Though opinions on which hardware is superior vary from person to person, their functionality, price-point, and preamp quality is all very similar.ĭue to its recency, slick design and wonderful preamps, I personally prefer the MOTU hardware to the other’s mentioned, however my opinion is biased by what my ears can hear. Perhaps the biggest drawing point of the UR22 over its competitors is the addition of MIDI compatibility, which is a helpful feature for those looking to avoid separate MIDI to USB cables.Īll four of these beginner’s interfaces will provide your home studio with a fantastic boost in terms of quality, usability and overall convenience. This is another highly popular option for beginner studios. want to record your digital piano in stereo), for about $50 more, you can get the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 with 2 combo XLR/TRS inputs.

If you feel that you may need more than just one instrument input (e.g. These line inputs contain an instrument/line or ‘hi-z’ switch, making it perfect for recording both guitars and keyboards. Since it only has one instrument input, it’s either piano or guitar – but not both simultaneously. Main Features: 1 mic input (XLR), 1 instrument input (1/4″ TRS), 2 line outputs (1/4″ TRS), headphone out, USB-C connectivity, Bus-poweredĬomes with: Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools First Creative Pack, Red Plug-in Suite and Focusrite Plug-in Collective accessįocusrite are one of the biggest names in beginner audio interface’s today, with Solo being the quintessential basic interface.Ĭontaining a microphone and instrument input, the Focusrite Solo provides you with all the basics required to plug in your piano, guitar and microphone and start recording. While it is no more functional than any other interface’s volume indicators, it looks really cool. Let’s not forget about the M2’s fully coloured LCD screen.

Lauded for its fantastic preamps, high-quality converters and sleek design, the MOTU comes with drivers for a Loopback program which allows for internal recording - that is for example, feeding sound from a YouTube video into your DAW. Previously such equipment was expensive and only accessible to serious musicians, however MOTU’s entry into the beginner audio interface market has been very well-received. MOTU are a big player in the professional and intermediate market for audio interfaces, responsible for crafting some of the most well-respected pieces of hardware among studio engineers. Main Features: 2 combo inputs (Microphone XLR/Line TRS), 2 line outputs (1/4” TRS), headphone out, MIDI In/Out, phantom power, power switch, USB-C functionality, Bus-poweredĬomes with: MOTU Performer Lite, Ableton Live 10 Lite, Bundled Loops/Sounds

Audio interface for logic pro x