Best budget usb soundcard for recording in 2022 ?

[vurt]

also, there's little point to spending a fortune on an interface for nice preamps, if you then have to skimp on microphones.
ie opening the high cost door, shows deficiency elsewhere...

[vurt]

im sure most of us, would love to go out and buy lots of high cost studio gear, but realistically speaking, unless you are happy with a minimal set up, nice guitar, nice amp, more reasonable prices have to be looked for as we want the whole studio!!
so unless you are making money from audio somehow, or you have a day job that gives you lots of surplus cash, it's not realistic to expect to have a 100 grand plus studio in your bedroom.

[chk071]

I felt disappointed from what i am hearing and all debate about technical data is pointless ,cuz on paper something may looks great,but musically isn't very convincing if listen carefully,especially guitars sounds terrible.
Focusrite even have statement on their site ,that some competitors cheat users with tech data:)
Seems everything under 400 euro doesn't have natural representation of live recording - parts are too cheap probably,can't say.
All budget interfaces have same problems capturing details and dynamics of real playing and the differences in budget segment are bigger than in hi end equipment in bad way.

I'm pretty sure that anything entry level now is a lot better than the pro stuff was 20 years ago.

Especially DAC's have come a long way. I don't see why that wouldn't hold true the other way around as well.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

My disapointment is more about adc - translating incoming signal is not convincing to my ears.
Dac is light years ahead,but analog to digital convertors in low price range obviously are in process of evolution,cuz can't hear a decent record of any guitar anywhere via usb interface under 400-500 euro,just listener opinion...
Agree that everybody wanna spend 100 euro and to have superb quality in bedroom,but i spend for software more last few year,than i probably will ever need and use,so maybe it's time to start investing in quality hardware...
I am not saying 100 euro usb cards is useless,sound quality is levels ahead technologicaly,just a decent guitar will never sound pro via such interface because of cheap components...just an opinion.
Thanks for sharing thougths,but enthusiasm from yesterday now is replaced with desire to find 'best' afordable quality interface.
Cheers

[BertKoor]

Measurements between similar devices doesn't answer the simpe question how bad is conversion of low cost interface compared to hi end
Julian Krause make nice videos,but compare graphics are misleading ,like less preamp noise is better? Better for what?
Harmonic exciters was invented when engineers discover that the more they eliminate the noise the less music remains...
Start to think that the entire idea of producing like pro for 100 euro is bad idea.
[...] now i think that unless i spend 400-500 euro nothing 'PRO' will came out from my records...

Ok, I understand it's a complex thing to grasp. You need to look at some individual components.

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 with a set of test tones and analysis of the recordings. A standard test suite for this is eg RMAA - Rightmark Audio Analyser. Some key metrics are frequency response, dynamical range and harmonic distortion.

Problem here is: what is good enough and what is overkill? I am of the opinion that anything equally good or better than your target format (CD Audio = 16bit / 44kHz) is good enough. This has a dynamical range of 96dB. Most entry level gear has a dynamical range far above that, paired with low harmonical distortion and freq response flat to 0.1dB from 20 to 20.000 Hz so I conclude it's good enough. Twenty years ago that quality level would be labelled "mastering grade".

Noise level? You never want any noise! Noise is bad. It defines your dynamical range. When the signal is weaker than the noise, you cannot hear it.

Distortion? You do not want that in the AD-DA converter. Never. If it distorts, then it is broken.

The harmonic exciter you described (distortion, not noise) is an effect which can be employed at will, as a choice. When you cook you don't throw in salt & pepper in vast quantities in every dish. Some dishes need it, most don't. You want to be in control of the level.

(to be continued)

[Hink]

All budget interfaces have same problems capturing details and dynamics of real playing and the differences in budget segment are bigger than in hi end equipment in bad way.

sorry for being an ass, I call pure utter bullshit on this one unless you have the bionic woman's ears

You know what, I play an instrument for 50 years now, I have recorded into 1960s little portable cassette decks to high end Daws...I have used all kind of things during those years and of all the many criticisms I have got no one ever suggested some of my guitar recording was lost or not captured and my style of playing has a lot of dynamics to it.

Everyone has said basically the same, everyone has said you wont hear the differences but you keep saying things like above. Everyone is making music too while you wait, why?

[chk071]

My disapointment is more about adc

Doesn't matter. DAC's, ADC's. All better than it used to be.

If you're in for a cheap audio interface, just get any of the ones you listed in your original post. They will be good enough, regardless of how many videos you watch, and how much you think you can judge by doing so.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

Measurements between similar devices doesn't answer the simpe question how bad is conversion of low cost interface compared to hi end
Julian Krause make nice videos,but compare graphics are misleading ,like less preamp noise is better? Better for what?
Harmonic exciters was invented when engineers discover that the more they eliminate the noise the less music remains...
Start to think that the entire idea of producing like pro for 100 euro is bad idea.
[...] now i think that unless i spend 400-500 euro nothing 'PRO' will came out from my records...

Ok, I understand it's a complex thing to grasp. You need to look at some individual components.

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 with a set of test tones and analysis of the recordings. A standard test suite for this is eg RMAA - Rightmark Audio Analyser. Some key metrics are frequency response, dynamical range and harmonic distortion.

Problem here is: what is good enough and what is overkill? I am of the opinion that anything equally good or better than your target format (CD Audio = 16bit / 44kHz) is good enough. This has a dynamical range of 96dB. Most entry level gear has a dynamical range far above that, paired with low harmonical distortion and freq response flat to 0.1dB from 20 to 20.000 Hz so I conclude it's good enough. Twenty years ago that quality level would be labelled "mastering grade".

Noise level? You never want any noise! Noise is bad. It defines your dynamical range. When the signal is weaker than the noise, you cannot hear it.

Distortion? You do not want that in the AD-DA converter. Never. If it distorts, then it is broken.

The harmonic exciter you described is an effect which can be employed at will, as a choice. When you cook you don't throw in salt & pepper in vast quantities in every dish. Some dishes need it, most don't. You want to be in control of the level.

(to be continued)

Yep,but this is on paper...
Just listen some of the guitars in the videos i post or anywhere www,do you think somebody intentionally will screw the sound - its the best guys can do with such interface.
Would you go to a concert to listen such a record live...it's terrible sound and the more fx over the worse...
My setup is decent - monitors (Eris E5)guitar(Ibanez S521) and mic(Sennheiser e835) - many people have such in their bedrooms,but never produce pro sound,because of bad adc conversion,not because of the guitar or voice they record...well sometimes it's exactly because of it,but my point is decent guitar will sound nice in the mix if it is captured via quality converter.
Try to find a bad record with Apollo ...
Today i listened a record of expensive Martin acoustic from upper series,cost like 4-5 000 dollars and the records was so amateur-ish sounding - it's not because of the bad sound of the guitar definitely
That's my logic and humble opinion,already start saving for better interface:):):)
Cheers

[vurt]

it was probably more down to the person using the guitar and interface than the tools.
in the same way, you can play the same notes as :insert favourite guitarist: on the exact same set up but not sound anything like them, because it's as much about the player as the guitar.

[T-CM11]

sorry for being an ass, I call pure utter bullshit on this one unless you have the bionic woman's ears

Why are you an ass? Does saying "cute fluffy wabbit turd" make people feel better about their bullshit?

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

My disapointment is more about adc

Doesn't matter. DAC's, ADC's. All better than it used to be.

If you're in for a cheap audio interface, just get any of the ones you listed in your original post. They will be good enough, regardless of how many videos you watch, and how much you think you can judge by doing so.

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.
Can't say i'm fenomenal guitar player,but guitar fans will like how i play if record it nice,so old passion i back and i'm not gonna make more compromises
Appolo solo is bottom line for quality
Cheers

[FapFilter]

If you produce bad sounding stuff, at least if the problem is gear related, it's more likely your room not being treated “pro“ enough, as that is taking approx. 10 million times more effect on what you're hearing than the 0.01% differences the AD/DA conversion on “budget“ interface might differ* from a high end one.


* and that's purely on paper that can only be detected by a machine. In practice this doesn't matter at all.
Pre-amps might make a difference though, especially if they are noisy, but that's not saying that even cheap-ish preamps can't be good enough for high end recordings.

Heck… many of todays “high end pop production vocals“ have been recorded in a hotel room with maybe even no dedicated interface involved at all

[vurt]

also, try listening to some mixes, the classic album show is good for this, records where the guitar sounds great, isolated, it sounds like shit!
because it's eqed and such to fit the mix, after usually being close mic'ed on the amp, which only records a certain part of the sound you as the player hear from the amp in the room.

or even oldfield tubular bells, one of the guitars is recorded through a cheap tranny amp, placed over the talk back mic on the mixer. and sounds great!

imo you are overthinking the whole thing, best thing i can suggest, is an old cheap book, that many years ago when i was a bit down on the fact i couldn't afford the fancy gear, helped me realise the folly of my thinking.

the guerilla studio handbook.

all about getting the best out of equipment even worse than the shite i had 20 years ago

[Unaspected]

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.

[Hink]

sorry for being an ass, I call pure utter bullshit on this one unless you have the bionic woman's ears

Why are you an ass? Does saying "cute fluffy wabbit turd" make people feel better about their bullshit?

no, but a little respect is better than what we get around here and frankly I am one of the people that has to put out fires started by people with absolutely no respect such as your commentso duly noted... perhaps it should be duly noted this is the standards I hold myself too.