just a quick word to say that after a few months, I’m very happy with my Steinberg UR22C.
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Nice features on that, especially the direct monitor being a blend knob and not a switch.
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yeah that’s something I always use to set the balance between the ideal recording level on the DAW and the output volume on the monitors. that’s a very comfortable feature.
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I got the 2(+1 hi-z) port DAI from UA with a very nice plugin deal ($699). Don’t forget that you are getting a lot of extra plugins with the unit so it isn’t really that expensive as you think. I would say you get about a few hundred dollars worth of plugins. Also free access to LUNA is really nice and it seems more focussed on recording. I actually prefer the Luna interface over Logic. Support is good too and they have a very active community.
I tested several Brainworx sims from UA and plugin-alliance. Not sure what kind of magic those guys from UA do but in Unison those UA plugins sound much better and more realistic. So yes, these “premium” DAI’s are imo very good package deals compared with any other entry-level ones if you take everything in consideration.
The big con for me is the ecosystem. You can only use the plugins and software with a UA device connected.
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Yeah my SSL2 came with a whole lot of stuff too.
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Wow, thanks for this thread! There are so many to choose from. I’m looking to get a DAI too but I’m not sure which ones may be compatible for one specific purpose I’ll need one for…
I want to be able to play along with an iOS app I was interested in (called Solo), to practice learning notes and scales. The app requires a DAI to interact with it so it can detect what notes I’m playing, to indicate whether I’m playing the right ones or not.
Has anyone heard of or tried the XTONE (regular or Pro), made by XSONIC? I’d never heard of it before until I saw it on a list the app developers had tested it successfully with.
Their site says any “class-compliant” DAI should work, so I was looking at the Presonus Studio 24c or the 26c; or the Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 3rd Gen because I have easier access to those models.
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@paula Can you share a link for the Solo app? I found a few things and I wasn’t sure which one you were talking about.
Without even knowing the app, I would expect that either the Presonus or the Focusrite should work.
I have heard of XTONE. When I was looking into them I had trouble finding information about how they compared to other DAI’s and finally moved on.
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Hi @eric.kiser Sorry, I should have included it. Here’s their website. https://www.solotrainer.app/
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Oh that’s pretty cool that it can listen to what you play.
I’ve used Tonally for learning chords/scales:
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@paula Their list of DAI’s is oddly small and largely specific to pedal type devices.
Regardless, there is a Presonus listed and I would expect it to work with any DAI that works with whatever your running the app on.
Good luck and let us know what you get and how it turns out.
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What you should check is what the maker of the DAI of your choosing says about iPhone/iPad/iOS support.
Focusrite only talks about support on the iPad Pro via USB-C, so you might have to investigate more, or write them an email and ask about if the interface ins supported on the iPhone or normal iPad via ligthning connector.
Anything that requires a driver to be installed will not work on iOS.
Why their list is so small? Because they only can test so many audio interfaces themselves. It might work with more, but if a company says they support a device, they better have tested with it.
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Thanks @eric.kiser and @Malyngo for your input and suggestions!
Yes I noticed their ‘tested devices’ list was quite small too, and I wasn’t looking for a pedal type either. The Presonus they had there was more than I was able to spend anyway.
By sher luck, I did find another solution yesterday.
A colleague suggested trying his iRig HD2 that he’d bought last year but doesn’t use anymore since he has a bigger DAI and mixer setup now that he uses for his work.
He suggested I could try his little iRig HD2 device, using its ‘Thru’ switch feature to plug in my bass and my Amp, then plug the iRig directly into my iPad.
I tried it, and it actually worked! It sounds nice and clear, there wasn’t even any lag, with the software responding perfectly. Thank goodness for that Thru switch on that little thing.
Today, I also later discovered that I can also plug in my little VOX headphone amp into the iRig in place of my regular Amp. So now the setup is much smaller.
My main concern was to get started playing with the Solo app, so since I can do that now, I may just offer to buy this little iRig from my colleague since he doesn’t use it anymore and it’s in my budget too – cheaper than buying new.
This set-up will do, and can buy me more time to decide what other DAI options I will eventually get anyway for future recording and such. 
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rather than starting a new thread i’ll add this here: the wirecutter’s recommendations for USB DAI:
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That pricing is waaaaay off for a Scarlett 2i2; be careful of Amazon, always. That’s also a 2nd gen Scarlett and I’ve read less-than-stellar opinions on its DI circuit (ie what you’d plug your bass into). I’ve seen people recommend using a dedicated DI into the mic input on 1st and 2nd gen Scarletts, while saying the 3rd gen is a big improvement.
3rd gens are also $170 
I’ve never used a 2nd gen, but my 3rd gen 18i20 sounds great.
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I can attest to this part. First gens Scarletts had really colored preamps. Not that kind of “warm and musical” color, but an annoying blanket over the whole signal coming in.
I also as Koldunya have 3rd gen 18i20 ADATed to Octopre (3rd gens) and the sound is good, however, I am using Soundcraft mixing console (MTK22) for drums, etc. … and the preamps in that desk are again a step forward even from the Scarlett preamps.
Just a last mention; M-Audio’s Crystal pres are the best, transparent amps I have ever heard in a budget/basic interface. It’s literally What You Hear Is What You Get.
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I use the Presonus Studio 24C. It was recommended here, so I got it and I don’t regret it…the thing is easy to use, both in its USB hookup to my laptop, my studio monitors and my mixing board…and it’s portable, so I can use it at work too.
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I’m interested in the affordable DAI’s from UA too. They seem quite nice.
or
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First thing I noticed was the FYI at the beginning:
The picks in this guide are outdated, and we are currently researching new products to test.
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i understood it as what they posted today are the updated results.
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Kinda confusing… The “What to look forward to” section says:
We are currently researching new products to test, and our list includes the newer, 3rd-gen version of our top pick, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, and the newer Mk2 version of our upgrade pick, the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6. Native Instruments also introduced the lower-priced Komplete Audio 2…
Since their current top pick appears to be the 2nd-gen Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, I’d say that the article hasn’t been updated yet 
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