Which audio interface

[Szvdi_]

Hi!
I am going to buy my second „home studio” setup

Microphone: Rode Nt1 Signature
Headphones: DT770 Pro 250 ohm, in future going to buy also dt990

And the interface is my question, Focusritr 2i2 4th gen or Audient id14 mk2

I know scarlet has bad reputation cuz of their scarlets solo but i heard that 2i2 are good option.

So… what are pros and cons of both an with overall is better?

[The Noodlist]

Julian Krause is a resource. What are your requirements?

[bagpipe200]

Did you look at MOTU M2? I'm really happy with mine.

[Szvdi_]

Did you look at MOTU M2? I'm really happy with mine.

Hmm… it looks pretty nice, i tought about 4th gen scarlet cuz it newest from all of it, also air option gives opportunity to get some air and saturation analogicly from interface, and „safe” clippin option looks nice, but motu m2 look amazing from paper and recensions

[Szvdi_]

Julian Krause is a resource. What are your requirements?

I watched him before and i still can’t choose, im just singin, mixing vocals and listen to music so i want best microphone amps quality and also headphones, gonna use monitors in future

[dysjoint]

Can't answer specifically but check your choice can drive those 250 ohm headphones properly.

[ramseysounds]

Personal taste, but as I use Cubase I went for the UR824. Love it

[mixyguy2]

I know scarlet has bad reputation cuz of their scarlets solo

Only among misinformed fools. They have excellent interfaces all around. Much earlier versions had some driver issues, but those are a thing of the past. (Same with MOTU, btw.)

[robindrieghe]

just bought a steinberg ur 22 c, very happy.

[mixyguy2]

just bought a steinberg ur 22 c, very happy.

What headphones do you use? IIRC correctly, those Steinbergs have weak headphone amps.

[cmarais]

In short it doesn't really matter - whichever one you can get the best deal on
Or look at what plugin or DAW packages it comes bundled with that you like

The reality is, in 2024 unlike 20 years ago, the interfaces are so good these days AND there's little difference between them whether it's the Focusrite, Audient, MOTU, SSL, UA etc because oftentimes the internal components are often coming from the same or similar factories in China
It's just the "skin" that is different, but the AD/DA converters and mic pres are pretty much similar if not identical components, and they'll tweak the features here and there (many of them will have some sort of "analog" magic button or knob which they tell you will make your recordings sound more like an analog/console/tape/etc/whatever marketing-speak, but it's essentially a compressor that works on the transients that is subtle and can be replicated with a lot of stock plugins in the DAW anyhow - again not as huge of a feature as they will tell you for a relatively inexpensive piece of gear)

That doesn't make them bad at all - they're amazing actually, not only used by those starting out, but professionals on their mobile rigs (mostly for podcasting, or recording voiceovers remotely for video games etc)

I have not used Audient, but have had Focusrite Scarletts in the past (not just mine but used others), as well as a MOTU M4 and SSL2+, and tried out the UA -- again they're all solid and plug and play (only used Macs though so I don't know Windows)

In short, the interface itself isn't going to dictate whether you can make a professional sounding recording - just in terms of gear/setup, the biggest difference is going to be your microphones, and how your room is treated (and also of course your know how of how to properly mic a singer, or mic a guitar cab, or whatever)

[The Noodlist]

In short it doesn't really matter - whichever one you can get the best deal on
Or look at what plugin or DAW packages it comes bundled with that you like

Presonus are bundling Studio One Professional (perpetual license) with some of their latest Quantum interfaces.
https://www.presonus.com/en/interfaces/ ... um-series/

[mixyguy2]

In short it doesn't really matter - whichever one you can get the best deal on
Or look at what plugin or DAW packages it comes bundled with that you like

Your overall point stands about differences being exaggerated, but buying an interface based on what software comes with it is a poor reason. Further, they aren't all exactly the same...they vary in terms of features, things like mic gain, headphones amps, etc etc.

[cmarais]

In short it doesn't really matter - whichever one you can get the best deal on
Or look at what plugin or DAW packages it comes bundled with that you like

Your overall point stands about differences being exaggerated, but buying an interface based on what software comes with it is a poor reason. Further, they aren't all exactly the same...they vary in terms of features, things like mic gain, headphones amps, etc etc.

At the entry level interfaces (which is what I sensed the OP was looking at given the tenor of their post) I stand by my point - I'm not talking about RMEs or even the Apollo interfaces

Again I've either owned these entry level interfaces, or used them

The Focusrite Scarlett, the UAD Volt, SSL2 and MOTU M2/4 series pretty much offer the same feature set -- 2 or 4 inputs (Scarlett offers a 1 input version), and the mic gain on tap is pretty much the same from my experience, as well as direct monitoring, USB powered, etc
The two core elements of the interface -- the AD/DA converters, as well as the built-in mic pres, are pretty much the same and/or sourced from the same factories in China
That's by design, as these particular interfaces are meant compete with one another at a similar entry level price point

The preamps on the Scarlett for example are not the same ones as on their Red or ISA series
The SSL2 preamps are not lesser versions (or any version) tha'ts on their SSL consoles

But as preamps go, they're more similar to one another in that they are all clean and transparent mic preamps with decent usable range of gain (they have similar amounts of limited headroom to each other - if you use say an SM7b for podcasting you'll often need a cloudlifter with one of these) - but again, it's amazing what you can get these days with such little money

As for bundled software, why would that be a poor reason for someone looking to get their first interface (especially if they're newer to recording)?

The Focusrite comes with bundled with a version of Protools, their Red plugins, as well as a host of other 3rd party plugs

The UA Volt comes bundled with Luna their own DAW, and I believe a few free native UAD plugins

The MOTU comes with Digital Performer, plus a few 3rd party plugins

And even if they don't use the DAW bundled with the interface, the VST/AU/AAX plugins that come with it that they can use in Logic or Reaper or whatever can be enough to choose one over the other especially if the interfaces themselves are more or less similar

Also I don't think there's a lot of overlap in the kinds of software bundles these offer, as well as sound libraries
Again if one is undecided AND doesn't quite know what they want, then sure the software won't matter as much, but if let's say they're a guitarist who has had great experiences with UA (they have an Ox Box, or their various pedals) and want to stick with UA then the Volt can be a great choice - they may still end up migrating to Logic or Protools or whatever later on, but it's about familiarity

Same with Focusrite - could be someone who worked in studios say 20-30 years ago when it was more analog, but now getting back into it for fun and the tech-to-value is now completely changed - they may have had experience with Focusrite channel strips and the Red plugins paired with the Scarlett gives them more familiarity to "restart with"

[The Noodlist]

The preamps on the Scarlett for example are not the same ones as on their Red or ISA series

The Gen 4 use some tech from their higher spec Rednet interfaces. (There has also been a semiconductor chip shortage and several factory fires.)

4th generation Focusrute Scarlett 2i2s and 4i4s both now use the same digital analogue ‘rednet’ convertors as Foucsrite’s high end audio equipment. Analogue to digital conversion is handled by the Cirrus Logic CS5381, and digital to analogue Cirrus Logic CS43198, providing 120 dB of dynamic range, compared to 104-108 dB of the 3rd generation convertors.

The Focusrite comes with bundled with a version of Protools, their Red plugins, as well as a host of other 3rd party plugs

Be aware - 3 month subscription/trial

Screenshot 2024-07-13 at 11-58-19 My Software Customer Portal.png

The MOTU comes with Digital Performer, plus a few 3rd party plugins

Be aware, this is the Lite version. It also looks dated, I gave up trying to use it, I'll stick to the simplicity of Studio One.

You have some really good points.