Best budget usb soundcard for recording in 2022 ?

[mixyguy2]

I had such hope to find cheap and working solution,like my Eris E5 monitors,but realize y so many people never make pro record - they just can't capture their real sound with such compromises in converting devise...decide not gonna buy anything under 400-500 euro.

Enjoy wasting money for no logical reason then. Done here

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

Learning how to read spec sheets is definitely important for engineers and if you want to approach this in a professional manner, then you'll want to understand what these measurements mean and how they relate to real world use.

As has already been stated by us all though, you really don't need to worry too much about sound quality. What might be more pressing is how everything will perform on your system. Just make sure what you are looking for works well under whichever operating system you are running.

At the lower end, very low cost does generally translate to more noise and shaky drivers that won't offer low latencies. I think it is wise to budget for what you need. People here can recommend all the interfaces available but I'm sure that will only add to your own personal latency.

I definitely stand by what I said earlier and I think everyone who has recorded artists and themselves will agree with me, that the performance is everything. From my experience working in recording studios, the training that helped more than anything was my counselling training; The technical side of things needs to be a given and kept out of the way of the artist - unless they show interest in the recording process and want to learn. What is most important is how they are feeling in themselves to be able to perform to the best of their ability.

Whenever a take was being recorded, I would forget that I was working surrounded by thousands of pounds of equipment and simply became transported. The gear was not important. I've recorded using various consoles and portable solutions such as my old Saffire and current Clarett. Sometimes, these additional recordings made with portable interfaces would sit alongside recordings made in expensive studios. It would be impossible to detect any difference in quality in isolation or in the mix. Hell. I remember adding recordings from a little Tascam field recorder for one EP. Given correct processing, it was fine in the mix.

Engineering is all about problem solving. You need to identify your needs and come up with a solution. If your choice requires saving some more money before you can afford what you need, do that. But good gear will not improve a bad musical performance.

Performance is everything.

Agree,in a final mix you can use any kind of sources,but my desire is to capture and place guitar parts in front as main instrument.
I am sound designer who create sound.
I can hear a lot ordinary listener won't even notice - it's not self advertising,sometimes i catch myself that ,listening old records i adore, i am not listening as before,but analize details,what is missing,what could be added,so on...
The good moment buying from big european music stores is that you can return them in 30 days period.
So i will have time to decide is it worth it or not,just don't wanna to make compromises for stuff i need, spending more for other i don't.
The guitar i bought for 360 euro was most affordable S series of Ibanez i am fan of that series,sound is really decent with the the new pickups they install from expensive line,but now i regret that didn't save more and look further with bigger budget.
No more compromises with quality,hoping the the cheaper will do the same job :):)
Eris E5 monitors are probably the exception,cuz have double budget when bought them,just there was nothing more boring and convincing as monitors.
Don't know may be isn't such a big difference to worth 3-4 time more money,but this is systematic - compromise here,compromise there and in the end you record sounds like garbage.
For example one of my earliest sonic inspirations in 90s was Nirvana - their guitar performances as level is high school enthusiasts,but the equipment and the console sound of the records made me fan,but then i didn't realize what in the sound have such impact on me - aside from Cobain voice and charisma,was mostly impressed by the overall sound and how the guitars shine.
Now is easy with so many plugins to recreate some of favorite bands tone and character,but need decent guitar records at least.
Next guitar will be short scale,cuz have more distinguish tone and character.
Final mix is link between individual parts - if miss 'right' part or replace it with other it will change entire sound.
I's same with sound design and electronic music - it's all about tone character.
Cheers

[kvotchin]

Motu M2 or M4 is what I will second (more than second, but still).

From everything I’ve seen and read, excellent sound quality, quite low latency, and in general decent support.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

1.Focusrite Scarlett Solo - super affordable,expensive preamp 'air' simulator,original drivers,cool
software as addition.Seems like perfect soundcard for solo artist,it's too good to be truth?

2.Universal Audio VOLT 1 - seems like super quality card,vintage pream mode,for sure can't be wrong with such - minus is missing top notch software they develop and don't offer with this card.

3.Solid State Logic SSL2 - more expensive,but 4k button is like mini consol in your home studio,so definitionally worth attention.

4.Audient iD4 MkII - overall nice card for multitask usage.

5.Steinberg UR22C - overall nice card,especially 32bit conversion,but after all issues i had with asio ,probably will prefer card with it's own drivers like Focusrite Scarlett.

My two current soundcards are the Steinberg UR22 and the Universal Audio Volt 2.

The Volt 2 is well built and sounds nice with a good quality low latency ASIO driver.
The main issue (for me at least) with the Volt is that you have to download and install "UA Connect". When it works it's fine but when it can't connect to UA it means you can't install or update anything. So at the moment my Volt 2 won't work as I can't connect to UA to download the ASIO driver for it.

Until UA fix their buggy software I have gone back to my trusty Steinberg UR22 which is pretty ancient now but sounds fantastic and their latest WIndows 11 drivers are very quiet (unlike some of their older drivers). Hopefully their latest UR22C is just as good.

SSL2 - I sent it back immediately as the main volume knob made loud crackling sounds and nearly blew my amp. This was REALLY disappointing as I've used SSL studio desks for many years (I'm a radio producer/engineer) and they were always super reliable. The SSL2 is built in China.

Focusrite Scarlett Solo - Sent back - sounded tinny compared to my UR22. Well-made and nice looking though.

Hope this helps in your quest!

Adam

Thanks for sharing this.
UR22C seems fantastic on paper with 32bit internal processes,as well Motu M2 specs,but my research is about capturing best sound mostly of guitars and voice.
Still haven't found a decent record www to convince me that devices in this price range can do decent job,don't look for something fantastic,just my conclusion is that i need better conversion more expensive interface have.
Otherwise why to buy anything new,my alesis is 24bit - on paper should record pro sound,even have discrete preamps - all that wonder for 70-80 euro:):):)
Anyway will check for steinberg new cards to see is this 32bit integration worth it in real world as sound or it is something on paper again.
Cheers

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

Found something interesting,this may be the winner :

[BertKoor]

If I posted a similar vid featuring an interface priced at half, a third or a quarter of the price, would you then still be so enthusiastic?

[The Noodlist]

Found something interesting,this may be the winner :


 

This interface has positive, independent reviews at Thomann. They also have a good bundle deal -
Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2 Mic Bundle £317
Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2
Avantone CK-6 Classic
Presonus Studio One Artist, (iZotope Elements Suite, BrainWorx BX Digital, Lindell 6X500)

I wish the MOTU M4 had SPDIF instead of midi.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

If I posted a similar vid featuring an interface priced at half, a third or a quarter of the price, would you then still be so enthusiastic?

there is 30-40 euro cards - is this your offer to record 16bit audio hahahaha

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

Found something interesting,this may be the winner :


 

This interface has positive, independent reviews at Thomann. They also have a good bundle deal -
Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2 Mic Bundle £317
Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2
Avantone CK-6 Classic
Presonus Studio One Artist, (iZotope Elements Suite, BrainWorx BX Digital, Lindell 6X500)

I wish the MOTU M4 had SPDIF instead of midi.

already stop reading data and just listening,it's music, not gonna launch space shuttle and do precise calculations,so reviews doesn't affect me much

[BONES]

asio is something i try to avoid

Why? There is no point in your I/O device having special drivers unless your DAW can also work with them. Which means ASIO, MME, DirectSound or the newer Windows Audio (WASAPI). I don't know of any other widely supported protocols.

asio is pain in the as...s:):):)

ASIO has always just worked for me. I've had very minor problems with specific devices but, overall, it's never given me any significant grief. If you've had problems, I'd be surprised if it was ASIO at fault.

Thanks for sharing experience,i could buy something more expensive,investment in quality products always worth it.

Only if you are actually getting anything for your money.

Anyway, without going through every page of this, I've had maybe 8 or 9 USB I/O devices over the years, mostly in the same price bracket you are looking, and they've all been perfectly adequate. If you asked me to pick a favourite, it would be the Zoom U24. It's the quietest interface I've had and the one I always like to record with.

https://www.thomann.de/intl/zoom_u_24.htm

Next would be my Yamaha AG06. It comes with great software for realtime DSP effects, powered by the device but controlled from your computer. I think it is probably internally similar to Steinberg's UR series, as they also have the DSP effects and both work with the same driver. The smaller AG-03 will save you a bit of money and should meet your needs -

https://www.thomann.de/intl/yamaha_ag03_mk2_bk.htm

I also have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 but I don't rate it very highly. I can't put my finger on the reasons but I never liked it. It was a 1st gen device, though, and I am sure new ones are better.

The one I use most these days, though, is the Audient EVO 8. I can get the lowest latency with this device but it's the only one that gives me any issues. It might just be a Studio One thing but whenever I open Studio One, it sets the buffer to a random setting. Even if it selects 16 samples, I usually don't notice unless I have a really heavy project loaded or try to open another application while it is running, so it doesn't actually bother me that much. Again, the EVO 4 should be enough for your needs and it is a lot cheaper -

https://www.thomann.de/intl/audient_evo_4.htm

A word of caution with the MOTU stuff - I bet everyone who has recommended it are on Mac. You'd want to find out from some Windows users how good their ASIO drivers are.

[Hink]

[kidslow]

A word of caution with the MOTU stuff - I bet everyone who has recommended it are on Mac. You'd want to find out from some Windows users how good their ASIO drivers are.

I have an older MOTU firewire interface. Built like a tank, great for standalone usage. However on a Mac when the system goes to sleep, if the interface is plugged in, it causes a reboot. Some fatal driver issues that they never fixed and just moved onto USB. Really nice interface, but I cannot recommend MOTU. Sounds like their driver team is subpar. Too bad because the hardware itself is bullet proof.

I also have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and an RME Babyface Pro. I cannot sing the praises of the Babyface and RME enough but it doesn't meet the budget needs of the OP. The Scarlett is great for what it is and I would recommend.

[The Noodlist]

A word of caution with the MOTU stuff - I bet everyone who has recommended it are on Mac. You'd want to find out from some Windows users how good their ASIO drivers are.

MOTU Traveler MK1 user from circa 2005 on Windows, no issues with drivers only FireWire chips, Texas Instruments preferred.

[vurt]

A word of caution with the MOTU stuff - I bet everyone who has recommended it are on Mac. You'd want to find out from some Windows users how good their ASIO drivers are.

I have an older MOTU firewire interface. Built like a tank, great for standalone usage. However on a Mac when the system goes to sleep, if the interface is plugged in, it causes a reboot. Some fatal driver issues that they never fixed and just moved onto USB. Really nice interface, but I cannot recommend MOTU. Sounds like their driver team is subpar. Too bad because the hardware itself is bullet proof.

I also have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and an RME Babyface Pro. I cannot sing the praises of the Babyface and RME enough but it doesn't meet the budget needs of the OP. The Scarlett is great for what it is and I would recommend.

i grabbed the third gen scarlet two xmases ago. before that had the gen 1 for around 10 years. only died when my computer did as it wouldn't work on win 10.
but is fine on my laptop still

i can also recommend focusrite.

[BertKoor]

Firstly there's the AD-DA converters. You want these to be neutral. That means you cannot tell the difference between the original and a recording. This can be measured [...]
(to be continued)

Does that make sense? Do you agree or not? Questions? Objections?

An audio interface in its purest form is built around the DAC & ADC. For that to work it needs to interface at the analog side through line level inputs & outputs, and at the digital side with software and thecoperating system through its drivers. Good drivers are a story on its own. They make or break it. Bad DA-AD converters on the other hand practically do not exist anymore. At least, not in semi pro equipment. Only in kids toys.

Then, most audio interfaces also have a mic preamp, often also combined with Hi-Z for instruments like a guitar.

Does the quality of preamps vary? Oh sure! They do have a sound to them. The engineers that design them often try to make them neutral and transparent as well, but sometimes have to make compromises. And it depends on what's the input: impedance plays a big role.

Does the quality of the preamp matter? Yes and no, because (as usual) it depends. Yes if you use them and have no choice, but no if you do have another.

Mic preamps are for sale as separate items. I have a mixer that has 16 of them. Just plug their output into line input of the audio interface. A preamp especially for guitars is called a DI - Direct Input.

So there is a vast choice. Too much choice. Can you decide now what's better? I don't think so. Then the best choice is (again) to get something.... neutral and transparent! If you need to add "colour" to your sound (alter the frequency response, add distortion) then it better be a concious and artistic choice. Plugins in your DAW do that.

In the old days you'd only use the EQ knobs on the mixing console, maybe insert a compressor in the chain. Got a knob position wrong? Then you need to redo your recording. In a DAW you got back flexibility. You don't need to commit yet.

I see some interfaces come with builtin DSP. They can mimick a wide range of preamps. You record your tracks with that DSP applied and there's no way back. So your freedom of choice is then taken away again. You can do the same in the DAW.

(to be continued)