Scarlett 2i2 or Mackie Blackjack?

[angie]

hiya, I am looking for a usb audio interface and have narrowed it down to either of these two but cannot decide! Please help!

this one (Scarlett) : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005OZE9SA

or this (Mackie)

http://www.amazon.com/Mackie-Onyx-Blackjack-Recording-Production/dp/B003VZG550/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1369262346&sr=1-1&keywords=mackie+blackjack

thank you!

[ectogemia]

I have the Scarlett 2i4 which is basically the same thing. It does the trick. My only complaint is that the headphone amp is a little weak. I want to mix at -15 dB RMS with my 250 Ohm headphones, so I'm asking a lot of the headphone amp to drive the output to a decent level. It can't quite get to where I want, so I've had to up my mixing level a bit, but all-in-all, that's my only complaint. Good interface if you don't do a ton of recording and just need some mic and monitor plugins.

[Argle]

Neither, Native Instruments Komplete audio.

[angie]

have ordered Scarlet due to being more pretty

[dannthr]

You're not looking at a huge difference, but I'd pick Focusrite over Mackie almost any day if it meant passing signal through.

[norg]

You're not looking at a huge difference, but I'd pick Focusrite over Mackie almost any day if it meant passing signal through.

conversely, i would pick mackie over most things. at least based on my very successful history using their gear.

if i were in a position where i had to choose between both devices, i would look for detailed technical reviews of both to make my decision rather than asking on a forum lacking said technical reviews.

[dannthr]

I know that the 18i6 Scarlett has the same converters as you would find in the Focusrite Liquid Channel, but I don't know what's in the 2i2.

I'd be okay using a Mackie console in a live scenario, nothin' special, but it'll get the job done, but as an interface? I'd have to hear it in action before I'd even consider it.

With that said, there's not much going on at the $150 range.

The Komplete Audio 6 is definitely worth considering for its HIGH sample rate possibilities.

[theshaggyfreak]

The Focusrite will have better preamps and I find that their support tends to be much better when it comes to computer audio interfaces. I have a Saffire Pro 40 and absolutely love it.

[dannthr]

The Focusrite will have better preamps and I find that their support tends to be much better when it comes to computer audio interfaces. I have a Saffire Pro 40 and absolutely love it.

The Focusrite is LIKELY to have better preamps, but I don't know what they're putting in their $150 range devices compared to what Mackie is doing.

I don't THINK of Mackie when I think of computer audio, for sure--but everyone's trying to get in that game.

Obviously, a shootout would be best--but who wants to take the time to shootout between two very cheap models?

[Vig]

At that price range it doesn't really matter too much in terms of quality; I'd go with the one that has the features you want.