Need a new audio interface - USB-C or Thunderbolt

    So - I finally decided to solve my excessive noise issue by buying a new MacBook Pro. A very expensive fix :( . I took my iMac in to the Genius Bar and they think my graphics card fan is going bad and for some reason that's where the EM is radiating from. That's a $600 fix plus service charge - plus they let me know that in 3 months my 2011 iMac will be considered "vintage" and they won't be allowed to work on it anymore. It's a shame. This iMac still functions like the day i bought it. It's fast and just works great. But...that noise...is so freaking... annoying!!!!

    Part of it is my favorite guitar too - it contributes by having some faulty wiring that I've been too lazy to tackle. Could say that about so many things.

    Anyway...on to my question. The new Macs don't have Firewire anymore. Just USB-C and Thunderbolt. I have a Firestudio Mobile as my primary interface to the Mac for the Kemper and output to my monitors. So - i need something quality to replace it with. I was looking on Amazon a the Focusrite for about $500 - it has a Thunderbolt interface (I believe) but I wondered what people here with much more experience than I had migrated to. I'm no pro with no pro aspirations but I do want the best sound quality I can afford with minimized latency. I'm a very inexperienced when it comes to recording but now that I've decided to pick up my guitars again - I expect to do a lot more in the coming year.

    Thanks much!

    I am far from a Mac expert. I just switched to a used 2012 MB Pro (i7) last year because of Mac's audio performance. I'm using the Fishman Tripleplay along with Scuffham S-Gear (the software equivalent of the Kemper IMO)

    I bought a Thunderbolt ZOOM TAC-2R
    Plugging my guitar directly into the Hi-Z input and using S-Gear, I get insanely low latency. I can't hear a difference between the ZOOM and the Kemper as far as latency is concerned. The i7 processor and 16GB of RAM has something to do with it as well, I'm sure.

    I don't know what your requirements are as far as inputs and features, but you should add this to your list of interfaces to research. I'm totally happy with mine. It's $349.

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    Quote from EightmanVT

    I'm no pro with no pro aspirations but I do want the best sound quality I can afford with minimized latency.

    With Thunderbolt, the best bang for the buck sound-and-latency-wise is MOTU IMHO.

    Should be something here that takes your fancy. Bear in mind that any of the AVB interfaces allow you to expand virtually-limitlessly in the future should you need to:

    MOTU.com - Products

    Quote from Eltzejupp

    Buy a cheaper Win 10 pc and a higher class interface with spidf and you get what you want. :D

    Meh - Windows got my money for 2 decades - I got tired of it sucking so i finally moved on. I hear Win 10 is vastly improved but considering my 2 Macs - have functioned better than any Windows PC I have ever owned - and are still going strong - for now I'll pass. :) . I like to spend my time using my computers - not keeping them running.

    Quote from HCarlH

    I bought a Thunderbolt ZOOM TAC-2R


    I don't know what your requirements are as far as inputs and features, but you should add this to your list of interfaces to research. I'm totally happy with mine. It's $349.

    Quote from Monkey_Man

    With Thunderbolt, the best bang for the buck sound-and-latency-wise is MOTU IMHO.
    Should be something here that takes your fancy. Bear in mind that any of the AVB interfaces allow you to expand virtually-limitlessly in the future should you need to:

    MOTU.com - Products

    I will definitely add both of these to the list. Thanks for the suggestions and links. Plan to look at these today.

    Lol @Windows suggestion. It works fine when it is working, but every now and then, you'll have a blue screen. I've owned a Windows PC for many years, but after I moved to a Mac, never have I had to suffer my PC crashing in the middle of recording music.

    I'd say RME over anything else. Plays nice with Mac or Windows, and you can use Thunderbolt or Firewire.

    Another option is the Focusrite Clarett, which is supposed to be killer, but then again, I don't have any experience with one, I've only owned an RME that has served me well for 10+ years.

    For a little more money Antelope Audio's "Zen Tour" (or Orion Studio if you need more inputs) is really outstanding. Small, super portable, super powerful and ultra high quality sound.

    Universal Audio would be my 2nd choice because you get access to all of the Universal Audio plug-ins, which are extensive. As for what model I would base that on the number of people, mics and inputs recording simultaneously.

    Ultimately, however, it just doesn't matter. Just like It doesn't really matter if you play Gibson or Fender. True, a more expensive instrument or interface will be nicer, with maybe more features, but when push comes to shove, it just doesn't NEED to be, unless you are putting out professional recordings for a living. If you have a few bucks and just like nice things, I would go with antelope audio, just my opinion.

    Literally the only thing a Mac does better than a PC is audio/video production. Even then the only real difference nowadays is stability and that's down to wrong choice of hardware (weak CPU for example) more often than not. Macs come only in high specs. which is why the myth of them being more reliable than a Windows PC exists. Windows can be literally anything from barely able to open word to the power of 2/3 macs in one system. As most things the issue comes down to user error. I've built high spec. windows PCs for myself the past 5/6 years and only once had problems with them and that was, as I said, user error! It also doesn't help that ProTools doesn't play nice with Windows and for those loyal to Avid, there is only one choice.

    /rant

    Sorry to disagree but I have been using pro tools on my powerful pc laptop without any issues for a decade. A Mac is not necessary or superior in any way. Nor is it inferior. It's the same comparison as Gibson vs Fender. It just does't matter, not really. I think there are more mac people using pro tools but that is a matter of culture. I needed a pc for work and a mac would not have cut it in my line of work so I got a pc to serve all of my needs

    Quote from Chickster

    Sorry to disagree but I have been using pro tools on my powerful pc laptop without any issues for a decade. A Mac is not necessary or superior in any way. Nor is it inferior. It's the same comparison as Gibson vs Fender. It just does't matter, not really. I think there are more mac people using pro tools but that is a matter of culture. I needed a pc for work and a mac would not have cut it in my line of work so I got a pc to serve all of my needs

    Not sure if you're talking to me but that's basically what I'm saying. It's user error more than anything.

    Please be aware that the USB-C can be either USB 3.1 or Thunderbolt 3 - I'm not sure which one it is on the macs you're looking at.
    USB 3.1 is NOT compatible with firewire.
    Conversely, if it's thunderbolt 3, then you need a thunderbolt 3 -> thunderbolt 2 adapter PLUS a thunderbolt 2 - firewire adapter. That last adapter is Firewire 800 if I recall correctly, which means you may need a firewire 800 -> firewire 400 adapter on top of that (if your interface is firewire 400, which I think it is). there are also firewire 800-> 400 CABLES.

    That's (potentially) a lot of adapters. Research a bit. It may be too expensive to consider in adapters alone, and maybe it's worth it to upgrade it. I'm currently in a similar situation.

    Be aware that all these adapters may not allow you to use a bus-powered interface either!

    I may be able to use the above mentioned string of adapters with my focusrite saffire pro 24 interface (which I am very satisfied with), but I think I'd have to dig out the external power supply for it then. Also, those adapters will run me almost half the price of a new Scarlett 6i6 interface :(

    I wonder if there is any impact on latency (good or bad) running the firewire interface over the thunderbolt 3 port.

    Edit: maybe @JackFocusrite can chime in regarding some of the open questions above?

    I didn't realize this had spawned some Mac vs PC comments - I guess I should have known better. I will address that in a second.

    I decided on the Apollo Twin with Thunderbolt 3. Was a little more than had wanted to spend but seemed to have very good reviews.

    Don't really feel like responding with quotes to each Mac vs PC comment. If you're uptight because someone thinks Mac is better - that's really a reflection on you. The fact that you think Windows is better bothers me not in the slightest. I gave Windows a couple of decades - and have been a power user of both. I spend so much time just keeping Windows running that it became useless as a tool. That's what a computer is supposed to be. A tool. The fact that Mac OS is built on such a stable kernel and that the Apple ecosystem is so tightly controlled for me is a positive. For you - maybe it's not. There are downsides to Mac and the fact that both sides are building ecosystems that make it difficult to escape from - but for now Mac still wins for me. Windows has improved drastically - and you windows peeps can also thank Apple for that. Competition is a good thing. When Microsoft was running unopposed - they stagnated horribly and the ridiculous mess that is Windows registry is a byproduct of that.

    The fact that both my Macs are 2011 models and run as good as the day they were purchased - is good for me. If i needed CAD or was a gamer - then I'd build a PC. I have no emotional attachment to either. They're tools. That's all they are. I choose the tools that work best for me.

    Quote from nightlight

    I'd say RME over anything else. Plays nice with Mac or Windows, and you can use Thunderbolt or Firewire.

    Agree. Have used several other interfaces over the years and the RME stuff has become a favorite. At home, I have a little RME Fireface UC and have been very very happy with it (owned it about 5 years now). Have taken that out to live rooms and used it on both Macs and Windows machines, sometimes using loads of channels, and into all kinds of DAW's - and never had a single problem with it. Sounds great, loads of I/O, small and robust.
    Recommended.


    Edit: I should add, this is "just" a USB2 connection. Most live transfer stress I've put on it simultaneously is maybe 12 channels in, and 6 or so out continuously (all @ 44k 16bit) and have never run into a single transfer rate issue. USB3 or Thunderbolt obviously allows much great transfer speeds - but realistically the vast majority of audio interface users will never see any benefit from it. If it's there on the Interface, of course I'd use it, but far from a requirement imo. Just my 2 cents :) Hope it helps!

    Quote from Monkey_Man

    Greenblob, for the record, and yes, this is unprecedented, MOTU tweaked its drivers to allow 64 in and out (simultaneous) channels of up to 48kHz / 24bit for its AVB interfaces over USB2.

    Good info - thanks @Monkey_Man Thats kind of crazy!
    I'd never actually looked up USB2's "limits" but didn't expect its channel count to be that high tbh. (Honestly, I dont even own enough cables to handle that many channels :P ) .

    To stay on topic, besides an even greater channel count, does anyone know any other specific advantages that an audio interface running USB3 or Thunderbolt would bring over a unit running USB2 ? Curious to know.

    Quote from greenblob

    To stay on topic, besides an even greater channel count, does anyone know any other specific advantages that an audio interface running USB3 or Thunderbolt would bring over a unit running USB2 ? Curious to know.

    From what I've read these past days, it's mainly a matter of latency re. thunderbolt. But be aware that there are other latencies involved which may or may not be the bigger part of the summed latency.

    Latency of USB 3 I think is the same as USB 2 - just more bandwidth (ie. number of simultaneous channels)

    See here (though I don't vouch for complete validity): http://proaudioblog.co.uk/2015/09/usb-3-…olt-interfaces/