Guide to buying Audio Interfaces 2019

Finding the best audio interface for your home studio can be hard if you haven’t locked down what you need. Whether you are looking for a simple two-channel soundcard, or need a larger studio rackmount interface, the key thing to bear in mind is that unused features are just unnecessary cost.

The second thing to remember is that new does not immediately mean better. Audio is still recorded at the same sample rates as it was decades ago, and even the electronics haven’t changed much at all.

Having said that, some devices rely on firewire, others on USB. Make sure that you pick one that has a port on your PC.

Finally, there is one problem with much older devices – support. Some companies have ended support for products even though they are still sold on the market. Because they work with computers, they require drivers to work, which may be outdated.

For this reason, I recommend you stay current to the past 5 or 6 years.

A quick word on inputs

Make sure you know what inputs are needed. I recommend you get familiar with at least the basic connectors encountered in a home studio (XLR, TS, TRS, RCA, USB, etc).

Cheapest acceptable for budget hobby musicians

Starting off at the bottom end, we have some pretty hard decisions. As always, the cheaper the gear, the worse it will be and so deciding on the best “cheap” soundcard can be a game of trade-offs.

Normally people recommend that you stay away from the cheapest of Behringer gear, but I’m going to recommend the Behringer Audio Interface (as it’s creatively called on Amazon).

If you want to practice recording your guitar and voice and sending demos to friends/family, this will be fine.

You obviously won’t be getting pro-grade sound but it is the best option for amateurs to get their audio into the computer.

Do not use this for professional services though, as cheap signal conversion can compromise both recording and monitoring.

Serious but on a tight budget

If you want to start being more serious, we recommend you don’t fall too far below $100 or £100.

At this price point, you can expect better internal components meaning a cleaner signal, more durable components, and of course, more stylistic designs.

The M-Audio M-Track 2X2 C-Series is a good offering for the producers who like a big control for volume. This comes with a very fair price and professional-looking style.

If you intend to stream your home studio, this is a very good looking feature to have on your desk.

For those that don’t care about style, Focusrite is a good brand with very high-quality gear for a good price. They also offer a more established lineup and many retailers include them in studio startup bundles.

If you are looking to save money on other gear too, bundles can be a great option and they will always have gear that complements the soundcard.

Multi-Channel Requirements

Of course, not everyone is a guitarist with a microphone. Some people may have multiple inputs required for various different sound sources.

Multi-channel audio interfaces are quite popular, allowing you to record multiple musicians at once, or integrate synths and drum machines into a studio or performance setup.

Looking at the big brother of our previous suggestion from M-Audio, we can see that their M-Audio M-Track 8X4M is a very strong contender.

Despite having up to double the inputs as some similarly priced options on the market, it is by far one of the smartest looking and offers plenty of control options.

I recommend this if you are in a small band and want to record yourselves, if you are a live producer using live instruments and synths tied in with Ableton, or if you hate switching plugs and just want everything permanently connected to a dedicated channel.

For a good alternative, we are faced again with a Focusrite Scarlett model, the Scarlett 18i8 (2nd Gen). This offers more professional connectivity options including S/PDIF and ADAT connections for studio-grade connectivity, but these features may gather dust in a home enthusiast’s setup.

There are also pretty decent offerings from Presonus so check them out too (they often come bundled with software).

What about the top tier and most expensive options?

Don’t bother. The top tier equipment is great, don’t get me wrong, but unless you are telling me why you absolutely need one, you don’t. Just look at your favourite DJs and producers in their studios, some of the biggest ones will have the top tier, but many of them can be seen with pretty standard quality equipment.

Even if you get more use out of live instruments, you will likely see a better value in improving your studio monitors or sound treatment than you will from nudging your signal to noise ratio with more expensive pre-amps.