Steinberg

November 2022 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 75
audio interfaces roundup / reviews <
Do you actually need an
audio interface?
If you’re a musician who wants to
make great quality recordings and
listen back to them on decent
speakers, then you really need an
audio interface. They allow you to
record any audio into your
computer or smart device. You can
capture anything, from strumming
guitars and your singing through
to a complete band or orchestra.
Once recorded, you can then mix
that audio into a song in your DAW
and hear the results back through
pro-grade speakers.
How many inputs and
outputs do I need?
When choosing the best audio
interface for your studio, the irst
thing you need to work out is the
number and type of inputs and
outputs you need. If you only want
to plug in one microphone or
instrument at a time – if you’re a
solo producer who generates
most of their sounds inside the
computer, this is probably you –
just one or two inputs will be
plenty. If this is the case then most
of the interfaces featured in this
Best Audio Interface For Under
£200 will suice. However, if you
want to record a live band, you’ll
need to think about more inputs.
Multiple outputs can also be useful
if you want to set up separate
headphone mixes (if you’re a DJ,
for example) or send audio
elsewhere for further processing.
What types of inputs and
outputs do I need?
On most audio interfaces you’ll
typically ind both XLR and 1/4-
inch inputs, often combined into
combo connectors so that you can
plug mics, guitars, synths and the
like into the same input. Many
interfaces also ofer a phantom
power option, which is required if
you want to use certain mics.
Some audio interfaces also
have MIDI I/O on them, which
could save you from having to buy
a separate interface for external
MIDI gear. If you only intend to use
a MIDI keyboard, though,
remember that this could plug into
one of your computer’s other USB
ports, so MIDI I/O might not be an
essential requirement.
How to connect your
audio interface
Most audio interfaces connect to
your computer by USB or
Thunderbolt or by using a
Lightning adaptor with iOS
devices. The cable required for
connectivity usually ships with the
interface but not always with
Thunderbolt 3 and Lightning, so
do check what you get in the box.
Most interfaces are class-
compliant, so will work out of the
box – just plug them in and start
using them straight away. Some
come with extra software that
you’ll need to access some of their
more detailed functions and
routing. Many, especially mobile
interfaces, are bus-powered so
you don’t have to plug a mains
power supply into them.
Specs always include the
numbers of audio inputs (as XLR
or 1/4-inch jack or a combination of
the two) and audio outputs. Inputs
indicate the number of
instruments or microphones you
can connect up to record
simultaneously. Check the
interface has a phantom power
option if you want to connect up a
condenser mic which requires
external power. The number of
outputs refers to the number of
connections available to your
studio speakers or other hardware
boxes, including outboard efects.
What is low-latency
recording exactly?
You’ll ind that most contemporary
audio interfaces ofer a low-
latency recording option, which
means you can stay in time with
your project when adding more
tracks. Some interfaces also
promise latency levels that are low
enough to use efect plugins in
‘real-time’ on the input as you
record, while others have their
own DSP processing built in.
What should I be
expecting to pay for an
audio interface?
The best audio interface for you
will at least partly come down to
price. This buyers guide is for
those with a budget of $/£200 and
as you can see, you get some great
interfaces for that outlay. If your
budget is less than $/£100, we also
recommend reading our guide
focused speciically on the best
budget audio interfaces if you
have less to spend.
Interfaces are serious pieces of
kit that should keep the audio
signal quality high throughout the
recording process, but you needn’t
pay serious money for them. If you
are an in-the-box producer, you
might only need one input at any
one time to record, plus a couple
of outputs to your speakers. Even
a singer/guitarist can get away
with just two inputs, and a decent 1
or 2-input/2-output audio
interface only costs from around
$/£50 up to $/£200. Add more
inputs and better quality preamps
on these – which will give you a
better quality audio recording –
and you could pay anything from
$/£200 to $/£700 for a medium-
sized interface capable of
recording all of the outputs from a
band, for example.
Pro grade interfaces with fast
connectivity, the ability to power
software (see Universal Audio)
and digital inputs and outputs can
tip into four igures – sometimes
up to $/£2,000 – but you might not
need any or all of the extras they
ofer. Many interfaces support an
array of digital ins and outs like
ADAT and S/PDIF, for example, two
digital standards you only need to
take into consideration if you have
other audio gear with these inputs
and outputs included.
What are the most
popular audio
interface brands?
There are many companies
making audio interfaces but some
brands that score consistently well
in our reviews in terms of build
quality, features and value are
Apogee, Audient, Focusrite, Native
Instruments, Steinberg, SSL and
Universal Audio.
How do we test audio
interfaces on review?
Audio interfaces are essentially
devices designed to record audio
into your computer DAW, and play
it back out. The key factors when
testing them are how easily they
do this and the level of audio
quality they are capable of
delivering while doing so.
Many audio interfaces are ‘plug
‘n’ play’ so will be picked up by
your computer and DAW when
you irst connect them. Your DAW
should then list the interface’s
physical inputs and outputs, often
as selectable options on its input /
output channels.
Sound quality is determined by
an interface’s AD/DA convertors,
sample rates and frequencies
quoted in their specs
(24-bit/96kHz, for example).
We test for sound quality by
recording several sources via the
interface’s mic and line inputs, and
judging the playback quality
against that expected from the
specs. We also compare the same
material recorded with our
reference audio interfaces that we
use on a daily basis.
Some audio interfaces come
with extra bespoke software that
lets you select input and output
conigurations and might also add
other routing options or even
efects. How easy this extra
software is to use is also an
important factor.
We also consider latency when
testing interfaces. This is the time
it takes for audio to go into and out
of your computer DAW via the
audio interface. If this is slow, the
latency igure is high so can result
in a delay between you playing a
note and then hearing it. This is
obviously not practical if you are
recording some playing and
attempting to be in time with your
DAW playback.
Buyer’s Advice
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