Best Audio Interface on a BUDGET | Volt 2 vs Scarlett 2i2
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- čas přidán 20. 07. 2024
- Universal Audio Volt 2 Interface Review by Reid Stefan. Compare the Volt2 to the Scarlett 2i2 to determine the best Audio Interface under $200. Reid compares the mic preamp quality, speaker output, headphone quality, features, and price of the Volt 2 and Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Karra records a vocal with the Universal Audio SD-1 Dynamic Microphone for a direct shootout in Ableton.
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0:00 - 0:46 Intro
0:47 - 2:59 Volt 2 Features
3:00 - 4:52 Mic Quality Test
4:53 - 6:00 Headphone Test
6:01 - 7:17 Speaker Test
7:18 - 8:39 Software & Price - Hudba
Fantastic side by side review! I'm getting back into making music and really appreciate your thoughts and letting us HEAR the difference. Volt 2 in the mail! Cheers!
The EXACT video I was looking for! Swapped from browser to app just to like the video.
I go to FullSail for music production and have used the Scarlett audio interface, and was sent the volt2 from the university…I haven’t tried it myself yet, but noticed Scarlett does sound a bit too digital and processed towards the mid to higher end of the vocals
Thank you SO SO SO MUCH for this video and getting me my start in Ableton years back!
Outstanding job comparing these two audio interfaces! I agree with your findings. Although both the Volt 2 and Scarlett 2i2 run neck and neck, I do believe the Volt 2 has the edge. I am SO happy I found your channel. Your knowledge, production professionalism, video and audio quality are second to none. Nice work!
The instrument button is how you switch between instrument and line inputs, not mics. The mic preamp is automatically selected when you plug in an XLR cable but the 1/4" input must be switched between Hi Z instrument inputs and line level like synths and keyboards.
Great review! Thank you!
The analog saturation on the Volt is a game changer for any beginner. Any professional records vocals and instruments alike with a solid preamp. If someone can’t afford an analog preamp, or an apollo interface, I would definitely go with this
Alternatively add saturation/eq after the recording in your daw.
You don't need to bake it in on the way in.
I have PC....Laptop for writing and vocals.....and a PC Desktop for Mixing and Mastering...just bought the 476 Volt...loving it...whole new level
how's it doing now? ive had a 2nd gen scarlet for years and was looking at the 476
That Volt 2 sound is so nice and warm!
Thanks for the great comparison! How do you feel the Volt 2 compares to the Artuira Minifuse 2?
Pls what mic and Preamp did u use for the voice Over
In this video I love it I don't if u mixed all is a raw source
had no idea universal audio made a budget interface, been saving for the apollo twin but now im literally buying this tomorrow!!
An Apollo is still better than both of these if you can afford the difference. I recommend buying a used Apollo off eBay because everybody is selling theirs for dirt cheap at the moment
@@ReidStefanMusicHey bro, do you mean the Apollo solo?
Hi man, great review, I'm totally with you in your choice... just one thing: I'd like to know the difference between power up with dc or in usb c way, what is the difference? thank a lot!
This thing is awesome. I just bought one while upgrading from an old tascam. I had the Scarlett before but I didnt like the set up and the sound was too different. I probably could have corrected it but I just didnt feel like the hassle. The Volt 2 was super easy to work with and the sound is so good.
a puppet just reviewed AFFORDABLE audio interfaces. what a time to be alive 😂
I hear distortion on the Volt, was the vintage mode engaged ?
I picked up a UA Apollo Arrow for 300. Loved my 2i2 but the clarity was worth the extra bucks plus it came with a bunch of plugins
I currently use a scarlet solo and have nothing but issues with their drivers. Hoping this not only sounds better, but is more stable
Love this video
The volt 2 was much better, Thanks a lot for helping me make a good decision for my future Computer and studio setup. You just got a new sub and a like.
Thank you! Please be aware the Focusrite in this video is the older 3rd generation. The nee 4th generation Focusrite would be much more competitive as it’s been massively improved and updated recently.
Do you have any thoughts on the Motu M2?
Great video
Hey Reid, what do you know about acoustic drum mixing? We're aren't getting as much clarity from the cymbals and we think it may be due to phasing issues.
Replying so if this gets a response I’ll be notified
I would use a phase correlation meter to see if it is phasing or not. Other than that I suggest having your mics equidistant to the snare drum. As for the clarity issue, it starts with the cymbals themselves. Personally I love large thinner cymbals rather than thick ones. Heartbeat Percussion makes some really good stuff. If you want to add clarity in post production check out a free plug-in called fresh air by slate digital, it’s incredible. Other than that, EQ (high pass) and compression are your friend
Is there a problem if you install both drivers on your pc ? Installed the driver of the volt and im scared that its interfearing the focusrite driver when i use the Scarlett again.
And when i return the volt will i get in trouble for having the license of the plugins that came with the interface as a Special offer ??? The teletronix leveler and the plate reverb
Hi Reid, thanks for the video! I'd be awesome if you could take a look at mid-range and high-end interfaces aswell.
I've had the 2i2 in my setup for a long time now and want to take the next step :)
I’m doing an Apollo Twin review next! ✅
@@ReidStefanMusic My man! Looking forward to it :)
Is the 2i2 gen 3 for $109 worth it? I'm mostly just using this for the dac for listening, but also for zoom calls with a large condenser mic.
Do I need to install a driver for the volt 2 on Mac or is it plug and play with logic? All the additional software doesn’t interest me.
7:47 the fuzz left behind on the power switch gave me a good laugh
I'm interested in using this to connect to a house sound which is run through stereo jacks on a Mac laptop. I am using a Udo Roesner Da Capo 75 amp, playing acoustic guitar and a vocal mic, both XLR out. I'm not familiar with the whole concept, but on two straight gigs now, the owner wanted me to find a way to go through house sound instead of my amp. If anyone has used this for that purpose, is it suitable for that? Thanks!
Will the volt 2 last long is it's preamps strong?
might consider getting one 🧐🙏
good video thanks for doing this, Who sings that song during the mic quality test?
KARRA
I switched from the SSL to plus to the UAD volt 476 best decision I ever made now I’m actually thinking about getting a Neve 88m
Volt 2 76 is increible 🔥🔥
now my Confusion over what to buy, but i will listen it live then go for VOLT 2... can you make a video of compairing VOLT 2 & SSL 2 ?
🙏🙏🙏🙏
dont get the ssl2. with m1 mackbooks they will always randomly disconnect, the 48v button is too sensitive and can pause the signal from the mic and its not very handy to wipe the dust off since the control knobs are on the top.
the test song slaps though 👐👏
Thanks for the review! Think I'm gonna have to cop that Volt 2
Man ur beats got groove homie! I stomp with my feets boy.
I need to hear it through my studio monitors it’s hard to hear the difference on a cellphone
Very interesting review! Many years ago I bought an Alesis io2 Express for I think 99€ but they don’t produce it anymore. I’m actually quite satisfied with the quality but I think that the Focusrite Scarlett 4th generation should be much better!? I didn’t have the opportunity to compare them so far, that’s why I’m asking. Would you recommend the Solo or the 2i2? I read a comment somewhere and the person who wrote it said that the Solo didn’t have some features of the 2i2 so I guess it’s not just about the number of the microphone jacks!?
The 4th gen definitely sounds better than any budget interface from years ago
@@ReidStefanMusic Thanks a lot for the info! 😊
I highly recommend the Clarett by focusrite. It's super clean, transparent, and for me on a PC it's been very stable. If you're really serious about music it's worth the but extra than what the Scarlett costs. I got a refurbished one direct from focusrite for a great price.
yeah but isn't that more than twice the price?
Focusrite done for
Ok. But this comparison is between the Scarlett and the Volt 2. Clarett is a whole different price point. This is about budget interfaces.
damn i just bought a new 2i2 a few months ago i didnt know uad had a budget model
It was recently released 🔥
monitor test sounds really different on volt 2 and 2i2... volts more natural and not so boxy, 2i2 something wrong on mid and highs, like -2db on several eq peaks. But the fact, that volt 2 needs 5v power makes it a little bit not travel friendly
The 5v power is optional USB bus power. You don’t need to plug it into a wall
Hi, which one is the best mic for one time investment Rode Nt1 or lewitt lct 440 pure
Volt 2
I just got the volt 2 and am a complete beginner. When I listen to music through headphones there's no bass line. Specifically on Nirvanas In Bloom, the vocals guitar and drums sound great but theres zero bass. Any idea why?
Just add eq and saturation to taste if you have a 2i2 and want the 'sauce'
If only this volt came with adat .. to add other UA or interface to expand ! Would make amazing top competing with SSL
Thank you
I just got the Volt 276 today. I love the quality. I just dont understand why they don‘t give atleast one of their own plugins with it or 2 months of UAD Spark
I just got the 476 last week...its awesome.....I agree, you should at least get the
API 2500 and SSL G Comp Compressors
an LA2A, 1176 and Tape Machine Plugin (Studder) or APEX.....you could pretty much do everything with those 5 plugins.....
Matter of fact to get those 5 I would have paid $700 and make those open to PC or Mac...whoever owns the Volt ...or just give us automatic access to Spark evern if your using the Volt with a PC...I would rather it had costed more and they put thier DSP in the volt
You actually get the preamp built in which is one of the plugins
Does the external power supply mean you can use it in standalone, without it being connected to a computer?
Yes, I believe that is the case. Another reviewer I watched mentioned this. I'll edit this if I find out different. My Volt 2 is in the mail.
you can clearly hear that the scarlet has a bit more bass it sounds warmer because the separation is not as good the mids collars with the bass and the high with the mids also no stereo otherwise the volt has a much clearer sound the design🤩 I have the persons audio box now but when I tun my volume knob up my speakers starts to make cracking sounds the knob is so wobble I need to buy the volt
The comparison should probably be to the motu m2.
does the vintage work on dynamic mic when the 48V is not turned on?
Yes 👍
What LG screen is that? Is it touch screen?
How abaout uad volt 1 vs ssl2 ?
Just for voice over , nothing more than that
So what do you recomended SSL2 or UAD Volt 1 ?
dont get the ssl2. with m1 mackbooks they will always randomly disconnect, the 48v button is too sensitive and can pause the signal from the mic and its not very handy to wipe the dust off since the control knobs are on the top.
Good presentation and your singer is pretty
I suggest scrimping together double the funds and shooting for the Tascam US 16x08. It has enough inputs and outputs to handle a modest production/simple recording studio. If you are just starting out it will grow with you; buy once, cry once.
My thoughts: When is RME stepping into the budget game? Calling UAD "overrated" may be gaslighting, but RME sounds truest IMO.
RME ARE THE BEST SOUND INTERFACE BRO!
My Scarlett just shat out on me (inputs no longer work, did all the troubleshooting) and was either looking into buying another one or the UA volt......I think I made my decision
Has the Volt 1 also the same power as the Volt 2?
Same quality but one mic input instead of 2
Review the bettermaker eq plzzz
Make video on focusrite 4th gen vs volt 1
Was not expecting the puppets. They were wild.
i got the focusrite scarlett too!!!
The Clarett + is really nice. A few more dollars, but worth it.
You can hear the feedback for the Scarlett vs volt @3:53
Any thoughts on the Volt2 vs SSL 2+?
That's what I'm wondering
Ssl 2+ is more expensive with better pre's and less noise but if your going to pay that price might as well get id14 mk ii and have more balance output and Adat expansion but 0 midi (if that's your thing)
Does it require cloudlifter with Shure sm7b?
No
What is the best
Can you use uad plugins with the volt
It has no built in DSP for plugins but you can now get them to run natively using a UAD Spark subscription and it comes with a few too.
Sssssss sibilancee on volt ?
Thanks 👍🏼I agre
This really made it easy for me. Im getting the 2i2. I think it will be easier to resell because of popularity. For most of us, recording is going to be a fad. I know it will be for me.
My favorite entry level audio interface is the Audient iD14
ganador del premio NAN actualmente
what happened ? no ABLETON LIVE tutorials ? you were the BEST ...
I have Ableton lessons coming up ✅ But I also needed to branch out and grow the channel 👍🏻
What about latency ??
They both have a direct monitoring button which sends your dry mic signal directly & latency free to your headphones
The monitor output difference is kinda crazy
I hardly can hear a difference, but I think it might be easier to hear irl, without CZcams compressing the audio, so I'm probably going to trust you on this one
Julián Krause has better reviews
Pretty sure CZcams is the only platform that doesn’t compress audio
Watching it in 5k and definitely can hear the difference but I already heard the difference in person
@@TheRyanKellner no CZcams compressess audio. Anyone that does audio reviews constantly make that disclaimer
@@whatareyouselling9811 You can still hear a difference between them both. They are compressed in the same way, yet one sounds better than the other.
No DI test :(
Volt 2 definitely sounded better. The scarlett was kinda fuzzy or something. I ordered the Volt earlier today and since it's going up against the apparent king of budget interfaces and comes out on top, I think I made the right choice.
You did make the right decision and you have a great ear. Volt had a certain clarity and balance throughout the frequency spectrum and focusrite had that grainy/fuzziness to it. Just checked the specs too and overall Volt is better. Hope you enjoy it 🙏🏼
@@Zoloxer Haven't done much with it so far but I'm liking it already.
@@Zoloxeri have the Volt 2 is an incredible interface i love it and i dont regret buying it
A little warmth the Scarlet wasn't bad though!
Volt 2 sounds great 🔥🎉
I bought the Scarlett with the idea it was going to fix my clipping and lagging issues. WRONG. I'm not knocking the device, but its not a substitute for more RAM or upgrading your processor. Just so you know. I bought this, issues still happened. Put new RAM in my laptop and issues still persisted. FINALLY, I bought a Mac (Mac mini) and all my issues went away. If you are running on less than 16G of RAM, you're probably going to have some issues once you start running multiple instances of Kontakt. LONG STORY short, I'm a fan of the Scarlett. I bought it for the wrong reasons, but I LOVE IT NOW!
They're the same size! The Scarlett 2i2 sounds more digital compared to the Volt 2 and I'm listening through a phone 📱
I definitely agree with Reid here, it's going to end up being a choice between the Volt2, 2i2, or the SSL 2+ when it comes to budget interfaces with decent inputs.
Don’t forget the Audient ID4 MKII. In my opinion it sounds extremely clean.
@@bolobolognese clean ? , I sell my audient and make decision for volt and ssl
was greeen the scarlet?
I felt like the scarlet felt more natural and the volt 2 was more on the deeper side..
2:26 cables included with mine - so maybe you got jipped?
Scarlett/Volt/SSL2
Dynamic range (mic), 111/112/110.5dBA
THD+N (mic), 0.0012/0.0007/0.005%
Dynamic range are all the same. If the budget is not Apogee level, then these 3 are in the same rank. The biggest difference at a glance is THD. In the vocal test, it sounds like Scarlett is a bit compressed, but not a big deal. Considered the price, SSL2 is surprisingly distorted, or, maybe accuracy is not the most important thing, but we should also consider the "flavour", and that means Scarlett might sound better in some situations despite higher THD.
The best audio interface in the $200 to $300 range are the Motu M2/M4, Audient ID14 mkII and SSL2+, look no further.
True or get a used Steinberg MR816X for like 150-200
Which one is the best?
What about the evo 8
I have a motu m2 and it sucks ass. So much ground noise
The Scarlett sounds boosted and artificial whereas the Volt2 sounds organic and real.
Lol love the girl puppet haha 💀
what about latency
2 seconds into this was enough
Honestly, that's the only Volt that is worth the money, only because of the preamp. Don't believe the hype with the upper models of the volt, they are NOT anything like the real hardware, look at the specs of the compressor attack for instance. Volt in general is an overrated series. Focusrite is still the better choice and by god, turning that over-saturated AIR feature off, those preamps are pretty damn good for the price.
Nice song tho
Assuming Volt 1 vs Solo world stack up the same??
Yes
The output of Focusrite it not Good like Volt 2
Volt shows more Details
Personally I fill the volt 2 is better than the 2i2
For ...me..volt2...is..the righ..choice...
Too bad the Volt only has USB-C and not USB 2. Can't afford a new PC and don't wanna mess around with cable converters and what not.
She does 2 if shes honest?