Top 10 Interfaces For Music Producers In 2021!

Written By: Eric “Realistic” Michael

When it comes to producing, engineering, or recording music the two bare necessities are a computer & an audio interface. With so many interfaces on the market, it’s hard to figure out which ones are good & which ones should be avoided. 

You’ll need an audio interface in order to record audio into your computer, use studio monitors with your computer, & control the overall volume of your system. 

Things to consider when choosing the right interface for you: 
- Will you be recording at all with it, or will you just be mixing or making beats?
- How many inputs & outputs do you need?
- What type of connections does your computer have? USB, USB-C, Thunderbolt, Firewire?
- Do you make your music with a Mac, PC, tablet, or smartphone?
- What is your budget?
- Are DSP plugins important to you?
- Will you need a portable rig?

For most producers 2 input channels are plenty. That would allow you to record two microphones at once. For outputs, 2-4 channels are usually enough for most producers. 2 would allow you to hook up one set of studio monitors (left & right) & 4 would allow you a second set of monitors to alternate between. A second set of monitors are great for A/B testing & reference checks, so they are worth looking into if you’re heavy into mixing. 

If you’re planning on recording a lot with it, we recommend saving up for a little bit nicer of an interface. The lower budget ones are great for just mixing & producing; however, the preamps in them are usually low quality & you’ll run into a lot of recording issues like clipping & harshness. You can clip low budget interfaces without much gain or even hitting levels within the red. For producers & engineers that need an interface for recording, consider getting an interface that connects with USB-C or Thunderbolt 2. USB interfaces can run into latency issues during the recording process. 

Since everyone has different needs & budgets, we don’t have this list in any particular order, but these are the ones we recommend when you’re in the market for one. We put all different types of interfaces on here. Ones that are affordable, ones that are the highest quality, & ones that are the most portable. So, let’s dive into our list of the top 10 interfaces for music producers in 2020!

Universal Audio Apollo Twin X

PRICE: $899

Pros
✓ Great quality
✓ Comes with free plugins
✓ Lots of I/O
✓ Zero latency recording

Cons
X Expensive
X Newer models lack USB options
X Doesn’t come with a connector cable in the box
X Has to be powered from an outlet

When it comes to quality & features, the Apollo Twin is our favorite. UA is known for both their amazing A/D - D/A conversion, as well as their high quality plugins. This interface has built-in DSP, so your UAD plugins actually run off of your audio interface rather than your CPU. This helps with latency issues & also is a lighter result on your CPU while you’re mixing.

The actual hardware itself has some handy buttons too. A mute switch, a dim switch, a mono switch, & a talk back button all makes this small unit feel like a large studio desk. You can hook up a second set of studio monitors to the Twin & the there’s a button on the interface that will let you toggle between monitors for easy A/B comparisons.

If you’re looking for high quality for both recording & mixing and you have a little bit more to spend with your budget, then this is definitely the interface we recommend.

If you need to expand your I/O you can get the Apollo x4 instead. It’s the same setup, but with more I/O. 

SSL 2+

PRICE: $299

Pros

✓Great quality
✓Affordable
✓Adds extra tone with the 4K button.

Cons
X Limited I/O
X Limited to just one set of studio monitors
X No Thunderbolt or USB-C connectivity options

If you’re in the music industry you’ve heard of SSL & you’ve probably heard great things about their quality. That’s because forever SSL has been one of the leaders of consoles & outboard gear when it comes to high quality & great sound. This interface has 2 main monitor outputs & a space for an alternative pair, but the 2nd pair is limited to RCA connections only (there are adaptors you can buy online though.) The SSL 2+ also has two Hi-Z combo jacks for mic & line inputs & output for your headphones as well. There’s also a 4K button that adds some extra tone, nice high-end air, & full tone too.

Apogee Symphony Desktop

PRICE: $1,299

 Pros
✓ Great quality
✓ Touchscreen
✓ USB 2.0 & USB-C connectivity

Cons
X Expensive
X Limited to just one set of studio monitors
X Has to be powered from an outlet

This is a new interface this year from Apogee & it sounds as great as it looks! The Symphony comes with a handful of free plugins & they run off of the DSP of the interface rather than eating up energy on your CPU. Apogee has a stellar reputation for A/D - D/A conversion & the quality of the pre-amps will be more than satisfying.

This is another interface that will be worth considering if you plan on doing a lot of recording since it’s a low latency interface.

The preamps themselves have lots of headroom to help avoid unwanted clipping & distortion.

Focusrite scarlett 2i2 

PRICE: $199

 Pros
✓ Affordable
✓ Doesn’t require power from an outlet
✓ Very portable

Cons
X Preamps are very low quality
X Limited to just one set of studio monitors
X Struggles with latency

No audio interface list would be complete without this affordable interface, right? The Scarlett 2i2 really is the perfect interface if all you need it for is producing & composing. If you’re not planning on doing any recording or mixing this interface is going to be more than capable for you. Since it’s powered by USB & the unit itself is lightweight, the Scarlett is very portable & it’s easy to bring anywhere you need to go. It’s a great fit for producers on the go with the laptop.

The downside of such an affordable interface is the preamps are pretty low in quality. It doesn’t take much to clip or distort these preamps. Clipping can occur on these preamps without even hitting the red, so if you are planning on doing lots of recording, you should consider looking into different interfaces.

There are also some higher level models that have more I/O if you need to work with more inputs & outputs. 

IK Multimedia iRig Pro Duo 

PRICE: $199

 Pros
✓ Affordable
✓ Works with smartphones
✓ Very portable

Cons
X Preamps are average quality
X Limited to just one set of studio monitors
X Performance issues when batteries are low

This interface is one of the best mobile interfaces on the market that works with smartphones. An interface like this will allow you to work from anywhere & turn any situation into a recording studio.

The biggest selling point of this interface is its ability to work with iOS & Android devices; however, this interface still works with Mac & PC computers. It has Lighting, USB-C, & USB-A ports making it easy to switch off from desktop & mobile devices. The iRig can be powered by either batteries or an outlet making this even more of a portable option! Just remember to bring extra sets of batteries when you’re on the go; this unit starts to fade in power when the batteries run low. 

 Antelope Zen Tour 

PRICE: $ 1,695.00

 Pros
✓ Touchscreen
✓ High quality preamps
✓ Built in FX

Cons
X Expensive
X Included software is messy & complicated
X Touchscreen can be unresponsive if not pressed precisely

Antelope is known for high quality converters, but their interfaces are just as good! This particular interface is a great choice for the modern home studio because of its “commercial studio” like functions built into a small device. The touchscreen allows you to enable functions like talk back, input gain, & headphone levels. If you need lots of I/O, this interface will be a go-to choice. The front of the hardware features two headphone outs, two reamping outs, & four line/Hi-Z inputs, all on 1/4-inch jacks. The back of the Zen Tour features four combo-jack XLR 1/4-inch inputs, two pairs of monitor outs on 1/4-inch jacks, eight analogue outs on a DB25, two RCA sockets for S/PDIF in and out, a power connector, USB & Thunderbolt sockets.

Another big selling point with this interface is it’s onboard DSP effects. There are a handful of FX like reverbs, delays, EQs, & a compressor built right into the interface. These features are great for tracking & even better for live performances. Not only will this interface be a big upgrade in your home studio, but it will also make for an amazing interface for live performances & rehearsals!

PreSonus AudioBox USB 96

PRICE: $99.95

Pros
✓ Very affordable
✓ Portable
✓ Doesn’t need much power

Cons
X Low cost means low-end preamps
X Limited monitor controls
X Latency may be an issue

PreSonus has a strong reputation for making affordable products that sound & work better than their price suggests they would. This interface has 2 two mic inputs with 60dB of gain. These pres are combo jacks so you can input an XLR or 1/4-inch. Just like any reasonable interface, this one has a switchable +48-volt phantom power switch. There are stereo main outs, and a headphone jack. It’s great for mobile recording & since it operates on USB bus power, you don’t have to carry around an additional power supply. 

Apogee Duet 

PRICE: $649

Pros
✓ Good quality
✓ Works with both MacOs & iOS
✓ Easy to use

Cons
X Lots of extra cables & adaptors needed to record
X Does not work on Windows PC
X Connection has glitches sometimes

Like most Apogee products they come with a very high-quality A/D and D/A converter. The preamps on this interface have a great quality to them that are both transparent & warm. This is an ultra-compact interface that offers 2-in/4-out capability. This is the ideal choice if you use a mobile device to do recording & mixing, but you still want a very professional quality recording.

When hooked up to your phone, this interface will also charge your phone, so you won’t have to worry about your phone dying in the middle of recording. The Duet comes with plenty of cables to connect XLRs & 1/4-inch to it. The cable adapters may be a little bit of a hassle at times, but they are what keeps this interface so sleek & thin.

Mackie Big Knob Studio 3x2

PRICE: $249.99

Pros
✓ Solid & durable casing
✓ Lots of options on deck
✓ Lots of I/O

Cons
X Metering is limited
X Knobs weaken easily over time
X Sound quality is poor compared to other interfaces

The Mackie Big Knob has become one of the most common interfaces & monitor controllers to show up in the B-room or C-room of commercial studios. It’s affordable, has lots of output connections, built-in talk back controls, & alternative speaker selections on board. There’s dim & mono switches on board as well. The quality of the preamps leave a lot to be desired; however, this is still a big upgrade from the original Big Knob. The first Big Knob had issues with its main knob actually.

The knob was not smooth or accurate; however, they improved the big knob on the Big Knob and it’s much smoother & more accurate on this version. This interface will give you a lot of control & a lot of options for I/O. Another feature we like a lot is the backlit buttons, making them easy to read & see in darker environments. The extra headphones outputs will allow you to send a separate mix to the artist or musician you’re recording, allowing you to make changes in the control room without affecting what the artist or musician hears while they are recording.  

Universal Audio Apollo x6 16x22 Thunderbolt 3

PRICE: $2,199

Pros
✓ Great quality
✓ Comes with free plugins
✓ Lots of I/O
✓ Zero latency recording

Cons
X Expensive
X Lacks portability
X Has to be powered from an outlet

Just like the UA Apollo Twin, the Apollo x6 is amazing with it’s sound quality. The A/D - D/A converters are top notch & the zero latency plugins during recording are all time clutch. What makes this interface different from the Twin is it’s I/O capabilities. The Apollo x6 is the interface you will want to go with if you have a lot of outboard gear like analog compressors, EQs, preamps, etc.

This interface will allow you to send audio to & from all of your outboard gear, whereas the Twin allows for extra inputs, but lacks capabilities for outputs & the Twin would not be ideal for sending tracks out of your DAW into the outboard gear to print back into your DAW, but this Apollo x6 is the interface to go with for a setup like that. The Apollo x6 also gives you more options for studio monitors & headphone systems.

You can have several alternative monitors hooked up to this interface, as well as separate I/O for headphones mixes for your artists. If you need the I/O & have the budget, this is definitely the interface to go with. If you don’t need all the I/O & aren’t working with any outboard gear, then we recommend the Apollo Twin instead of this one. 

Honorable Mention!

 iZotope Spire Studio

PRICE: $299

Pros
✓ Good quality
✓ Durable
✓ Works with mobile devices

Cons
X Not a universal interface
X Not idea for stationed setups
X No ¼ inch monitor outputs

This interface didn’t quite make the list because it’s not well equipped for demanding studio use, but what intrigues us the most about this one is it’s really made for songwriters, composers, & producers. That’s why we have it as an honorable mention.

There’s an onboard microphone right on the interface with the intention to be used for getting out ideas quickly with just a push of a button & no setup required. With a touch of a button you can move on to the next idea while saving your previous recording. This device hooks up to iOS & Android devices so it’s portability is awesome! The “Soundcheck button” allows Spire to monitor the inputs and balance each channel, which will take the guesswork out of mic placements and recording levels.

The downside of this interface is its lack of I/O & lack of monitor outputs. This would not be the ideal interface for mixing or professional recording; however, if you’re looking for something just for recording demos & need to record them on the fly at any moment's notice, this interface will be perfect for you. This might be the best interface for songwriters & demos available.

Get More Great Tips + Updates - Subscribe

Share this Production Tutorial Playlist

Realistic Production - Engineer

Realistic is a Producer/Engineer located in Atlanta, GA specializing in Hip-Hop, R&B & Pop music. Realistic has been involved in the music industry for over 15 years. He has worked on projects for Talib Kweli, Just Blaze, Musiq Soulchild, Pharoahe Monch, NBA 2k, Skyzoo, BJ The Chicago Kid, Madlib, Ayo-N-Keyz, Billboard Hitmakers, Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Rhymesayers, Hamburger Helper, & LoveOfPharaoh.

BEEN TRAPPIN 6 is the latest installment in this series of sound packs inspired by modern Trap music. The 6th edition includes drums, 808s, loops and MIDI that will be sure to help you create crazy beats! This kit is a must-have as it will quickly become your favorite go to when making beats. Created by SoundOracle and Triza. - Drums, 808s, loops, and MIDI to help you create dope beats. - Create more crazy beats quickly and easily with this pack! - Perfect Trap Sounds - Save time and work more efficiently

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

● Instant download
● 182 One shot drums
● 26 original musical compositions
● 26 MIDI chord progressions.
● Already arranged into short song formats. Just expand to make a full song
● Tempo & Key information included in each loop
● High-quality WAV files, mixed to perfection
● Every loop was professionally mixed and mastered by a certified mixing engineer
● Compatible with all DAWs (Ableton, FL Studio, Logic, Reason, and more)
● Compatible with all Hardware and Software Samplers (Maschine, MPC, etc)