Not sure what is the best audio interface for your home studio?
With so many choices these days, and the proliferation of audio myths out there it can be overwhelming. The good news? Audio interfaces have never sounded better nor been more affordable.
There are 3 main criteria I follow when picking an interface that best fits my needs and I walk you through them in this video. Plus I give you two important things to watch out for when choosing an audio interface for your recording projects.
No matter your budget, this video will help you find the perfect interface for you.
Looking for my recommendations on what gear YOU should buy for YOUR home studio? – Grab my personal Home Studio Gear Guide with suggestions to fit any budget.
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My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
This is good advice. Especially the usability of the control software.
I have had two Focusrite 18i20 interfaces which are great. BUT the control software with the 1st generation one was dreadful to get to know. They revamped it for the new generation and it’s possible that it’s even worse! That hasn’t stopped me buying Focusrite because I think they are great interfaces at amazing prices for what they achieve. But man, that control interface sucks!
Another thought is if you don’t know whether or not you’ll need an interface with lots of inputs in the future either go for one with ADAT inputs as Graham suggests or buy into a range that has other models with more. And consider second hand kit. That way if you outgrow your inputs in 2 years time, you can sell the interface you have for roughly what you paid for it and you don’t have a whole new learning curve with the new kit. Focusrite is good for that in my view.
Hi Graham, thanks again for your great tips, hope ok to post this here. Been nervous to ask with your click track emphasis on Band Recording video.
My background is writing poetry, I have no musician skills and I work on my music alone.
My approach to writing a song is to have some lyric ideas written down. Tap pads for a few bars of beats, probably just kick and snare to start with, I’m not adept to jump around many drums at a go. Aim the beat to match the feel of the lyrics, hopefully the DAW can work BPM out for me? I might add another beat track of hi hats, rim or something and get the DAW to match to first beat. Experiment with different sounds and tap out a few bars of melody on a track or 2 to fit with the lyrics and again get the DAW to adjust to the BPM. After get into my vocal closet record the lyrics on a track and in the DAW chop up the lyrics, stretch or squeeze if needed, to fit to my song structure. I’d use chopped up lyrics track as a guide to re-record the lyrics with tighter feel to the song. Tweak any levels, eq’s, added effects and pans.
What DAW do you think would suit this ‘non-musician’ way of songwriting Graham? That finds BPM of my snippets (midi or audio) to make loops and adjust to BPM of song (hopefully not just harshly like quantize)? Currently use an old version of Garageband on a Snow Leopard Macbook but is fiddly. Got Logic Pro 9 but is complicated. I use Soundtrack Pro 3 to master audio which is good.
Is there a plug-in that will turn any audio samples into instruments? Work out what note and octave sample is and spread to other notes over keyboard. Also is there a plug-in that will let you play different chords of any instrument (midi or audio) on single keys? (maybe like guitar strings part of iOS Garageband?)
Back into the vocal closet can I remotely start and stop recording tracks? Or do I have to start it before going in and get out to stop?
I’ve got a cheap vocoder app on my iPhone to put fx on some of my lyric ideas, is there a way to intergrate that into my set-up? Using my Samson C1 condenser mic for better quality rather than built-in iPhone mic?
Is my Presonus Audiobox USB all I need to monitor (adjust volumes into headphones) of my live vocals (even through vocoder app), my other tracks (inc. guide vocal track if got one)?
Can I integrate playing other cheap iOS audio apps too? Like synth emulators and already mentioned iOS Garageband guitar strings, even put guitar sounds through pedal emulation? Some controls on the iOS apps like vocoder are fiddly using touchscreen, is there a way to connect a controller? And what controller would make it easier to experiment with settings?
Sorry lots of questions. Hope you can help again and get my ideas recorded.
All the best
Mike, near Oxford, UK
I may be out of place in responding to your question, but I have quite a bit of experience with digital audio and studio controllers and I’ve watched some tremendous innovations come forth as of late. It sounds to me like you’d be very happy with a full fledged drum sequencer like Native Instruments’ Mashine. The software that comes with those controllers is phenomenal at giving you ideas for beats and includes much more than just drum instruments. You can even run the software without the Mashine controller if an easier purchase is what you have in mind; can always buy the controller later. It runs very much like a DAW with the ability to host plugins and even runs as a plugin within other hosts.
Any DAW can be good for this. And honestly, all DAWs are generally confusing at first glance. It’s only be learning where things are and how to harness their power do they become a lot easier. To me, Pro Tools is the easiest platform to work on. But I know it like the back of my hand. I would pick one and invest some time and maybe money into learning it. Then don’t switch.
Lots of great input here. I think its important to consider expandability.
I have and still use the Liquid Saffire 56 with an octopre mk2. I record my bands rehearsals live a lot of times and the channel count is helpful. We use the takes in preproduction and when we are writing songs to see where we are. Ive also recorded drums and then overdubbed the rest later. What I’ve started doing is running the guitars and bass line in and record with amp sims. This way its easier to get a live feel and still get separation if its necessary to edit. If the takes are good I run the guitars and bass through a ramp box (diy).
Sidenote. When the drums have been prerecorded I’ve gotten great results by overdubbing the guitars and bass line in with everything blasting through the PA. This way its easier to get the energy and ensemble feeling. I can still run the signals through the amps later.
I also have a cheap headphone amp that I can run from the line outs. This way I get up to six headphones simultaneously.
Your note regarding the software. I thought it was a bit confusing at first, but now I know my way around it and its really flexible.
I’ve looked for excuses tho upgrade to a better sound card. But the LS56 still hangs in there. At the moment its connected through the thunderbolt port.
Hi Graham, I still use m audio fast track ultra 8r which is already 9 years old since it came out of the market… Do I need to upgrade and buy the latest interface like the focusrite 18i20? Would there be a big difference of a 9 yrs old interface compare to the newest ones? Thanks
I wouldn’t worry about upgrading unless you need to for some reason.
Great video Graham! Especially the headphone part! I like many others have only 1 HP out on my Akai 4 in 4 out interface. PROBLEM SOLVED! Picked up an ART Head Amp6 Pro distribution amp. The ART HeadAmp6PRO is a six-channel stereo headphone amplifier that includes a six-channel auxiliary input section that can be used to provide the popular “More-Me” function on each headphone mix. Each output channel also features a dual function BALANCE control which will pan between LEFT & RIGHT sides of the main signal bus, or vary the MIX between the main signal bus and the AUXILIARY input for that respective channel. ie your more me channel from your external mixer (if you have one). Look and sounds great! Ck it out here. Price $200 but they also have smaller versions http://artproaudio.com/headphone_amps/product/headamp6_pro/
I have Focusrite Sapphire Pro 40….which I love. It does exactlly what I need it to do , its very portable…etc..I love the Mixcontrol software for setting up headphone mixes…thanks to Graham for his amazing tutorial to help me ….I think it sounds good. ..I’ve definately gotten my money out of it .
Five years ago I bought Cubase (6.5) together with the RME Babyface. Two inputs, Adat capable. Two years ago I added a used Behringer (yes, I think they make some great products…most of the time) ADA 800, the ADAT extension to my interface. Now I have 10 inputs.
The RME Babyface was never reduced in price, not even when the next one was announced, and still stands tall when compared to other (cheaper) newer interfaces. On eBay they won’t go under €350/$385. The ADA goes for about €/$100. Still think that’s a bargain.
In my humble opinion, buy the best possible interface you can afford. Today I would check out the UAD Apollo… but I don’t need it, I’m still very satisfied with my Babyface. Mics can be rented if you need more than a sm57 or an affordable condenser.
Good luck.
I bought my 003 years ago and it has served me well…more recently I added a Focusrite OctoPre dynamic, and connected via the ADAT input, I’ve not got 12 inputs, not including the additional line ins…great combination, and expect it to last me well into the foreseeable future.
I’m about to sell my 003. Had it since launch and it’s done its job. I want to go all mobile and lugging a huge console around suxs. Been looking at the New Focusrites.
I’m slightly disagree with some Graham advice here. the term ‘home studio’ is for personal studio, so you need to keep that way, Don’t to expanding it to bigger studio method. You don’t need to thinking hard about ‘future expanding’. more channel etc.
You certainly would need to think about future expanding if you wanted to record more inputs at once. This was my story. Had a 2 channel interface for years, but then wanted to record a full drum kit for my band with more than two mics. Had to sell my interface and get a new one.
Just a quick comment, and I’m not sure you’re still checking this post. Used to own a Tapco Link Firewire 4×6 (simple, affordable, had preamps) and the preamps alone were worth the $100.00 I spent on it. Would like to start recording again as it is a great hobby to have, and am looking at either getting a rack mounted Digi 002 or 003, don’t need the most new equipment, and prices on these are not terrible. Started watching your videos, and was hoping for some input. Notice you use focusrite, was wondering what a comparable model would be in the price/functionality. Or if you have any tips. Would like something with more than 2 mic preamps as I would like to have the option to do my own drums. Sorry this rambled, just get a little excited.
Best regards,
You can get a Focusrite Scarlett with up to 8 inputs and will sound great and be affordable. Better than a 002 or 003 and probably similar price.
Hey Graham, I am looking at the DAW Studio One. I would like my interface to be Presonus as well to simplify things. Looking at the Quantum 2. I love it, but a lot of people are complaining about not having a mute button. Do you know if this well affect me being a solo artist? I have a midi keyboard, an electric guitar and an electric/acoustic. I also just ordered the “Rode NT1” kit. There are boxing day sales coming up, so price isn’t an issue for me. Please help me pick an interface.. I’ve been looking far too long and I’m slowly losing my mind.
P.S I will not be singing and playing instruments simultaneously for my recording, so I don’t need many I/Os.
the audio interfaces with turbo warp drives are where it is at! NASA USES them 😉
in all seriousness, ID4 for its prices is great. its slick, not clunky, has a nice front and monitor knob, facing upward if your one to use it on a deck computer type scenario. 5 light indicators green.green.yellow.orange.red that have a really nice bling to it for nice peripheral update monitoring. coolest thing too is the knob main knob that is switchable to daw mode for sweeping through project and lists over lists at ease. An extremely content and satisfying purpose. For those that lie their scarlet i cant look at em anymore, not only did I have many many issue with mac update compoopability issues, but moreover they, nm. They sell great product as a whole.