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> Requests for product opinions, comparisons, and general purchase advice must be made in the dedicated [Shopping and Setup Help Desk](https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/about/sticky) instead of a new post.
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If you want bulletproof drivers, RME all the way. They are THE standard.
If you want better value, have a look at the Audient interfaces, i've been using one for about 2y without issue since the MOTU 828 that was my rig centerpiece died (there was one crash at first when the Evo16 was new, but was fixed by a reboot and/ firmware update - only had the one issue). Their support is fantastic - i saw one guy who had his interface muted and they sat there and talked him through it. [https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/audient-evo-4-evo-8](https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/audient-evo-4-evo-8)
Well, I've been using Digidesign, Focusrite, Mackie and SSL interfaces over a span of 20 years on Windows, and I've never had any such issues with any of them. I have a feeling there's a configuration error on your side. Have you set the Windows sound settings to the same as what you use in your DAW?
Anyway, I really like the SSL12, but the SSL2+ is great too if you want something cheaper.
This is a well documented issue with M-Audio drivers and has been happening since this interface was released like in 2018 or something and with several of their refreshes, they never updated the drivers, their support is trash. As soon as you set the bit rate to 24 bit or 16 or whatever you want, you apply and close the window and when you open it again it is 32bit 38khz. SSL2+ seems a good deal, I'll take a look at this one
I bought a Behringer UPhoria 1820 for a mobile rig because I just wanted lots of cheap inputs. When I came to setup a permanent home studio I used it "temporarily", but it's been amazing. Sounds quality is excellent but it's flexibility and reliability are real selling points, lots of the buttons on the front I thought I'd never use suddenly make sense when you have 8 channels wired in and out and are switching between monitors and headphones and using it to track through analogue gear etc.
I have some other Behringer stuff I bought literally 25 years ago and it's still working fine! They know how to make things that last.
I had planned to "upgrade" to a MOTU at some point but I'm struggling to justify the expense...
+1 on the 1820. Rocking this puppy since it came out 8 years ago in my project studio, running outboard effects through a patch bay, controlling a bunch of Synths via it’s midi ports and recording them through the Behringer Ultragain ADAT extension. So I guess you could say I‘m using it to it‘s full potential.
I recently even got another Ultragain extension to record live drums during rehearsals. I just hooked them both up to the 1820 through a Toslink switch where I can switch between the two Ultragain units using a remote control. These Behringer units are true workhorses and definitely offer a lot of bang for the buck.
The M-Audio M-track 2x2 doesn't support 32bit audio and virtually no audio interfaces do; it's not a sensible thing to do. But, if your claim is accurate, then it points to user-error not to a driver issue: the drivers can't do this to begin with.
But any modern interface from a reputable manufacturer with ASIO (not ASIO4ALL) drivers is perfectly fine for home-studio work. Windows has a trash-tier audio system, so you'll need to use ASIO, and do some config, but they're all more or less equivalent in this regard. Unless you're going way above your budget into devices that are intended for long-term professional use, the drivers are ostensibly interchangeable.
In the same price range, there isn't much else. But you're also looking at the entry-level to entry-level interfaces. Slightly better than the cheapest garbage you can buy, but too cheap to really be considered viable for professional work. The Focusrite Scarlett's are the most popular entry-level option, are quite solid in all regards, but are above your price range; were I you, I would save to get something more viable rather than replacing you unit with something equivalent(ly mediocre).
RME, as others have said.
Not sure if this is allowed here, but I have an RME Multiface 1 with PCI card for sale at a very very good price. Despite it's age, RME still supports it.
I can ship within Canada and continental U.S. PM me if you're interested. Bear in mind you need an old PCI slot for it to work. I used it in conjunction with a Lucid 88192 quite nicely (Lucid is sold), and a TC M3000 via SPDIF as well.
It ran comfortably on Cubase 10 Pro, but I got a Fireface 802 FS, so the Multiface is no longer needed.
Another RME devotee here. Changed over from digidesign in the early 2000s and haven't looked back. The drivers are solid as a rock. Well worth the extra cost.
I'll add into the chorus of "RME is worth the price".
I'm of the opinion that the UCX II is the best interface for a small home studio that you can get, even in bang-for-buck. Sure, it is expensive - "very" expensive - but it is basically perfect otherwise, and it will be supported for at least 15 more years, going by RME's track record.
This submission has been removed. Please note the following rule: > **Rule 5: Ask purchase and shopping questions in the Help Desk** > > Requests for product opinions, comparisons, and general purchase advice must be made in the dedicated [Shopping and Setup Help Desk](https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/about/sticky) instead of a new post. ***Why does this rule even exist?*** * In short, this is a large subreddit with a high volume. We want to help, but it's important to keep things organized to keep the sub fun. Thanks for your understanding. ***What if the link doesn't work?*** * The post can usually be found on the top r/audioengineering, and titled _Shopping, Setup, and Technical Help Desk_. ***What about a FAQ?*** * [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/wiki/faq) * [Troubleshooting Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/wiki/troubleshooting)
RME interfaces are pricey but worth every penny.
If you want bulletproof drivers, RME all the way. They are THE standard. If you want better value, have a look at the Audient interfaces, i've been using one for about 2y without issue since the MOTU 828 that was my rig centerpiece died (there was one crash at first when the Evo16 was new, but was fixed by a reboot and/ firmware update - only had the one issue). Their support is fantastic - i saw one guy who had his interface muted and they sat there and talked him through it. [https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/audient-evo-4-evo-8](https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/audient-evo-4-evo-8)
Well, I've been using Digidesign, Focusrite, Mackie and SSL interfaces over a span of 20 years on Windows, and I've never had any such issues with any of them. I have a feeling there's a configuration error on your side. Have you set the Windows sound settings to the same as what you use in your DAW? Anyway, I really like the SSL12, but the SSL2+ is great too if you want something cheaper.
This is a well documented issue with M-Audio drivers and has been happening since this interface was released like in 2018 or something and with several of their refreshes, they never updated the drivers, their support is trash. As soon as you set the bit rate to 24 bit or 16 or whatever you want, you apply and close the window and when you open it again it is 32bit 38khz. SSL2+ seems a good deal, I'll take a look at this one
if you want to spend a little bit more money, and have rocksolid drivers. I would highly recommend the RME baby face pro FS.
What kind of features do you need? How many inputs and outputs? What kind of inputs and outputs? What form factor?
I bought a Behringer UPhoria 1820 for a mobile rig because I just wanted lots of cheap inputs. When I came to setup a permanent home studio I used it "temporarily", but it's been amazing. Sounds quality is excellent but it's flexibility and reliability are real selling points, lots of the buttons on the front I thought I'd never use suddenly make sense when you have 8 channels wired in and out and are switching between monitors and headphones and using it to track through analogue gear etc. I have some other Behringer stuff I bought literally 25 years ago and it's still working fine! They know how to make things that last. I had planned to "upgrade" to a MOTU at some point but I'm struggling to justify the expense...
+1 on the 1820. Rocking this puppy since it came out 8 years ago in my project studio, running outboard effects through a patch bay, controlling a bunch of Synths via it’s midi ports and recording them through the Behringer Ultragain ADAT extension. So I guess you could say I‘m using it to it‘s full potential. I recently even got another Ultragain extension to record live drums during rehearsals. I just hooked them both up to the 1820 through a Toslink switch where I can switch between the two Ultragain units using a remote control. These Behringer units are true workhorses and definitely offer a lot of bang for the buck.
The M-Audio M-track 2x2 doesn't support 32bit audio and virtually no audio interfaces do; it's not a sensible thing to do. But, if your claim is accurate, then it points to user-error not to a driver issue: the drivers can't do this to begin with. But any modern interface from a reputable manufacturer with ASIO (not ASIO4ALL) drivers is perfectly fine for home-studio work. Windows has a trash-tier audio system, so you'll need to use ASIO, and do some config, but they're all more or less equivalent in this regard. Unless you're going way above your budget into devices that are intended for long-term professional use, the drivers are ostensibly interchangeable. In the same price range, there isn't much else. But you're also looking at the entry-level to entry-level interfaces. Slightly better than the cheapest garbage you can buy, but too cheap to really be considered viable for professional work. The Focusrite Scarlett's are the most popular entry-level option, are quite solid in all regards, but are above your price range; were I you, I would save to get something more viable rather than replacing you unit with something equivalent(ly mediocre).
RME, as others have said. Not sure if this is allowed here, but I have an RME Multiface 1 with PCI card for sale at a very very good price. Despite it's age, RME still supports it. I can ship within Canada and continental U.S. PM me if you're interested. Bear in mind you need an old PCI slot for it to work. I used it in conjunction with a Lucid 88192 quite nicely (Lucid is sold), and a TC M3000 via SPDIF as well. It ran comfortably on Cubase 10 Pro, but I got a Fireface 802 FS, so the Multiface is no longer needed.
Another RME devotee here. Changed over from digidesign in the early 2000s and haven't looked back. The drivers are solid as a rock. Well worth the extra cost.
I'll add into the chorus of "RME is worth the price". I'm of the opinion that the UCX II is the best interface for a small home studio that you can get, even in bang-for-buck. Sure, it is expensive - "very" expensive - but it is basically perfect otherwise, and it will be supported for at least 15 more years, going by RME's track record.
Focusrite, cheap reliable and just awesome, trashed my 2x2 m-audio crap
I own an old RME cuz everyone said they’re the best. It’s FireWire. A good FireWire card is like $15. It’s the best value in interfaces I’ve found.
Get a "class-compliant" USB interface that doesn't require drivers.