10 Best Audio Interfaces For Home Studios

In the modern music making world, the need for a professional studio is rapidly declining, with domestic set-ups now capable of producing results that just a few years ago would have set the budding producer back many thousands of pounds.  For this feature we take a look at ten audio interfaces spread across the price range which will deliver vastly different attributes to your home studio mix-downs.

MOTU 828mk3 Hybrid

The 828 series is one of the world’s best loved sound-card institutions.  The original edition was the first ever Firewire recording interface to hit the market, with the MK3 update offering the choice of 480 Mbps USB 2.0 or 400 Mbps Firewire operation. What you essentially get is a complete studio in a convenient 1U, 19” box using the same high end circuitry found in the professional PCI range that incorporates direct digital synthesis clocking alongside transparent mic pre-amps. In total there’s a whopping 28 individual inputs and 30 outputs, including dedicated XLR main outs and two front panel headphone outs. You can also disconnect from your computer at any time using the unit as a standalone mixer, accessing each of the effects parameters via the backlit LCD and front panel control knobs. The level meters are comprehensive and display all analogue, digi, mic and main output information from -42 through to 0dB plus clock statuses for all operating modes. The box ships with the Audio Desk recording, editing and processing software based on the legendary Digital Performer platform which will enable you to cover every stage of the production process right up to production mastering. Due to the fact that the 828 has been in service for some years the drivers are pretty much faultless, delivering third party support for almost every leading pro audio application. As you can probably guess with a system like this you get what you pay for in regards to sound quality which is loud, crisp and true.  Due to the fact that the effects are hardware based you get a far superior aural experience compared with the java-based software plug-ins on the market, making this an ideal solution for the home, project and commercial studio alike. [Find out more]

MOTU UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid Audio
Interface

Motu’s second contribution to this 10 Best selection is the compact half-rack 1 U Ultralite, now on its third edition. Like the 828 this is also a hybrid and thus will connect either via USB or Firewire. It has the significant advantage of being fully bus powered, requiring no external power when used with Firewire. It also uses the same direct digital synthesis driven phase lock engine and internal clock source as the 828, can be used in conjunction with other Ultralites and contains the Cuemix and Audio Desk mixing, recording and production software. The onboard DSP effects include the powerful Classic Reverb, two different types of compression and a 7-band parametric EQ, all of which have multiple presets and parameters that will work with the unit whilst plugged into your computer or independently in stand alone mode.  Alongside the 1/4” gold plated TRS jacks are two Amphenol combo jacks packing hi-Z 1/4” guitar input or low-Z XLR mic input with phantom power, pad and a decent amount of gain. [Find out more]

RME Fireface UC Audio/MIDI Interface

Another heavy hitter in our 10 Best series, this USB interface is a small 1U, half-rack-width feature-packed box of tricks. It’s USB bus will actually identify and communicate with the chipset in your computer, adapting its workload according to your specifications thus making it faster and more reliable than their Firewire series.  The manufacturers also claim that their Steadyclock digital clock is jitter-immune – sadly however it isn’t bus powered but this doesn’t pose too many problems. Connection wise there are eight balanced analogue outs with a further eight channels simultaneously available via ADAT plus S/PDIFF (which can also be accessed through ADAT) and two Neutrik Combo connectors for XLR and TRS microphones with pre-amps up to 65db. If this isn’t enough you can connect up to three multiple units to the same computer for more I/O options. There are also a brace of MIDI in/outs although you need to plug in the included breakout cable to access them due to back-panel space restrictions.  Operating this beast could not be simpler; you can either dial up the included native Total Mix software which is probably the most comprehensive and seemingly limitless on-screen DSP mixer, processing the mix-down in the box rather than in your computer. It also allows custom input/output routing with Loopback and sub-group recording, all of which can be saved as presets and controlled via MIDI. Alternatively the box can be used as a standalone using the push encoder to set levels and parameters.  This unit has the most superior sound quality in our 10 Best feature and with its ultra low latency (48 samples Windows, 14 samples mac) and rock solid build quality we’d think it unlikely you’ll need to upgrade for a very long time. [Find out more]

Lexicon IONIX U82S USB Desktop
Recording Studio

There’s something instantly likeable about the U82S.  It’s a mid price range 19” 2U desktop model that feels reassuringly like a block of silver bullion, perfect for cracking any unwanted studio intruders over the head with.  In fact it’s probably the most sensibly laid out unit in this series with everything being placed in a logical, easy to use manner. All of the eight analogue inputs are push to release Amphenol XLR ¼” combi jacks, each mirrored by an individual rotary knob that also has its own individual eight segment type LED level meter per channel. Behind the scenes you’ve got DBX 60V high-voltage, ultra-low noise mic pre-amps on all eight channels with performance driven A/D – D/A converters kicking out that 24-bit/96kHz audio. Other features include duel ¼ headphone out with independent high output control, ¼ main output terminals plus S/PDIF or USB monitor mix and Hi-Z instrument inputs/inserts. As with many of today’s interfaces the bundled software is equally impressive, providing an insight into Lexicon’s industry standard reverb range with the Pantheon II VST/AU plug-in which has more than enough presets and parameters to cater for every aspect of project or professional studio processing. Although probably not life changing, the included copy of Cubase LE will certainly go a long way to getting you started with Toontrack’s EZ light drummer being a nice included extra. The Juno Plus road test was smooth and we’ve no reason to throw caution to the manufacturer’s claim of zero latency monitoring, with the drivers being reliable – as you’d expect from a company such as Lexicon.  The recordings through the mic inputs sounded as bold and ballsy as any of the heavy hitters and the overall sound quality, ease of use and no-nonsense workflow leaves us to brand this one of the most reliable bangs for your buck in the series. [Find out more]

Focusrite Saffire PRO 40 Audio Interface

This is another high spec interface that appears to be punching above its weight when it comes to features and performance vs price.  This mains powered Firewire 20 in/out 1U rack-mountable slab looks and feels professional, with eight Focusrite pre-amps and phantom power on each channel (1 & 2 have -9dB pads). The Neutrik Combo connections take care of the analogue inputs with 10 analogue TRS outputs, plus there’s ADAT I/O (standard eight drops down to four inputs at 88.2/96kHz), while stereo S/PDIFF completes the audio hardware capabilities. The unit does work in standalone mode, and we’re graced with plenty of other bonuses, most notably the Saffire MixControl DSP mixer – a versatile and uncomplicated tool that allows you to mix, route and control monitoring options on screen with access to sample rate, sync, mute and dim saving as you go. There are also twin headphone outputs and metering on each input channel from -42 up to 0dB.  If you’re studio is running light on effects processing then don’t despair, as the Focusrite plug in suite offers high end VST/AU compression, reverb, gate and EQ.  A further 1gB of royalty free samples plus a copy of Ableton Live Suite make this package one of the most attractive of the bunch. [Find out more]

Focusrite Saffire PRO 14: 8 In/6 Out
Firewire Audio/MIDI Interface

This is a racy little bus powered 14 in, 6 out Firewire interface which features the same high end circuitry, conversion and jitter elimination technology as its big brother, the PRO 40. Inputs are split between Neutrik Combo XLR / ¼” on the front, with ¼” TSR’s and S/PDIFF out back for both in and outs.  It’s loaded with two pre-amps and 48v phantom power on the front inputs, and features on screen DSP mixing plus the Focusrite plug-in suite (VST/AU compression, reverb, gate and EQ).  They’ve not scrimped on headphone monitoring either, offering that all important dedicated front panel headphone bus with independent volume knob. [Find out more]

Alesis iO2 Express 24-Bit USB
Audio/MIDI Interface

This is a great little 2 in/out interface for those of us new to home or field recording. Alesis have been very fair with the features to price ratio, offering a well built interface that boasts a choice of XLR or ¼” TS jack line inputs which will allow use with DJ equipment, microphones or guitars that you can monitor simultaneously with the USB digital input. If you need to incorporate another digital input then that’s covered with the S/P Diff, plus there’s a ¼” line insert on each channel for independent effects modules and a handy 48v phantom power to help things along the way.  The build quality surpassed our expectations, with everything feeling firm and well mounted. As far as knobs are concerned, there’s gain on each channel plus master out, monitor mix and headphone volume. Getting the audio signal to your preferred output device is done via ¼” jacks and the first thing you’ll notice with this system is the clear, punchy sound replication you get; the second is the overall usability that this unit delivers from its plug and play instillation, right down to its effortless ability to handle even the most demanding project studio jobs with very little audio or MIDI drop out. Just plug a cheap mic in and you’ll be able to make professional production-ready recordings, and due to the absence of any consumer connections we can only conclude this review with the words that the only thing stripped back is the price.  Ships with Cubase LE. [Find out more]

Mackie Onyx Blackjack

There’s something very desirable about the Mackie Onyx. It’s an industrial metal doorstop of a 2 in, 2 out USB desktop interface that feels almost indestructible. Up on deck you’ve got a bank of five horizontally placed rotaries taking care of gain for each channel, input and output  monitor level plus headphone out. Around the back there are a couple of Neutrik Combo XLR / ¼” jacks connected to Mackie’s so called Boutique pre-amps (60dB range) which have been developed from their professional range. The ¼” balanced/unbalanced outputs will either connect to your headphones or your monitors, and thanks to the Cirrus Logic AD/DA converters the sound quality is equal to the top spec models. It’s got a built-in DI on each channel for guitar strummers and you can get your condenser mics in there with the 48v phantom power. Shipping with Mackie’s Tracktion 3 Production software, this is gets out official ‘best bang for your buck’ vote. [Find out more]

Tascam US 122MKII (USB 2.0
audio/MIDI interface)

It’s nice to include an entry from Tascam in our 10 Best feature as they’re one of the best examples of a professional audio company that do functional entry level products just as well as the ones aimed at the higher end of the market.  At £109 this USB 2 in, 2 out model is perfect for beginners, singer/song writers or those of us who don’t really end up using more than the standard stereo output pairs for our dance music production. Laptop live performers and digital DJs should also take a peek at this unit which, although a bit chunkier than most, is built very well and thus may be worthy of that little extra space in the gig bag. A quick rundown of the features includes 96kHz/24-bit audio resolution, phantom power on the 2 x XLR microphone inputs, balanced 1/4” TRS inputs with switchable guitar, mic and line level input controls.  There are four sturdy knobs for each of the channel levels, mix monitor and headphone out. The line out is just a single pair of RCA phono jacks but apart from this there’s not much that can really go wrong; the sound is crisp enough, it’s completely USB powered and latency is low. Well worth a look. [Find out more]

ESI U24 XL

Had to sell your beloved hardware studio a few years ago to pay the mortgage? Fancy a night in dabbling in the dark arts while the Mrs is away with the kids? Got a work laptop with a bit of free space on the hard disk? How’s about re-living your rave day’s for the price of a night out on the beers? If the answer is yes to any of these questions then the ESI U24 is the perfect tool for the job. Shipping with a copy of Cubase LE and a bundle of VST/AU processors and plug-ins this 24 bit USB interface is compact with 2 x analog input and 2 analog output channels with 1/4″ TRS connectors. If you’d rather go down the digital route then there’s S/PDIF digital in and out available through the optical (Toslink) and coaxial (RCA) connectors. It’s design is compact and current, its made from robust aluminum, the connectors appear to be gold plated, our copy of Ableton seems to run happily enough as we stack up the reverb’s and there is certainly nothing untoward about the sound. This is no frills functional music production at its finest. [Find out more]