The floor, or the standard
Is a first interface worth three times the price of the cheapest honest one?
Both record one microphone and one instrument. One costs about a third of the other, and the gap is not where beginners expect.
| Compared on | UMC22 | Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone preamps | One, Midas-designed | One |
| Maximum sample rate | 48 kHz | Not stated in listing |
| Converter dynamic range | Not published | 120 dB |
| Direct monitoring | Yes, with mix control | Yes |
| Bundled software | Not stated | Pro Tools Intro+, Ableton Live Lite, Cubase LE, Hitmaker |
| Connection | USB, bus powered | USB-C |
| Listed on amazon.com | Yes | Yes |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
Take the UMC22 if the budget is the binding constraint or if you already own recording software. It is a complete chain for one source, and nothing about it is a trap.
Take the Scarlett Solo for the software bundle and the maintained driver. If you have no program to record into, the bundle alone is worth more than the price difference.
Behringer does not publish a dynamic range figure, so a like-for-like comparison cannot be made from the listings. In a normal room, with a normal microphone, the room and the microphone are the limiting factors long before either interface is.
If you own none, yes: the Focusrite bundle includes three recording programs and an effects and instrument collection. If you already work in a DAW, it is worth nothing to you.
2×2 · Midas preamp · 48 kHz · USB powered
The cheapest honest way into recording: one XLR/TRS combo input with a Midas-designed preamp, a separate instrument input, direct monitoring and USB power. Forty-eight kilohertz, and no pretense beyond it.
Best for: A first interface for one voice or one instrument at a time.
≈ $53
2 in / 2 out · 120 dB dynamic range · Air mode
One microphone preamp and one instrument input, with the same 120 dB converters Focusrite puts in its larger interfaces, an Air mode for presence, and a software bundle that is a large part of the value.
Best for: A songwriter recording one part at a time who wants room to grow.
≈ $130
