Hi guys,
I'm trying to replace my audio interface and as I fell into the rabbit hole of internet research I ended up here. New to this site/forums and amazed by the knowledge and helpfulness of the community. I'm hoping you can give me some advice.
I'm completely, 100%, Mac based. I've been doing music production for a while, using ProTools and an Mbox Pro 3. I've now updated to Mac OS Catalina and the Mbox Pro is obsolete (Avid won't update the drivers), so I need a new audio interface, or possibly just a DAC.
My set up is pretty simple a Macbook Pro (USB-C ports only), a couple of powered Genelec speakers and headphones (which I need to upgrade as well, but I'll leave that for another time).
Currently I just need to do critical listening, in ProTools mostly, for some light mixing/mastering as well as audio editing. I don't really need mic pres, MIDI or a lot of inputs/outputs like on the Mbox Pro.
Here's what I want/need:
1) Mac friendly audio interface/DAC that works in Catalina, gets firmware upgrades via a Mac installer/app, etc... and that I can connect to the USB-C ports on my Macbook.
2) At least 1 set of stereo outputs to my powered Genelecs and 1 headphone output, ideally each with some sort of individual (physical) volume controls if possible.
3) Last but not least, best possible (mastering quality type) sound... as in clear/neutral, no coloring.
I was looking at the Lynx Hilo as a great (and very expensive) solution as well as units like the Apogee Element 24, Audient iD4... all of which have additional features (ins/outs, mic pres, etc) that although nice to have, I don't necessarily need/want to pay for. So I started looking into some sort of headphone amp/DAC, like the Grace m900, and as I kept digging, I ended up here and saw brands/units I've never ever heard of. So I'm very confused.
So, given my situations/needs, what would you recommend, say on a budget of around $400-$900?
I looked at the Performance Index and it seems like the Topping D90 or DX7Pro, Soncoz SGD1, Sabaj D5... are highly recommended and fall into the price range, but not sure how Mac friendly they are, nor if they are the best solution for my needs.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!!!
I'm trying to replace my audio interface and as I fell into the rabbit hole of internet research I ended up here. New to this site/forums and amazed by the knowledge and helpfulness of the community. I'm hoping you can give me some advice.
I'm completely, 100%, Mac based. I've been doing music production for a while, using ProTools and an Mbox Pro 3. I've now updated to Mac OS Catalina and the Mbox Pro is obsolete (Avid won't update the drivers), so I need a new audio interface, or possibly just a DAC.
My set up is pretty simple a Macbook Pro (USB-C ports only), a couple of powered Genelec speakers and headphones (which I need to upgrade as well, but I'll leave that for another time).
Currently I just need to do critical listening, in ProTools mostly, for some light mixing/mastering as well as audio editing. I don't really need mic pres, MIDI or a lot of inputs/outputs like on the Mbox Pro.
Here's what I want/need:
1) Mac friendly audio interface/DAC that works in Catalina, gets firmware upgrades via a Mac installer/app, etc... and that I can connect to the USB-C ports on my Macbook.
2) At least 1 set of stereo outputs to my powered Genelecs and 1 headphone output, ideally each with some sort of individual (physical) volume controls if possible.
3) Last but not least, best possible (mastering quality type) sound... as in clear/neutral, no coloring.
I was looking at the Lynx Hilo as a great (and very expensive) solution as well as units like the Apogee Element 24, Audient iD4... all of which have additional features (ins/outs, mic pres, etc) that although nice to have, I don't necessarily need/want to pay for. So I started looking into some sort of headphone amp/DAC, like the Grace m900, and as I kept digging, I ended up here and saw brands/units I've never ever heard of. So I'm very confused.
So, given my situations/needs, what would you recommend, say on a budget of around $400-$900?
I looked at the Performance Index and it seems like the Topping D90 or DX7Pro, Soncoz SGD1, Sabaj D5... are highly recommended and fall into the price range, but not sure how Mac friendly they are, nor if they are the best solution for my needs.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!!!