After already shedding money on a microphone, headphones and perhaps even a new DAW, spending much more cash on an audio interface with bells and whistles can really feel like needless ache on your pockets. On the other hand, it’s an integral part in maximum recording setups for those who in truth wish to plug that microphone in!
Those are our selections for the most productive audio interfaces you’ll be able to clutch for less than $250. Whilst these kind of take a seat within the two-channel vary, some be offering additional fine details or one thing just a little other, from novel {hardware} options to engaging tool bundles.
The Easiest Audio Interfaces underneath $250
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen)
- Audient EVO 8
- PreSonus Revelator io24
- Arturia MiniFuse 4
- Common Audio Volt 176
- Cast State Good judgment SSL 2+
- Audient iD4 MKII
- MOTU M2 2×2
- Behringer U-Phoria UMC404HD
- IK Multimedia iRig Professional Duo I/O
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen)
The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen) is a 2-channel USB 2.0 audio interface famend for its remarkable recording features. With a 24-bit / 192 kHz solution and bold 120 dB dynamic vary, it guarantees top quality sound. That includes two Scarlett microphone preamps with 69 dB acquire, +48V phantom energy, and the Air operate for extra brilliance, it’s highest for vocals and tools. Person-friendly options like Auto Achieve, Clip Secure, and Dynamic Achieve Halos simplify quantity regulate. Compact and bus-powered with USB-C connectivity for each PC and Mac, it comprises the Hitmaker Growth Instrument Package deal for complete song manufacturing.
Options:
- Outstanding 24-bit / 192 kHz sound
- Two tool/line and two mic inputs (XLR)
- 69 dB acquire, +48V phantom energy
- Simple recording, no clipping
- Perfect for cell recording
- Worth: $227
To find offers at thomann.de.
Audient EVO 8
The EVO 8 from Audient gives the similar pleasant, easy-to-use interface and Smartgain characteristic as its smaller siblings, making it a very good selection for novices. On the other hand, its 4 high quality mic preamps open up an entire host of chances that simply aren’t imaginable with two inputs, together with stripped-down drum recording or experimenting with more than one shut and ambient mics when monitoring guitars. Similar to different Audient interfaces, there’s a tight (albeit unmarried) DI enter with a JFET transistor degree that makes tools sound much less medical when plugged instantly in. In addition to reinforce for 2 pairs of studio displays, there also are two headphone outputs – beautiful uncommon at this value.
The EVO 8 over-delivers on each high quality and amount of options, attaining a really perfect rating of 10/10 in our evaluation. Bus-powering by the use of USB-C provides to comfort and portability, and Audient’s ARC package is all the time value testing, in particular when Sonarworks’ headphone and room correction tool is bundled in.
Learn our complete evaluation.
- Worth: $229
- Inputs: 4 mic/line combo inputs; 1 tool enter (6.3 mm)
- Outputs: 4 TRS line outputs (6.3 mm), 2 headphone outputs (6.3 mm)
- Mic preamp acquire vary: 58 dB
- Notable options: Smartgain; JFET DI; ARC tool package
- Most pattern fee: 96 kHz
- Connection: USB 2.0, USB-C connector
Take a look at the EVO 8 by the use of thomann.
PreSonus Revelator io24
The PreSonus Revelator io24 is a desktop, wedge-shaped interface that comes as a large wonder at its value level. With two digitally-controlled mic preamps, on-screen comments and metering and a collection of integrated DSP results, it makes monitoring vocals and tools a extra enjoyable revel in. The DSP additionally supplies the most important gear for podcasters or streamers who wish to form their incoming mic sound with EQ, compression and a noise gate, and in depth loopback reinforce is some other bonus for this sort of person.
Bus-powering makes the io24 a really perfect proposition for song at the transfer, whilst the PreSonus Studio Magic tool package hardly ever disappoints, together with complete tool tools, surely helpful audio results, and an entry-version of the Studio One DAW.
Learn our complete evaluation.
- Worth: $199 (despite the fact that incessantly discounted)
- Inputs: 2 mic/line/tool combo inputs
- Outputs: 2 TRS line outputs (6.3 mm); 1 headphone output (6.3 mm)
- Mic preamp acquire vary: 60 dB
- Notable options: electronic acquire regulate; onboard DSP results; MIDI in/out; sturdy tool package
- Connection: USB 2.0, USB-C connector
To find out extra at thomann.
Arturia MiniFuse 4
Development upon its good fortune within the synth {hardware} marketplace, Arturia has won fanatics within the audio interface international too with its AudioFuse line meant for professional customers. The more moderen MiniFuse interfaces come with the entire necessities, partnered – as you’d be expecting – through an exquisite tool package taken from the emblem’s personal, in depth plugin assortment.
MiniFuse 4 is a 4 in/4 out interface that has two mixture mic, line and tool preamps, plus an additional two line ins for connecting the likes of an exterior synth or mic preamp. At the output aspect, there are 4 line outs, that means you’ll be able to pressure two pairs of studio displays or for hybrid blending, ship indicators out from the additional line outs to analogue {hardware} (e.g. returning to the interface by the use of line ins 3 and four). There are two headphone outs, MIDI sockets, a at hand major quantity knob, and LED meters at the entrance. A two-port USB-A hub is some other very helpful additional, however you wish to have so as to add an exterior DC energy provide to place this into motion; differently, the interface will paintings luckily on bus energy.
Learn our complete evaluation.
- Worth: $219
- Inputs: 2 mic/line/tool combo inputs; 2 further TRS line inputs (6.3 mm)
- Outputs: 4 TRS line outputs (6.3 mm); 2 headphone outputs (6.3 mm)
- Mic preamp acquire vary: 60 dB
- Notable options: USB hub; MIDI in/out; collection of black and white colors; sturdy tool package
- Most pattern fee: 192 kHz
- Connection: USB 2.0, USB- C connector
To find out extra at Thomann.
Common Audio Volt 176
In case you handiest want to plug in one mic, however you wish to have to max-out on each high quality and vibe, then the Volt 176 from Common Audio has you lined. In addition to a Antique mode transfer for saturation in accordance with the emblem’s high-end 610 valve preamp, the enter features a characterful analogue compressor modelled at the much-loved 1176. As you’d be expecting from Common Audio, conversion is not any slouch both; the Volt handles pattern charges as much as 192kHz.
The importance of the 176’s compressor operate is introduced house in our evaluation: “Make no mistake – it is a right kind analogue compressor that does a high quality task of recreating the 1176’s musically sympathetic transparency and responsiveness, and it’s uncommon to look enter conditioning of this type on any audio interface, let on my own one who’s so reasonably priced. It’s a stroke of genius that’s certain to make Volt as fashionable in house studios as Apollo is for the professionals.”
Learn our complete evaluation.
- Worth: $199
- Inputs: 1 combo mic/line/tool enter
- Outputs: 2 TRS line outputs (6.3 mm); 1 headphone preamp (6.3 mm)
- Mic preamp acquire vary: 55 dB
- Notable options: Antique preamp mode in accordance with 610 tube preamp; onboard 1176 taste compressor
- Most pattern fee: 192 kHz
- Connection: USB 2.0, USB-C connector
To find out extra at thomann.
Cast State Good judgment SSL 2+
Cast State Good judgment (aka SSL) brings the spirit of its venerable analogue blending consoles to the house studio desktop. Controls are easy, with an emphasis on fuss-free recording and playback, the Legacy 4K choice on each and every preamp simulating the vibe of the 4000 collection console, that includes a flattering excessive shelf spice up plus delicate harmonic distortion. Our cash is at the enhanced, ‘plus’ edition with its further headphone preamp, additional line outs and on-board MIDI, on the other hand, the usual SSL 2 may be to be had for round $50 much less and has the similar preamp choices to inject mojo into any combine.
The mix of high quality {hardware} plus the bundled SSL Local plugins is amazingly sexy, as Adam Crute explains in our evaluation: “When the 4K impact is utilized in mixture with the SSL Local plug-ins, your recordings must be blessed with a marginally of sophistication, and that is what in point of fact is helping the SSL 2 and a couple of+ stand proud of a lot in their festival.”
Learn our complete evaluation.
- Worth: $229
- Inputs: 2 combo mic/line/tool inputs
- Outputs: 2 TRS line outputs (6.3mm); 2 further line outputs on RCA; 2 headphone preamps (6.3mm)
- Mic preamp acquire vary: 62 dB
- Notable options: Legacy 4K EQ/saturation choice on preamps; sturdy tool package
- Most pattern fee: 192 kHz
- Connection: USB 2.0, USB-C connector
To find out extra at thomann.
Audient iD4 MKII
Audient’s iD4 MKII stays a company favorite with the ones beginning out, in addition to execs who wish to combine at house with the similar sound as their better Audient studio setups. The interface gives a unmarried Audient console-grade preamp and a JFET tool enter for direct recording. It’s bus-powered over USB 3.0 (Kind C) and has truly prime quality converters that succeed in an excellent 126dB of dynamic vary within the digital-to-analogue finish of the conversion.
Even supposing it doesn’t have two discrete headphone preamps, you’ll be able to feed two pairs of headphones the similar combine the use of the parallel jack and mini-jack sockets at the entrance. Audio fans in the United Kingdom and Europe are fortunate so as to cross one step additional and bag the bigger iD14 MKII for round £190/€219 boulevard value!
Learn our complete evaluation.
- Worth: $199
- Inputs: 1 combo mic/line enter; 1 tool enter
- Outputs: 2 TRS outputs (6.3 mm); 1 headphone preamp with 2, parallel sockets (6.3 mm and three.5 mm)
- Mic preamp acquire vary: 58 dB
- Notable options: Audient console preamp; JFET DI; spectacular dynamic vary; ARC tool package
- Most pattern fee: 96 kHz
- Connection: USB 3.0, USB-C connector
To find out extra at thomann.
MOTU M2 2×2
Wholesome ranges are a the most important component to recording good fortune, and the MOTU M2 2×2 tackles this with a full-colour LCD display screen with meters for all inputs and outputs. The interface gives two multi-function inputs and direct enter tracking on each channels. Conversion high quality is notable, attaining a dynamic vary of 120dB on line outputs for pristine high quality playback. Including directly to that, the M2 2×2 additionally comes with helpful tool, together with two DAWs and a 6GB library of loops and sounds to jump-start your music-making.
- Worth: $200
- Inputs: 2 mic/line/tool combo inputs
- Outputs: 2 TRS line outputs (6.3 mm), reflected on 2 RCA; 1 headphone output (6.3 mm)
- Mic preamp acquire vary: 60 dB
- Notable options: spectacular dynamic vary; MIDI in/out
- Most pattern fee: 192 kHz
- Connection: USB 2.0, USB-C connector
Behringer U-Phoria UMC 404HD
Choices do begin to get restricted whilst you’re searching for a low cost interface with greater than two inputs. The Behringer U-Phoria UMC 404HD fulfils this temporary and extra. It offers you 4 inputs, each and every with sensitivity-pad-equipped MIDAS preamps. For versatile integration with exterior {hardware}, there’s additionally an unbalanced insert level on each and every enter – differently remarkable at this value stage – in addition to MIDI connectivity.
- Worth: $179
- Inputs: 4 mic/line/tool combo inputs; 4 unbalanced insert issues
- Outputs: 2 major XLR/TRS outputs; 4 line outs on TRS/RCA; 1 headphone output (6.3 mm)
- Mic preamp acquire vary: unknown
- Notable options: MIDI in/out
- Most pattern fee: 192 kHz
- Connection: USB 2.0, USB-A to USB-B cable
IK Multimedia iRig Professional Duo I/O
Lugging round a clunky interface doesn’t relatively make sense for those who plan to report via a smartphone or pill. The pocketable iRig Professional Duo I/O gifts a approach to this factor, with more than one inputs, plus Lightning, Kind A and Kind C USB cables to interface with maximum gadgets proper out of the field. It’s now not essentially the most recently-released product within the checklist, however however a long lasting, easy-to-use and versatile cell answer.
You get two analogue combo inputs, each with impartial acquire controls and phantom energy. It additionally gives 3.5mm MIDI in/out ports, a couple of line outputs and a headphone preamp too. As for energy, you’ll be able to cross with bus energy by the use of USB, or go for two AA batteries.
- Worth: $230
- Inputs: 2 mic/line/tool combo inputs
- Outputs: 2 TRS line outputs (6.3 mm); 1 headphone output (3.5 mm)
- Mic preamp acquire vary: 50 dB
- Notable options: MIDI in/out on 3.5 mm mini-jacks; AmpliTube SE & TONEX SE amp simulators integrated
- Most pattern fee: 48 kHz
- Connection: USB 2.0, USB-A, USB-C & Lightning cables
To find out extra at thomann.
For extra purchaser’s guides, head to musictech.com.
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