I know the pain when you see all those fantastic audio interfaces that are priced way too high, I have been there. I still am! It is like, “aren’t there interfaces that are low priced but deliver the same quality.” Well, it seems that there are a few of them. And in this article, we will have a look at the best audio interfaces under 100 USD.
These audio interfaces have everything that a new music producer can demand. They all have crisp audio quality, have multiple unique features, and stay within your budget.
If you are just starting out your music production journey, check my definitive guide on the best audio interfaces for beginners. These are easy to operate and require minimum set up so that you can start making music immediately.
Let’s check them out one by one.
Best audio Interfaces under 100 USD
First of all, this list is updated from time to time. So, be sure that you are looking at the latest version of each product out there.
We are going to kick start this list with great audio interfaces under $100 and then, we will see some of the best audio interfaces under $50.
1) PreSonus AudioBox USB96 Audio Interface
Product Features
- 2 inputs / 2 outputs.
- Two Mic/Line/Hi-Z inputs.
- One MIDI I/O available.
- One Headphone o/p with dedicated o/p.
- Five different gain knobs for each I/O.
- Two (+48V) phantom Power inputs.
- 24-bit/96 kHz Audio quality.
- Ultra Low Latency.
- MAC/Windows Compatible.
click to view price of PreSonus AudioBox USB96 on amazon
The PreSonus AudioBox is one of the best audio interfaces under 100. At such a low price of $100, you are getting almost everything that a high end audio interfaces pack. The interface is compatible with both Windows and MAC OS with multiple included software.
You get two mic/line/Hi-Z inputs and a MIDI I/O. At a price category of under $100, it is extremely rare to find midi ins and outs. The sound clarity packet is crystal clear and sharp. In fact, the audio quality is similar to that offered by Focusrite interfaces.
There are all the essential add-on features, such as dedicated input and output knobs. The shocking thing is that you get two phantom-powered inputs which are extremely rare to see in a under $100 interface.
I would say if you have a budget of $100 dollars, going for the Presonus is probably the right choice for you.
2) M-Audio M-Track Duo – USB Audio Interface ( 2 Mic-inputs)
- 2 inputs / 2 outputs.
- Two Mic input / line/ Hi-Z input.
- one headphone o/p with dedicated gain knob.
- Direct Monitoring Available.
- Two (+48V) phantom Power inputs.
- Two line outputs.
- 16-bit / 48 kHz Audio quality.
- Compatible with MAC/ windows.
click to view price of M-Audio M-Track Duo on amazon
The M Audio M-Track Duo is loaded with quite a few features. But, is it a good audio interface when it comes to recording and quality? Let’s check out the specs.
There is two mic/line/instrument input in the M-Track Duo. This is quite an excellent feature to have if you want to connect two mics for podcasting or vocal recordings. You can plug and play a guitar and record vocals simultaneously on top of it. For someone like me who loves to improvise a lot, I find it a handy feature. For similar reasons, direct monitoring is also an essential requirement for adding vocal or instrument layers as you hear the track.
Furthermore, there are three dedicated gain knobs on the top of the interface. These knobs are used to control gain levels of inputs and outputs along with the master volume.
The build quality feels much like plastic, but it is okay to compromise if you are getting extra features like additional mic input and dual phantom-powered inputs. It is not that big of a deal for me. I have to mention this point just to let you know. However, the plastic feels quite sturdy.
The sound quality is okayish at 16 bit / 48 kHz. I find it good when you look at the price of the interface. For an interface priced less than $100, sound quality is better than most interfaces out there.
3) Monoprice Audio Interface (625909)
Product Features
- 2 inputs / 2 outputs.
- One Mic input.
- 1 line/ Hi-Z input.
- one headphone o/p.
- Direct Monitoring Available.
- One (+48V) phantom Power inputs.
- Two line outputs.
- 24-bit / 96kHz Audio quality.
- Compatible with MAC/ windows.
click to view price of Monoprice Audio Interface on amazon
The Monoprice audio interface is clean and has a vintage feel to it. You can see it in the above image. The Direct monitoring and input have a toggle switch to change the mode of operation. These toggle switches are what make it different from others, appearance-wise.
Most of the features are located and given on the front side of the audio interface itself. You have one Mic input and a single line / Instrument / Hi-Z input. Also, there is one headphone o/p without a dedicated gain knob. This feels a bummer but is manageable. Furthermore, all the essential features such as phantom power and direct monitoring are presently making it a low to medium quality home recording audio interface. I would say the sound quality is qualified enough for this price range. However, it could have been better.
For home artists and people who want to record their vocals by hearing a track, direct monitoring becomes essential. It lets you hear the tracks and record vocals on top of it at the same time. Also, because the input is phantom-powered, you can easily record sounds using any microphone, be it dynamic or consider.
Lastly, I would say the Monoprice interface is an excellent interface for home recording or setting up your first ever home studio. There are all the basic required features to start making fantastic music.
4) Moukey USB 3.0 Audio Interface
Product Features
- 2 inputs / 2 outputs.
- One Mic input.
- 1 line/ Hi-Z input.
- one headphone o/p.
- Direct Monitoring Available.
- One (+48V) phantom Power inputs.
- Two line outputs.
- 24-bit / 96kHz Audio quality.
- Compatible with MAC/ windows.
The Moukey audio interface is another one of the budget interfaces out there. It is a good plug-and-play interface for basic recordings from your mics or guitars.
There are two inputs in the Moukey interface. One is for the microphone, and the other input is to record Hi-Z inputs such as guitars. The preamp is clear and crisp. The +48V phantom power is an excellent add-on to this audio interface as you can connect and record on a condenser microphone as well.
All in all, the moukey interface is a fundamental interface to fulfill your starter music production needs. However, as you grow in your musical journey, you will need to upgrade to a better interface. But to get a feel of the music production, Moukey will take care of that for you.
Best audio Interfaces under $50!
Till now, we saw some of the audio interfaces that are great and typically cost under $100. But, for those of you who want to cut the price even more, here are some of the audio interfaces under $50.
These audio interfaces under $50 lack some of the features we get on the interfaces discussed above. The absence of these features may not be a big deal for everyone. Therefore, you can save even more bucks by compromising on some features.
5) M-Audio M-Track Solo – USB Audio Interface ( 1 Mic-input)
Product Features
- 2 inputs / 2 outputs.
- One Mic input.
- 1 line/ Hi-Z input.
- one headphone o/p.
- Direct Monitoring Available.
- One (+48V) phantom Power inputs.
- Two line outputs.
- 16-bit / 48 kHz Audio quality.
- Compatible with MAC/ windows.
click to view price of M-Audio M-Track Solo on amazon
The M-Track solo is the mini version of M-track Duo. The only difference between the two interfaces being the number of mic inputs you are going to get. It is quite similar to Focusrite Scarlett solo in terms of its features, but let’s see how good is the M-track solo. Built quality feels plastic and the interface feels very light.
There are two inputs and two outputs in the M-track solo. One input can be used to connect and record Mics, while the other one is well suited to connect instruments or Hi-Z instruments. Along with outputs for studio monitors, you also get a single headphone output which is quite handy on tours.
The quality is quite comparable to Behringer’s UM2 and is very clear compared to similar audio interfaces in this price range of less than $50. You also, get a direct monitoring feature to record your vocals on top of a track. This feature becomes useful in case you want a guitar or additional vocal layer in your tracks.
For someone low on budget and passionate about producing music, i think these Behringer UM2 and the M-track solo provide a very good alternatives.
6) BEHRINGER U-Phoria UM2 Audio Interface
Product Features
- 2 inputs / 2 outputs.
- One Mic/ Line input.
- 1 inst/ Hi-Z input.
- one headphone o/p.
- Direct Monitoring Available.
- One (+48V) phantom Power inputs.
- Two line outputs.
- 24-bit / 48 kHz Audio quality.
- Compatible with MAC/ windows.
click to view price of BEHRINGER U-Phoria UM2 on amazon
Behringer UM2 is one of the best portable audio interfaces involving its size and features. It is like a mini-studio in your pocket. With this in your inventory, you can record tracks or vocals anywhere you want, whether you are on-road or on a family vacation.
The UM2 comes equipped with one mic and one instrument/ Hi-Z input. The Hi-Z/ inst input makes it so much easier to record guitars as you record vocals simultaneously. It is a solo artist interface where you want to jam or produce music alone.
In terms of o/p, there are two line outputs to connect studio monitors along with a headphone o/p.
The sound quality remains crystal clear and is comparable to other mentioned audio interfaces. It is not as good as other mentioned audio interfaces in the list, but it is not bad either. The phantom power input makes it possible to record vocals on a condenser and a dynamic microphone and that is an important feature to have on an audio interface.
The direct monitoring feature allows you to listen to the track as you sing on top of it. This is useful to record vocals that are in sync with the backing track.
All in all, the UM2 is not a bad choice for the features you are going to getting. All the features are present, which are necessary for solo artists. The only downside being vocal quality, which is again not good and at the same time not bad.
Which one of the best Audio Interfaces under 100 USD would I recommend?
If you want an excellent audio interface with incredible sound and all the essential features, I recommend you go for the Presonus AudioBox USB 96. The reason is simple. That is under 100 USD; you will get an audio interface similar to a $200 audio interface. There are features such as dual mic/line / Hi-Z inputs, a dedicated gain knob for each i/o, headphone o/p, and phantom power.
Additionally, the Presonus gives a tough competition to Scarlett solo. Compared to the Focusrite Scarlett Solo, Presonus has got MIDI I/O which is not in the Scarlett solo. And this is a bummer for many MIDI-based artists.
Lastly, I do strongly recommend you increase your budget by few extra bucks and check out these audio interfaces for under $200. These will provide you a far more superior sound quality and quite a few features.
Conclusion
If you are not satisfied with the mentioned list and want a better option for your home studio, check my recent article on best audio interfaces for home studio. These will surely blow your mind with their respective features and price to quality ratio.
Although these interfaces are good, it does not mean you can record studio-quality sound with them. For Audio interfaces that stay well under budget, and provide supreme quality, check my article on best audio interfaces under $500.
Lastly, to conclude this article, these were the top 6 best audio interfaces under 100 USD. There are many other capable interfaces out there, but they usually lack a few key features. Some don’t have any mic input, while others are not phantom-powered, which is crucial for condenser mics.
The audio interfaces I have recommended in this shortlist are future-proof and of high quality. All of these come with a warranty in case something goes wrong.
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