Your mix into phone video
IK Multimedia iRig Stream
A pocket interface that puts a DJ mix into phone video and streams; the plastic build and Android support are weak.
Photos: IK Multimedia
2 of 4 reviews recommend it34 owner reviews read
Choose it if the mix is going into phone or tablet video, or a live stream from a phone. It takes a mixer's RCA outputs and connects to an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Windows computer with the Lightning, USB-C and USB-A cables in the box, and its headset jack lets you talk over the mix. Owners agree it does that one job with little setup, but reviews split two of four over the light plastic case, the mini-DIN cable connection and patchy Android support. On a computer, the Scarlett 2i2 does more, and on Windows the iRig Stream needs IK's ASIO driver for low latency.
- Best for
- Recording or streaming a DJ mix to an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
- Skip it if
- You stream from Android, record mainly on a computer, or need it rugged.
What people praise
- Clean, good-quality recordings
- Puts a mixer's stereo feed straight into phone video and live streams
What to know first
- Light plastic case feels cheap and fragile
- Patchy on Android: app crashes and some phones will not stream through it
Recording one mic or one instrument
Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen)
A one-mic, one-instrument USB-C interface that is easy to start on; no stereo line input and no Auto Gain.
Photos: Focusrite Audio Engineering
of 6 reviews recommend itand 66 owner reviews
Choose it if you are starting to produce and record one mic or one guitar at a time. It comes with Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools Intro+ and Cubase LE, works with an iPhone or iPad, and reviewers and owners say it is easy to start on. Its two inputs are one mic and one mono line or instrument jack, so a DJ mixer's stereo output doesn't fit, and it keeps the older preamp without the 2i2's Auto Gain and Clip Safe. For a second pair of headphones or a guitar input reviewers single out, compare the iD4 MKII; for a stereo feed or two mics, take the 2i2.
- Best for
- Recording one mic or one guitar into a computer, iPhone or iPad.
- Skip it if
- You need a stereo line input for a DJ mixer, or Auto Gain.
What people praise
- Easy to set up and use; owners were recording within minutes
- Clean, quiet recordings for the price
What to know first
- Audio dropouts, freezes or noise that need a reconnect; a few units failed early
- One mic input and one mono line input, so no stereo recording
One mic or guitar, with two headphone outputs
Audient iD4 MKII
A 2-in 2-out USB-C interface with a console-grade mic preamp and JFET input; one knob serves headphones and speakers.
Photos: Audient
of 7 reviews recommend itand 23 owner reviews
Choose it over the Solo if you record one source and want a second headphone output, or if the guitar matters: reviewers rate its mic preamp, taken from Audient's consoles, as clean and quiet, and its JFET instrument input as the star. Both headphone outputs drive high-impedance headphones, its loopback and Monitor Mix suit streaming, and the case is all metal. Its limits are the Solo's and then some: one mic and one instrument input with no stereo line in, so a DJ mixer's output doesn't fit; one volume control shared by headphones and speakers; a USB 3.0 port needed for bus power; and owners report driver and firmware quirks such as disconnects after sleep. For a mixer's stereo feed, take the 2i2.
- Best for
- A singer or guitarist recording one source at a time on a budget.
- Skip it if
- You need stereo line inputs or separate headphone and speaker levels.
What people praise
- Clean, quiet console-style mic preamp
- Solid all-metal build
What to know first
- Headphones and speakers share one volume control
- Basic I/O: one mic and one instrument input, no stereo line in
Streaming or recording from a mixer
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen)
A two-input USB-C interface with Auto Gain and Clip Safe that takes a mixer's stereo feed; no MIDI.
Photos: Focusrite Audio Engineering
of 11 reviews recommend itand 76 owner reviews
Choose it over the Solo to stream or record from a DJ mixer or standalone system, which Digital DJ Tips calls the sweet spot of the range for DJs. Its two front jacks take the mixer's booth or record output, loopback sends computer audio to OBS, and Sound On Sound and Mix found its preamps drive a Shure SM7B without a booster. It has no MIDI, ten owners report dropouts or crashes, mostly on Windows, and its headphones share the line outputs' feed, so DJ software can't send them a separate cue; that is the 4i4's job. A mixer's RCA outputs need RCA-to-jack cables.
- Best for
- Streaming or recording a DJ mixer's stereo output, or two mics, on a laptop.
- Skip it if
- You need MIDI, more than two inputs, or a separate headphone cue.
What people praise
- Clean, low-noise recordings for the price
- Easy to set up and use
What to know first
- Audio dropouts, crackles or crashes that need a reconnect, mostly on Windows
- Auto Gain sets levels on the low side and needs adjusting
Cueing from a controller with no sound card
Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 (4th Gen)
The 2i2's preamps with four line outputs, MIDI and an independent headphone mix; needs a strong USB-C power source.
Photos: Focusrite Audio Engineering
of 6 reviews recommend itand 45 owner reviews
Choose it over the 2i2 if you DJ in software from a controller with no sound card of its own. DJ software sends the cue to a separate pair of outputs from the master, as Traktor's manual describes for internal mixing mode, and the 4i4's headphone output has its own mix, apart from its four line outputs. It adds two line inputs and MIDI in and out, and comes with a USB-C power adapter, which it may need: reviewers and owners say a weak port or the USB-A adaptor may not run it. Owners also report Windows driver problems that need a reconnect, and inputs 3 and 4 are line-only.
- Best for
- Cueing in DJ software, or recording mics, synths and line sources together.
- Skip it if
- Two inputs and two outputs are enough for you; the 2i2 does that.
What people praise
- Clean, quiet preamps and recordings for the price
- Solid metal build
What to know first
- Windows driver problems, noise or distortion that need a reconnect
- Needs a full USB-C power source; the USB-A adaptor or a weak port may not run it
Also considered
- IK Multimedia iRig Pro Quattro I/O. Digital DJ Tips calls it four devices in one: a four-in, two-out interface, a small line mixer with mic preamps, a MIDI interface and the front end of a field recorder for a phone, tablet or computer, running on batteries, USB or a power supply. The same review says the lack of four line-level inputs and four outputs limits it for DJs. It has no record yet.
- Audient iD14 MKII. The step up from the iD4 MKII, which Bonedo points to for anyone who needs stereo line inputs. It has no product page or record here yet.
How to choose an audio interface
Check what you already own
A DJ controller's sound card drives its master and headphone outputs, and many digital DJ mixers have an interface built in, Digital DJ Tips notes. The Pioneer DJ DJM-250MK2 and DJM-450, for example, both have one. If your gear already does, you may need a separate interface only for streaming or production. What an audio interface does explains the job in more detail.
Count the outputs as well as the inputs
Two outputs feed a pair of speakers. Cueing in DJ software needs a separate feed for your headphones as well, which the 4i4 has and the Solo and 2i2 don't: each has two outputs over USB, shared by its speaker and headphone sockets. The iD4 MKII's two headphone outputs share the speakers' volume control, so they are for two people hearing the same mix, not for cueing. For recording, count the sources you need at once: two line inputs for a stereo feed from a mixer, more if you add a mic.
Turntables need a phono preamp
A turntable's output is at phono level, too weak for an interface's mic, line or instrument inputs, Focusrite explains. Run it through a phono preamp, or a DJ mixer's phono channels, into a pair of line inputs. Some turntables have a phono preamp built in with a line output that plugs straight in. See the best DJ turntables for decks.
Loopback for streaming
Loopback lets your broadcast or recording software capture audio playing on the computer alongside the interface's inputs. All three Scarletts have it, and so does the iD4 MKII. If you stream with a mic as well, the best microphones for streaming and the best mixers for streaming cover the rest of the chain, and livestreaming DJ sets covers the platforms' music rules and setup.
Connections and cables
The Scarletts connect over USB-C and take power from the computer, with a separate USB-C power input on the 2i2 and 4i4 for ports that can't supply enough; the iD4 MKII is bus-powered and needs a USB 3.0 port to run reliably, reviewers and owners say. Their inputs and outputs are 1/4-inch jacks or XLR, so a DJ mixer's RCA outputs need RCA-to-jack cables, while the iRig Stream takes RCA directly; see audio cable types.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the interface with the strongest evidence for its situation. The evidence is what professional reviews conclude and what owners report on retailer sites, compiled for each product, with every source linked on its product page. No interface here was tested in a lab. Prices come from daily tracking across the retailers we link to, and the status beside each one compares today's price with the lowest recorded. The methodology explains the whole process.
