The 10 Best Audio Interfaces

The Audient iD14 is a 2 Channel audio interface that’s great for any musician that needs a quick way to digitize their music via computer.

Setting everything up is relatively easy, so long as you pay attention to the instructions provided in the box. It comes with everything you need, including a small travel bag to put inside luggage safely. Other accessories are the USB cable itself, along with two XLR cables. With them, you can hook up your instrument or a mic and process your music through your favorite software.

This is important considering that iD14 is equipped with a handy feature called Scroll Control. Scroll Control will allow you to change levels on your sound with the knob on the front of the interface. It’s a good way to mix up your tracks without it sounding too crowded when your levels are high.

If you are planning on using the Scroll Control feature, be sure that the software you use is compatible with it. Most DAWs are, so chances are slim that you’ll come across one.

Unless the DAW you’re using tells you so, you must check it when the interface is plugged into your computer ad ready to use. Move your mouse towards the faders, turning the scroll to see if the dial moves with the motion of your finger. If you can do this then the software is compatible with the iD14’s Scroll Control.

All of the dials on the device are well-made and won’t break off. This applies to switches as well. If you’re a guitar player, you’ll feel right at home with it. Sounds come out clear and precise, with no latency or delays.

That doesn’t mean that the iD14 is perfect (just like any product). The USB slot on the interface feels quite loose and may need a replacement after a while, depending on how heavily you use it.

Be careful when your plugging it in and out and nothing should break. However, getting a new slot might be a good idea if you’re able to do so. And if you’re going to be plugging headphones into the system, the gain could feel a bit too low at its highest level.

This is considering that you have a decent pair, so things could be even worse with poor quality audio. But the iD14 remain recommended to newbies that want a fast boost in their production quality. Compatible software comprises ProTools, Nuendo, and Logic, and more. Put it first on your list and you won’t be disappointed.

The Audient iD4 is a USB device with a lot of advantages under its belt. For starters, there are the dimensions of the product. It’s really small and will fit in just about any piece of storage that you have on it. For road musicians or those doing long-distance travel, this little machine will never get in the way of other instruments.

Its interface allows for 2 in and out USBs, whereby the speed of the hardware is 2.0. There’s a slot for your headphones also, and output power varies from 80 megawatts for 30 Ohms, to 31 megawatts for 600 Ohms.

Even if you were using the cheapest instruments one could think of, you would still churn out the good sound with only a small amount of latency. It’s especially great for guitars, but your vocals on the mic (there’s an XLR input on the device). The virtual scroll wheel on the front is great for most software, although there’s nothing indicated to come with the product.

Again, this is a traveler’s audio interface. There’s no carrying case featured with it, but storing should never be a big problem since its very small. The exact measurements are 4.7 x 5.3 x 1.6 in inches.

If you have a spare room in your guitar carrying case it should go in easy without brushing up against anything. Another nice touch is preamps. They’re the same as used with other Audient interfaces that are higher in quality. Some brands have a bad habit of lowering the quality of hardware on the inside but this isn’t the case at all here.

You get a high-grade tech that’s more advanced than many other items that the iD4 is in direct competition with. If you have any friends or bandmates over with you, hook up two headphones if needed. The interface has dual headphone jacks (6.3 millimeters) on the side, close to the LED monitors.

The iD4 has very few attributes that can be criticized. If there is one, it would be some of the accessories provided. They’re good but are of low quality. The worst is the USB itself, which is very short.

It’s highly suggested that you acquire one separately just for the interface, especially if you anticipate moving it around a lot during and in between recording. If you’ve ever had a chance to check out other interfaces firsthand, then you know how annoying it could be to have a USB cable that must be placed directly in front of your computer.

You should also be careful with how you store the Id4. Scratches will show up pretty easily when it’s handled aggressively or placed in baggage with other jagged objects. Truthfully, these are flaws that are easy enough for most people to manage so don’t let it scare you away from trying it out yourself!

The Native Instruments Kommplete Audio 1 Interface is a dream to use for instruments of all kinds, including guitars. If you have one, you’ll especially love the way that it mixes up music and vocals well. Most audio software is compatible with it, and getting the dials to move in-synch with the controls on your computer is easy to set up and do.

You can also hook up many synthesizers and effects pedals to the device, whereby attaching everything won’t take you too long to get your gear ready for making music. The bundle comes with Ableton Live 10 Lite, Komplete software, and two months free with the program Sounds. With all of this included, there’s little else that you’ll need for recording your music with this product around. The USB version is 2.0 and transfers sound quickly into a digital signal, ready to be safe to your computer.

Where can the Audio 1’s best attributes be found? Probably on the exterior of the device. Carrying it around is easy to do since it weighs less than one pound.

Aside from your wires, just pack it in any large case that you have for your instruments if you’re driving or moving them to a location for play. Storage is the same as all USB interfaces, in that you should do it in a cool, dry place. So long as you don’t leave it out in the open, it should last you for many years without the need to get another. Since it is a bit lightweight, try to be careful with the way you handle it, as too much pressure may break the knobs.

The audio quality is outstanding. Your vocals and music will transfer to a high bit rate, and latency remains nonexistent. You don’t have to use the software that’s shown in the product’s description if you don’t want. Pro Tools works great with it.

The Audio 1 Interface will be good enough for most people, but some problems have been noted. If you play music through the instrument input, you might get some feedback at times. This could be anything from a low hum to fuzzy static at a low frequency.

It might not happen all the times that you use it, so the only way to see is for you to try it out yourself. Furthermore, if you’re ruining software that’s older than Windows 10, you likely won’t be able to use the interface properly on your computer.

Mac versions require at Sierra at the very least, and there are no specific stipulations shown for Linux-based distros. As long as you have a decent computer and need a clean interface with zero delays, give the Audio 2 device a shot if some of the other listed fail to impress.

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 is bundled with a great XLR cable from the company GearLux. There are two preamps along the front of its housing that can churn out an impressive amount of gain for instruments and vocals.

Presented software is the free versions of Pro Tools (First) and Ableton Live Lite. The red exterior and bright LED lights will allow you to see it easily, no matter how dark the room you play in becomes. Because of this and other great features, the 2i4 is recommended for musicians who play live as much as they do in their homes.

Sounds come out naturally, the way that the instrument was intended to sound. For people playing with high-quality instruments, this will really bright out the audio to a degree that you never have heard processed by your computer before.

Again, there’s software endorsed by the 2i4 that will work alongside it immediately after you have it installed. But try out others if you would like to; they all should work with the product flawlessly.

Its sample rate is also very high, so bassists and guitar players should love the way it really brings out the high frequencies on solos. The XLR cable is responsive and attaches to the 2i4 easily.

The one included by GearLux is 10 feet long, so enough room to place it with your computer/laptop in a sturdy (but not too close) location. One cool thing about the 2i4 is how silent it becomes when you’re not playing anything but everything’s still connected.

No low hums, and no clicks during the times that all devices shouldn’t emit any noise.

The 2i4 has a few things that could be taken as an annoyance. If you’re the type of person that likes all features to work immediately when the interface is unboxed, keep in mind that an update is suggested.

If you don’t update the firmware, you’ll quickly notice attributes missing when it’s attached to your computer. This could change from model to model, so there’s no way of telling with accuracy which perks will need to be installed. Additionally, the instruction manual is a bit too simple. Some important steps aren’t shown that need to be taken to use the device.

As a result, you might end up looking on YouTube for a tutorial video just to get it up and running. But don’t let these hangups prevent you from seeing what the fuss is being on your own; the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 remains a remarkable interface that’s good enough for novices and the pros.

The AXE I/O 2-channel is probably the prettiest audio interface on the list. The black exterior is dense, and won’t become scratched when you store it. Switches, buttons, and dials are all to a high standard and made of exceptional quality.

One thing is certain, this device isn’t cheaply made. Unlike some interfaces that can be described as cheap, fancy plastic works of art, the I/O exceeds in style and sound quality. There’s a tuner on the front, along with compatible applications such as Ableton and Amplitude 4. And just like most of the interface shown so far, it’s easy to find freeware that’ll work with what you have in the chance that you’re not keen on those programs.

Combined with LED indicators on most of the controls and no latency, any musician would be impressed with what the I/O has to offer. But that’s not all that this little guy has up its sleeve.

Do you own an amplifier? If you’re a guitarist then this question is probably a bit silly. You’ll love the fact that the I/O has a line out for amps. It’s located on the right side, directly below the master volume.

Attached your favorite speaker system, and record as you normally would. But even without an amp, the interface would be a solid product. On the product’s description, the brand claims to have a grand’s worth of software features, components, and plugins included with the main product.

This is likely true. Take the Zone Impedance as an example. Starting at one million ohms, you can dial it down to 2.2 kilohms. This results in a very tight sound that’s free of delay and sharp.

You’ll also like the Active/Passive Pickup Selector. With this attribute, your gain will be streamlined with Passive, which is also useful for humbucking pickups. Active is for maintaining a clean signal during play.

There’s a lot to like about the Axe I/O, but expect to experience a learning curve with it. If not the hardware, you’ll definitely find yourself tinkering around with the applications.

Try to pace yourself and pick up on things as it becomes familiar to you, and no frustrations should occur. It’s not really a beginner-level interface but can be learned if you’re up to the challenge. In any case, there’s nothing controversial about the I/O. It has everything that musicians look for in an audio pedal, and looks and feels high quality.

Effects pedals and boxes will work with it, and there are tons of ways users can manipulate it to craft your own unique recordings. It’s used by novices and well-known artists of all genres, and could even be of great use to online content creators that stream themselves online to an audience. The possibilities are endless!

If there’s one audio interface that’s the easiest to use overall, PreSonus Studio would give all others listed a serious run for the money. Controls are abundant but easy to become familiar with, and setup instructions are thorough and fast to pick up on.

It works great with Studio One, an application you can use to create loops and other mixing techniques for your tracks. On the front, you can view your inputs and main levels. It’s easy to see over several feet away and illuminates well in the dark.

The audio out for headphones is in the back next to the left and right main out ports. This is also the place where you’ll hook up your USB from the interface to your computer, which is to the far left of the headphone out port. The PreSonus is 48 volts and has a sample rate of 192 kilohertz at a resolution of 24 bits.

The headphones will output your music in stereo format, so be sure that you’re using a studio-quality pair that can pick up all the nuances and changes in voice and melody. Have you ever used an interface and experienced gain that was anything but nice?

Some devices suffer from increases (gain) to the point where you might be forced to hook up an amplifier to hear what you’re playing. No such problems exist here.

Gain stays an acceptable level and keeps your instruments sounding precise and on point during play. You won’t need to download anything in order to use the interface, either. So no reliance on firmware updates or required features to use it right from the box. If you’re going to install an updated driver anyway, things should move along quickly.

Although the PreSonus Studio is a good product, there are some aspects about it that could be better. You might hear clipping in some instances when your instruments and microphone is silent.

The clipping seems to not be exclusive to any operating system or software being used with it. Furthermore, Pro Tools may not perform well if there are too many drivers installed to the interface. You could delete some of the drivers if you do have the issue, but that’s a huge chore and could turn some people away from trying it out in the first place.

For the people that aren’t using Pro Tools, there shouldn’t be anything for you to worry about.

Consider the PreSonus Studio for its great sound and ease of controls. There’s something here to like for everything, and you’re guaranteed to become well-acquainted with it.

The Behringer Audio Interface has a nice retro feel to it but works just as well as the others shown thus far. The direct monitor port can be added to put out latency-free audio. If you’re running older software such as Windows XP, 7, or older versions of macOS, this is the right choice for you. The system requirements aren’t as strict as what you may have seen on some interfaces.

You could run Windows 10 without error, but it’s still nice to know that the hardware will work for users with older computers and operating systems. There’s only one preamp featured here, whereby it outputs a solid 48 volts of power. It’ll be hard to find a DAW that doesn’t work with this Behringer product. No matter if you’re using Pro Tools, Steinberg, or Ableton Live, all of them will work in tune with the hardware.

Aside from what’s featured, you’ll really love out well-made the interface is. It’s one of the strongest around and entirely encased in metal. You could drop it on the floor multiple times and nothing would likely become broken.

Of course, you shouldn’t do that, but it’s still nice to know that there are companies that care about the quality of their electronics. And while you might not like the fact that only one XLR port is available, the sound comes out with near-perfect quality. In between your recordings, take a moment to see how silent the audio becomes.

No hums on clicks on most instances. You might hear some static (white noise) if the gain is set to a high level, so remember not to overdo things. Delays aren’t something that’s known to occur with Behringer interfaces, and the same can be said about this one.

If you look at a description of the product, you’ll notice a USB port on the back of it. This is where you’ll attach the Behringer to your computer. Unfortunately, the only way that you’ll be able to power it on is through your USB cable.

Additionally, you can’t do use an adapter to do this. Don’t go out and buy one that hooks up to your wall outlet, as it won’t work. In fact, the device wouldn’t even turn on this way. And going back on the white noise that was described earlier, it could get irritating pretty fast.

You could try playing around with your levels and dials a bit to see if it goes down, but don’t count on it to work in your favor. But at the end of the day, most of these cons are minor flaws that can be seen on a lot of interfaces. That includes products of a higher quality than this one. If you’re curious, check to see if you’ll enjoy recording with it!

This Behringer product is called the 12 XENYX 1202FX. The first thing to note is that it isn’t an audio interface, but a mixer. With it, you can mix up your recordings in the same fashion that you would with your favorite DAW. It can be hooked up to your interface and is built to accommodate professional musicians of all types.

Keep in mind that it isn’t intended to be attached to your computer in the same way that your audio interface can be. It’s an FX processor that can alter your recordings that you digitize. Presets range from reverb, flanger, delay, chorus, and even pitch shifting. With pitch shift, you can alter the pitch (obviously!) to a different note that’s either higher or lower than what you played. This can be used for either your voice or your instrument.

To use it for your voice, be sure that you hook up your XLR cable to one of the four preamps that are on the mixer. You’ll find them in the upper-left corner of the board, close to the FX send and phone ports. Their dynamic range is gauged at 130 decibels. In short, even a medium-quality mic will have outstanding depth in vocals.

This console was designed to mimic the same standard as was used with mixers in the UK during the famed decades of the 1960s and 70s. The presents thereby may sound a bit warmer than usual. Depending on the musical genres you like to play the most, this could have a profound effect on the quality of your music. Just remember to practice and mix to the level that suits your style the best. If you want a mixer for live music that you plan to make recordings on (while using an interface) this is a useful way to do it.

While the 12 XENYX 1202FX is a good amount of qualities that make it a recommended product, you might not like how it powers on and off. To do it, you must plug the device itself. Yes, that’s the only way to turn it off as the board has no standby switches.

This s a little odd, seeing as there are so many controls fitted on the mixer. Make sure that you plug it into an outlet that isn’t too loose so that it doesn’t unplug as you’re recording music. There are no special effects shown in the manual, either. You’ll have to figure out how to use them yourself, or watch tutorials online.

It’s not too hard, but the lack of instructions isn’t good for people that have never controlled a mixer like this before. And many of the FX controls are quite difficult to see on their own.

You could be forced to see where everything goes (using the manual) until you learn the controls off the top of your head. Regardless, you should assess whether this mixer could fit in with your recording. It likely will, especially if you like to play classic tunes.

The Behringer Xenyx is the last product on the list, but definitely not the worst. It’s another mixer that you can use with or without an interface. It’s a bit smaller than the previously reviewed Behringer and has fewer features. But this might be all that you’ll need, at least for mixers. There’s one preamp on the device and an equalizer with dual bands. And like the other mixer, this one is styled to mirror those of the classic British Rock Era of the 60s.

It runs on just 13 watts, with all models being built in Germany. If you want something that can transfer tacks from a CD or tape recorder, you can do so with the headphone output. You could also attach them to the main mix outputs, just in case you’re going to use a pair of headphones simultaneously.

As this is a 2 track mixer, you can attach it to any device that has RCA ports. That means amplifiers and other speaks with them should work once they’re attached in this way. As for instruments, you may want the mixer to go from the XLR cable, then to the mixer itself, and finally to the speaker system via RCA. When an interface is involved, it can be hooked to it so long as it has an RCA jack as well. If not, then you won’t be able to plug it up.

As a precaution, remember to check for this if you’re looking at one of the interfaces that are shown in the products above. When you have it all plugged in and ready to use, no white noise will emanate from the speakers, whether it be on your computer or amp. Preamps can be described in the same way.

The sound is rich and crisp; vocals will sound spot-on for the entirety of your recordings or tracks. There’s also a lot of choices for you to change the way your music sounds, with a majority able to be altered very fast. The strength of your equalizer presets is controllable from this mixer but doesn’t include things like reverb or pitch.

If there are any flaws in the features of the controller, they’re mostly small. Go over the stats to find out if you need one. You don’t have to limit yourself to a guitar with this. Everything from DJ equipment to keyboards can be hooked up and altered with the mixer. It doesn’t have all of the fancy features that its sister product has but can help out a ton. If you simply need more channels, it’s a good tool to have around.