Audio interface recommendations

[WillyTheMLGPro]

So I'm looking for recommendations for a new audio interface.
My current Focusrite Scarlett Solo 2nd gen is really buggy for me even with all the drives installed and up to date.
Looking for an interface for guitar that will be used with NeuralDSP standalone stuff and also has an XLR input with phantom power for my AT2020 for voice chats.
Unfortunately can only go with USB ones since I have a PC with no Thunderbolt interface

 

[pipelineaudio]

What sort of bugginess is it doing? If you really want to get better drivers, you are looking at RME and MOTU, MOTU has a newer sort of affordable M2 and M4. Most of the majorly hyped interfaces you always see the NPCs parroting hype about actually use TheSycon.de drivers, so it won;t really be any better than your focusrite (and often worse)

 

[D-Nasty]

I have the MOTU M4 & I really like it. I upgraded from a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 2. The drivers are excellent. I'm getting 4.1 millisecond roundtrip latency @ 48kHz with a 32 sample buffer.

I also have the Neural DSP Fortin suites & I've demoed Granophyre, Plini & Nolly. Works great.

 

[Winspear]

What sort of bugginess is it doing? If you really want to get better drivers, you are looking at RME and MOTU, MOTU has a newer sort of affordable M2 and M4. Most of the majorly hyped interfaces you always see the NPCs parroting hype about actually use TheSycon.de drivers, so it won;t really be any better than your focusrite (and often worse)

Curious about the bugginess too - could be important

 

[WillyTheMLGPro]

Curious about the bugginess too - could be important

I managed to fix the issues by changing USB ports it seems but the issues I were having were:

• With the driver from the Focusrite site, after a few minutes using a microphone the audio would distort and wouldn't fix unless I changed the sample rate and bit depth but it would happen again after a few minutes
• In the Neural DSP standalone plugins, I had to lower both the input and output in the program cause the input was cranked even though the knob on the front of the Solo was as low as it could go
• various crackling and popping noises

and a few other things but I'm going to be in a Discord voice call tomorrow for an extended amount of time so I'll see if the issues with distorting audio and popping and cracking audio is fixed.

 

[Winspear]

Have you played with buffer settings? Cracking and popping is a normal result of CPU overload which is common using powerful plugins (like amp sims) at low buffer/latency. It's a balancing act between playable latency that doesn't feel offputting to monitor, and CPU demand for your current project. Common practice to increase the buffer to allow more plugins once the recording stage is done and latency doesn't matter.

About the cranked input - that was an issue of preamps being designed unreasonably hot for metal guitar on the gen 1 - apparently fixed on the gen 2. I don't know what anyone needs that kind of input gain available for! I've never turned a preamp above halfway. Interesting if it was just a USB port issue and your gen 2 is fine. Hopefully your problems are fixed with attention to correct buffer settings for your CPU and given application at any time

Weird about the first bulletpoint though!

 

[WillyTheMLGPro]

Have you played with buffer settings? Cracking and popping is a normal result of CPU overload which is common using powerful plugins (like amp sims) at low buffer/latency. It's a balancing act between playable latency that doesn't feel offputting to monitor, and CPU demand for your current project. Common practice to increase the buffer to allow more plugins once the recording stage is done and latency doesn't matter.

About the cranked input - that was an issue of preamps being designed unreasonably hot for metal guitar on the gen 1 - apparently fixed on the gen 2. I don't know what anyone needs that kind of input gain available for! I've never turned a preamp above halfway. Interesting if it was just a USB port issue and your gen 2 is fine. Hopefully your problems are fixed with attention to correct buffer settings for your CPU and given application at any time

Weird about the first bulletpoint though!

Yeah I've changed all the settings and everything seems fixed now just by changing usb ports.
also other note, Looking forward to buying some of your strings now after having a bad experience with some NYXLs

 

[tender_insanity]

I have the MOTU M4 & I really like it. I upgraded from a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 2. The drivers are excellent. I'm getting 4.1 millisecond roundtrip latency @ 48kHz with a 32 sample buffer.

I also have the Neural DSP Fortin suites & I've demoed Granophyre, Plini & Nolly. Works great.

View attachment 80115

I've the M4 also. Upgraded from M-Audio M-Track Eight. Love the M4. Works likes charm.

I use buffer size of 64 samples an 44,1khz and get Total Roundtrip in Sonar 6.7ms (Input 2.1ms, Output 4.6ms). At 32 samples and 48khz I have same results as you do there.

 

[pipelineaudio]

Focusrite's USB drivers previously did not enjoy USB3, so we would usually have people switch to a USB2 port or switch USB3 off in BIOS