9 Best Audio Interfaces For Guitar in 2024

Affordable and high-quality audio interfaces for guitar.

top audio interface for guitar

There are multiple benefits to getting a dedicated sound interface for your guitar instead of using your PC’s integrated audio card. While a sound card can also be considered a sort of audio interface, the provided low audio quality and almost non-existent I/O make it a poor choice for recording.

Top 9 Best Audio Interfaces for Guitar

  1. PreSonus Studio 1824c - Our choice
  2. M-Audio AIR 192|6 - Comfortable
  3. Steinberg UR22C - Best audio interface
  4. Apogee Jam Plus - Popular
  5. PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 - Budget
  6. MeloAudio Tone Shifter - Modern
  7. IK Multimedia Axe I/O Solo - Stylish
  8. Antelope Audio Orion 32+ - Luxury
  9. M-Audio M-Track Duo - Cheap

Different kinds of interferences, jittering, and overwhelming latency all lower sound quality on both ends, while also making it inconceivable to record an entire band with just a couple of input channels. If you want to avoid all of those problems and are interested in buying the best audio interface for guitar recording, then the rundown below, as well as the provided buyer's guide, will be of great use to you.

1. PreSonus Studio 1824c

Our choice
presonus studio 1824c audio interface for guitar

Connectivity: USB Type-C | Protocol: USB 2.0 | Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz | Brand: PreSonus

  • ✚ Multifunctional
  • ✚ Easy to use
  • ✚ DAW recording software
  • Expensive
Rating

If you are looking to buy a professional quality guitar interface, then you should look into the PreSonus Studio 1824c. This professional grade audio interface has many features that can help you improve your skills with the guitar. These include assign pads that make it easy for you to change tracks and find what you are looking for when mixing your tracks. Another great thing about this interface is that it comes with virtual foot pedal so you will never have to worry about accidentally doing a move that you regret later.

One of the pros about using the PreSonus Studio 1824c is that it is an interface designed specifically for the guitar. This means that it will be easy to teach yourself how to use all of the functions and features this particular model has.

2. M-Audio AIR 192|6

Comfortable
m-audio air 192|6 audio interface for guitar

Connectivity: USB Type-C | Protocol: USB 2.0 | Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz | Brand: M-Audio

  • ✚ Intuitive interface
  • ✚ Zero latency monitoring
  • ✚ High-quality recording
  • ✚ Wide connectivity
  • Quality could be better
Rating

The M-Audio AIR 192/6 is a USB audio interface that supports high-quality recording at 24-bit/192kHz. Its easy-to-use, intuitive interface makes it a great choice for recording studio quality audio on a laptop. Its price is very reasonable, and this audio interface is a great choice for an affordable USB audio interface.

The AIR 192/6 is a budget-friendly USB audio interface with eight inputs and four outputs. It includes all the software you need to make the most of your audio. There are even instruments inputs and MIDI invoer and outputs! This device can be used for capturing live performance and podcasts, as well as creating professional-quality music recordings. Additionally, it offers zero latency monitoring for musicians and audio engineers. This means you can hear your music in real time with minimal latency.

3. Steinberg UR22C

Best audio interface
steinberg ur22c audio interface for guitar

Connectivity: USB Type-C | Protocol: USB 2.0 | Resolution: 32-bit/192kHz | Brand: Steinberg

  • ✚ Compact and lightweight
  • ✚ High quality
  • ✚ Multifunctional
  • ✚ Fast and reliable connectivity
  • Amazingly poor glitchy software
Rating

The Steinberg UR22C audio interface offers USB-C connectivity and two analogue channels with Class-A D-PRE mic amps. The unit also includes MIDI in and MIDI out. With a 32-bit integer / 192 kHz converter, it offers excellent detail and headroom for all types of signals. The UA22C is compact and lightweight, making it easy to transport from one studio to another. It also comes with REV-X reverb, Guitar Amp Classic effects, and a Sweet Spot Morphing Channel Strip.

The UR22C is a high-quality, affordable 2-in/2-out audio interface. It connects to your computer via USB-C. The device has many useful features and can match the performance of professional-grade interfaces. Its compact design makes it suitable for many home recording purposes. Whether you're recording music for your band, recording yourself, or mixing and editing in your studio, the UR22C is an excellent choice.

4. Apogee Jam Plus

Popular
apogee jam plus audio interface for guitar

Connectivity: USB Type-C | Protocol: USB 2.0 | Resolution: 24-bit/96kHz | Brand: Apogee

  • ✚ Good compatibility
  • ✚ Portable
  • ✚ Easy to use
  • Quality could be better
Rating

Apogee Jam Plus is an audio interface for the guitar that makes recording much easier. It is designed for both Mac OS X Leopard and iOS 5. This is one of the few interfaces that are fully compatible with all the major brands of guitar plugins including Apogee, Line 6, Plexoma, Cubase and Sonar. As a matter of fact, this is the only guitar interface that is fully compliant with most of the popular plugins available today.

Apogee Jam Plus is a professional, multi-line audio interface for the guitar. It connects the electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electric bass, microphone or keyboard to either your iOS devices or computer using its line in jack feature. The ease and portability of Jam+ makes it perfect for capturing your finest take anywhere you go.

5. PreSonus AudioBox USB 96

Budget
presonus audiobox usb 96 audio interface for guitar

Connectivity: USB Type-C | Protocol: USB 2.0 | Resolution: 24-bit/96kHz | Brand: PreSonus AudioBox

  • ✚ Versatile
  • ✚ High quality sound
  • ✚ Afforable price
  • Difficult to use
Rating

The PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 is a great piece of equipment if you are a professional musician recording vocals, guitars or even basses and what it does it lets you record and play along with your music partner at the same time saving you both time and money by not having to pay for two recording sessions. It has a few pros and cons that can help you decide if this is the right piece of equipment for you.

This audio interface for guitars has a very high quality sound and you will not sacrifice any sound quality when using this piece of equipment. It comes with three inputs that will allow you to record one channel at a time for guitar input, left, right and balance and the fourth input is for monitoring.

6. MeloAudio Tone Shifter

Modern
meloaudio tone shifter audio interface for guitar

Connectivity: USB Type-C | Protocol: USB 2.0 | Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz | Brand: MeloAudio

  • ✚ Professional quality
  • ✚ Good compatibility with OS
  • ✚ Durable and functional
  • ✚ Easy to use
  • Random shut off issues
Rating

If you're looking to buy a guitar Effects device, consider checking out the MeloAudio Tone Shifter audio interface for guitar. This is one of the best guitar effects units around and is recommended by many guitarists, engineers, and musicians. The Melo Audio is built to handle any level of professional tone control and monitoring that a guitar player can throw at it, and is very cost effective as well.

One of the most important advantages of the Tone Shifter is the fact that it can be used with any operating system. Whether you use Windows Vista, XP, Mac OS X, or even Linux, you will be able to use the tone controller with no problems whatsoever. Another pro is that the unit is extremely user friendly. Many of the pros like the fact that they are very inexpensive, which is also a con that many other companies have when it comes to expensive guitar hardware.

7. IK Multimedia Axe I/O Solo

Stylish
ik multimedia axe i/o solo audio interface for guitar

Connectivity: USB Type-C | Protocol: USB 2.0 | Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz | Brand: IK Multimedia

  • ✚ Portable
  • ✚ Stylish
  • ✚ Ultra-low noise floor
  • Windows OS compatibility problems
Rating

The IK Multimedia Axe I/O Solo is a new and innovative digital guitar interface that will enable you to play music through your guitar just like you hear through your actual instrument. If you are looking for a digital interface that will allow you to play lead and develop solos as well as backing tracks, then this is the guitar interface for you.

One of the major pros with this guitar interface is that it will allow you to play lead and develop solos just like you would normally do with a guitar. Another pro is that this guitar interface comes with over 24 gigabytes of input and output to help you get the best results.

8. Antelope Audio Orion 32+

Luxury
antelope audio orion 32+ audio interface for guitar

Connectivity: USB Type-C | Protocol: USB 2.0 | Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz | Brand: Antelope Audio

  • ✚ Professional look
  • ✚ Easy to use
  • ✚ 32-channel
  • ✚ Great sound
  • High price
Rating

Antelope Audio is a quality American manufacturer of audio interfaces, particularly for the guitar. But in their product reviews, they seem to take a more favourable view of the Orion 32+ interface, sometimes suggesting that it's better than the older models.

There are many pros to the Antelope Audio Orion 32+ interface for guitar. One of the most apparent pros is that it has a very professional look and feel. The design is very clean and neat, and the knobs are easy to manipulate with one hand. In addition, it has a very long cable, which is useful for hooking up cables for other guitars or for other devices. It also has a very effective ground wire, making it simple to operate, although it does fold out for ease of storage.

9. M-Audio M-Track Duo

Cheap
m-audio m-track duo audio interface for guitar

Connectivity: USB Type-C | Protocol: USB 2.0 | Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz | Brand: M-Audio

  • ✚ Good sound quality
  • ✚ Easy to use
  • ✚ Versatile
  • ✚ Portable and stylish
  • Not reliable
Rating

The M-Audio M-Track Pro audio interface is considered to be a high end professional level device. Many professional sound users have praised the sound quality that they have been able to acquire from the M-Track Pro. However, some owners of this interface state that there are some cons about it as well.

One thing about this interface that many pros will agree on is that it is very easy to operate. When you are setting up your sound system, it is a simple matter to turn a knob and start listening to your guitar music. There are no complications and nothing overly complex to worry about. Most guitar players find it comfortable to work with. Even those who have experienced more complicated interfaces may not have any complaints when it comes to the operation of the M-Track Pro.

IMAGE NAME FEATURES
presonus studio 1824c audio interface for guitar
PreSonus Studio 1824c
Our choice
  • Multifunctional
  • Easy to use
CHECK PRICE
m-audio air 192|6 audio interface for guitar
M-Audio AIR 192|6
Comfortable
  • Intuitive interface
  • Zero latency monitoring
CHECK PRICE
steinberg ur22c audio interface for guitar
Steinberg UR22C
Best audio interface
  • Compact and lightweight
  • High quality
CHECK PRICE

How to Choose the Audio Interface for Guitar?

how to choose the best audio interface for guitar

Tech Specs and How to Read Them

Since such specifications as bit depth and sample rate are featured in almost all product descriptions, many musicians wonder if they should account for them when picking the best audio interface for guitar recording. While their importance isn’t easy to explain, they should definitely impact your decision.

Bit depth can significantly affect the sound processing quality. In terms of pure numbers, 1bit = 6dB, meaning 16bit sound offers a dynamic range of 96dB. The issue here is that the digital noise floor is quite high while the remaining dynamic range is lacking. Thus, when you record at 16bit, the audio parts with lower volume will sound overly noisy.

The sample rate characteristic is significantly more subjective, as it represents a digital snapshot of the recorded sound. The CD standard of 44kHz produces 44100 pictures of input sound each second. Digital-to-analog conversion merely requires two samples (top and bottom) of a wave shape to produce a frequency, so 44.1kHz should be enough to recreate frequencies of up to 22.05kHz.

how to choose the best audio interface for guitar

Additional Considerations

You have to consider several other aspects when choosing the best audio interface for guitar players. Firstly, while the number of such options is getting lower each year, you can still stumble upon an audio interface that can only be used with Mac or Windows computers. Make sure to carefully read the description of each product so that you don’t end up with a device that you can’t even use with your setup.

The number of audio interfaces that come with built-in software control and DSP is increasing each year, which is great news. Such features let you handle everything from configuring headphone mixes and adding delays to providing user talkback functionality for talking to the musicians in your studio. Moreover, when coupled with onboard DSP, all of that can be achieved without increasing latency, consuming CPU resources, or hindering the performance of your DAW software.

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