- Best Recording Interface For Mac
- Best Audio Interface For Mac Home Recording
- Audio Recording Interface For Mac
- Recording Interface For Mac
- Audio Recording Interface For Mac
The famous Logic Pro is one of the most popular digital audio workstations out there at the moment and for good reason. The overall function and capabilities it offers us is exceptional, especially at the affordable cost it comes at. If you’re already set on Logic being your DAW of choice, continue on and let’s get to picking our gear to work with our studio. When it comes down to it, ultimately any audio interface should be able to work with logic, as long as you have a way of connecting the interface to some type of computer with some type of cable (in 2017, we’d hope so, since audio interfaces are pretty universal and it doesn’t really matter what type of software you’re using). Regardless, let’s check out the best audio interface in this article and the recommendations we have specifically for Logic Pro.
All of the interfaces should work with both Mac OS and Windows, but I’ll mention if that’s not the case or if there have been any issues. Most are USB 2.0 but there are a couple that use USB 3.0. For podcasting and solo recording for most people, I would recommend starting in the ‘2×2’ section. Its four high-grade mic preamps with +18dBu maximum input level and 75dB of gain will capture any source with extreme accuracy. And courtesy of its DURec port, you can also record 76 simultaneous channels of audio directly to a thumb drive. Any home studio owner looking for a high-end audio interface should give the RME Fireface UFX+ a serious look.
How to choose your Logic Pro audio interface
There are a few factors to take into consideration when shopping around. As we saw in our best audio interface article in general, the features you will be using is what comes down to picking your interface. Here’s a checklist to use:
- Your budget – This is an obvious one, but without the dough you can’t get what you need. There is a decent range when it comes to audio interfaces, but the more features you need the more the price will increase. We tried to provide all ranges.
- Ins and outs – How many tracks are you planning on recording at a time? What about XLR inputs for your microphone? The more inputs you need, the more it will cost you. However, if you will actually use the multiple I/O’s then it is worth investing more money, of course.
- Connectivity – A lot of standard interfaces out there connect via USB, but there are some different (and more expensive) that use Fire Wire or even the fast Thunderbolt. USB isn’t slow, so if you’re not too concerned with this you’re fine — I’ve seen a lot of pro studios use USB connectivity with their interfaces and other gear. This article is pretty informative too: Fire Wire vs. USB (found Fire Wire to be 18% faster).
- Additional inputs? Will you be using a microphone or multiple mics? If you’re using more than one microphone, you can get by with 1 XLR input, but you’ll have to plug each one in and out as you need — getting an interface with more than one is just more convenient. Also, do you need to hook up your studio monitors with some balanced or RCA? Pay attention to these as it depends on what you plan on plugging into the interface.
- Add-ons of softwareeffectssounds – A lot of the models we’ve chosen come with some nice VST sounds, effects and other add-ons along with the interface, so if you’re interested in that, some of them have better packages as opposed to others and it made be more worth your money. It shouldn’t be the make or break for you (focus more on ins and outs and overall audio quality), but it is something to take into consideration.
Our picks for the best audio interfaces for Logic
Here are our choices for the best interfaces for logic. What’s nice about Logic Pro is that most of us are using a Mac, so we chose a few Thunderbolt connectivity interfaces as it is the fastest we’ve experienced thus far (albeit a little more expensive). We also chose some Fire Wire and USB for some options. We also outlined the best MIDI controller for Logic, so if you need help there as well check it out after reading. Let’s see what we’ve got.
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Many Logic Pro users around the net swear by Focusrite gear when it comes to audio interfaces and we honestly can’t agree more. We’ve used their Scarlett series numerous times and have had little to no latency whatsoever with their interfaces. They also come with a ton of options so you can choose which in and out model based on what you exactly need (and your wallet). We’ve chosen this particular model because it is the most popular. The 2i2 comes with two preamps built-in, made of a stable aluminum body, low latency and high quality sound of rates up to 24-bit96kHz (the standard among most home studios), and it comes with some nice effects that seamlessly integrate with Logic. The plug-in suite has EQ, compression, gate, and reverb — just some little extra spunk to add to your mixes. This is one of the best audio interfaces out there so grab this as our first choice. There are other versions available we list below if you need some more ins and outs.
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Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6
Best Recording Interface For Mac
This is one the better audio interfaces in the market that is USB connectivity. It has a few more ins and outs than the 2i2 and 6-channels as well. It’s again USB powered and the audio quality is equal to the 2i2 at 24-bit96 kHz. Two mic inputs with gain control, a dedicated monitor and headphone section with volume control and source switches. The top has a master knob with quite a few nifty indicator lights so you can see what you’re actually doing (a big plus for convenience) Extremely low latency with Logic Pro here and you’re also getting 48V (standard) of phantom power for your mics, guitars and other instruments. Just a solid audio interface in general that is backed up with a huge community of support and reviews. It also comes with some extremely high-quality sounds and effects with Komplete Elements. It’s some of the best we’ve heard, so if you’re in for that andor need some more ins and outs, you should grab this over the 2i2.
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Focusrite Saffire Pro 24
This is Focusrite’s other prized interface for Logic but this time it comes in Fire Wire so it’s bit better quality in terms of connectivity (It’s been found Fire Wire to be ~20% faster). You can also hook it up via Thunderbolt but you’ll need an adapter that is sold separately. With the Saffire Pro models, you’re getting some more ins and outs, extra features and faster connection speed. The 24 here has audio quality of 24-bit96 kHz, two high quality preamps, a total of 16 inputs and 8 outputs, a built-in low-latency DSP mixerrouter (lower than 1.4ms latency — very slick), convenient level controls on the front, and MIDI inout while you’re at it. Some better software and plug-in bundles than the Scarlett — a software called Xcite+ which gives you some royalty free loops and samples to play with, a soft-synth (decent) and Ableton Live Lite 8 (although we’ve got our Logic so no use for that unless you at least want to see what the Ableton hype is all about). They also give us their plug-in suite of compression, reverb, gating and EQ which doesn’t hurt, either. Grab this for an even better solution.
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Apogee Duet
This is a bit of a different spin when it comes to audio interfaces because it doesn’t come with many in and out options, but the overall quality is famous with users. No XLR inputs for your mics here but you can use the analog inputs (two of them) for that (48V phantom power, too). It’s also geared towards those of us who make music using the iPad or even your iPhone (can connect via lightning). This one is so expensive because the digital audio conversion is of very high quality, so if that’s one of your main concerns this is something to look into. It’s also a nice small size for those who are traveling a lot or merely want to fit it in a nifty space for your studiodesk. Plugs in via USB to your Mac. Here’s a cool video on recording with Logic Pro and the Duet.
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Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO
This thing is a huge step up, but we wanted you to check it out before the remaining because it’s Thunderbolt is a popular option if you want to be on the next level as opposed to other musicians. In terms of Logic Pro, this is perfect for some extremely high audio quality and integration. It’s obviously for somebody who has some dough saved up because it’s almost a G in retail price. However, if you can still stomach that and want one of the best out there to really sit atop the gear tree, here’s what you get: UAD processing (DUO means double the processor) for extremely low latency (a whopping 24-bit196 kHz conversion rate — compare that to others!). You also have very high quality preamps (tube and transformer-based) and the construction is built well. A huge knob sits atop the interface for levels and switching, and you also get LED visualizations along with the preamp options (input select, low-cut filter, add phantom power, etc). It connects via Thunderbolt. Grab this if you’re the real deal.
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You can connect a microphone to your computer to record your voice, an instrument, or any other sound to an audio track in GarageBand. You can connect a microphone to an audio input port, USB port, or other port on your computer, or to an audio interface connected to your computer. You can also use your computer’s built-in microphone to record sound.
After you connect a microphone, you choose the input source for the track you want to record in, and optionally turn on monitoring. Monitoring lets you hear yourself play so that you can hear the part you want to record as well as the rest of the project.
Connect a microphone to your computer
Best Audio Interface For Mac Home Recording
Do one of the following:
- If you’re using your computer’s built-in microphone, choose Built-in Microphone as the input source in GarageBand > Preferences > Audio > Devices.
- Connect the microphone to your computer’s audio input port (if it has one), then choose Built-in Input as the track’s input source.
- Connect a USB microphone to a USB port on your computer. Choose the USB microphone as the track’s input source.
- Connect an audio interface to a USB or FireWire port, then connect a microphone to the audio interface for recording.
- Connect an audio mixer or console to an audio interface connected to your computer.
Set the input source for a microphone
Audio Recording Interface For Mac
- Select the audio track.
- Click the Smart Controls button to open the Smart Controls pane.
- In the Recording Settings area, choose one of the following from the Input pop-up menu:
- If you’re using your computer’s built-in microphone, choose Built-in Microphone.
- If you’re using a microphone connected to your computer’s audio input port, choose Built-in Input.If Built-in Input doesn’t appear in the menu, choose GarageBand > Preferences, click Audio/MIDI, and choose Built-in Input from the Audio Input pop-up menu.
- If you’re using a microphone connected to a USB port, choose the microphone.
- If you’re using a microphone connected to an audio interface, choose the channel number for the microphone.If the audio interface channels don’t appear in the menu, choose GarageBand > Preferences, click Audio/MIDI, then choose the audio interface from the Audio Input pop-up menu.
- Make sure the input format matches the microphone or instrument. Choose a mono input for monophonic instruments (with a single channel), and choose a stereo input for stereo instruments (with a pair of channels). To change the input format, click the Format button to the left of the Input menu.
- Drag the Recording Level slider to change the input volume level for the sound source.If the Recording Level slider is dimmed, you can’t change the input volume in GarageBand. In this case, use the device’s own volume control.
Turn on monitoring for a microphone
Recording Interface For Mac
- In the Recording Settings area, click the Monitoring button .The Monitoring button lights orange to indicate that monitoring is turned on.
Audio Recording Interface For Mac
To avoid unwanted feedback, you should usually turn off monitoring when you’re not playing or singing. Using headphones rather than speakers to listen to your projects can also help avoid feedback.