The Best Pro Audio Interface for Mac Users

How to Choose an Audio Recording Device for Apple Computers

Jun 2, 2009 Clayton Worbeck

With dozens of third party digital audio interfaces to choose from, selecting the best interface depends largely upon the user's budget and desired I/O configuration.

Today’s Mac laptops are designed to process massive amounts of information at remarkable speeds. This type of computing power is ideal for working with high-quality audio material.

However, the standard audio interface built into these mobile Macs does not provide high-quality audio throughput.

For those Mac users yearning for a way to record and play back pristine audio, an external audio interface is the solution.

Digital Audio Converters Do Not Lie

Almost every Mac laptop has a built-in audio interface consisting of a microphone input and a headphone/speaker output. Without getting too technical, this is where incoming audio signals are digitized and outbound audio signals are converted back into analog sound waves by way of audio converters.

The quality of these built-in audio converters is sufficient enough for listening to compressed audio on ear buds but insufficient for properly working with full-bandwidth audio. By investing a little money into a third party external audio interface, one can enjoy high-quality audio throughput on a Mac laptop.

There is no shortage of external audio interfaces on the market. They range in price from $69 to over $5000. To help limit the options, it is a good idea settle on a budget before considering anything else.

Ideal Audio Input and Output Configuration for Mac Audio Interface

After budget, the next feature to consider is your ideal input and output configuration. The spectrum of configurations is vast – starting with simple, single input devices for guitarists all the way up to fully configurable multiple input and output interfaces designed for professional sound applications.

For most users, upgrading to an external 2 input/2 output interface is the the best way to improve the sonic capabilities of a Mac laptop. These external devices improve the overall quality of the audio in several ways:

• Audio conversion occurs in the in the external interface, not in the harsh environment inside the computer.

• The physical connections of an external interface are generally more robust and reliable.

• And most importantly, the analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters in an external interface are almost always of a higher quality than those found inside a Mac laptop.

Apogee’s Duet, Digidesign’s Mbox and Metric Halo’s ULN-2 are some great examples of quality 2-in/2-out interfaces. All of these allow for recording/monitoring either stereo sources or two separate mono sources at the same time (e.g. a guitar and a microphone) while also providing a stereo output, a headphone jack and phantom power.

These interfaces also incorporate sets of other useful inputs and outputs like S/PDIF, MIDI or Word Clock. These extra options will vary by manufacturer but are worth of considering if any of them are important to the desired configuration.

For those who need to monitor in surround sound or record three or more sound sources at a given time, a multichannel interface is required.

That being said, avoid falling for the lure of more inputs and outputs unless you really need them. Quite often, a better 2-channel interface can be purchased for the same price as a cheaper multichannel interface.

Audio Interfaces for Mac: Compatibility and Connectivity

Once configuration has been decided and some potential interfaces singled out, the next step is to check each manufacturer's website to confirm that the system requirements of those external audio interfaces are compatible with your laptop and OS combination.

While visiting each company’s site, be sure to spend some time browsing their user community (or forum) to see what other users with similar computers have to say about the interface. If a company does not have a community for its users, then avoid buying their interface.

The last consideration is connectivity. All external audio interfaces connect to laptops via Firewire, USB or, more rarely, CardBus.

Firewire is often considered the best choice with USB being the secondary option. CardBus is better suited for other purposes. Connectivity via Firewire or USB is not an issue for most Mac laptops but it is worth mentioning that there are some Mac laptop models - old and new - that were released without Firewire ports. Be sure that your computer has the appropriate port before making a final purchase.

The copyright of the article The Best Pro Audio Interface for Mac Users in Analog & Digital Audio is owned by Clayton Worbeck. Permission to republish The Best Pro Audio Interface for Mac Users in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

MOTU Audio Interface	Apogee Duet Audio Interface	Metric Halo ULN-2 Audio Interface
Digidesign Mbox 2 USB Audio Interface

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Dec 14, 2009 1:43 PM

Guest :

Hello, my name is Guy. I have a Line 6 Spider III Amplifier and would like to connect it to my MAC. I want to be abke to record my guitar right into Garage Band. What would be a good audio interface to use? Or a list of some useful connectors? Thank you!!

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