New USB Audio Interface

[Alan Tubbs]

I’m waiting on an MOTU ultralight mk 4 which has been out a year but not available because of a chip shortage.  Glad the older stuff is still available.

[azslow3]

On 2/28/2022 at 7:12 AM, Sven said:

PS:  Some links with other choices:

https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-best-audio-interfaces

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/best-usb-audio-interfaces/

I am a bit curious why the first list does not even mention one of the best small factor interface for Windows... I mean RME Babyface Pro FS.

It is possible to discuss some UA or Audient sound better/different, but for drivers and features under Windows, RME is still the best. Without extreme tweaking, the latency is also the best. Unfortunately the price is also on top... So if stability, features and latency have no value in your case, there are alternatives. If you are ready to pay extra for mentioned properties, there are no alternatives. ?

[Cobus Prinsloo]

On 3/1/2022 at 3:11 AM, John Vere said:

The 6i6 never makes popping noises. TheM4 always pops when I change focus on apps.

Hi there. Does your Scarlet 6i6 have USB2 or USB3? Do you think this may make a difference in playback performance?

Edited August 13, 2024 by Cobus Prinsloo

[msmcleod]

On 8/13/2024 at 4:35 AM, Cobus Prinsloo said:

Hi there. Does your Scarlet 6i6 have USB2 or USB3? Do you think this may make a difference in playback performance?

Not sure about John, but my 6i6 has USB2... no pops/clicks for me, and I usually run at an ASIO buffer size of 64.  I up it to 256 during development, but that's down to the heavy load the dev environment puts on the CPU - not a limitation of the interface.

FWIW, my RME Digiface USB is also USB 2 and has no problems recording / playing back on all 32 inputs & outputs simultaneously.

Although USB 3 is obviously faster, USB 2 is more than capable of high performance (assuming the PC & audio interface manufacturers have written decent enough drivers). 

The main reason for choosing USB 3 for an audio interface would be the higher power output if using a USB powered interface with +48v phantom power...  the 6i6 has it's own power supply though, so it's not an issue.

[Cobus Prinsloo]

3 hours ago, msmcleod said:

Not sure about John, but my 6i6 has USB2... no pops/clicks for me, and I usually run at an ASIO buffer size of 64

Thanks for your input, it's good to know about USB2. I noticed that even the Gen 4 Scarlett audio interfaces still use USB2. I can get a second-hand 6i6 gen2. I suspect that it will outperform my current old Presonsus Audiobox USB 96 - even if it's just because it has better Asio drivers. What is your take on this?

[Wookiee]

@Cobus Prinsloo to the best of my knowledge all Focusrite USB connected interfaces only use the USB 2 protocol. My Clarett Pre 8 USB comes with a USB 2 to USB C cable which works fine.

[msmcleod]

3 hours ago, Cobus Prinsloo said:

Thanks for your input, it's good to know about USB2. I noticed that even the Gen 4 Scarlett audio interfaces still use USB2. I can get a second-hand 6i6 gen2. I suspect that it will outperform my current old Presonsus Audiobox USB 96 - even if it's just because it has better Asio drivers. What is your take on this?

It certainly will.

I bought a Presonus Audiobox 96 as a portable interface because it's so small, and very cheap. However it's got the highest latency of any interface I've used by a long shot.

The Audiobox certainly not a bad interface - it's very stable and the sound quality is good, but its latency is high.

The 1st & 2nd gen 6i6 have average latencies - fairly good, but nothing like the RME.  I believe the latencies on the later Scarlett 3rd / 4th gen  interfaces are actually slightly higher, as they've prioritised stability using internal buffering over performance (and I suspect that new "air mode" has something to do with it too).

One thing to add... we released the latest update to Sonar this week, which has massive engine improvements.  I can run projects at half the buffer sizes I could before, which of course means half the latency.

[Cobus Prinsloo]

3 hours ago, msmcleod said:

The Audiobox certainly not a bad interface - it's very stable and the sound quality is good, but its latency is high.

 

Thank you -- I think I can now make an informed decision. Some people here on the forum have spoken favorably of the Motu brand as well.

Edited August 16, 2024 by Cobus Prinsloo

[Cobus Prinsloo]

I just connected my new Scarlett 4i4 and cannot be more pleased!