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Usb Guitar Interface For Mac10/13/2021
PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 2×2 USB Audio Interface. Yamaha THR10II Desktop Amp. IK Multimedia iRig HD 2 Digital Guitar Interface For iPhone, iPad, And Mac.We’ll start with the smaller units and move down the page toward the larger ones. Monitor and mix with the full depth and dimension of your sound through.Compared to a built-in sound card, you’ll almost always get higher sound quality when using an external audio interface (essentially an external sound card) as well. If you want to simplify it, you’re converting XLR to USB (in the case of a microphone).The “best” USB audio interface will really depend on your needs and potential uses, so we’ll highlight brands and models with a range of I/O (input/output). Tascam US-2×2 USB Audio/MIDI Interface.Connect microphones, guitars, keyboard and line level devices to capture every detail.Focusrite Scarlett Solo (3rd Gen)The build quality by Focusrite is always great. 2 XLR: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd Gen)Looking for a mic to pair with one of these? Check out the best XLR microphones.Technically, these are 2-input USB interfaces, but they have 1 XLR input so we’re putting them in one category. If you want to record a band or several people at once, jump down to the ‘8+ Input’ section, although you may want to look at the best mixers as well.Here are my top recommendations in 2021 for each section: If you have MIDI equipment that doesn’t connect over USB, look just below that in the ‘2×2 with MIDI’ section. Most are USB 2.0 but there are a couple that use USB 3.0 along with newer models using Type-C.For podcasting and solo recording for most people, I would recommend starting in the ‘2×2’ section.
M-Audio M-Track 2X2 C-SeriesThe M-Audio M-Track 2×2 gives you a nice clear view of your levels with -20dB, -6dB, and -3dB indicator lights for both the mic input and the instrument input. It’s made to be used on a laptop, desktop, or iPad with ease. Steinberg UR12Similar to the Scarlett Solo above, the Steinberg UR12 USB interface has 1 XLR input with phantom power and 1 instrument input (but it’s not switchable to line level). There’s a headphone jack and R/L RCA output as well. The clean signal, updated drivers, and solid build quality that is made to last make this one of the top choices.Check Current Price On Amazon Mackie Onyx Blackjack 2×2The Mackie Onyx Blackjack 2×2 has somewhat of a unique form factor compared with many of the other USB interfaces. The sample rates go all the way up to 192kHz / 24bit.This is one of the most popular USB audio interfaces for podcasters and guitarists looking to do solo or 2-person recording. 2×2 (2 in / 2 out) Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd Gen)The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd Gen) has 2 XLR inputs with gain control, 48V power, direct monitoring, and a headphone jack with gain, all powered over USB 2.0. Most of their other audio interfaces use Thunderbolt, but this article is just focused on USB connections, so maybe we’ll get into more detail in another post. These little guys are pricey but world-class, so you get what you pay for. The UA Apollo Twin is a USB 3.0 Super Speed audio interface. It is priced at the budget end (about $60), but it has a full range of features, great mic preamps with 48V phantom power (switchable on the back), and is compatible with Mac OS and Windows.Check Current Price On Amazon Universal Audio Apollo TwinUniveral Audio offers SOLO, DUO, or QUAD models, which refers to single, dual, or quad-core processors. Lower quality) products, but this audio interface is the real deal. You can even monitor in mono or stereo.This is an excellent and well-thought out package for under $100.Check Current Price On Amazon Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HDBehringer is usually known for their more budget-oriented (i.e. Usb Guitar Interface Trial Design IsThe industrial design is angled slightly upward for easy viewability of the controls, there is mic, line, and instrument settings, mix control, separate headphone control, and phantom power. Plus, it looks really cool.Check Current Price On Amazon Tascam US-2×2The Tascam US-2×2 is another great option at a decent price. Class compliant mode can be turned on or off, monitoring can be done in mono or stereo, it can be powered by USB or 5V plug, has phantom power, Hi-Z (guitar) compatibility, and more. Like the UR12, the phantom power switch is on the back, which I don’t see being a big deal, but it could be for some. Channel 2 has the option for Hi-Z electric guitar or bass direct connections as well. It has MIDI I/O, phantom power, a headphone jack and mix control. It has 2 options to power and connect: USB 2.0 and 5v DC for iPads. Look for the Studio 26 in the section below if you want an upgraded model.The 96 in the name is important because they raised the maximum sample rate from 48kHz to 96kHz, but the price stayed the same. AudioBox is their more entry-level interface series, but that doesn’t mean it’s not perfectly capable. It normally sells for $99, making this an amazing deal. Otherwise, the M-Audio M-Track 2X2M is the same, including large volume control, Cubase LE, 24-bit/192kHz resolution, and more. This is a solid option for $100.Check Current Price On Amazon M-Audio M-Track 2X2M C-SeriesThis is similar to the model in the solo section, but the ‘M’ model has an extra mic input and MIDI. It is powered over USB so you can easily take it on the road. The PreSonus STUDIO 26 is a higher end USB interface. PreSonus STUDIO 26Like I mentioned above, all PreSonus interfaces come with Studio One 3 Artist DAW for free ($100 value). Look at the 4i4 (3rd Gen) model instead.Compared to the 2i2, the Scarlett 2i4 adds MIDI I/O, additional balanced and unbalanced outputs, and a pad button for the inputs.There’s also the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 (3rd Gen) that also has 2 XLR inputs with mic preamps, but gives you additional I/O as well. So it’s actually 4 in / 2 out. The 48V switch has moved to the front, there is a PAD button for inputs 1 and 2, and there are two additional line inputs. This is one of my favorite smaller recording interfaces.Check Current Price On Amazon Steinberg UR242We get some additional features with the Steinberg UR242 when compared with the UR22. There’s a large volume control dial on the top, and it has all the usual features including separate headphone monitoring, line/instrument switching, MIDI, etc. Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6The Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 is technically a 4 input audio interface, it has 2 XLR inputs and 2 balanced line inputs. Many people say this performs as good, or even better than interfaces twice as much. You just get a couple extra outputs for an extra $20. BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC204HDFrom the front, the Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD looks just like the UMC202HD. There is also a power switch which unfortunately not every device has.PreSonus includes Studio One Artist DAW and the Studio Magic plug-in bundle, making this a great value. 4×4 (4 in / 4 out)Here are the best USB interfaces with 4 XLR mic level inputs: PreSonus STUDIO 68The PreSonus STUDIO 68 is a high-quality USB audio interface that will record sample rates up to 192kHz.There are 4 XLR combo inputs (the 2 front inputs are mic/line/instrument, the 2 rear inputs are mic/line), 2 balanced 1/4″ line level outputs, 2 balanced 1/4″ outputs, headphone jack, and a MIDI – S/PDIF connection. This is a high-end USB interface with a price that matches. Avid Mbox 4×4Avid’s Mbox 4×4 has 2 XLR inputs but has separate instrument line inputs as well as MIDI and S/PDIF I/O.
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