Which Audio Interface should I go for under $120

nikhil

New member
Hello Guys,

I am a beginner and looking to set up a small budget recording studio at home. I was looking for the audio interfaces online and was confused. Could you guys please help me to suggest the best audio interface that must cost under $120 (Rs. 8000) in India?

My requirement:
a. Should connect my XLR mic - Audio Technica ATR2100
b. Should connect my Guitar at the same time
c. Must have Phantom Power
d. Should connect to my Windows desktop computer

3 Products that I looked at liked were
1. M-Audio M-Track II - M-Audio M-Track II USB Audio Interface: Amazon.in: Musical Instruments
2. M-Audio Se-M Audio M Track II - https://www.snapdeal.com/product/ma...20485&ef_id=V8lhGQAAAETP9B0Y:20161002071539:s
3. Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 - Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface: Amazon.in: Musical Instruments

My queries are:
i. What is difference between 1 and 2?
ii. Does all of them have same quality? I am asking because 3 is out of my budget. Should I stretch by budget for it?
iii. Are there any better or equivalent options?

Please suggest.
 
Not in that list is the Alesis i02 Express. I have had one and Bobbsy Top Bloke in this forum uses one all the time!
It is identical to an M-Audio model but I think M-A have dropped their version.

I have always thought the Focusrites were poor value for money and (unforgivably for me, a tech' they bolloxed the HZ input headroom on an earlier model 2i2. They have a 3rd generation range out now but might be well over budget) Also no MIDI or digital I/O (I02 has both!).

Also not on list are the new Tascams, the 2x2 looks good but SO new you might not have them there yet?
Steinberg UR22 has been a "sleeper". Must have sold 1,000s but we hear nothing about them and in the audio electronics world, NO news is generally very GOOD news. (got a good rep in Sound on Sound) .

Dave.
 
Not in that list is the Alesis i02 Express. I have had one and Bobbsy Top Bloke in this forum uses one all the time!
It is identical to an M-Audio model but I think M-A have dropped their version.

I have always thought the Focusrites were poor value for money and (unforgivably for me, a tech' they bolloxed the HZ input headroom on an earlier model 2i2. They have a 3rd generation range out now but might be well over budget) Also no MIDI or digital I/O (I02 has both!).

Also not on list are the new Tascams, the 2x2 looks good but SO new you might not have them there yet?
Steinberg UR22 has been a "sleeper". Must have sold 1,000s but we hear nothing about them and in the audio electronics world, NO news is generally very GOOD news. (got a good rep in Sound on Sound) .

Dave.

I checked both of them on Amazon.in and discarded the Alesis iO2 Express immediately. It has the the worst review of all. Check out below:

Alesis IO2 Express 24-Bit USB Recording Interface: Amazon.in: Musical Instruments

And, Steinberg UR22 is totally out of my budget.


Could you please suggest any other? Or let me know why M-Audio M-Track II is ideal option?

Also, how is Behringer UM2 Audio Interface

Behringer UM2 Audio Interface: Amazon.in: Musical Instruments
 
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I checked both of them on Amazon.in and discarded the Alesis iO2 Express immediately. It has the the worst review of all. Check out below:

Alesis IO2 Express 24-Bit USB Recording Interface: Amazon.in: Musical Instruments

And, Steinberg UR22 is totally out of my budget.


Could you please suggest any other? Or let me know why M-Audio M-Track II is ideal option?

Also, how is Behringer UM2 Audio Interface

Behringer UM2 Audio Interface: Amazon.in: Musical Instruments

I would not trust either of those reviews. The guy that said it was not "durable for professional use" is a t**t. I thought the build very solid and likely better than that Behringer. The unit is 70 quid here FCS! Not intended for "pro" use (tho' Bobbs very much IS one) .

"Windows would not find it" Likely a PC numpty but then it is not at all unusual to find certain computers/OS/states of system that do not recognize bits of gear..ANY gear, even pricey stuff.

I have read good things about the Behringers but I am deeply averse to one mic input AIs...You WILL regret it!

Dave.
 
I have a Focusrite2i2 and its very solid and completely reliable, very good driver support from Focusrite and they offer you a nice little suite of VST plugins to play with. Saying that, I still use all of the standard plugins that come with Reaper (my DAW) instead of any of the Focusrite ones. That could be laziness on my part or maybe just ease of use.

I'm not quite sure what ecc83's problem actually means but one probably I have noticed is that when you DI an electric guitar with very hot pickups it will clip, even with the input gain all the way down. I never DI electric guitars though so its not a problem. I've heard that this isn't a problem on the newer 2i2s.

Focusrite also do a nice deal on a 2i2, set of headphones and a condenser mic in a boxed set which might be of use to you.

What sort of music are you recording?
What DAW are you using?
 
"I'm not quite sure what ecc83's problem actually means but one probably I have noticed is that when you DI an electric guitar with very hot pickups it will clip"

Yes, THAT ^ precisely. The mk1 had very poor DI headroom and although the problem was addressed in a later version I still believe it was not a huge improvement? Focusrite are now on an "All Singing. All Dancing" revamp 3rd gen' of the Scarlet range so we can only hope the headroom problem has at last been laid to rest?

My beef basically is that if a company can get such a basic design parameter wrong, what other problems might be lurking. Still!! Brilliant marketing has made the 212 one of the most, if not THE most popular AI extant. I just don't see why when the likes of the UR22 are electrically at least as good and have MIDI?

Of course F'rite also did not realize that the vast majority of electric guitarists are genetically programmed NEVER to turn the fekkin' guitar down!

Dave.
 
"I'm not quite sure what ecc83's problem actually means but one probably I have noticed is that when you DI an electric guitar with very hot pickups it will clip"

Yes, THAT ^ precisely. The mk1 had very poor DI headroom and although the problem was addressed in a later version I still believe it was not a huge improvement? Focusrite are now on an "All Singing. All Dancing" revamp 3rd gen' of the Scarlet range so we can only hope the headroom problem has at last been laid to rest?

My beef basically is that if a company can get such a basic design parameter wrong, what other problems might be lurking. Still!! Brilliant marketing has made the 212 one of the most, if not THE most popular AI extant. I just don't see why when the likes of the UR22 are electrically at least as good and have MIDI?

Of course F'rite also did not realize that the vast majority of electric guitarists are genetically programmed NEVER to turn the fekkin' guitar down!

Dave.

Focusrite seem to have underestimated just how hot some modern pickups are and the amount of people that just DI and use amp sims... although saying that I use a Duncan JB, while its very hot, its also quite an old pickup design. You're right they should have worked this out in advance.
Another thing that appears to people with Focusrite is that they are very robust - all the knobs and switches have a nice weight to them or move with a satisfying click - the housing is nice and rugged too.

Back to the OP - this is a video by one of the Forum members here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSdsTpgHih0
Its a quick review of the cheapest AI he could find that would actually work properly and do the job.
 
Focusrite seem to have underestimated just how hot some modern pickups are and the amount of people that just DI and use amp sims... although saying that I use a Duncan JB, while its very hot, its also quite an old pickup design. You're right they should have worked this out in advance.
Another thing that appears to people with Focusrite is that they are very robust - all the knobs and switches have a nice weight to them or move with a satisfying click - the housing is nice and rugged too.

Back to the OP - this is a video by one of the Forum members here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSdsTpgHih0
Its a quick review of the cheapest AI he could find that would actually work properly and do the job.

I am firmly of the opinion that the adpuffmarketing kids put their non-technical oar in on the first generation.

Someone tried out a pre-prod model with a wimpy Strat and could not get it to 0dBFS so they got the gain increased. That would have been fine had they then fitted a pad (as per my old Fast Track Pro) but instead they fitted pretty LEDs.

Build quality? I have an 8i6 and it is fine but no better than my KA6 and I only had the i02 for a week or two but I don't recall any flimsiness?

Dave.
 
I am firmly of the opinion that the adpuffmarketing kids put their non-technical oar in on the first generation.

Someone tried out a pre-prod model with a wimpy Strat and could not get it to 0dBFS so they got the gain increased. That would have been fine had they then fitted a pad (as per my old Fast Track Pro) but instead they fitted pretty LEDs.

Build quality? I have an 8i6 and it is fine but no better than my KA6 and I only had the i02 for a week or two but I don't recall any flimsiness?

Dave.

The LED halos are pretty nice. They're a nice visual way of getting yourself in the right zone when recording in a home environment. Its definitely worth considering if you're going to recording heavy guitars though.
 
Thanks guys. I got a good deal for MA MKII, hence bought it. Now gonna start making music :-)
Cool, when you start recording some guitar parts, post them up in "The New Tone Thread" in the Guitars & Basses section. You'll get good advice on to how to improve your tone.
 
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