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Producing electronic music requires lots of energy and creativity from the producers and musicians involved, as well as having a great audio interface. It takes many hours of practice and patience, especially when you take the first steps of your career, following your dream to become an established music producer.
There are many ways someone can produce electronic music. Some people use a significant amount of sound equipment, such as personal computers, studio monitors, mixing consoles, drum machines, virtual, electronic or acoustic instruments and many more. On the other hand, there are those that just use their humble laptops and the music software of their preference, and manage to produce equally fascinating results.
It all comes to the creativity and passion in the end. Although those two virtues are the two main ones music producers have to evolve in order to create great music, one piece of equipment every producer needs to make electronic music, is the audio interfaces.
There are large amounts and many different types of audio interfaces available in the market. They are design to make the music production process as convenient as it gets, without compromising on high quality sound results.
It is up to the music producer to choose the type of connectivity he prefers, the number of inputs and outputs, or the equipment set up he is going to use along with his audio interface, to produce electronic music.
There is a number of factors that determine the decision of a producer, when it comes to purchasing an audio interface. Such factors, are the portability, functionality, the quality of the structure, and the sound that the audio interface delivers.
It can be time consuming to analyze those factors and decide, especially when starting out. This is why we have made a list with 5 of the best audio interfaces perfectly suitable for every producer that creates electronic music.
Things to consider before purchasing an audio interface for electronic music
Quality
The quality of the sound and the quality of the structure, are the two main factors that make an audio interface stand out from the rest. You should test yourself, or watch tutorial videos online about what results the interface you are about to purchase can deliver, so that you get a taste of the product you are about to purchase.
Furthermore, you need to make sure that you buy an interface with a solid structure, which will ensure that the interface will last over time, and that it is strong enough to use it while travelling or long sessions.
Functionality
All audio interfaces should be completely functional, so that they make the music creation process comfortable enough for the music producer. Make sure that you check the amount of inputs and outputs, as well as the connectivity of your interface.
Check for equalizers, compressors or reverb effects that come with the audio interface, and make a case of testing them to see if they are effective enough to help you with your music productions. Experiment with the knobs and switches, to find out how they feel when using them, as they are very important when it comes to balancing your volume and effect levels.
Features
Extra items and equipment are going to be a nice addition to the package, and very helpful when it comes to using the audio interface in the studio. Interface packages sometimes include isolation pads, cables, music software, microphones and carrying cases. Search for the bundle that will make your recording and music production process easier.
Price
There is a wide range of prices regarding audio interfaces. The general rule here is, the more expensive the product is, the better the results. We recommend interfaces within all price ranges, and you should find the one that is more suitable to your budget, taking into serious consideration the functionality and quality level of the audio interface.
Best audio interface for electronic music
1 – Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
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The Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 is one of the best of its kind. It is an audio interface with very shiny headphone and monitor levels, and the knob mark the levels to ensure accuracy during the recording session.
The interface has back rotary input gain controls, which only add to the beauty of this device, and along with the rest of the effectively placed knobs and switches, they make the front panel of the unit very clear and convenient for the user.
The Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 comes with a carrying case with the same colors. The case is very tough so that it can protect the interface effectively, and it has a great design with the logo and the signature color of the audio interface.
Once the audio interface plugged in, you can see that its boot very fast. You are ready to start working with the interface in seconds, which is one of the factors that make this device stand out from the rest, and enhances in a very positive way the user experience.
The Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 does not require any drivers to work. You can plug it in and your operating system will detect and recognize it immediately. It has two inputs on the front, which can take both XLR connectors and jacks. Furthermore, the interface has two jack outputs on the back, and it also has a headphone stereo output.
There are knobs next to inputs, which you can use to control the input gain. You can switch between line or instrument inputs, and there are separate options for the two inputs, regarding mono and stereo signals. In addition to these, the audio interface provides 48V phantom power for the use of condenser microphones. All in all, an all-purpose audio interface that has everything, one of the main reasons responsible for its increasing popularity.
2 – Roland STUDIO-CAPTURE
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The Roland STUDIO-CAPTURE is an audio interface with a great workflow. It has great levels of functionality, and can compete the best interfaces of its category. One main advantage of the interface, is the close to zero latency, even when using multiple tracks simultaneously.
The audio interface has auto sense ability, which is very convenient when it comes to automatically setting the volume levels. This is a feature that most music producers will find extremely helpful, as it can very easily help them determine the correct volume leveling of the tracks included in their session.
The fuss of the Roland STUDIO-CAPTURE is minimal, and it has a very clean optimal. The audio interface has amazing capabilities when it comes to handling an entire recording session, due to its great input and output features.
You can monitor and configure the inputs from the panel. This gives the complete control to the user, and make the process of the music production as well as the recording very convenient. It is also a great way of avoiding potential mistakes, as you have a very clear picture of what you are doing.
While most other audio interfaces make you handle the entire process of configuration only through the software, the Roland STUDIO-CAPTURE does an amazing job of letting you handle everything onboard. It has an awesome visual feedback, as it uses LED ladders and an LCD screen, which is well designed and easy to understand.
The VS preamplifiers of the audio interface provide a very high-quality conversion, up to 24 bit/192kHz. This makes the quality of the sound enter the next level, especially when you compare it to what most other interfaces offer at the same price range.
All in all, the Roland STUDIO-CAPTURE is a very powerful and elegant looking audio interface, with a very efficient and professional workflow. It is certain, that it guarantees maximum sound quality results, and it is worth the investment, if you are into electronic music production.
3 – Korg DS-DAC-10R
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The Korg DS-DAC is a great audio interface, heavy in weight and very stable. It has a very solid structure, which gives the impression that the interface is going to last over time. It has a very clean and crispy sound, which help the user listen to every single detail of the sound during the recording.
It has a very wide range of frequencies, which make both the low ends and the high ends sound way above the ordinary. The low ands sound very warm and smooth, and there is a slight presence added to the mid high and high frequencies.
The workflow of the Korg DS-DAC is very decent, and the latency issues are reduced to the minimum. You can listen to almost no noise when recording vocals, although this depends a lot on the quality of the microphone you are going to use.
The design of the interface is simple and minimal. There are not many buttons, switches or knob found onboard, which makes the use of the particular audio interface more specific and simplistic, without compromising on functionality.
Overall, the Korg DS-DAC delivers great sound quality, and it will definitely help improve the entire electronic music production process. It is one of the best options for music producers, offered in a very logical price point.
4 – TASCAM US
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The TASCAM US is an excellent audio interface in a very professional design. It delivers great sound quality, crystal clear recording that you can hear every single detail, even from low input sources. Its sound is very loud, two or three times louder when compared to similar audio interfaces at close price points.
The loudness of the interface is due to the external power, and there are no popping, cracking or hiss issues whatsoever. The interface works great with the majority of the well-known Digital Audio Workstations (DAW), such as Ableton Live, FL Studio, Cubase, Pro Tools, Reaper and more.
The preamplifiers of the TASCAM US are very powerful, and provide extreme detail when it comes to recording vocals. There is no loss of sound, and they add some very special subtle character to the sound of the microphone, without making it too extreme.
The audio interface comes with very stable drivers, that help keeping the normality of the recording or producing process. The software routing/ mixer is amazing and very loud. In case you want to add even more character to your vocal recordings, make sure that you use an external preamplifier, which adds more presence to the high ends.
The onboard preamplifiers of the TASCAM US do an amazing job too. The interface has 96kHz/24 bit resolution, more than most electronic music producers will ever need. It has 8 line inputs, which you can use as zone controller to route multiple audio sources or receivers.
The structure of the interface is well built and it seems very strong. It has a very simple, yet very professional design, which adds credibility to the unit, and makes the use of the interface less confusing for the more inexperienced users.
The TASCAM US gives the ability to the user to rack mount it. The overall sound of this audio interface is amazing, and the subtle presence the preamplifiers add to the high ends is definitely a very nice function of the device. Truly, one of the best options for electro music production at the price point offered.
5 – Steinberg UR242
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The Steinberg UR242 is an audio interface with a very solid structure. The unit comes in a rugged metal body, with an elegant and very professional design. It looks strong enough to work under all occasions, and last any detriment over time.
The audio interface has Neutrik combo jacks, which seem high quality industry standard jacks. The general feeling when it comes to knobs, is excellent. They feel solid, with the appropriate amount of resistance, to ensure that we avoid any sudden leveling changes during recording or playback.
The Steinberg UR242 comes in a very smooth finish, and the colors used on the interface were a combination of black and grey, which give a professional tone to the overall image of the unit. The interface, has a significant weight due to the components, which makes the device more stable.
The mic pres of the audio interface are amazing. They are very quiet, considering both low and high settings, and can easily compete other similar interfaces within the same price range, which tend to be much noisier.
Regarding the inputs and outputs of the Steinberg UR242, it has 4 microphone inputs, 2 line inputs and MIDI input/output. An very nice addition, is the 2 headphone outputs, which have 2 separate mixes to make the recording experience even better.
This particular audio interface offers equalization, compression, high pass filtering, phasing and guitar amp, while monitoring and recording at the same time. The software control works great with Cubase, and the reverb can be used only for monitoring or recording, using a feature called loopback.
Overall, the Steinberg UR242 has a fascinating performance. It comes with drivers, which help keeping the latency close to zero, and the workflow of the software is great. All in all, an awesome audio interface, in a very competitive price that is worth the purchase.
