Please recommend a good inexpensive audio inerface?

Want to talk about music hardware or software that doesn't include Reason?
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phoenix690
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Joined: 08 May 2018

08 May 2018

...that works seamlessly with Reasons
Standard features without learning curves

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MikeMcKew
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08 May 2018

What's your budget? (i.e. what do you consider to be "inexpensive"?)
phoenix690 wrote:
08 May 2018
...that works seamlessly with Reasons
Standard features without learning curves

phoenix690
Posts: 13
Joined: 08 May 2018

08 May 2018

Two hundred or more

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aeox
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08 May 2018

phoenix690 wrote:
08 May 2018
Two hundred or more
Behringer UMC404HD will have more features than basically any other interface around that price range and it's only 98 dollars on amazon currently.

Though, if you don't need the features that it offers you could always go for something else if you're not into Behringer stuff like most people.

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MikeMcKew
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08 May 2018

Okay... Then what features are you looking for? How many inputs do you need? Are you recording with microphones? DI? All in the box? More information please...
phoenix690 wrote:
08 May 2018
Two hundred or more

phoenix690
Posts: 13
Joined: 08 May 2018

08 May 2018

Trying to replace a Balance
So something like that
I'm looking for something that's plug in and go
Need to find something that's stable and works
without a bunch of usb or driver headaches
Need to get back to being creative.

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MikeMcKew
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08 May 2018

Well, without knowing more (even your OS would be helpful here), I'll go ahead and recommend the Focusrite 2i4 (2nd gen). Served me well for a long time, never had any issues with it, fits in your budget.
phoenix690 wrote:
08 May 2018
Trying to replace a Balance
So something like that
I'm looking for something that's plug in and go
Need to find something that's stable and works
without a bunch of usb or driver headaches
Need to get back to being creative.

phoenix690
Posts: 13
Joined: 08 May 2018

08 May 2018

Thank you

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Faastwalker
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Location: NSW, Australia

09 May 2018

Pretty bloody please with my Focusrite Sapphire 6i6. If you don't need that much i/o the cheaper options are just the same things with less i/o.

EdGrip
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Joined: 03 Jun 2016

09 May 2018

Steinberg/Yamaha's UR series have rock-solid drivers and competitively low latency (I use a UR22.)
When I was shopping circa 2015, the NI Komplete Audio interfaces were also well regarded for their drivers, as were the Roland Duo-Capture and Quad-Capture.
The word in 2015 was that Focusrite lagged behind for drivers and latency, but that could mean they've made extra effort to catch up in the meantime! Presonus are on the scene now, Audient, probably loads more - try to learn what you can about drivers and latency for any interface you're considering.

phoenix690
Posts: 13
Joined: 08 May 2018

09 May 2018

@EdGrip/ Thank you for your response

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aeox
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09 May 2018

EdGrip wrote:
09 May 2018
Steinberg/Yamaha's UR series have rock-solid drivers and competitively low latency (I use a UR22.)
When I was shopping circa 2015, the NI Komplete Audio interfaces were also well regarded for their drivers, as were the Roland Duo-Capture and Quad-Capture.
The word in 2015 was that Focusrite lagged behind for drivers and latency, but that could mean they've made extra effort to catch up in the meantime! Presonus are on the scene now, Audient, probably loads more - try to learn what you can about drivers and latency for any interface you're considering.
I have this one too but I ditched it for the Behringer I mentioned above simply because I needed more I/O.

I'll sell it to the OP :)

jlgrimes
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Joined: 06 Jun 2017

10 May 2018

phoenix690 wrote:
08 May 2018
...that works seamlessly with Reasons
Standard features without learning curves
Focusrite Scarlett Series.

Relatively inexpensive
Minimal learning curve

That said just about anything should work especially if it is fairly new, as older ones might not no longer be supported or have any relevant drivers.

Just make sure it is compatible with your computer and you more or less understand what you need vs what you are buying (i.e. Inputs, Outputs, Preamps, low latency, effects processing, expandability, various bells and whistles).

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sublunar
Posts: 507
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11 May 2018

Figured i'd throw out my favorite underdog.

M-Audio M-Track Eight. It's 399 new.

I had the M-Audio Delta 1010lt for about a decade and it worked flawlessly at the highest possible settings. Rock solid. On XP anyway. Windows 7 was a different story.

So when I went Win7, I shopped around. I originally bought a Scarlett 18i20 2nd gen and it was very flaky. I've gone over this before and if others have good luck with Scarlett's then that's cool but I ended up getting two of them because I thought the first one might have been bad as I got it used. The drivers were unstable and it just couldn't handle the higher quality settings I wanted to run it at (24/96). I'm in IT and was very methodical about my troubleshooting. I updated the firmware on the unit, I tried both the latest and older drivers, etc. It was randomly clicky and poppy. I spent countless time trying to get it to work better and it wasn't until I moved the buffer to unrealistic latency that it seemed stable. But I need zero noticeable latency so that didn't work for me. Returned both units.

When I finally got around to the M-Track eight, it worked as expected right out of the gate and is still going strong. Highly recommended. Only complaint is no MIDI in/out.

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