motu M4, and did not experience the same outcome, there was no change with headphone volume. IMO, the M4/M6 is a massive step up from the M2 in features, and does in fact have dedicated line level inputs on 3/4 which bypass the preamp. Also, the M4 was one of the few interfaces I found with RCA line level inputs/outputs, which for my use case is very handy.
That’s interesting. Thanks for sharing :)
really a bad take on the m2
I own a Motu M2 and I couldn't reproduce the issue: my inputs remains absolutely clean whatever the headphone gain setting. Either he had a faulty unit or he made an error during his test.
I don't have any problem with my m4.
@@Ambolik were you actually sending a very loud signal to power-hungry headphones or were you just turning up the knob on no sound? Because the issue, if replicable, would imply you're sending a large amount of current to headphones.
From an engineering standpoint, the headphone output level to mic input distortion correlation is probably caused by a non-optimal internal power supply design. Small interfaces like this often use internal boost-buck converters to step up the voltage coming from the USB or some other data link interface to a higher, dual polarity supply, usually +15V and -15V. These power rails are often used in common by all the analog audio circuitry, so both the headphone amp and mic inputs are internally run from the same power rails. When the headphone amplifier output is delivering a high amount of current into the headphones, this can cause the common power supply voltage to "sag" and drop below +-15V, causing the mic preamps to clip earlier because now their signal can't swing the entire voltage range that it was designed to.
😮
what do you reccomend?
@@ObscureSampology an interface that isn't bus-powered, or that has an option not to be. Alternatively, a Thunderbolt interface, which has a much higher power rating than USB.
Would this problem go away with an interface such as the Behringer UMC404HD if you use the optional DC power supply? Maybe I should get a power supply for it.
@@distortingjack USB-C should be also be able to supply oodles of power, assuming the ports in question adhere to one of the higher power delivery standards.
Another for RME here!
Been using a Multiface II for over a decade now, am ordering the FireFace UFX III this afternoon though.
Amazing sound quality, superb driver support, serious build quality etc...
yes my multiface II still running here for more than 12 years... incredible but unmatched in terms of quality/price in the current RME lineup...
My Fireface is 16 years old and still going strong. He can’t add RME to the line up, it would be a very short video… :D
Agreed. I'm using a FF800 and an ADI2 Pro FSR. There's definitely a difference listening to the ADI2! The Fireface 800 is flawless and also sounds brilliant, 23 years old now, and working fine with Windows 10. Yet to test it with Sonoma on mac with Legacy Patcher.
Just winked to my Babyface RS Pro. I will never forget it is there. My work buddy.
Had my Fireface UC for 15 year and it's never, ever missed a beat (literally). Fantastic drivers and build quality.
You are a BOSS. I've never seen such an in-depth comparison. Super-impressive.
Umm this is now THE BEST video on this subject! Excellent work and thank you
Wow, thanks!
100% agreed
yepp
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordingsplease do a field recorder Vs interface video🙏
Not when there isn't a single RME interface included.
Sad to heat the M2 did not fare well My M4 is working and sound quite excellent. Curious to see if the issues are similar on both models.
same here my m4 is perfect and ive owned many of these other interfaces. for the the price the m4 was the best in its class when i got it. this guys trippen lol! he probably has a fucked up or defective device and should probably reconsider his review. whatever tho we're content haha
@@Jordanchicity23 Yeah, same here, at least he's making all the Behringer owners happy, lol.
M2 sounds cheap and sterile to me. I also have an Audient iD24 and SSL 2 which actually sounds better
Marketing strategies have become more refined. There are many brands and these are the tricks that are used to fight in the market. In reality they are not informative videos but very targeted marketing. There are communication courses to learn how to screw people even when it doesn't seem like it. The ways of speaking and directing the gaze, the tone of voice, setting the speech. These are the concepts of NLP
@@kempdaw6726 Lol. So, u think this small youtuber got paid by 3 DIFFERENT manufacturers to praise their products and put ONE brand down?! 😅💀OR maybe, just maybe, these are his actual findings based on his actual measurements! Paid marketing with fluffy information surely exists, but this is not it. His general results line up with the general consensus of these products by all the other reviews.
hard to find a complete video like this one, amazing video! and also so nice to see my favorite audient IDmkII outperformed others!
Man...this is THE video on Audio Interfaces. Absolutely stellar work dude! Awesome to see that it's getting some solid views, hope it continues to get shared around even more! 💪
Thank you! Outstanding deep-dive into the subject. Inspired fresh thinking about available interfaces.
Julian Krause has been my go-to for audio interface reviews and now this channel has been added to that list. Amazing reviews. Thanks! I feel really good about buying the iD4 now lol.
This video was fantastic! Thank you so much for the in depth analysis! I have been wanting to upgrade from my 2nd gen 2i2 to the 4th gen, but after this video I'm now debating getting the SSL2 instead. I love these kinds of videos that dive deeper into a subject and helps the audience make decisions for themselves instead of being told what to get, so keep it up!!!
I have the SSL2 and love it. It’s a great option. My only complaint is that I wish it was a smaller form factor.
Thanks for taking the time for all the testing and for providing all this information!
I've used my id44 for a few years now and I LOVE it. I'd be hard pressed to get anything else. My few interactions with their support team have been fabulous as well. Can't recommend them enough
Ya, their customer service is great. I emailed them with some questions ( they didn’t know I do reviews), and got excellent service.
Same here, soundcard that you totally forget.... For doing ... Music!
This is the best audio interface comparison video / buyer's guide I've across on the internet. The only thing this is missing is a discussion about the reliability of the products. Despite being USB class compliant audio devices, all interfaces don't seem to be equally reliable in the real world. It's very difficult to test in this kind of a video but it might be valuable to mention as something that can affect your user experience depending on which box you end up buying.
This vid is really outstanding. Such a great level of detail........SUBSCRIBED!!
Thanks for the sub!
Same even if I never look at another vid
And then to ignore RME 😂😂😂
Great video. I have an Audient and the preamps are superb, my expensive Warm Audio pres are hard to distinguish from them.
thanks, would be amazing if you got your hands on RME gear and see/hear you test it.
well there is audioscienreview and Julian Krause, which is liek this, but even nerdier...and RME wins every time
Thank you for the effort you invested. So much great technical detail, blended with just the right amount of personal input. I certainty hope you can continue your channel and share your in-depth analysis. Much to be proud of. For this type of audience, this was as well done as any RUclips video out there. Earned my subscription.
Amazing work! Thank you 👍🏻
I just got the Neumann to replace my 2nd gen Scarlett 18i8. The difference not only in recording quality but playback quality on my Adam A7's is absolutely astonishing.
The biggest reason besides just being a much better interface than the Scarlett is that I have it setup to take to acoustic duet shows and run a couple of powered PA speakers out of the unit. After playing around with it at home, it works for that really well and is a fraction the size of our old beat up Peavey mixer, has a nice compressor, great reverb for vocals and guitar, etc. We only have 2 vocal mics and a guitar instrument input so it's perfect for that.
Hmm…no RME? On the compact side of their interfaces you might want to look at UCX II or Babyface Pro.
+1
+2
Thank you so much for this. I recently switched from the SSL2 to the MOTU M2 and liked the M2 a lot on the NT1, but it's because I liked the distortion! On my shotgun mic and especially dynamic mics it was unusable. And yes, the distortion is noticeable if the M2 headphone jack is above 60%. I just did an A/B with the MOTU M2 and the SSL and it bore out your findings.
great video. super comprehensive. would love to see tascam, and NI (among others) in there in the future. great stuff, I'm headed over to the fb group and page
Nice one for taking your time to produce this video explaining all the terms and measurements people use when buying any audio interface but really most don’t actually know the real differences, and wouldn’t be able to tell any difference or very minimal.
Your explanations and visual & sound recordings/diagrams to backup your findings are spot on mate. Personally having studied in sound, recording, production etc I understand the terms used but I play and work with many other musicians in my own band, other bands etc who ask about these terms and best interface for them.
I might know ajj by out these but I’m not the best at actually explaining verbally to people so your video has been really helpful as I’ve forwarded it to various musicians when asked any of these. So thanks again a god send video for me. Cheers Steve (Manchester, England).
This is a perfect example of quality content. Certianly earned my sub. Glad I stumbled across this.
Really good video, thanks! A little off-topic: I have an ancient RME HDSP 9632 Hammerfall PCI(non-e) card, and I grow more and more fond of it every year. I don't suppose there's many of them left on the second-hand market, but if you find one, and it's working properly - and your computer has a PCI slot - it will knock all of these out of the water.
1:00 Yes i did. Much cleaner on the apollo with better spatial clarity. You convinced me to upgrade.
Nice! Thanks for the comment :)
This is undoubtedly the best research and analysis of interfaces available on RUclips. It's completely transparent and allows you to determine what’s best for you based on real factors that will affect your workflow in a home studio. I was planning to get the SSL 12+, and now I'm convinced it's the ideal choice for me, especially after discovering the preamp bypass feature.
Thank you for truly supporting the audio community!
Hi Chris! :)
Thanks for all these tests!
I have a question about your Motu M2 unit. Was this unit assembled in USA (original version) or it's "second revision" which was made in China? I heard in second revision Motu changed the internals (another controller, another ADC/DAC).
I'm interested in this too. 1st rev (2019) had ESS ES9016 (like professional MOTU interfaces) and XMOS chip while 2nd rev (2021) has ESS ES9026PRO and NXP
Ah, I see, Chris has rev 2021 (2 screws on combo sockets). I'm gonna do the same test on Motu M2 rev 2019 next week. I'll inform you
@@shtacson wow! That would be nice. Thanks!
@@shtacson must be because i have an m4 thats fine and owned an m2 that also worked well a few years ago but sold it for the m4.
@@shtacsonany follow up?
Wow - what a great in-depth comparison - excellent.
One thing I like about the UMC204HD (and it's bigger brother the UMC404HD as well) are the inserts which let you send the audio off to external processors then receive it back in.
Great review, I wish you could have included the iConnectivity Audio4C that is also the only affordable interface that can be used with 2 devices at the same time, I don't now why most manufactures overlook this aspect as nowadays most musicians or audio techs use more than one device, for example for me I use my Windows laptop and iPad at the same time and the only affordable interface that enables me to do that is the iConnectivity Audio4C which also has really good preamps and both front panel and software controls
I totally agree. I create on the IPad but, would love to switch between my iPad and MacBook Pro. I currently use an Audient ID44 and I am concerned about the conversion on the Iconnectivity 4C. So, little information on that piece.
I wanted to replace my Steinberg U22 because I don't like the pre-amps and did know how to start looking for another Audio Interface since there are so many. Found this video and it was A PERFECT analysis. I am so appreciative you took the time to do these test and post for public use. Thank you so much. Outstanding work, outstanding job.
Same I have the mkii and it kees cutting off even with the asio yamaha. I'm getting that beringer
Why no RME interfaces??
It seems to be more in the prosumer category .. RME is high end..
@@astralaudio101the babyface might suit that area
RME all the way. Also the UCX II can be used here.
RME’s Software is just a menace and the sound is in my open somewhat Cold!
MT48 prosumer?🙄
Absolutely love your thorough testing and calm presentation. You let the facts and test results speak for themselves. Well done!
This was fantastic! I have been looking for a new interface and the detail in this overview was amazing! Thanks so much!
Thanks, I’m glad you liked it :)
what did u end up choosing?
SoundBlaster.
Wow. I’m blown away by this shootout. Everything a home studio producer would ever need to know about 99% of the interface options they are likely considering. Hat tip. Well done.
Very nice video. A likely reason for the Motu mic distortion increase is that it is entirely powered by the USB3 coming from the computer. So it relies on your computer to have enough power to power the current needy headphones and not starve the voltage needy preamps. It would be interesting to see if the issues also happened if using a decent externally powered USB splitter. It may still be possible depending on how it balances the current draw needs of some headphones with the voltage draw needed for the mic preamps but it would be an interesting test. Also it would be very interesting to see how the more profitable larger 8 channel+ interfaces compare against each other and to their lower end 2 channel siblings.
I think his is defective because I couldn't reproduce that weird distortion he was experiencing with the one my friend has
@@ConCoClem Glad it worked for you. 3 things come into play -
He was measuring not listening. We often cannot hear distortion well.
It depends on the impedance of your headphones. Lower impedance headphones require more current especially it at higher volumes.
It's computer dependent. It could also be his system being unable to provide the needed current for the load.
@@ConCoClem I have been using a MOTU M4 for four years. I just did a test with both Mic Pre's set to max gain (nothing plugged into jacks) and routed into Audio channels in Cubase. Background noise reported by Cubase was ~ -53 dB plus or minus 0.1 dB - and this was not affected - at all - by the volume setting of the headphones with music played as the source.
On the direct monitoring latency topic, I use this interface 99% of the time for VST Drum or EZ Drummer fed by my Roland TD-27KV2 V-drum kit. I am very sensitive to latency. I'm running a mid-line HP laptop with the Meteor Lake chipset, and with the MOTU set to 192 ks/s and 24 bit, I can set the buffer to 64 samples, which EZ reports as a 0.3 ms delay. This is a one-way delay, just audio out because I feed MIDI from the TD-27 into the PC via the TD-27's USB-MIDI interface. I stepped through the buffer sizes to see at what point I noticed the latency. I noticed 2 ms, and perceived the difference between 1 and 2 ms. When I run the audio from the TD-27 into LINE 3/4 on the MOTU and Monitor that directly, I have no perceivable latency. That tells me that with my MOTU, the monitor performance is likely 1 ms or less. The MOTU website, and their introduction videos, state "Zero latency monitoring". It seems like there was an issue with the M2 or the test setup in beautifulrecording's evaluation. I don't have an oscilloscope or a pulse generator so I can't measure the monitoring delay but the exercise I went through convinces me it is much less than the 2.4 ms the tester observed.
I think it would be good for him to get another MOTU sample and carefully repeat the tests. I would not expect there to be any difference between the M2 and M4, but my experience is with the M4. I have had zero problems with the MOTU, and the documentation and support are excellent. The meters are very useful as well. My MOTU is bus-powered from a USB 3.1 Type A connection.
Thank you for doing this you helped me make a solid decision on my upgrade from a focusrite Solo to a Behringer UMC204HD with the Midas preamps. Nice work👍👍
Thank you for the tangible evidence, and extensive knowledge drop!!!!! Is there anywhere you have all the graphs posted?
The chart of all the interfaces is still a work in progress, but it is posted at www.getbeautifulrecordings.com
I intend to post the other charts there in the future as well.
Thanks, I’m glad you liked the video :)
Wow, this must have taken a lot of work! Thank you. You certainly helped me make my decision.
Wow, thanks for the work you put into this. Some very surprising results there.
Awesome break down, I have the ur44 but now planning to get one of ur best 3
Best reviews, u hit the nail on the head..all important issues with interfaces especially noise levels. Thumps Up!
Awesome, thank you so much :)
Noise is not an issue with pro audio interfaces, never was, sorry but this test is far from being true to the subject.
Yeah this is a scientific analysis, and as others have said probably one of the best one out there. Kudos on the amount of work that went into it.
I have an older Antelope Audio Discreet 4 with USB2 and it’s excellent for my home studio, although I don’t use any of their software plugins. It is my third and final interface.
This is probably the best audio gear analysis on RUclips. Seriously. If you want to test another one, a lot of beginner synth people end up with something from the Arturia Fuse line, since Arturia is one of the biggest synth manufacturers and has what is objectively the best starter synth (MicroFreak). That's actually what I was about to get when I found this video, but I'm going for an SSL2+ now instead.
Yes… I’m very curious about the arturia line of interfaces. I will test them in The future.
You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. This is the video I have been looking for.
Great video! If you take into consideration that the ID24 uses a digital encoder for volume (it resets), that drivers are not always rock solid and that you need to create an account and login to Audient to retrieve said drivers, SSL12 takes the win for me at +100 USD.
My SSL12 is rock solid on Win10 and 11 on 3 different machines, power on/off switch with minimal on/off plop, awesome direct monitoring options with great mixer software on SSL360, which also notifies about and updates your drivers and firmware when necessary, with one click, no accounts no logins. Sounds great, easy to use, even talkback is included. I've used it on the go for a string quartet and vocal sessions with Schoeps CMC mics, fantastic, it's just been the most pleasant experience all-round. It's the "finally !" interface for me after having suffered so many others over the years.
And I heard how Audient drivers are most stable in Windows environments. SSL is pretty attractive, and luckily I found out that they released SSL 2+ MKII (but they don't have the RCA outputs compared to MKI which is a bit of a downside to me) and I almost bought MK1. I still think I will go with the Audient. It's either Audient or SSL for me. I don't want or like anything else. And you can download Audient drivers without signing in on their website. I tried it a few minutes ago.
Incredibly well put together roundup, thank you!
Wow, thx for all the info and taking the time to do this.
The Motu you have seems defective, i think it would be worth to test a second one. Great video.
I agree 100%...my M2 is just flawless...dont know what he was talking about.
@@6STRINGS9LIVES same here: a M2 yesterday, and now a M4. None o these has this problem.
By far the best comparison video I've seen.. thank you,, this was mega informative and illuminating.
Excellent video, very informative, no such video in you tube with testing and so much details, subscribed !
Thank you so much!
Camera lense analogy is spot on. Both cases involve recording information contained in temporal waves for later recall. Both cases have the risk of adding noise to the signal too! This is quite the informative vid. Thanks.
I switched from an Apollo MKII to a UXC II recently and love it. I am by no means as technical as you are but and would very much appreciate to hear your thoughts, or have you include some of the RME equipment in your next videos.
great vidoes btw!
I also have the UCX ii and just checked the specs. I couldn't immediately find the information presented the same way as shown here, but I think it is on the high end of this group. I would also like to see it added for a direct comparison.
No point buying anything other than RME... unless maybe you have 10K to spend.
Very well done. No hype, great detail. Good to know the UMC purchased does well in testing.
Like others have said, +1 for RME. Buy literally any RME interface and enjoy the best of everything: ultra low noise preamps, crystal clear AD-DA, and the most stable drivers in the industry on PC or Mac. I tried several other brands on this list over the years and I’m sticking with RME for life now.
Same here, get an RME and look no further. My best investment ever. Unbeatable and unbreakable.
Kind of strange that he left them out.
@@helmanfrow I find it quite incomprehensible. RME is the gold standard when it comes to solid hardware and the best driver support in the industry.
I’m sure he didn’t include RME because this is for a mass audience. Most beginners or even intermediates won’t be using RME. And as far as RME goes it sounds good but not on par with Prism Sound.
@@seratractivo7231 Which RME ADC and DAC do you compare to which Prism ADC and DAC?
Best of all worlds, take a RME interface for digital communication with the DAW and connect your favourite analog converters to the RME interface using formats like AVB, Dante, MADI, MILAN or Ravenna. And there are also still AES3, S/Pdif coax, Toslink and ADAT. Everybody in the industry agrees about the fact that nothing beats the stability of RME. If you can not afford downtime you get a RME interface.
For anything else, these days there are no really bad interfaces anymore. You obviously get what you pay for. A descend budget will buy you a descent interface, but when you are on a budget you can still get a pretty descent interface. What counts is that the interface doesn't get in your way, and for that reason a lot of people end up using RME.
This is the sort of in-depth testing the big music tech channels just don't do, i am now kicking myself over getting rid of a behringer umc for a focusrite scarlett!.
Well done. The best test, comparison, and review online
Just subscribed - an amazing amount of thought, knowledge, and ingenuity has gone into this extremely thorough and exhaustive series of tests. I have the SSL 12 interface, and love it. One advantage of having more inputs is that one can leave multiple different mics plugged in and ready to go, eg for recording an acoustic guitar followed by the singer putting down the vocal tracks. No mic cable juggling, no pulling plugs in and out, etc - just switch to the different active mic channel on the SSL.
you just erased all doubts i had about purchasing a behringer umc 1820. thank you!
Yes… I think they are excellent for the price. The direct monitoring is a little tricky with that many channels though.
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings why is it tricky? subbed btw.
I have both that and the ADA8200 (2800?) ADAT and can recommend both. Excellent bang for buck.
I got rid of my Behringer Uphoria 1820 because it didn't play nice with cubase. Always trouble loading up and shutting down. I sold it and got an RME Babyface Pro FS. which is an expensive interface but it's killer on all fronts. I never looked back. My Behringer XR18 is still going strong though.
Wow, thanks for this super detailed and informative video.
I bought an Audient id 24 interface about a year or so ago to replace my old apogee element 24 interface, but to my surprise listening to the same songs on Apple Music, in the same room , with the same studio monitors, I felt that the apogee element 24 interface sounded better. Maybe I'm crazy. Thinking about buying the id 24 or the new ssl 2+ mk 2 and giving this another go.
Thanks for the great review! Since in your previous video you said the SSL2 was the best pick for home recording (better than the Behringer), would you say that for vocals and voiceovers only it's still a better pick over Audient ID14 MKII, or is the Audient a better pick? Have you tried testing if SSL2 MKII has the same noise floor and preamps like the SSL2 you recommend?
Is there a difference in the noise floor and premps for between ID14 and ID24, or are they both equally good if I want to save money?
Hi there! I hope this is okay but just wanted to let you know that something might be wrong with your MOTU M2 test. I tested this multiple times and didn't have distortion. But I think what 'may' be causing some distortion is that you had your 2nd input to the max. Doing that will make you hear much more noise that isn't there. ruclips.net/video/u7OroM-YVeE/видео.html
I didn’t show it in the video, but I experimented with several other parameters to see if it had an effect on this, such as the volume of the other input, different headphone impedances, and applying 48 volt. These had no impact on the results.
@Dracomies How bout plugging in your xlr mic to the 2nd input instead of the first? Was there any difference?
I agree. I have a Motu M2 that I use through a powered USB hub. I couldn’t replicate this issue. I purchased my M2 in April 2024 from Sweetwater. There was a revision of the M2 at some point. Maybe the one used in this video is an older version or a faulty one.
Great video. Covered things no one mentions. Of the three you recommended at the end are any of them class compliant for use with iPad ? I have a live performance issue where I must use the iPad and need to connect to it to utilise effects etc
No RME in this test?
No, unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to test them yet… but I will in the future.
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings Make it a priority. Sound quality and build quality can be a topic of discussion for every interface on the market but when it comes to the complete package RME is the gold standard with the most solid drivers and longest support. Buy a RME device today and you will still be using it in 15 years from now. It is the best investment ever.
Thank you so much for this video. This is the ultimate audio interface guide for home studios.
Curious why you went for the Audient ID24 over the SSL2+. You said SSL 2 are some of your favourite preamps and you are getting the pure octo etc. and use the SSL2 outside the studio. So why recommend the ID24? I guess it's pretty close between them either way. Did you just pick the ID24 cos for the average user it might be a little better value with the direct line inputs and digital inputs? In that case would the SSL 12 be an option if you needed those two features?
This was excellent i just love the breakdown of all the audio interfaces.. Great Job Much Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I loved how thorough he was. I have been looking for a no compromise mid range audio interface since last six months but found it challenging being an audio interface noob, despite all the research on YT, forum etc. But now I know.👍
This was very informative. Thank you.
Very engaging and informational for a subject that is so obfuscated from marketing. Subbed. Also, I have the Volt 2 and I'm glad to see it reviewed. I really like mine because of it's simplicity.
I've been using SSL2+ since 2022, and I dig its sound quality and everything-only when it's working. The problem is that the little square buttons are unstable, causing issues such as hums, constant reconnecting (phantom power), intermittent loss of instrument signal, etc. These problems can be temporarily solved by re-pushing the buttons, but even the slightest accidental touch could mess it up again, and it seems like these issues are not unique to my unit. They should've done a recall.
just re-solder new buttons
I’m experiencing the exact same issue! This is exactly why I’m now shopping for new interfaces. I’m experiencing it particularly in Channel 2 around the square buttons!
This video is an absolute resource!! Finally, real answers from real research! Thank you, this has helped me so much!
Amazing contribution to the comunity thank you so much for doing this extencive video of high quality!
Wow, what an amazing video! Thank you for the thoroughness and insight.
The Best Info-Amazingly thorough,thanks. We've used them all. Our fave preamps are in the Antelope Audio Synergy Core 4,followed by RME BF. Still,we're back to using Audient iD14 and iD24 interfaces. The SSL 12 is the only other option for our needs. We must add,the tiny Lewitt blew our ears away-stellar interface.
RME?? Babyface Pro FS?
Not yet…. It’s coming.
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordingswhen?
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings It absolutely has to be in your test. The Babyface pro is the most boring interface out there, the bloody thing always works and never gets in you way. Rock solid sound and the best drivers in the industry, look no further, get a RME. This is the best advice I you can give your fellow creators.
OMG i think that this is one of the best video test that i have watched. Incredible the dedication and the patience. Idk why im still going with the SSL 2+ T.T i think im being stubborn uu
Extremely well done analysis, thank you!
Thank you, I’m glad you liked it :)
There were only three models of audio interfaces available in my city and I chose Behringer UMC22HD was the cheapest of all so I bought it for having shrinked budget. That was the best choice for that sum of money. So glad for that
Why does everyone ignore RME?
Because they are still searching for the best interface. When they found RME the search is over.
The price point probably, buying RME suggests that you are a professional and probably don't need this advice.
@@adsm6464 In the end a RME is actually cheeper than 'having to' buy a new interface because you can't find any new drivers anymore. Even for a serious amateur RME is by far the best choice. Professionals know it's the most robust and reliable interface out there. The best investment you will ever make because a RME will last you 15 years or longer due to well build hardware and very long driver support.
@@adsm6464the babyface is entry level
@@kooistradurk or digiface usb + cheap or 2nd hand converters
Fantastic review. Just starting the build of a home studio and the information in this was priceless.
Excellent video! Very informative!
Really good video. Thanks for doing all this research and work. I would have liked to see some of the really high-end interfaces included just to find out how these cheaper ones stack up to something like Prism Sound, Lynx Aurora (n), Apogee Symphony, Antelope, etc. I'd love to see you do that.
Where is RME?
They’re based out of Germany.
@@Get.Beautiful.Recordings thanks 🥳😂😍
No...seriously....I really like your video because it states exactly what experience will tell you only after years. Almost all available Audio Interfaces today - also the very affordable ones - will be totally fine for 99.9% of users.
I'm still not sure whether or not RME is indeed providing you with direct monitoring.....
Anyhow.....since I'm a very convinced RME customer, I can only state that latency is between ultra-low and negligible with all RME products I know. And their driver support and standalone capabilities are also outstanding. Cheers and keep up the good informative work.
The re-looping tests are really cool.
@@tauernhiker0001 "I'm still not sure whether or not RME is indeed providing you with direct monitoring..... "
This is what totalmix is all about.
As the Behringer UMC204 is at $79 right now (is it about to be replaced?) I decided to take it off my wish list and ordered one. So I'm not sure I'm supposed to thank you for encouraging me to spend money... I'll let you know later.
I own 2 MOTU ( 828 mkIII and 828x both Amazing !!! ), a Focusrite Clarett 4, Line6 Helix and MAudio (a hate this hahah)
The pres of MOTU are really beautiful.
My current setup is based on an Audient ID44 with Audient ASP 880 extensions. The sound quality is really very good, especially for the price. Love how to blend/mix the different signals for monitoring and queuing. I love the fact that the ASP can easily be configured to either use or bypass the Preamp stage. There are 2 things I'm missing: outputs on the ASP and a per channel metering option.
This is weird, I have a Motu M2, Mac m1. I don't have that problem that you have increasing the headphones volume, actually I don't have any complain about noise at all. Is true the headphones output is low but I use my interface connected to a mixer.
What an excellent thorough video. I especially like the part where you mentioned that most line input actually go through the microphone pre-amplifier. Another way to go get something like the Midas MR-18 mixer and use that for a 16 channel interface with those wonderful Midas preamps. I have been using that for live multitrack recording.
this guys tripping my motu m4 sounds perfectly fine when headphones are turned to max. you also fail to mention that the m4 has dedicated line inputs 3/4 and had rca in/outs. i didnt see any other interfaces with rca inputs and for monitors too. i bought and sold many of these interfaces as a side hustle since when the pandemic started and in my estimation the motu m4 sounded the best. go home guy youre drunk!!!!!
Agreed
I love your testing methods and posted results.
You just can't hear.
omg this is so comprehensive, I watched the whole thing. Thank you for putting in the effort for all of us.
42:00 I think you are pretty harsh and suss by claiming the Motu m2 is unusable. I have this device and it's very usable and specs are excellent, definitely not the worst, that's laughable to claim. For instance, you say the preamp noise floor is 9.3 dB ...how did you formulate these values on the noise floor chart you showed? dB is not a unit of measurement. Typically, measurements like this are presented in dBU. An accurate measurement of the noise floor of the preamp is -129 dBU A-weighted, which is very good. At 42:05 you claim the motu line output / input are not great ... I understand the goal of this test, but it's not a very scientific way to test either the outputs or inputs on the device. The inputs on this interface are designed to accommodate instrument signals, so there will be some high pass filtering. Repeatedly sending the same signal through this input will result in a recording without any low frequency information. The Line outs on the M2 are excellently spec'd. If you were to perform this loop test with another input designed specifically as a line input, you would achieve near perfect conversion. At 42:36 you claim that distortion from the preamps of the microphone inputs can get introduced into the recording at max volume on the headphone jack ... well it's somewhat of an expected behavior, though running into this in any normal use-case is extremely unlikely.
The test in the video requires sending a full scale test tone out of the headphone output with the level at maximum. This results in a massive power draw from the phones output which can impact distortion performance on the mic inputs.
The headphone output on the M2 is very powerful, so a test like this would produce an extremely loud signal, which I don't expect the average user would need. This increased distortion result will only occur with a constant full scale tone sent to the phones out. A typical audio signal with transients and dynamics will not demand the same power from the headphone amp and will not impact the performance of the microphone inputs.
Thanks for your input.
Bro I know you are mad because it's your device
But if it works for you it works for you
No need to be upset trying to scramble up every possible explanation you have for the product
It's not suss at all it's just facts
Again if it works for you then great
@@Notinserviceij facts lol. you sound upset bub. I shared this detailed response for anyone else who might come across this video and be led astray. So hopefully they read my comment and can make a more informed decision. If that bothers you, you should ask yourself why …
And if you actually read and understood what I wrote you wouldn’t be so disingenuous and flippant. I provide clear detailed information that brings in to question the claims made by the reviewer in the video. If you don’t agree bring an argument in place of your ego. Because that’s all I see in your comment. Ego.
If you don’t care then that’s your issue not mine.
@@Notinserviceij For "just facts", I'd rather check out the video by Julian Krause.
@@ridesharesydneydrivers8592 The testing methods in that video are not a legit way to test the in/out of the audio interfaces, nor do they represent any practical scenario. Good for you for taking the time writing about this, you are a better person than me. It seems this video is aimed at beginners, this makes it only worse because they can't diffreeint the issues and will actually base their decision on it. The bright side is we are at a point where most audio interfaces sound transparent so as far as sound is concerned, it doesn't really matter.
Chris, you are absolutely and utterly right with the Motu M2! After reading so many rave reviews, I cannot believe they did not pick this up with their testing. I purchased this and did the usual updating of the firmware and driver for lower latency for hours upon hours, thinking it was my other expensive studio equipment or just me. After much trial and error, both here and there, a lot of frustration and wated time. I sat down in a huff and came across your video. Thank the good lord! These were the exact same issues I was having with the Motu M2 that you mentioned. This is totally unacceptable for this highly-reviewed Motu M2. I quickly ordered the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202HD USB Audio Interface, a cheap one close to the one you mentioned (I think one below the 2024), and it works brilliantly. The mic preamps sound fantastic, all connected to my Apple Mac M1! Thank you Chris for your efforts and time on all this!