Motu UL mk5 suits my needs for 10 jack outs. Been solid since getting this.
Ul mk3 gave me driver issues on windows (known issue, never fixed)
I have a Motu M2 portable interface and an RME in my studio. Mac M1 Pro.
The RME is rock solid while the Motu can disconnect at times. Both are great for their function though. If you want a studio solution, IMO RME is the king. You just never have to worry about it failing and the sound is excellent. For a small portable interface, I really like Motu.
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I use a UMC404HD with my iPad Pro and it works fine for 4 in 4 out for live fx/drambo BUT it will only work when powered via it’s own PSU. It either doesn’t work at all or is glitchy when powered over USB from iPad OR from my powered USB hub. So I doubt it would work nicely with a power bank as you’ve seen.
Not sure why that is - suspect voltage is too low perhaps? Not checked the specs of PSU vs other means.
There’s a new driver for the RME as recently, I’d had some oddness with MacOS and M1 (not limited to the RME of course, can happen even with default mac speakers) and it’s more stable.
Oh nice, thanks for posting that. I should grab that update just to stay on top of those. Are you on Ventura or Monterrey? I have not updated my OS to Ventura yet.
I bought the RME Babyface Pro several years ago, and it has been doing its job consistently since, with zero hiccups. It is utilitarian in the best way. The unsung hero of all my gear.
I did buy the Behringer ADA8200 with the Midas preamps for more inputs and outputs, but later I found it to be redundant. I felt like I needed more in the beginning, but 4 in/outs are sufficient for a single person producer.
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4 in/outs are sufficient for a single person producer.
Forgot to mention, but Overbridge makes that possible.
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damn, you beat me to my follow up.
but honestly, I really think 4 in/outs are sufficient for a single person, even without Overbridge. Dealing with more than 4 ins at the same time could become logistically complicated and time consuming.
If you have multiple synths and want to record at the same time, I feel like it would be much more simple to route that through a mixer and record its 2 outs. But yeah, YMMV
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hello! quick question: do you know if the UA-101 is class compliant? i can’t seem to find a straight answer online…
Hello everyone, I would like to hear your recommendations.
Since yesterday I am the proud owner of a MacBook Pro 16 M1. Coming from PC this is my first Mac experience.
In my studio I have a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 and Octopre which is fine.
But for making music on the couch or terrace with Ableton I am searching for a small audio interface. It should be something like this:
- should not cost more than 200 EUR/USD
- MIDI is a must
- 2 inputs for a synth would be good, no instruments or mics are used
- low latency
- USB bus powered
- not too huge
- don’t care about DSP / internal FX
- don’t care about the included software package, most likely buying used anyway
I am looking at the moment at MOTU M2 and UA Volt 2. What do you guys think? Or is a used Presonus / Steinberg whatsoever with USB-B instead of C for under a hundred bucks basically sufficient?
Thanks in advance! 
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At that price point… every interface is the same. Differences in that price range are in terms of features (MIDI I/O, number of audio I/O, bundled plugin, usb connection etc). UA, SSL, Motu, Scarlett, Audient are almost the same in terms of quality. Are you used to Focusrite? Buy Focusrite.
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The M2 won’t do you wrong, good converters and drivers IMO.
USB2 versus USB3 speeds are less of a concern for just 2 input tracks
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Thanks! Focusrite 2i2 unfortunately has no MIDI though.
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Thanks! Yeah, was just thinking about USB-C because the MBP has no USB-B ports.
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Sorry, I didn’t see you mention it as “a must”.
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@chain25 I would do to that that imo usb is matter of convince, you can always get the correct cable, imo the most important part is good driver support and the current state of MOTU is top notch, also the M series ultra low latency so it’s pretty good bus powered interface overall.
is the Volt bus powered? I see there’s 5V power adapter input and I can’t see on the product page the power info…
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Just checked a review on my goto gear website and they said the VOLT’s 5v input is optional. Still they found other points that bother me so probably the MOTU is the one to go for. Thanks for your helpful words.
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Oh, you can get a USB-B (3 or 2) to USB-C cable! It’s perfectly compatible with legacy technology, you’ll just lose a higher-speed port.
For that reason I would also suggest picking up a good USB-C hub, but the above will get you exactly what you need and cheaply (until you inevitably need more.)
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Word of possible caution - a motu M interface I’ve used gave me issues on some windows machines. If you want to use your interface with a windows machine check forums etc - probably fine for decent windows machines but on a cheap laptop I just couldn’t get the drivers to work properly at all.
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