Universal Audio Volt 2 Vs Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd Gen) bundles.

[OCD_Stee]

Hi there,

I'm new

Anyway... Enough of the small talk;

So, I'm undecided as to which of these interface bundles to choose

I'm leaning towards the Volt 2, as it has a few extra features, and based on what I've seen/ heard during my research, its sound quality is superior.

However, I have also read about various bugs and faults. But I suppose you can always find those sorts of things is you're unlucky? Which I am

The software included could be a deal breaker too.

And what I was also curious about, as I'm getting the bundles with the included mics and headphones, is how they compare to each other? Because I can't seem to find much about them at all.

So any advice/ information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you kindly

 

[TalismanRich]

I would think that the two interfaces are going to be very difficult to distinguish based on sound quality unless you have a really higher end monitoring system. There's very little info on the Volt microphone from what I see. The Scarlett CM25 is an adequate electret mic. Whether they are sufficient for your needs will depend somewhat on what you're recording. For a simple singer/songwriter with a guitar and vocal, I'm sure they'll work. You can always upgrade to a better mic as you progress. If you require midi for keyboard work, then you should go with the UA Volt 2. They are starter kits and probably 10 times better than what many of use started out using in the cassette/dynamic mic days.

Headphones vary drastically, so it's difficult to say which is better without listening to them. I have multiple headphones in a similar price range and each has a very distinctive sonic balance (AKG 240, Sony 7506 and Senn HD280). One thing to remember is that when you come to mixing your masterpiece, your monitoring chain will have a big influence on the decisions you make. Regardless of which system you get, you'll need to know how those sound compared to a good neutral headphone or speaker. As with the microphone, you can always get better ones. But if your headphones are bright, you'll make mixes that are bass heavy. If they are boomy, you'll tend to make mixes that are thin and bass shy.

Both companies are well regarded, so i wouldn't expect either to be badly supported. I like the UA software bundle better, but I wouldn't use either of the included DAWs. Ableton lite doesn't work for my style, and I wouldn't use a 3 month Protools. I got Reaper and have been using it for years. I have a couple of versions of Cubase LE, but I liked Reaper better. The amp sim plugins are nice, and if you do lots of vocals but aren't a great singer, having Melodyne's autotune is handy.

I think both use similar driver systems (Thesycon based) so I doubt there will be a big difference in performance..

Again, I would guess that both will work well. Focusrite had been around for ages, and they have sold thousands. UA had been higher end products, and the Volt line are aimed much more to towards the home market.

Hope this helps.