3.0 USB audio interface suggestions

[Jmax]

I'm using the Zoom UAC-2 USB 3.0 Interface - since about one year. A very affordable and powerful audio interface with best audio qualities. It needs an Intel CPU I believe - in my case an I7 8700K. Works perfectly for me.

The only issue with the Zoom UAC-2 usb 3.0 interface is the headphone amp is shit. Meaning you have to have it on full blast to get a loud signal. This is a known problem that's discussed on forums and I found out first hand after buying it. It's a real deal breaker if you like to he creative at night with your phones on.
The other issue is that it's difficult for Windows to recognize it's drivers. It's supplied with a chealish Asio driver that windows does not read well. (Works well some mother boards, not so well on others). I have 2 PC's it only worked with one of them.
I ended up returning it back to sweetwater.



Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

[grueser3]

Here’s one that I haven’t seen mentioned Audient id14, just wonder if any of you have experience with it?

[retreed]

Here’s one that I haven’t seen mentioned Audient id14, just wonder if any of you have experience with it?

I'm using the smaller brother, the audient iD4 for a device with the latest Windows 10 that does not need MIDI (The iD14 does have MIDI though). Among the devices in the same price region that I tested for this purpose, it has by far the best working driver (I did not test Focusrite for comparison). Plug it in any time and it is working, no restarts, both Windows sound and Reason sound working parallel without issues. Samplerates and Buffersizes can be adjusted without problems directly in Reason. I tried other interfaces with horrible drivers not being capable of doing that.

The only thing that could bother you is that the each time you shut down the PC, the audio interface volume needs to be adjusted again as it resets the volume complely down. I can understand that this can be an issue for some people, I do not care really. As the iD14 volume knob looks the same, I think it behaves equally.

(I had a question to their support, which was answered within two business days via e-mail ticket.)

[grueser3]

Hi retreed, the Audient was not one I was familiar with but a couple people recommended it so I thought I’d ask. Thanks for the information.

[Deep Schulzz]

"The only issue with the Zoom UAC-2 usb 3.0 interface is the headphone amp is shit. Meaning you have to have it on full blast to get a loud signal. This is a known problem that's discussed on forums and I found out first hand after buying it. It's a real deal breaker if you like to he creative at night with your phones on.
The other issue is that it's difficult for Windows to recognize it's drivers. It's supplied with a chealish Asio driver that windows does not read well. (Works well some mother boards, not so well on others). I have 2 PC's it only worked with one of them.
I ended up returning it back to sweetwater."



Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

Never had any issues neither with the headphone volume nor with the drivers (but i think they need an intel chipset).

[HoboSage]

In my opinion, another very important consideration is the quality of the interface's preamp. I have a Focusrite Scarlett Solo (2nd Gen - don't get the 1st Gen as it had issues) because I only need one mic input and one instrument input, and because of the Focusrite quality preamp. I couldn't be happier with it.

[grueser3]

Update. Thanks again for all of your inputs. I’ve decided to go with the Audient id14 interface, mainly because the place I bought it (Studiocat) recommended it. I’m sure probably most other interfaces would be fine, but one thing is how great the sound is from headphones, it’s amazingly better than before.

[grueser3]

I’m sorry that maybe didn’t make sense, Studiocat is where my computer came from

[ScuzzyEye]

...one thing is how great the sound is from headphones, it’s amazingly better than before.

That's one nice thing about "professional" audio interfaces. They're much better at driving high-impedance headphones. If I plug my Beyerdynamics into my mobile phone they sound so thin. But into the audio interface they're great.