Phone Hours | Add in the Air control (auditioned separately here so you can hear what it does), and you’ve got a winner. Bottom Line: The Mackie Onyx Producer 2.2 is a true workhorse audio interface. Lynn Fuston spent 37 years behind recording consoles in dozens of studios in Nashville, as well as doing remote recordings around the globe. Hello! These are the best usb audio interfaces for under $300 and will definitely give you a professional sound. Best Audio Interfaces Under $500. The 2-input design saves space by combining the XLRs and the line-level jacks so that you can switch between microphone and line level in a pinch. The Producer 2.2 interface blends balanced analog connectivity and 24-bit/192kHZ operation with the high-quality Onyx mic pres that is onboard. , Bottom Line: The Native Instruments Komplete 2 sounds just as sleek as you would assume from the design. The Best Audio Interfaces under $500 [Reviews & Buying Guide] Ben November 4, 2020 you? There are a few great audio interfaces in the $500 price range that will do … With over 28,000 articles and counting, inSync is your FREE resource for breaking news, reviews, demos, interviews, and more. There is an “Air” feature on each of the preamps as well, which essentially adds clarity to the overall sound. After a lot of thought, we think that the Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 is the best audio interface under $500 - not just because we are big fans of Focusrite products, but because the device has proven to us time and time again that it deserves its place on the top of the list. It comes with eight XLR/TRS inputs and high-quality Midas preamps, two on the front panel and six on the back. Keep in mind that the following links are affiliate links which give me a small percentage from any purchase without any additional cost to you. For running Sonar? We really wanted to see what differences (if any) we With that said, they also happen to design one of the best little 2-input/2-output interfaces that are on the market right now. Leo Tilton Jr. Leo Tilton Jr. left college after being two years into a four-year degree to pursue music. The U-PHORIA UMC1820 from Behringer is a new item on our chart and proves to be one of the best audio interfaces under $ 500. There are some excellent devices under $500 too — like, for example, the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20. There is no shortage of audio interfaces currently available. But how can you know which interface to buy? That’s why it’s critical to have It’s about the easiest interface to set up and operate. While there are plenty of great interfaces under $1,000, you don’t necessarily need to spend that much on an audio interface. You will find the perfect product for you in our guide here. With its durable casing, we highly recommend it for traveling producers and singer-songwriters. Including MIDI and Mac/Windows/iOS compatibility and a download of Cubase AI means you’ll be ready to start recording right away. Best Audio Interface for under $500? This section reviews some of the best audio interfaces for the money. On the back of the audio interface sits a USB-B connector, a Kensington Security Slot, and TRS ¼-inch output jacks. This is perfect for guitars or other instruments that utilize line level outputs. Take a listen to these recordings and You can post now and register later. Thursday. The Behringer UMC404HD is the most affordable audio interface featured on the list, and we can say that it provides a large amount of value for your dollar. They’ve even thrown in Traktion DAW software for those who are just getting started. Smile, as the team of experts at Music Critic have reviewed the top audio interfaces by considering; Value, Compatibility, Customer Feedback and lots more. We can’t wait to hear your music! We recorded with and without the 4K button engaged so you can hear the difference. Headphone Reviews & Comparisons; Microphone Reviews & Comparisons; Amps, DACs, and Audio Interfaces; Studio Monitors; Best Of; … Editor’s Choice . In terms of specs, the Scarlett 6i6 comes with four analog inputs, which include two Scarlett microphone preamps and tons of gain! $500? So, engineer Shawn Dealey With a budget-friendly design that will fit in your backpack, it is a no-brainer for producers and singer-songwriters on the go. With that said, fewer I/O options will still be more than enough for home studios, especially for those who are looking to record one instrument at a time. Interfaces in this range will typically come with eight or fewer inputs and outputs, though there are a few outliers. Although I’ve auditioned dozens of interfaces over the years, I’ve never listened to so many interfaces at this price point before. could hear, but we also wanted to give you the chance to hear for Of course, you may want to upgrade one day, but there is no reason to spend a few grand when you are just getting into the world of recording. DI Input for Guitars and Other Live Instruments, Line Inputs for Guitars and Other Line-Level Gear. Speaking of clarity, the Clarett 2Pre has an A/D resolution of 24-bit/192kHz, giving you crystalline sound that is unmistakable. In such case, you need to review Cambridge Audio Azur DacMagic Plus. We think the results are very The back of the unit has main monitor outputs, 3-8 inputs, eight line outputs, MIDI in/out ports, SPDIF in/out ports, a USB port, and the port for the power adaptor. Each of these inputs comes with a line/instrument button switch, signal and peak LED indicators, a PAD button switch, and of course a gain control knob. When you have decided to find the best DAC under 500 you expect that it will be an ultimate converter for various purposes. On the face of the Onyx Producer 2.2, you’ll find two identical mic/line inputs. If you and your new band want to create a record, you are going to need an excellent audio interface to make it just that little bit special. At the very end of the audio interface lies two headphone outputs for quiet monitoring, as well as dedicated volume controls. best to you, here are some of the details and links to the product pages where For podcasters and voice-over artists, the sound of spoken With a compact design that is perfect for your desktop, it manages to deliver a superior audio performance compared to the range of other entry-level devices out there. It has a metal-aluminum housing of black color that protects … Though the Audient ID4 came out back in 2015, many still consider it to be one of the best entry-level audio interfaces on the market today. Add in Studio One Artist software, including the Studio Magic plug-in suite and over 6GB of third-party content, and you’ll have what you need to succeed with this very capable interface. Top 7 Best Audio Interfaces Under $500 – The Mid-Range Superstars Last Updated: November-12-2018 We decided to give this important article a bit of a revamp as we approached winter, so we updated the article content as well as the chart itself. 3 Quote; Link to post Share on other sites. Everything you love about Sweetwater in the palm of your hand. May be subject to additional charges, see checkout for details. It works with both Mac and PC systems and comes complete with two USB cables, as it is a bus-powered device. A good stand-alone preamp will boost and enhance the audio signal, making the mixing process a lot easier. We see you've found the Newbie subforum! I record everything from Metal to blues and hip hop. Exclusive deals, delivered straight to your inbox. It will also reduce the need for a lot of extra processing. The input signals can both be monitored using the Input/DAW mix knob so that you don’t experience any annoying latency issues. Pascal Faruq Disclosure: When you buy through our links, we may get a commission at zero cost to you. Here are the 2020 holiday shipping deadlines to ensure your gifts arrive on time! They have also given you some nice input meters that sit beside the USB indicators as well. Bottom Line: If you are looking for an entry-level audio interface that sounds amazing (why wouldn’t you be), then the Clarett 2Pre should be the first choice on your list. Don Carr performed on a Gibson Les Paul Standard ’60s that we recorded into Pro Tools and then re-amped with the Radial SGI Studio Guitar Interface through a Friedman Dirty Shirley 40 head driving a Marshall 1960AX 100-watt 4×12 cabinet with Greenbacks and miked with a Royer R-121 and a Shure SM57 running directly into each interface so that you’ll hear precisely the same performance in each of these clips. Best for what? With two Unison preamps and the digital converters that have made Universal Audio famous, this interface allows you to achieve professional-quality results at entry-level pricing. They come with a combination of XLR and jack connectors, allowing you to plug in either a microphone or a line-level instrument. With a budget-friendly design that will fit in your backpack, it is a no-brainer for producers and singer-songwriters on the go. The M4 includes MIDI connectivity, 1-touch hardware monitoring, and comprehensive metering for all four inputs and outputs. I … Just like the Clarett, the Scarlett 6i6 is compatible with just about every major DAW as well as Mac and PC systems. Are you looking for a great audio interface with tons of I/O, great sound quality, and a price under $500? Some of the other top-notch technology onboard includes a JFET direct input, Burr-Brown converter technology, and console-style monitor control, which all come together to provide class-leading sound. Featuring dual mic/line inputs along with a DI/instrument input and an informative display with single-knob control, the Apollo Solo will get you started with emulations of classic preamps — accurate plug-in emulations of the finest analog outboard gear of all time, including compressors such as the Teletronix LA-2A and UA 1176LN, EQs such as the renowned Pultec EQP-1A, and amps like the Marshall Plexi and Ampeg SVT-VR. Unaltered audio ” magic from those consoles to your recordings wall outlet as well file with high-resolution WAV.. 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