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Best budget interface for Mac.


bubinga5
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I have a presonus audio box and it is a pain in the arse. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I'm not sure if there is a problem with the Mac recognising it but I've had enough of it.

Can anyone recommend me a good interface for the Mac Pro. All I want to do is make some youtube playa long,s/vids.

Any ideas.?

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Steinberg UR22 MK 2.
Audio and Midi interface.
Very solid on Mac.

http://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Steinberg-UR22-Mk-2-USB-Audio-Interface/1F0O?origin=product-ads&campaign=PLA+Shop+-+GENERIC&adgroup=GENERIC&medium=vertical_search&network=google&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=66120d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=166006245199&gclid=Cj0KEQjw88q9BRDB5qLcwLXr7_sBEiQAZsGja0lCuLrIIfx9KjmXhLzJw8-qSAaRX4MMDX70DxQNb-MaAnZE8P8HAQ

Review and comparisons.
https://ask.audio/articles/review-steinberg-ur22-mk-ii-audio-interface

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[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1471350793' post='3112350']
I've had good results with the Scarlett. It's a bit keen to clip so I have to keep an eye on it, but it works fine for my needs..
[/quote]

Yup, the Focusrite Scarlett range provide excellent bang for your buck$. The 2i2 retails at about £80, or there's the Solo that's about £10 cheaper (not worth the saving IMO) and the 2i4 that has more output options if you want to connect speakers/monitors (and costs about £30 more).

^^ Can't go wrong with the Steinberg either :)

Edited by Skol303
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[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1471359905' post='3112481']Does it have a firewire port? I think they are generally obsolete... [/quote]

Not so :)

Admittedly you need to buy a Firewire to ThunderBolt adaptor for around £20, but you can run Firewire devices on a Mac - and I assume PC also? - with no trouble at all (and will be able to do so for as long as ThunderBolt continues... which is likely to be a [i]long[/i] time).

Edited by Skol303
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The thing to remember with the Scarlett 2i2, is that there is no Midi in/out connections.
So you would need a Keyboard/Midi controller that has a USB connection for any Midi work.
or a Scarlett 2i4 if you want to go the Focusrite route.

Edited by lowdown
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Obsolete as in you don't see them on devices any more. Mackie don't supply drivers for it after Windows 7, but Macs are still supported. No idea if needing an additional whatever-to-Firewire adapter in line will add latency, but it's a possibility.

Anyhow, I've not used it in years, the base station with the extra ports is very hit and miss and would rarely fire up if ever, but the pull out unit (which has 2 line outs plus 2 mic/instrument inputs) always worked fine. Here's a review:

[url="http://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mackie-satellite"]http://www.soundonso...ackie-satellite[/url]

Up for grabs for the price of the postage if Bubinga5 doesn't want it!

Edited by dannybuoy
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Looks like Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adaptors can cause issues with audio interfaces btw:

https://cooltechpc.com/articles/thunderbolt-firewire-and-usb

[quote]Although Apple has released a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter, it isn’t a direct conversion. The Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter actually places another chip in between the Thunderbolt port and your Firewire device, which requires a driver. This will cause issues with audio devices, which are particular about which chipset your 1394 (Firewire) card has. External devices (such as the M-audio Project Mix I/O) may not even show up, unless you use a 1394 card that has a TI chipset. If you need to use a Firewire device (particularly for audio recording), we recommend using a Firewire card that has a TI chipset, instead of using Apple’s Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter. Alternatively, you could use onboard Firewire, but beware onboard Firewire doesn’t normally include a TI chipset, and is subject compatibility problems. This is why we use Firewire cards with the 1394 Ti chipset in them when building our digital audio pcs (if the customer wants the option of using Firewire).[/quote]

Edited by dannybuoy
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The problem with USB on the Mac is that the bus structure is quite convoluted, so that your USB interface may be sharing the bus with other devices without you knowing it. And just because you have multiple USB ports doesn't mean that they are separate buses.

From the photo it looks as though you have the same MacBook Pro as me - (13" Mid 2012). Looking at the bus structure in the System Profile there are 2 separate USB buses - but one already has the keyboard, trackpad, IR receiver and Bluetooth controller attached to it, and the other has the built-in FaceTime camera. Also despite the fact that the Mac supports USB3 on one of the buses, this is ultimately connected via an internal USB hub to one of the main USB2 buses, so despite supporting the USB3 protocol the speed will be throttled back to USB2. And every other USB peripheral that you add will be competing for USB2 bandwidth.

That's why FireWire and Thunderbolt are always better options on the Mac.

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1471369348' post='3112589']
The problem with USB on the Mac is that the bus structure is quite convoluted, so that your USB interface may be sharing the bus with other devices without you knowing it. And just because you have multiple USB ports doesn't mean that they are separate buses.

From the photo it looks as though you have the same MacBook Pro as me - (13" Mid 2012). Looking at the bus structure in the System Profile there are 2 separate USB buses - but one already has the keyboard, trackpad, IR receiver and Bluetooth controller attached to it, and the other has the built-in FaceTime camera. Also despite the fact that the Mac supports USB3 on one of the buses, this is ultimately connected via an internal USB hub to one of the main USB2 buses, so despite supporting the USB3 protocol the speed will be throttled back to USB2. And every other USB peripheral that you add will be competing for USB2 bandwidth.

That's why FireWire and Thunderbolt are always better options on the Mac.
[/quote]

What does RME do differently with their USB Interfaces ? Curious really.
Because their units are very reliable on Macs.

Unfortunately, there are very few USB 3 Interfaces on the market at the moment, and they are on the pricey side.
A good article here about USB 3 vs Thunderbolt, and USB 2 for that matter.

http://proaudioblog.co.uk/2015/09/usb-3-vs-thunderbolt-interfaces/

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I've been using one of these for a few years now and haven't got a bad word for it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sweex-7-1-External-USB-Sound-Card-SPDIF-IN-AND-OUT-BUS-POWERED-SC016-/262082729844?hash=item3d05591774:g:Sj4AAOSwuWVWFWHc

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1471369348' post='3112589']
The problem with USB on the Mac is that the bus structure is quite convoluted, so that your USB interface may be sharing the bus with other devices without you knowing it. And just because you have multiple USB ports doesn't mean that they are separate buses.

From the photo it looks as though you have the same MacBook Pro as me - (13" Mid 2012). Looking at the bus structure in the System Profile there are 2 separate USB buses - but one already has the keyboard, trackpad, IR receiver and Bluetooth controller attached to it, and the other has the built-in FaceTime camera. Also despite the fact that the Mac supports USB3 on one of the buses, this is ultimately connected via an internal USB hub to one of the main USB2 buses, so despite supporting the USB3 protocol the speed will be throttled back to USB2. And every other USB peripheral that you add will be competing for USB2 bandwidth.

That's why FireWire and Thunderbolt are always better options on the Mac.
[/quote]Ok BRX i know about music theory and bass guitars but that just went totally over my head.

Edited by bubinga5
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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1471369348' post='3112589']
The problem with USB on the Mac is that the bus structure is quite convoluted, so that your USB interface may be sharing the bus with other devices without you knowing it. And just because you have multiple USB ports doesn't mean that they are separate buses.

From the photo it looks as though you have the same MacBook Pro as me - (13" Mid 2012). Looking at the bus structure in the System Profile there are 2 separate USB buses - but one already has the keyboard, trackpad, IR receiver and Bluetooth controller attached to it, and the other has the built-in FaceTime camera. Also despite the fact that the Mac supports USB3 on one of the buses, this is ultimately connected via an internal USB hub to one of the main USB2 buses, so despite supporting the USB3 protocol the speed will be throttled back to USB2. And every other USB peripheral that you add will be competing for USB2 bandwidth.

That's why FireWire and Thunderbolt are always better options on the Mac.
[/quote]Ok BRX i know about music theory and bass guitar but that just went totally over my head.

Edited by bubinga5
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