Usb Audio Interface

[David Kochie]

What would be a good low cost USB audio interface to get me started recording with Cakewalk.

Something in the $50 range but any suggestions will be appreciated.

[InstrEd]

For a $100-$150 I can recommend a few but not for $50.

 

[InstrEd]

Presonus Audiobox is $100.00 and has worked for my friend.

Behringer has a few but I would start at the IMC202HD.

Arturia has a new line of Audio Interfaces out that start at $100.00 and up I would take a look at.

 

[John Vere]

The interfaces under $100 are a waste of money. Most I’m aware of don’t come with proper ASIO drivers. This guy did a shoot out of low cost interfaces and the Prosonus had the most features for the money the Scarlett solo came in second

[msmcleod]

12 hours ago, John Vere said:

The interfaces under $100 are a waste of money. Most I’m aware of don’t come with proper ASIO drivers. This guy did a shoot out of low cost interfaces and the Prosonus had the most features for the money the Scarlett solo came in second

Personally I'd always go with a manufacturer that has experience in making quality mic pre-amps.

Both Focusrite & Presonus have a history of making studio consoles (Focusrite with analog consoles / Presonus with digital consoles), so they have a wealth of experience designing quality mic pre's. 

Focusrite was founded by Rupert Neve, and is currently owned by the original founder of Soundcraft.  I still use Focusrite in my office, and about 50% of the time in my studio ( the other 50% of the time, I use my RME which has only ADAT inputs... but is quite often "fed" by the output of my Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 when I'm not using other hardware pre's).

 

[lapasoa]

Usb audio interface worth $50  is a waste of time for making music.

[John Vere]

@msmcleod
You might be onto something. I switched over to using a Motu M4 over a year ago. I’ve been working on about 15 original songs. Most the vocals were recorded via a Scarlett 6i6. I hear little mistakes so I redo them which requires using the Motu. The sound quality is noticeably different, grainy and sort of? Well I’m not happy.

Is my voice changing? Is my Beta 58 crapping out? Or is this the Motu pre amps?  
 

Long story but here’s my favourite pre amp experience. 

When I used a Yamaha MD 8 as my studio I fried one of the pre amps by  using a 1/4 input when the phantom power was on. I was a Yamaha dealer at that time and had direct access to the repair guy in Ontario. He told me to send it in and he would replace the 2 pre amps with the ones out of their flagship mixers. He explained they had 3 quality’s of pre amps. The MD8 used the cheapest ones.

He explained this is by design if you are trying to produce a product at a certain price point. The $15 -$30 ? difference adds up on a 24 channel board. 

I still have tracks from that machine and I’ve never had that quality since. My OV1 apparently has the mid grade pre amps even though it was a $2,500 board. 
I think most people are aware of the proverb “ You get what you pay for”.  And for the most part this applies to audio equipment. I would expect my Motu has cheapest pre amps they could score to keep the price competitive. 

Edited March 6, 2022 by John Vere