I've got the top budget audio interfaces here and I've tested each one for vocal
recordings sound quality even headphone levels. so which ones sound the best and which one has
the most unique and useful features. I'll cover everything including the pros and
cons for each and you'll even get to hear the sound of AIR, Vintage and 4K what's that I've
included vocal samples recorded on all these interfaces at the end of the video so you can
hear them side by side and you'll find the best prices for them below the video do you remember
the 21st night of September love was changing the minds of Pretenders but chasing the clouds
away our hearts were ringing in the key that our souls were singing while we dancing and night
remember the starts Stole the night away I'm using the Earthworks SR 314 for all the recordings more on
this mic later let's start with the most popular interface in this list the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
this is the fourth gen version it came out about a month ago and wow have they improved it this audio
interface has high quality sound and special features you won't find on other interfaces in
this list by the way all the interfaces here have two inputs for mics guitars and instruments and
they all have stereo outputs that will go to your speakers they all work with any do on Mac or PC
so what makes the Scarlett 2i2 special well it's all about the new features for this one you've
got better converters in the fourth gen version which gives you better clarity less noise and for
those of you who have the third gen Scarlett it's actually a noticeable difference the Scarlett also
improved the meters which used to just flash but are now much easier to read the Scarlett has three
unique features that are kind of hard to find in other interfaces the first one is air mode
that gives you the sound of Focusrite's more expensive preamps it's a sound you may or may not
like but at least you have the option by the way the Universal Audio and SSL interfaces also have
a similar feature we'll hear them side by side later the 2i2 also has auto gain and a safe mode
these are useful features if you're just starting out but if you're used to setting gain yourself
you may not need them in a nutshell these two features prevent you from clipping or ending up
with distorted audio again good for beginners or if you have an unexpectedly loud singer or podcast
guest so how about some drawbacks well when I tested my headphones the Beyerdynamic 250 ohm
headphones I couldn't get the volume loud enough but these Beyerdynamic's are high impedance so your
headphones may be fine but other interfaces in this list will give you better headphone output
the Scarlett doesn't have a monitor mix knob so there's no way to adjust the balance between the
music from your DAW and the sound you're recording more on that when we check out the next interface
that has it also the Scarlett isn't cheap it's $199 right now at the top end of the prices here so
does sound quality really change a lot with the cheapest interface here let's find out with the
EVO 4 next by the way a quick word about latency all these interfaces have some latency latency is
delay caused by audio having to go into your computer and then back to your interface but
all of them feature direct monitoring which lets you get around the latency issue direct
monitoring allows you to hear the direct input of the sound you're recording along with the music
from your DAW so that you can sing or play in time okay the EVO 4 is the cheapest interface in
this list at $129 and even at that price you get all the basic features a combo mic slash instrument
input a Hi Z input for guitars and phantom power phantom power is used for certain mics mostly
condenser mics like the SR314 I'm using today all these interfaces have phantom power and get this
the EVO 4 also includes that auto gain feature it sets the gain for you now the layout is extremely
simple but that means fewer knobs and buttons and more clicks to get to the feature you want a
little more work and it's not as easy to get used to but that does give us a very compact package
this is the most compact interface in this list but the build quality is pretty low too everything
is plastic the EVO 4 has another standout feature that some interfaces here don't have a monitor mix
control the monitor mix control lets you adjust the mix between the voice or instrument you're
recording and the music from your DAW it's very useful when you're tracking vocals you can adjust
how much of your voice or the music you hear in your headphones the EVO 4 has decent headphone
loudness but the recording quality doesn't compare to some of the interfaces here and some reviewers
have said that there is noise and static when recording here's a quick comparison of the EVO
4 and the Scarlett 2i2 the lowest and high end of the price ranges here I heart were ringing in the
key that our souls were singing our hearts were ringing in the key that our souls were singing you
can listen to more at the end of this video the EVO 4 is a good starter interface and won't break
the bank but if the best sound quality is what you're looking for the higher priced interfaces
in this list will be a better choice by the way I'm using the Earthworks SR314 to record my vocals
today the SR314 is a condenser mic that is made for live performance but I love the sound of this
mic so much I like using it in my studio the build is topnotch it's fully steel the sound quality is
amazing and I just love my voice on this mic if you sing live you will love this mic it gives you
the pristine clarity of a studio condenser but it's built to handle stage performance my cousin
performs live all the time and he actually took my original SR314 because he loved it so much and
he carries it with him to every performance that says something I'll add links to the Earthworks SR314 in the video description below I'm super excited to share my thoughts on the SSL 2 because
this is the newest interface I have and the one I was most excited about the SSL name is synonymous
with some of the most well-known studios around the world so having it on your audio interface
is a big deal so does it deliver well the SSL sounds great I can't complain about the sound
at all and this is one of of the three interfaces in this list that has another recording flavor SSL
calls it 4K and it gives you the sound of the classic SSL consoles from Pro Studios 4K sounds
good but remember the Scarlett gives you the AIR feature that may rival this I'll let you hear
some samples when we check out the Volt interface later in the video so you can compare them side
by side on the SSL 2 I love that there's a button or knob for everything and the layout is clear
and easy to read this has one of my favorite control layouts of all these interfaces and it
has dedicated phantom power buttons one of only two interfaces with dedicated 48v buttons in this
list this interface does take up a lot of space it's the biggest one here now on the downside
this interface doesn't seem as sturdy as other similarly priced interfaces here from pictures
I was expecting a high-end build but the design feels like you you'll have to be careful when
traveling with it all the other interfaces in this video have better build except for the EVO 4 now
if you like the option of having that 4K flavor we better compare it to the scarlet and volt
interfaces let's do that now this is the Vol 2 by Universal Audio and yes it has that extra flavor
button just like the Scarlett and SSL 2 Universal Audio calls it Vintage and it gives you the sound
of their 610 preamp again it's an alternative to to the standard sound this interface can record
let's listen to the sound of Vintage compared to the Scarlett's AIR and the SSL's 4K mode do
you remember the 21st night of September do you remember the 21st night of September do
you remember the 21st night of September so which one did you prefer comment below I like the sound
of the Volts Vintage mode more than the others the Scarlett AIR mode sounded a bit thin and the SSL's
4K a bit harsh this is really up to taste and I find that people are kind of split on which one
they prefer so I'd like to know from you all too now would you really use these optional
recording modes maybe you just want the cleanest sound possible that's up to you and something to
keep in mind when deciding which one to get by the way I've processed my vocals with Sonible
plugins including the Sonible smart compressor smart De-esser and smart Reverb all of these plugins
sound excellent and I love using them because they take the guesswork out of getting the settings
right they use AI to listen to your source sound and then give you the best suggested
settings for your sound you can tweak them after of course if you're interested in checking out the
Sonible plugins I'll put links to them below the video so the Volt is a budget interface from a
company with a really good reputation making much more expensive interfaces the Volt gives you all
the basic features a nice layout and it adds MIDI ins and outs the first interface in this list with
MIDI connections this is useful if you have an old keyboard that you want to connect to your computer
this interface is also priced appropriately in my opinion you get all the features of the SSL2 and
most of the Scarlett features but for less money at $169 the Volt however does not have a monitor
mix control like the EVO and the next interface we'll look at the Minifuse by Arturia oh before I
get to that I should also mention that Universal Audio also makes a 276 interface which is more
expensive but includes a compressor built in and that compressor is modeled after the famous 1176
compressor the Volt 276 is more expensive but if you're really interested in The Volt series
it's worth considering the Arturia minifuse is a great interface with a super unique trick and
it ticks a lot of boxes as well as far as sound quality goes it kind of sits in the middle in my
opinion but they have thrown a lot of features into this little box you get combo inputs a nice
output meter monitor mix and direct monitor mono buttons and in the back you've got midi ins and
outs and a USB port you can actually use this as a USB hub for a MIDI keyboard for example it's kind
of cool any drawbacks well the gain lights on the Minifuse are a bit hard to read not as nice as
the meters on the Scarlett and the SSL and if you really want the best sound quality you might like
the sound of the MOTU interface in this list it's one of my favorites but Arturia offers a great
warranty on this interface I think the best among all of these and the software package included is
excellent as well as good as the software you get with the Scarlett if you're looking for headphones
for your studio I actually recently tested the best at every price level to help you find the
right one or two for you watch that video right here I want to mention another interface that
kind of ticks the same boxes as the Arturia Minifuse this is the PreSonus 24C if you're getting
a PreSonus interface this is the budget one that I prefer you can get a cheaper one but this will
give you better sound quality and the build is a lot nicer the 24C has all the same features
of the Minifuse except for the USB hub thing but I prefer the sound quality of the Minifuse the
24C however has better meters for the input gain it's just easier to read now you may listen to
the audio samples at the end and not notice much of a difference at all I think it's going to come
down to taste when you're at this price range the PreSonus layout and build feels a little dated and
I don't like the placement of the 48v button every time I go for the volume I end up touching the 48v
otherwise this is a decent interface with all the basics included so let's talk about the MOTU M2
next the MOTU M2 held the top spot for sound quality for quite some time now people seem to
love the sound that the converters and the preamps put out I do too and this was one of my favorites
until the Scarlett fourth gen was introduced now I feel like they're kind of on par with each other
but unlike the Scarlett Volt and SSL interfaces you're not going to get any other recording
flavors but there's still a lot to love about the M2 first this is one of the only interfaces with
dedicated phantom power buttons for each input that's useful if you're recording two mics and
only one of them needs phantom power the meters on the MOTU M2 are the best in this roundup hands
down it's just so easy to read on this highres screen the MOTU M2 also gives you MIDI ins and
outs which is nice and a power button cool so you don't get that AIR Vintage or 4K mode but at $199
I think the MOTU M2 still holds its ground if you're new around here I'm Sanjay C I have lots
of videos about music production and the latest gear on my channel I do my research and bring you
helpful tips every week okay last but certainly not least this is the Audient ID4 and Audient
is well known for excellent sound quality on their ID range of interfaces and this is the
least expensive in the ID line but that still puts it at the high end of the prices here at
$199 the ID4 is super compact for an interface and the top controls are really nice the 4K button is
on the back but you will get the indicator up here the interface also has a special button marked ID
the ID button lets you use the knob as a scroll wheel for your computer to control plugins or
scroll things I'm not sure why you'd use this I prefer doing this stuff with my mouse or a MIDI
controller anyway the ID4 has two headphone outputs which is pretty unique this interface
has good meters and an excellent build quality and lots of people rave about the sound and the
low noise but hey that's something you'll need to decide for yourself with the recordings you
don't get any extra features on this no air mode no MIDI ins and outs it's pretty minimal and that
might just be what you want by the way if you're thinking about using one of these interfaces with
a mic like the Shure SM7b that needs lots of gain most of these interfaces will do just fine except
for the EVO4 and the PreSonus so keep that in mind other mics should be fine with any of these
interfaces so some final words before we get to the audio recordings trust your ears buy what you
can afford in a mix many of these interfaces sound nearly the same and your listeners may not hear
the difference it's more important for you to just start making music and sharing what you create all
right have fun listening to the audio recordings and let me know your favorite in the comments
below Our hearts were ringing in the key that our souls were singing our hearts were ringing in the
key that our souls were singing our hearts were ringing in the key that our souls were singing our
hearts were ringing in the key that our souls were singing our hearts were ringing in the
key that our souls were singing our hearts were ringing in the key that our souls were singing our
hearts were ringing in the key that our souls were singing our hearts were ringing in the key that
our soul sing so which were my favorites I prefer the recorded sound quality of the Scarlett MOTU and
Volt interfaces especially the Volt's Vintage mode but honestly they all sound so close in a
mix you'll be fine with any of them hey if you're looking for the best headphones or studio monitors
for your studio watch the videos here Make The Music You Love and I'll see you in the next video