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Low latency audio interfaces are the heart of any modern recording setup. Whether you want to record a full band in your home studio or just have a way to get your own demos online to share with your bandmates, an interface is a key piece of gear for any guitarist in 2021.
Of course, as with any digital recording, you want to get something with as low latency as possible to avoid the feeling of playing behind the music, or experiencing a phantom slapback delay effect. Every interface on this list has latency under 7ms, which is roughly the amount of time it takes sound from a guitar amp 7 feet away to reach your ears.
As for me, having played guitar since back when skinny ties were popular, I’ve owned every type of home recording system from the good old cassette tape 4-track machine, right up to today’s on board processing behemoths. I’m more than familiar with the give and take of using digital means for recording guitar, and have either owned or professionally used every interface on this list.
Let’s get stuck in.
Our Top Three Picks
If you’re looking to get a starter interface to try out home recording, you can’t go wrong with Mackie’s Onyx Artist interface, which is our pick for Best Budget low latency audio Interface. While it does offer a relatively high (compared to others on this list) round trip latency of 6ms, you get a rugged metal housed interface with good quality preamps, a ton of software, and a price that allows you to comfortably dip your toe in home recording.
On the other hand, if you’re more familiar with home recording and want to step up a notch, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 offers significantly lower latency at under 3ms, excellent preamps and AD/DA converters to get a much cleaner and fuller sound, ISA mic preamp emulation which gives your recordings a bright and airy sound, as well as being an incredibly easy to use interface that’s practically plug and play – easily our choice for the Best Value low latency audio Interface.
Finally stepping up all the way to home studio level recording, the SSL2/2+ delivers forty years of audio gear expertise into a desktop-format interface with near-zero latency as 1ms, exceptional mic pres and rugged construction. All that, at an incredulous price. Plus, the 4k button gives it an analog SSL-flavor, which completely outmaneuvers the Focusrite ‘Air’. For those reasons, we honor it with the KGR Editor’s Choice for low latency audio interfaces.
Best Low Latency Audio Interface Reviews
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen
Super low-latency, high headroom, optimized gain, and killer preamps!.
This interface is the gold standard for prosumer level users. It's fantastically simple to use, and offers studio quality recording with no perceieved lag.
Product Highlights:
- USB 2.0 bus-powered audio interface
- 24-bit/192kHz audio
- Focusrite 3rd gen preamps
- Air Mode to emulate ISA pres
- MAC/PC Compatibility
- Massive software and VST bundled
The 3rd gen Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is not just a dolled-up version of the previous line. There are tangible improvements in dynamic range, max input level, and gain range. The 3rd gen also uses Type-C connections with updated drivers/software and significantly better headphone amp performance.
Focusrite’s iron grip (in this segment) relies heavily on their generous software bundles and superior preamps. The AD/DA converters, preamp gain structure, and mic preamps are top notch.
Ah, did I mention that the 3rd offers a mono and stereo summing control-switch and Air Button? The ‘Air mode’ triggers an ISA mic preamp emulation, which makes your recordings sound bright/open. It’s a good addition to the spec-list, but it feels a tad gimmicky.
Focusrite’s software bundle offers the no-frills version of Pro Tools First and Abelton Live Lite. They’ll be handy if you are a rank beginner, but they aren’t comparable to a full-featured DAW. I think the Mackie Onyx edges out the 2i2 in this regard (more on that later).
Nevertheless, Focusrite’s bundled content is the most bountiful collection of plug-ins and loops compared to what the competition offers. They’ve also thrown in a Plugin Collective monthly giveaway subscription. It adds heaps of value to an already reasonably-priced and pleasingly low latency audio interface.
Verdict: It’s hard to go wrong with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or the more intermediate 4i4 interface. The 3rd gen improvements have made a good thing better. Once you spend some time with it, it’s easy to see why it’s the world’s best-selling low latency audio interface.
Mackie Onyx Artist 1X2
Onyx preamps, zero-latency direct monitoring at a cut-throat price.
If you're in need of a low cost, zero latency USB interface capable of recording mics, guitars and keys, this is a great choice.
Product Highlights:
- USB 2.0 bus-powered audio interface
- 24-bit/192kHz audio
- Onyx preamps
- MAC/PC Compatibility
- Bundled with Tracktion T7 & FX plug-ins
If you are privy to the mixing console grapevine, you might have heard a good deal of praise of Mackie and Onyx preamps. Mackie has now taken a swing at the small-sized desktop interfaces with their Onyx Artist and Producer models.
The Mackie Onyx Artist is a bus-powered audio interface with 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution audio. It connects over USB 2.0 and is compatible with both macOS and PC/Windows. It’s the no-frills version. You’ll get a mic/instrument combo input, +48V phantom power, headphone outputs, L/R line out, and a Hi-Z switch.
The audio quality and features are excellent if you need an inexpensive low latency audio interface for recording instruments and voice. They haven’t skimped on quality to keep the price low. The potentiometers are built to last, the all-metal casing is rugged, and the sleek black styling has an industrial appeal to it.
I’d only recommend moving upstream to the Producer version if you want MIDI I/O for controllers or synths. Both versions include a software and VST bundle feature the Tracktion T7 DAW and 15+ FX plugin-ins.
Verdict: The Mackie Artist 1-2 packs a punch with its great-sounding preamps, zero-latency monitoring, a huge bundle of VST & software add-ons, and a world-class analog circuit. It won’t shatter the glass ceiling, but it’s a feature-rich product at a cutthroat price.
Solid State Logic SSL2+
The most affordable way to add an SSL to your recording workflow.
This is a serious zero-lag home recording solution that offers professional standard preamps for supreme audio quality.
Product Highlights:
- USB 2.0 bus-powered audio interface
- 24-bit/192kHz audio
- Legacy 4k analog color button
- Neutrik XLR/Jack connections
- MAC/PC Compatibility
After having conquered the world of large mixing boards, SSL enters the digital production fray with a long-awaited and highly talked about desktop interface.
The SSL2+ format is unique because the I/Os are on the back panel and the controls + metering on the top panel. They feature Neutrik combo connectors that act as a mic/line/hi-Z input with independent +48V power. They also have MIDI In/Out, a five-pin DIN port, and a five-step LED ladder meter to track input levels.
The proprietary “Legacy 4k” circuit brightens up the sound, or as SSL puts it “color enhancement inspired by a 4000-series console“. The improvement in tone is similar to the Focusrite ‘Air’ but more useable, at least to my ears.
The software bundle includes the SSL production pack, SSL Native Vocalstrip2, Drumstip plugins, and a 6-month free subscription to other SSL Native plugin-ins. It also includes Pro Tools First and 23+ production plugins and 1.5GB of samples from Loopcloud.
Overall, the SSL2+ poses a formidable challenge to MOTU 2, Focusrite 2i2 and Audient EVO, and other segment leaders. It’s ergonomic, easy to use, and ticks all the well-established expectations from SSL hardware.
Verdict: We can only be thankful to Audiotronix for giving home studio owners a shot at the SSL heritage. SSL2+ (and SSL2, the no-frills cousin) are excellent choices in the project-studio market. It retains the SSL pedigree with well-thought-out features, high-quality performance at a competitive price. Plus, they ship with C-to-C and C-to-A cables (you hear that MOTU?).
PreSonus Studio 24C 2x2
Rugged construction and fantastic AD/DA converters at an affordable price.
With this model, you're getting dual instrument/XLR inputs, phantom power, and a handy graphic clipping display for much less money than you'd think.
Product Highlights:
- Bus-Powered USB-C Audio Interface
- 2-in / 2-out + MIDI I/O
- 24-bit/192kHz audio & XMAX-L preamps
- Mac & PC Compatible
- Zero-latency monitoring
- Bundled with Pro Tools & other plugins
The Presonus 24c is a bus-powered low latency audio interface that connects over a USB-C to PC and MAC laptop/computers. Plus, it’s compatible with every major DAW. Construction-wise, it’s a rugged unit with a black center chassis laid with blue side panels.
The front panel features LED indications for the Input and Main, five knobs for parameter changes, and a +48V phantom power toggle button. It also hosts the two mic/instrument/line inputs that are a combination of XLR and TRS inputs.
With 24-bit recording, and an up to 192 Hz sample rate, it offers pristine audio. The XMAX-L preamps sound sharp and can handle a hot input with good headroom. They boast of an ultra-low roundtrip latency of 3ms, which is effectively zero latency.
It’s not common to have MIDI input/output at this price point, so the 24c scores on features and value there. The interface teams up with a generous software bundle that includes the Studio One Artist (limited-version DAW) + Studio Magic suite (Ableton Live Lite included). VST (fx and instrument) freebies contain some high-end choices for your production projects.
Verdict: The PreSonus Studio 24c is worthy of any home studio or desktop-format music production rig. The headroom, gain, and clear metering speaks well of the XMAX-L preamp’s capabilities. If you’re shopping for a low latency, high-performance 2 x 2 interface, Presonus offers an all-in-one solution bundled with some world-class recording software.
Audient iD14
A streamlined interface with ADAT expandability and excellent I/O.
Ultra high speed USB-C connectivity ensures no latency, and the simple layout makes this dual input USB interface incredibly simple to operate.
Product Highlights:
- USB-C bus-powered audio interface
- 10-in / 16-out
- 24-bit/192kHz
- 2 Audient Mic Preamps
- 1 discrete JFET instrument input
- 1 ADAT Input
- Bundles with Cubase LE + VST plugin-ins
Audient’s iD-Series interfaces enjoy the status of the most popular budget-friendly units. In January ’21, Audient announced the mkII with updated features and performance markers to continue their reign of popularity in the segment. We’ll focus on the iD14 with occasional references to iD4, its modest predecessor.
The interface looks and feels premium, with ample heft when you hold it and a sturdy all-metal chassis. The gun-metal finish and sleek design are reminiscent of Apple’s space gray finishes. It’s a 10-in/6-out plug n’ play unit with low distortion and serious clarity.
Guitar players will cherish the JFET instrument inputs that replicate classic valve amps. Plus, the unit has ADAT expandability and mic preamps inspired by Audient’s ASP8024-HE Console. The preamps sound very clean with a hint of analog warmth.
Both mkII (iD4 and iD14) interfaces have a wider dynamic range (126dB), improved audio drivers, and USB3.0 connectivity. There are also improvements in output quality and recording capabilities. Plus, the iD14 mkII now has two line outputs and two headphone outputs. Luckily, they still retail for the same price.
The interface is bundled with a DAW (Cubase LE) and a bag full of VST effects and instrument plug-ins.
Verdict: Our pick is the Audient iD14 mkII, but the iD4 can be an equally viable addition to a home recording studio. They are compact, capable, and affordable. If your needs and budget allow it, the high-end Audient iD44 is also an excellent choice. Conversely, if you want a starter-bundle, you must check out the Audient EVO 4 bundle.
Motu M4 4x4
The MOTU performance and high input functionalities at an affordable price.
This model offers one of the best graphic displays of any desktop interface and even offers MIDI in/out.
