Best Guitar Interface For Mac (2024 Update)

The i-Rig2 is the perfect accessory for musicians who are looking to practice without "disturbing" those in close proximity. I play the bass guitar which can interfere with someone upstairs from me who might be trying to listen to the tv. With headphones on, I just plug into the i-Rig2, adjust my settings on the ap and practice without complaints from anyone who is looking for quiet. It is easy enough to operate. You just plug the i-Rig2 into your Smart phone and you're ready to go. It was easy to get this device through Sam Ash and they also diagnosed a loose jack output on my bass which they fixed within a few days. Thanks Sam Ash!!DAVE

I bought this thinking it would be really awesome to use as an interface to get some good pedal and amp modeling without all of the gear. I am not an Apple user, but I do have a Macbook I use for work purposes. I tried to find Amplitube to use and it is not able to download the app to Macbook. It has to be either iphone or ipad. I used it with the built in garageband app and there is a lot of feedback and static that comes through the speaker when using the pass through fx. I am a little sad about this as I had high hopes.Scott

I've known about the iRig series for over 10 years, and I wanted something that would simplify recording my guitar, keyboard, and electric violin, so I took a chance and purchased the IK Multimedia iRig 2 audio interface. I expected it to work fine with my iPad Mini (generation 1) and my iPhone 7 (using Apple's Lightning to 3.5mm adapter), though I also assumed that it would not work when I tried connecting it my Lenovo laptop's headset input. To my surprise, it actually did work with my laptop. I have yet to really tap into the iRig 2's fullest potential, and I still need to group all of my audio input apps into one folder on both iPhone and iPad, but so far, I'm very pleased with the IK Multimedia iRig 2.jayoders1986

Just like new in the original box, etc. worked fine with Logic X on my Mac. I used it to interface with my guitar. I couldnt be more satisfied.vizio350

TL;DR = 4/5 stars: A well built made in the USA unit, that excels at ease of use, passable DAC quality and good preamp, all in a size that makes it easy to do mixing and quick overdubbing in any situation without having to unpack a flight case worth of gear. Also: If you need better conversion for mixing and reference but no need for inputs for tracking, I recommend the Apogee Groove. Full review: I use DAW interfaces in pro level applications, and am experienced with Best-In-World Analog to Digital Convertors like those in the Metric Halo ULN8 units and how they sound. The Apogee One IOS doesn't have this level of DAC which is fine, because that's not the purpose of this unit, and that's not why I bought it. Where this unit excels is the fact that it does have decent working quality Analog to Digital and Digital to Analog conversion and it's incredibly portable and easy to use. While on tour it became a bear to unpack the larger rack every time I wanted to do a quick mix tweak. And if you're in the tour bus or a hotel room, it's going to be a huge pain to lug a rack full of recording interfaces around just to do some working mixes. This unit solves that problem. Want to see what a quick harmony would sound like? Or how about an overdub on your track without breaking out all the mics and di boxes? Well you can plug straight into this and accomplish either in short order, all with gear you can fit into your carryon. While some bedroom producers and those cutting their first demos will do doubt be able to use this to make great recordings, and the preamp is not too shabby either, the fact that you can use this with iphone or ipad and do field recordings with a battery is also an excellent thing, allowing low profile recording of a board mix or more. All in all a excellent unit for the money, especially at a used price, very sturdy and made in the USA. If you need a good quality quick and easy Digital Audio Interface for use with a Mac, with only a couple channels and no other frills, this is going to be unbeatable for the money, size and ease of use. Please rate this review as helpful if you think it is.retroaficionado

I have known and loved apogee products from afar. In the past I have used both focusrite products( claret, Scarlett 6i6), presonus, and zoom interfaces. The preamp for this device blows all of those products away in terms of both headroom and clarity. The DAC via USB output was honestly the most life changing part. Even iTunes AAC and Spotify tracks have far more headroom, so much so that I have leveled out the eq on my cheap stereo receiver because the frequency response across the full range is that much more accurate. In tandem with Apple products, the interface/DAC work seemlesly for everyday audio output/volume control. pro tools and logic never fail to recognize the device, and even final cut seems to automatically use the onboard mic for voice over. For the price, this thing is a no brained unless you need more input/output options. 10/10 for musicians and audio enthusiasts alike. Completely worth the moneysam

Have been using Amplitube for more than a decade, it has always been ok although version 5 has really come of age. Sounds fantastic with Bass (as always) and now also with Guitars. Needs to be tweaked a bit more to get the best out of it but that's a good thing. The AXEIO interface is the perfect solution for any guitar with its versatility and SQ. Overall this package is awesome for writing and recording at home and also final takes, it's that good! Value for money as a package deal is a no brainer. Well done IK Multimedia.funkedalic

Solid unit with great guitar/bass input options. The software is great and the new tonex capture software adds another level of flexibility. The guitar out is very clean and was one of the main reasons I purchased as I needed a reamp box, this brings that capability with all the other features and for someone that hasn't invested heavily in software this product also came with the option to choose two extra IK product upgrades (as well as Tonex and Amplitube "Max")stevevaifan

I am using this interface primarily to record 2 stereo pairs from my Elektron Octatrack and multitracking with Ableton Live and Adobe Audition. I'm monitoring on JBL LSR205s & KRK KNS8400s. The build quality of the interface is very nice and the knobs feel durable with no wobble and a good amount of rotation pressure that feels precise and smooth. I have am experiencing very low latency on OSX El Capitan and successfully multitracked into my iPad using Beatmaker. The compressors sounds nice, especially for the price range. I find them to be perfectly subtle; there to enhance your audio recording rather than act as an effect. I think that's a smart decision for an onboard compressor since you could get more dramatic, pumping, compression in your DAW if that's what you're going for. Overall I'm really happy with this interface. I could hardly find reviews of this line so hopefully this is helpful for anyone else looking at these.Bradley

A good interface, that has clear pre-amps, and functional monitoring options. Four inputs make this appropriate for either small studio, or live use.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This Audio Interface is really good. Was recognised immediately by my DAW software and didn’t need any special drivers for my Mac despite its age. Have already recorded a couple of tracks for our band as we are all isolated at present and recording our own parts remotely. Highly recommended and affordable.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Love this. It has made practicing and just having fun portable and convenient. Exactly what I was looking for to replace having to hook up all the pedals, amps, find free power outlets and set up the space. I can sit on my porch and play along with songs using tonebridge and the included software is nice too. Really a small living environment game changer for someone who just loves to play. worked right out of the box and with your existing corded headphones. (I wish I could use my Bluetooth phones, but I'm sure there is a newer version with this option… The price is right, it's worth it. I was on the fence for a year and kept coming back to buy after being frustrated with all the cords running around for my guitar rig. A lot of fun, wish I'd had it 20yrs ago.dogsplantsguitar

The Irig HD2 is pretty awesome on its own merits! As a versatile headphone amp, pre amp for your live rig, audio interface direct to your DAW or even as a replacement for your live foot pedal collection during live performances…. But the real value is in the full version of Amplitube that comes with this unit.. I've had the trial version for a bit now and love that I now get full use of all that Amplitube has to offer and was able to get it for free by purchasing the Irig HD2. Couldn't ask for more. !!!!jonlandi

I'm very happy with this product but only after a long struggle figuring out how to get it to work with my 2019 iMac running macOS Catalina 10.15.6. Initially it seemed it wouldn't work but then I figured out that you have to give the iRig HD2 FULL DISK ACCESS permissions in System Preferences – SECURITY & PRIVACY not just FILES and FOLDERS. Remember that if you're running macOS Catalina 10.15.6.integris1

I have two AVID Mboxes that I have used for years. The Focusrite Solo 3rd Generation is so much better. I bought the Recording package with the CM25 MIC and Headphones at least half the cost of my MBOX mini and MBOX2. The Preamps are amazing, The MIc is great, the flat response headphones for mixing are very clear and The interface is very easy to install and set up. Most importantly the recording freq of 192KHZ gives you a very pristine recording for acoustic guitar and vocals. The other recording interfaces being sold in this price range are 96 kHz or 48 kHz. The Air button gives your recordings a live sound which is very cool. The stock plugins are also good and there is enough for your mixing needs. It also comes with a Few free DAW options. You Can download free plugins, join the Focusrite plugin collective and start on a project within a few mins. thus is a good ProductDavis Roy Wilbury

I bought this to record my band using a single condenser mic setup. It seems to work very well. Drivers are recognized by Windows (11). Solid metal casing. Provides phantom power for the condenser mic. I use Audacity to control the recording and edit the results. It comes with several free downloadable software packages, but I have not tried them. I had a Behringer U-Phoria UM2, but is kind of clunky and does not have a good ASIO driver. Plastic casing.g-oracle

Thankfully they have changed the rear power input to USBC, which is great news. My last one never got used because the input was broken, it ran a similar cable to a printer. Warranty runs out after one year and I never even got to use it. It costs the same amount to post out and repair as to buy another new one. Definitely make sure you're getting USBC. Don't wrap the cable around when storing and transporting. Unplugging is absolute must. Take care of your gear. Quality wise, it does the job. If recording directly you will need to have a DAW with VST3I, VST, VST3 files to augment the sound virtually. It basically turns your computer into an amp. Only for those who wish to record at home and avoid studio costs. Don't waste your time if you don't have a computer. Check for Mac compatibility.AeonOvTerror

Nice preamps, lovely valve guitar modelling, really satisfying to use. Customer support from Audient is also excellent. Docked one point as could do with more presets in standalone mode. Also my unit required a firmware update upon arrival.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

It is without a doubt the best you can buy at this price point, it has more features than anything else on the market. It has professional grade audient pre amps, it's expandable up to 10 inputs, it's a reamp box, a tube pre amp, it can record and playback at 96k, it's built like a tank AND it comes with some of the best amp simulation software on the market. You can save your favourite cabinets into the device so you don't even have to touch your computer at all and it has onboard DSP so you can work latency free. Not only that but it works stand alone without a daw so you can essentially use this as a pedal. Its also has a hidden feature, it a class compliant device so it works with android and iOS. Do yourself a favour and get one. This thing is a beast!sk8r3397

Took some time to set up and understand but what a piece of kit ! Very good modelling options, Room variants are brilliant. Inspiring…Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

never worked once. dont jive with win 10. the software has been discontinued. even though the persons whom filled my order said it was not. i wish it wasnt. i would have loved to have it.malwearwolf70-2

If you want to connect your guitar to a PC and want to use open source software such as Guitarix buy this product. To get sound you have to configure JACK and this unit automatically detected by linux kernel and all drivers work without any installation or configuration. I have tested with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS.atasfen

Needed new PC audio interface as my Echo firewire and Windows 10 were no longer working together. First tried Behringer UMC204HD. Drivers worked great but noticed that my musical keyboard would clip/distort at low volume levels. Never had that problem with ECHO firewire AUDIOFIRE4. Second try was this MOTU M2 USB interface purchased March 33 2022. Noticed immediately that keyboard could go much higher in volume without clipping. Sound was clear and love *LOVE* full color meters vice clipping lights found on other audio interfaces in this price range. I like MOTU M2 much better than Behringer (no clipping issues and full range low noise sound). I liked ECHO firewire the best of the three because the output volume was greater with no clipping and very clear. But Windows seems to have said goodbye to firewire support. MOTU is best USB so far for me.Chuckiep

I wanted to upgrade my PC sound card, but still wanted to squeeze the maximum quality from my music collection. Although there are high quality sound cards on the market, I decided to look at outboard USB DAC’s. I looked at a number of USB interfaces, but after looking at a number of manufacturers, I whittled it down to either the MOTU M2 or M4. I eventually decided on the M4 as it had all the in’s and out’s at the rear. Having worked in broadcasting for forty years, I have to honestly say the analog output is, well, brilliant. One of the things that drew me to MOTU was the ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC‘s. For the price, the quality of build and DAC quality it is the best I have ever heard. The detail and stereo imagery is first-class. I am now hearing detail that I was not hearing with my PC DAC. I cannot recommend the MOTU M4 enough.Mr G.

This has the makings of a really excellent box. The features, display, and specs are all great on paper. However, it is not compatible with the Gigabyte Aero 15 laptop with i9 10980HK processors, 64GB RAM, and Windows 11 Pro I was pairing it with. I encountered serious and debilitating audio artifacts and the diagnostics in the M-series app returned, The computer's USB host controller has dropped audio. While MOTU provided excellent support, after following all the advice including re-flashing the bios on the laptop, all remedies failed. If they do something to make it work with a high-end Windows workstation like this, it will be an awesome product. For now, it's useless to me. LBLindsay

Look no further if you want something affordable yet highly useable. I have been using focusrite products for some years now. It seems they nailed it with the 2nd generation. The pre amps are perfect and the sound quality is top notch. Very easy to set up. Download the drivers from focusrites website, install the! And plug in the device. Boom. Good to go. If you are considering creating your own professional quality music and don't want to break the bank, then buy this like yesterday!!!Ded2me

I have used this USB interface steadily for about a week now and so far so good. I had to buy it when I switched to recording on a Mac because my old m-audio interface is now obsolete and there aren't any new Mac drivers. The only issue I had was in using the new box as my input with the Mac's direct output to headphones for monitoring. This created some sort of ungrounded circuit which resulted in a lot of buzzing. When I switched to using the box as the monitor instead, everything was fine. Clear sound, no problems. Works immediately with Mac – no need to download drivers. I wish the metal switches on the front were push buttons instead because they seem a little flimsy, but they work, so that's my only complaint.Paul

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 interfaces perfectly with my Mac (running OS X El Capitan) and the mic preamps are excellent. The setup makes recording to my DAW (Logic Pro X) a fun, latency-free experience. The small KRK studio monitors are just right for nearfield track mixing in my small studio. I think the front port bass on the KRK RP4G3's is helpful in my acoustically less-than-ideal studio environment. This is quality home studio gear that makes recording & mixing excellence possible at a budget price. The online buying experience at ProAudioStar was terrific; their website is easy to navigate, secure and offered this complete package at a very low price. Handling, packaging & shipping were top of the line. I highly recommend the products and ProAudioStar to anyone.surlymac2

I got this interface because it was compact, affordable, and offered great speed with USB 3.0. However, the Yamaha Steinberg driver that it uses is a total disaster. It has an incompatibility with my chipset (Windows 10 with an AMD ryzen cpu) that makes the USB 3.0 functionality completely unusable. Very frustrating. I have also heard that the Yamaha driver causes other windows to have issues when using certain DAWs. It is really frustrating because I love the device itself and it's design. If you are going to put all this effort in on the hardware, make sure you have the software to go with it. Feels like wasted potential.Jeff

Integrates well with Cubase but not a requirement. Great bargain and a ton of power with a small footprint. Of course the limitation is two inputs, but sometimes depending on application that is enough. Good sounding with quality preamps and zero-latency monitoring of input signals. Cubase AI comes free with it and is also very powerful, although it's a bit complicated to set up. User just needs to be patient and follow the instructions. MacPro Video offers some very good instruction at a reasonable cost, but there are other instructional videos out there that are free via YouTube. Be willing to start off slow and you should have little or no problems.dpuc_0

Looked for what seemed like ages for a confirmed working and decent quality audio interface for the usb c ipad pros. A lot of manufacturers are pretty non-committal. Paired it with a usb c hub and everything works immediately and well. High quality hardware, great sounding pre and latency is not to be found of any concern. If you are looking to make music on the ipad pro with a usb c then this is a viable option to consider. Works with garageband too with no issues. Comes with some software but not worth trading garageband for. I did not buy the 50 buck version of their app. Maybe better?KC

Works super easy, displays clipping, instantly fixed delay problems I've been having with my daw! I wish I bought one of these sooner. Highly recommend this for beginner audio editing software users. It should be one of the first item you invest some money into.ergu_1653

Ive been through several over the years. Some cheap, some high end, and it is true that get u pay for. Or I should say it was true, because focusrite is killing it with the Scarlett line! U can tell when u grab it that its built well. Strong and durable to last. But the sound quality is what is truly amazing. Recording and playback both are just so crystal clear! 10 yrs ago you just couldnt get that good of sound in a home studio unless you had 10s of thousand to drop into it. Last but not least… Small package BIG POWER! I only bought the solo (2nd Gen) the smallest I think, but youd never know it by listening to the performance. And using is super easy with midi usb, plug and play. I love my solo 2nd gen! And I see myself upgrading to at least the 212, or bigger. Either way, focusrite has a new life long customer in me. As long as they keep standards at this level. Hope this helps someone.grmrc.us.bil6bniuqu

An impressive sounding device but I haven’t been able to get it to work yet. The software package that comes with it on CD is dated and doesn’t work with Windows 10. The drivers on CD are old too. So you have to get the new drivers from the Behringer web site. Then you have to get a sound software package. Audacity is too simple so I signed up for Pro Tools free, but it wouldn’t install the audio drivers. Then you need the Behringer USB link and then try to get the lot to work. I couldn’t. DJ City offered me a refund but I’m going to persist. I also bought a Jam for the iPad and that worked within minutes.Richard W.

This product appeared to be a very simple, almost plug and play, interface that would let me play my RISA ukulele through my PC and laptop. I have been researching how to make this interface work for about a month. Some users are very lucky and very satisfied. Others, like me, have yet to get a single note out the PC speakers or headphones. It is an inexpensive device, but should still be straight-forward to install. IT IS NOT. Drivers are no longer available at the vendor site. The fact that even this business can not provide concrete installation instructions that result in this device working should be enough to scare anyone off this product. I'll continue to work with it to see if I can ultimately make it work, but I won't be holding my breath. I may be an electronics engineer but this thing has enough settings to scare me off.Richard

Pros: Compact, Easy To Use Cons: Limitations With Win7 Other thoughts: compact and pretty much plug-n-play. I'm running Windows 7 Pro and found out that I'm not able to listen to my guitar plugged into the unit AND the audio on my laptop. This is a limitation to me, as I purchased this interface for the purpose of being able to play along with my online guitar lessons. I have to add that I noticed this when using the ASIO drivers (ASIO4ALL). I attempted to test another one of the built in Windows drivers but the latency is just unacceptable. I haven't tried this with any other version of Windows (eg: XP) to see if this is still the case. Just something to mention. Again, it's compact with it's tiny footprint, which is great for mobilility. When setup to play guitar using the ASIO drivers, the guitar sound and latency is fine. Personally, even at a low price of under $30, i wouldn't have invested in this unit knowing what i know now. And returning the unit just isn't worth my time and effort.metalmania408

There are some learning pangs to get over, but once you do, it functions great. To get 2 XLR inputs for this price is excellent. Good build quality and all-around a great interface. Granted, this is my first, but I'm loving it so far.BigD

This is a great product for me! I use ths to record my Mic'd guitar amp to record into GB, Scorecloud or any other recrding software. The Gain enables you to hone in on volume control while recording to raise recording volume withought turning up the amp volume or to minimize fuzz sound from an idle amp not in standby coming through in the recording. You can moniter on headphonrs or split your instrument to a moniter control board, and includes speaker outputs to run your amps output in stereo through speakers. Sound quality is excellent! If you are seriously ameature and need a simple usb plug in for now, consuder searching online for a 1/4-usb patch instrument cable for your instrument or mic, or whateve combo you need, they make them all, for about 15-25 $ as a quick easy solution.Pat

Had issues with connecting the device to the ipad. The mic input works fine on garageband and other apps. For guitar however, in amplitube specifically, it will not put out a signal. After much research I found that the itrack uses its right channel for guitar and amplitube uses the left ios channel, therefore rendering it tricky to use exclusively for AT (stick to iRig, it's way easier) I've had to order a 3/4" jack to 3-pin male xlr from amazon to see if I can patch the guitar line into the left mic xlr of the itrack, although i'm not sure if it will work. If you use only garageband and are most interested in the mic input you will be fine.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought this to use with Garage Band on my laptop at home. Its got 2 inputs, one XLR with +48 and one 1/4 for instruments. Its important to note that in GB you must tell it per track which channel youre using- it will default to channel 1 which is the mic. To use a guitar you have to change it to ch2. After that it is super easy. Great value. Very affordable and comes with the cables you need to hook it up.mr.shatters

This is an excellent product, but the setup was tricky requiring ambigous software download and the user guide as usual was pitiful.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Good solid build and so far it seems to do all that it says it should. I bought this in preference to similar offers (Focusrite etc.) as it had the old MIDI interface.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Roland build quality and performance, more than good enough for most peoples home recording setup. THe Rubix 22 has midi in and out ports areal plus point if you have need of them,really quick to set up and easy to use if a 2 in 2 out interface is what you want then the RUBIX 22 should be on your shortlist for live performers a ground lift is also onboard to help with noisy power supplies.All in all a really good all round portable audio interface.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I'm an aspiring podcaster and for that purpose I have purchased the Rodecaster Pro, which is a fantastic device that is pretty much purpose built for podcasting, streaming and the like. The RCP was also my interface, which it did a fine job of, but it is kind of big and cumbersome to set up for small jobs. No, I don't have dedicated space for my whole podcast setup and everything else. I wanted to have something that was small, quick and easy available for those times where I just need to get my voice or some musical idea into the computer and have some hope of it sounding decent. I wanted to be in the $150 price range and know that for that amount, maybe just a few dollars more, there are a wealth of offerings, and some are better than others, but I went with the EVO4 based on the myriad of favorable reviews on YouTube as well as the price, $130. (Throw in the fact that the interface that I REALLY wanted wasn't available anywhere!) I haven't done a lot with it yet; ran some bass and guitar through it into Logic Pro X as well as recorded with several different mics into several different DAWs and everything seemed to work quite nicely. Setup was pretty easy and configuring a DAW to see this device shouldn't be a problem, I was recording something within 5 minutes of the FedEx guy handing this to me…and I definitely don't know this stuff very well, so good job for simplicity! Some find that the preamps are maybe just a bit underpowered, and yes, they are that, but they are certainly clean. I plugged my SM7B into this and though I had to wind the gain all the way up, I was still able to come up with a useful recording. I think when recording with the 7B in the future I'll probably use a FetHead, though most of the reviews I read said that isn't necessary. Like with any new piece of equipment, there is a feeling out process, so we are still getting to know each other. Loopback is a feather that I haven't yet explored. It looks like it could be cool and useful, but I don't know if that is what I will be using this for. Some aren't crazy about the UI on the EVO4, several different mode buttons and a big knob in the middle that has different functionality for each different mode. It may take some getting used to, but since I didn't have to unlearn anything, I got it pretty quickly. The only knock on this device is the build quality. This was a common concern with all of the reviews I read. The device is made of plastic, which feels reasonably rugged, but at the same time feels budget; the plastic is kind of squishy and the seams are not as clean as they could be. Some reviewers were able to pop the top off just by squeezing. This won't be a concern in my use case, but this is a small little piece of kit, ideal for tossing in a bag with your laptop and other gear for recording anywhere (anywhere your laptop works anyway…-so be mindful of that, it might get banged around after a while. I'm sure if they spend an extra few $ on production for beefier preamps and a more solid housing, this could easily be $30-$50 more expensive, so it's a trade off. The bottom line for me is that the device meets my needs and expectations. It has simple setup and ease of use. The features are ample for something in this price range. I don't know how much I will find myself using the Smart Gain feature, but it is kind of cool to check my settings against that sometimes. The USB-C bus power is pretty handy and lends to portability, but again, the build quality might be a problem if this device is going to put in many hard road miles. This probably isn't going to be the device anyone will use to create their next hit record, but it is certainly sufficient to jot down those ideas for that new record! I'm happy with this product and my purchase.Eric

This interface fulfills all my needs (I bought it to do a podcast). Is portable, easy to operate, and it has plenty of features but something is bugging me… when I plug my headphones there's a high inconstant pitch noise. This sound doesn't seem to register in my recordings but it renders direct monitoring useless. I tried everything I can to fix it: changed cables, computer, proximity to my phone (phone signal interference causes weird noises so keep your phone away from it!), possible LED lights, reinstalled drivers… EVERYTHING. Hopefully is a defective unit (fingers crossed). I already submited my RMA request to get a new unit. Still no response. I will update this review once I receive a new one. My advice: run a couple of test with yours and let us know if you experienced this issue too.Gabriel

An excellent piece of kit. intergrates perfectly with my Nuendo 10 recording software. Easy to set up and use. Well built, with two headphone 6mm sockets. The software that comes with it is very useful and can be used stand alone if you just want to practice with a guitar, mic, etc with it. Well worth buyingReviewed by Absolute Music custo

The unit itself is frankly superb. Built like a tank, it should last forever, or until new technology overtakes it. Very pleased. My only gripe is the Cubase AI software that comes with it as a freebie. It’s really not much better than a demo and is no doubt included as a carrot to get us to buy the proper thing. Pity too because Steinberg were offering a free upgrade that ended just weeks before I bought my unit. Why not just include it anyway? Ho hum.Kevin

1. You cannot use it in standalone mode, so computer is always required (It will not take power from USB power supply). This become a problem when I was trying to feed output to the camera which is connected by USB to the same computer. It creates vary bad case of ground loop. 2. It is not going to give you good sound on high impedance headphones. My Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm work, but have weak low freq. 3. Preamp for dynamic mic might be noisy. I am using Rode PodMic and for effective gain I am on edge of introducing noise. You may need to use something like Cloudlifter ($150) depends on your gain requirements.Roman

This audio interface was easy to set up and came with a lot of really cool free software. It’s pretty simple but does great for what it was designed for. I’d give it an A+ If you’re using it for a pod cast or recording instrument/vocals. I personally got this and a cloudlifter for my sm7b. The Scarlett 2i2 gen 3 does not provide enough gain for my specific mic and a cloud lifter was needed. If you’re looking at this for a twitch style streaming set up, it works as an interface, but I would recommend for around same price to get a goxlr mini. You gain more features like separate controls for chat/game/discord with the sliders and the goxlr mini has enough preamp power that you don’t need a cloud lifter for mics like the popular sm7b. Pro: * Gen 3 comes with a usb-c connector on the back. Very nice as most devices are moving from usb a+micro into a more standardized usb-c. * comes with great free DAW in form of ableton live lite. Comes with a a suite of other free software but this one was nice enough to highlight. * quality metal build * simple and intuitive!Cheddarsharp

I replaced my 2nd generation Scarlett 2i2 with the 3rd generation 4i4. I was a bit skeptical of the software application required to set the inputs to line/instrument, but it turned out to be fairly intuitive. The unit comes with a pad and air feature. Pad is self explanatory (gain reduction for loud recordings), the air setting is supposed to model some classic microphone preamp or something to that effect. I'm not totally sure what the difference is, but I've left the Air feature on anyways while recording and I've been pleased with the results, how much of that satisfaction is a result of the Air setting is hard to say since I haven't actually done any objective testing but it certainly doesn't seem to hurt anything by having it on. Initially, when I got the hardware going on my iMac I experienced significant lag while using Logic at various times, particularly when I was trying to copy logic drum tracks or expand the timeline but also while trying to do basic functions as well. I was concerned that I would have to get more RAM for my Mac which is problematic because the model I have makes it both difficult and expensive to increase RAM. However, after a few repeated uses the issue seems to have subsided, so I don't really know what that was about or whether the change in hardware even had anything to do with it, however it definitely was not an issue while I used my 2i2 so it's something to consider. I mainly upgraded because I wanted to start using midi with my electronic drum kit and that was basically as easy as plug and play (aside from a couple added steps in Logic which didn't have anything to do with the 4i4). However, for some reason the midi tracks seem to cause Logic to experience errors during playback when I close and then reopen a project. Again, can't say that this is a result of the 4i4 but I've been able to resolve the issue by simply quitting Logic entirely before reopening a project which isn't much of an inconvenience at all.Kab

I got this interface because it was compact, affordable, and offered great speed with USB 3.0. However, the Yamaha Steinberg driver that it uses is a total disaster. It has an incompatibility with my chipset (Windows 10 with an AMD ryzen cpu) that makes the USB 3.0 functionality completely unusable. Very frustrating. I have also heard that the Yamaha driver causes other windows to have issues when using certain DAWs. It is really frustrating because I love the device itself and it's design. If you are going to put all this effort in on the hardware, make sure you have the software to go with it. Feels like wasted potential.Jeff

Integrates well with Cubase but not a requirement. Great bargain and a ton of power with a small footprint. Of course the limitation is two inputs, but sometimes depending on application that is enough. Good sounding with quality preamps and zero-latency monitoring of input signals. Cubase AI comes free with it and is also very powerful, although it's a bit complicated to set up. User just needs to be patient and follow the instructions. MacPro Video offers some very good instruction at a reasonable cost, but there are other instructional videos out there that are free via YouTube. Be willing to start off slow and you should have little or no problems.dpuc_0

Looked for what seemed like ages for a confirmed working and decent quality audio interface for the usb c ipad pros. A lot of manufacturers are pretty non-committal. Paired it with a usb c hub and everything works immediately and well. High quality hardware, great sounding pre and latency is not to be found of any concern. If you are looking to make music on the ipad pro with a usb c then this is a viable option to consider. Works with garageband too with no issues. Comes with some software but not worth trading garageband for. I did not buy the 50 buck version of their app. Maybe better?KC