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richvoice

I'm upgrading (?) from my Apogee One/PreSonus TubePre, and I'd like to have a back-up (which the TubePre will become), so I was planning on getting a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. But I saw the Mackie Onyx Blackjack mentioned favorably in a different thread, so I looked into it, and it does seem like a good product. And $50 less than the 2i2. As is the Focusrite Scarlett Solo, but I seem to recall hearing George W. mention something negative about the Solo (no monitoring volume control? I can't remember).

Given the fact that the budget is still a bit tight, so I'm not interested in going up to the next level of interface just yet, are there any features (or lack thereof) that would steer someone who's used both one way or the other?

Thanks!
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georgethetech · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 11:05 am Post subject:

Just get a Steinberg UR12, you'll be happy with that one!
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paulstefano · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 11:55 am Post subject:

I had both. The 2i2 for a period of about 3 months. The Black jack for...3 days.

Nothing wrong with the Onyx, it just offered literally nothing over the 2i2. I was looking at the time for a little more punch in gain, and these 2 were nearly identical.

I will say the Onyx has a weird form factor. Lots of hard metal surfaces, and a weird handle that doubles as a stand.

I liked the form factor of the 2i2 much better.

My favorite in this price range (ish) is the Yamaha AG03. There are a few other users here on VOBB
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Leslie Humble · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 11:58 am Post subject:

Can the UR12 Preamp be bypassed?
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Shiromi · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 12:29 pm Post subject:

I've only barely tried the 2i2, and that was because I was having audio issues and was trying to figure out what was going on in my audio chain. I've had my Mackie Blackjack for five years and it is workhorse. Admittedly though, I typically just use it for A/D conversion, but I still highly recommend it.

vkuehn · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 12:33 pm Post subject:

I looked up the specs on a couple of sites and looked at the photos of the box. If you have a nice pre-amp that you would like to continue using but you want the low cost of this digital converter, maybe you could use the "guitar" input jack to feed your pre-amp in. My guess is that such an input would do away with any benefit a balanced output would give you, but with a short, high quality cable there might not be anything lost by not using a balanced circuit.

What you really need is to hear from someone who has done this.... not some guy just reading spec sheets. Smile

Bish · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 1:10 pm Post subject:

Although we all record (predominantly) with a single mic in mono, I find that having two mic inputs on an interface to be a boon in the studio (on the road is another issue). I know this isn't needed for everyone, but in my view, the Sternberg comes up short with only one XLR mic input. I don't see the up side to only having the one (two gives better routing flexibility and redundancy if a single channel goes bad).

I'm interested to see the "decline"of the 2i2. I know of a number of reports of failure and major software incompatibility issues. I'm also interested to see that George now seems to shy away from them having been a vocal supporter. As for the Blackjack... I like the Onyx preamps and the solid construction. It would be my first choice if I was in need of a basic 2-in 2-out interface and wanted to spend $100.

It still puzzles me that I cannot purchase a simple A/D converter for a reasonable price. The small Behringer units are as cheap as chips (around $25) but don't do anything beyond 16-bit 48k. To get a 24-bit unit, you have to jump into some over-priced pro gear where you are spending as much as a "good" preamp. I think there's a massive hole in the market for a small unit (like the 2i2 or Blackjack) with the pre-amps stripped out. People always ask about bypassing the preamps... yet it seems that you have to pay for premium preamps before you an bypass them, Seems stupid.
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sdaeley17 · Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 4:32 pm Post subject:

Here's a review of the Steinberg UR12 I made with a 416.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHoV1o0muIU

If you need two channels, the Steinberg UR22 is in the same price range as the blackjack and 2i2. Lance Blair is a happy user, and I know he bypasses the preamps.
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richvoice · Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 9:05 pm Post subject:

sdaeley17 · Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 11:43 pm Post subject:

Duly noted, I think I was staring at the wrong side of the ipad, haha. I think I do much better in my Rode NT1 review.

Good luck in your search! I know Anne Ganguzza and Dan Friedman highly recommend the steinberg units as well. My personal favorites are the yamaha AG03 and the Audient ID14 (150 and 300, respectively, but I've seen the ID14 go for as low as 250 over at Hello Music)
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richvoice · Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 4:53 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the info!

I looked at the Yamaha and the Steinberg units as well as the two I was considering. It sounds like they're all fairly comparable. Based on what I read here and the layout of my space and how each looks and what my needs are, I decided to go with the Mackie. I look forward to hearing how it sounds compared to my TubePre. I also look forward to the day that cost isn't an issue, and I can consider a higher-end preamp, though I'm thankful that these lower-end units are as good as they are despite the low cost.
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2279 Location: Atlanta

Peter, you're right...the decline of the 2i2 is interesting. Focusrite isn't supporting it like they should - or they're moving on from it. When they made a driver upgrade for it in September 2014, they didn't pass on the info. I only stumbled upon it because mine was already getting glitchy at the time.

For a two input box, the Steinberg UR22 is cheap and good. It's really the same preamps and converters as in the Yamaha AG03 but rebranded - in fact when I go to adjust my audio hardware setup in Audition, it says it's a "Yamaha Steinberg USB Driver".

I don't bypass the pres: if I said that I was wrong, but the pres are much more transparent on the UR22 than on the 2i2...in that your tweaks on the outboard gear make much more of a noticeable difference with the UR22. I would recommend the preamps on the Steinberg over those on the Focusrite as well.

And yes, the 'guitar in' trick on the 2i2 was how I used it. Guitar-in with low preamp gain was better than higher gain line-in. I haven't done a test with the Hi-Z inputs on the Steinberg, but I imagine it would work well too.
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