Hi guys. I hope everyone is doing fine. I wonder if should I invest my money in this interface?
Thanks guys for your feedback.

https://us.focusrite.com/products/scarlett-18i20
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...7woaywXKiwyuuefw38IaAqS5EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

No thunderbolt.....no thanks

 

I'd say it all depends on whether the new flashy bells and whistles appeal to you. Me, I'd save big $$$ and get a used Gen 2. Afaik the fundamental performance is the same, unless their claims that the new mic pres are magically improved are founded.

 

Take a look at these devices:

MOTO - M4 (4-Kanal USB C Audiointerface) 282 € --------> https://motu.com/en-us/products/m-series/m4/

Audient - iD14 MKII (USB 3.0 Audiointerface) 204 € ------> https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id14/overview/

 

Thanks guys. It looks appealing to me because it has a lots I/O for the price. My only concern is the drivers support. I have been using the Steinberg UR44 for 12 years and its still supported by Steinberg and it's still working fine.

 

The two manufacturers I mentioned guarantee flawless drivers and support in the future. Your UR44 isn't bad, but there have been technological advances in the 12 years that you can participate in but of course don't have to.

 

I had an MK3 for about a year, and they have a MK4 now for a reason. It was terrible, and I would not trust the MK4 to be any better. I sold it and got most of my money back, less about $100. But if no-one bought it, it was going into the dumpster.

 

Have you had a look at the Steinberg UR816C ?

I too have a UR44 and they updated Mixer on the C Models with more features and effects like in this video with Dom:
UR-C Version 3 Update | USB 3.0 Audio Interfaces with Dom Sigalis
https://youtu.be/eItn3vT3AKU?si=Ojt9RIBJhG6BqdPZ

 

How many I/O do you need minimum?

 

I have the big Behringer Uphoria and it's great for me, good sound, fast, stable. Not any bells or whistles but I don't need them.

 

HOW TO choose an Audio Interface – The Ultimate Guide

NOT the Result I EXPECTED... | Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (Gen 4) VS Audient iD14 (mkii)

 

Care to elaborate on what the problems were? I have an MK3 that occasionally crackles with a zero ASIO-load, I've looked it up on forums and quite a few users report the same problem without ever receiving a fix.

 

As for me, 18i16 4th works perfectly in Windows 11 with Ableton.

 

Thanks guys for your feedback

 

I don’t need much.

 

Audient iD44 MKii USB Audio Interface | 699.99
20-in/24-out USB-C Audio Interface with 24-bit/96kHz Resolution, 4 Mic Preamps, 2 Instrument Inputs, 16-channel ADAT I/O, DSP Mixer, and 2 Headphone Outputs
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...667c6bf5c801bb50e7&_index=production_products

 

At MK2, they were still using the older Mix Control software. At MK3, they switched it to Focusrite Control software. You can't use the older Mix Control with the MK3, so I can only tell you that Focusrite Control software would frequently drop connection with the interface. After which, nothing worked to reestablish connectivity other than rebooting. After rebooting, it would maybe work again but maybe not. You can startup the computer with the usb connection unplugged, or not; and get different results also. Almost like a "boot loop" on Windows with driver issues and so on. They gave suggestions that did nothing to help, including even reinstalling MacOS over it; because they were guessing. Of course, that did not work either.

I've come across other users with the exact same experience with the 18i20, in the time since I have gotten rid of it. I gave them more than long enough to fix it and I was done.

 

As a (former) fellow Yamaha/Steinberg user, steer clear from Focusrite if rock solid drivers are a MUST. The Steinberg drivers are borderline perfect, I would only have a crash twice a year at most. I have a Audient ID24 nowadays, and while I LOVE this interface, the drivers aren't nearly as stable. And they're considered one of the good ones.

Edit: just to be extra clear, it's not like Audient drivers are bad, it's just that the Steinberg drivers are too good. I still have my Yamaha mixer here because I trust this thing with my life.

 

https://rme-audio.de/babyface-pro-fs.html

 

The Audient iD14 MKII now has USB-C and runs under Windows 11 without crashes.
The previous Audient iD14 sometimes lost the connection and you had to unplug the manboard for 3 seconds.

The following information might be helpful for you.

USB Suspend

Almost every computer used for music performance is going to be using USB devices. Whether that’s music related devices like audio devices, USB/MIDI keyboards or typical PC devices like a keyboard or mouse you really don’t want these devices to be suspended while you’re playing.
Even if you’re not using USB devices, you still should make this change. In fact it’s probably even more important– if you’re not using USB it’s more likely to be suspended and giving the device driver the opportunity to shut down could cause an undesirable stall.

In “USB Settings” -> “USB select suspend setting”, change the setting to “Disabled”.

USB Hub Power

The USB Hub and USB Root Hub devices have a setting that determines if Windows will power them off to save power. The reasons for disabling this are essentially the same as for the “USB Suspend” setting in Power Options.

1. Open the Device Manager, by clicking the Windows Start button, typing “device manager” and pressing Enter.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the list and expand the entry “Universal Serial Bus controllers”.
3. Go through the list and right click on all devices including the words “USB Hub” or “USB Root Hub”.
4. Choose “Properties” from the popup menu.
5. Switch to the “Power Management” tab
6. Uncheck the option “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”
7. Repeat from step 3 for all hub devices.

Source: Don't let audio glitches ruin your performances! www.cantabilesoftware.com/glitchfree/