4 Best Audio Interfaces For GarageBand (Buying Guide)

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So, you are a GarageBand user, and you are in search of some of the best audio interfaces that you can use with it. Well, you are at the right place at the right time!

In this article, I will tell you guys about some of the best audio interfaces that you can use with GarageBand and I’ve included the top four picks, for which I give my assurance that will work perfectly fine because GarageBand surely needs some great audio interfaces to work with!

At the end of this article, you can find the answers to some of the frequently asked questions about GarageBand in general,  and also you will find a buying guide. Anyways, without further ado, let me tell you which are the best audio interfaces for GarageBand!

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Best Budget
Behringer U-PHORIA UM2

Behringer U-PHORIA UM2

10
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Best Value
PreSonus AudioBox iTwo

PreSonus AudioBox iTwo

9
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Best for Integration (Connectivity)
Komplete Audio 6 Mk2

Komplete Audio 6 Mk2

8.5
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Best Overall
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

8.8
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The Top 4 Best Audio Interfaces for GarageBand

4. Behringer U-PHORIA UM2 – Best Budget

I am starting this article by mentioning one of the cheapest audio interfaces that you can find on the market. The brand Behringer is one of the most commonly known for its budget prices, and besides that, its devices are used by many people. Here comes the U-PHORIA UM2 which is the best travel companion with its small body.

The main connectivity that this audio interface uses is a USB, but still, it also owns the XLR input and TRS balanced and unbalanced inputs. It will work great with GarageBand, as it is compatible with Mac in many ways.

For microphones, this usb audio interface owns the famous XENYX Mic preamp which can work with any type of microphone without any inconvenience. This preamp is one of the most commonly used mic preamps in different Behringer devices.

Audiophiles should probably gather around Behringer U-PHORIA UM2 because it knows how to deal with you guys. The sound comes superb, and it brings the best out of lows, mids, and high frequencies of sound in general.

Audio Resolution: 24-Bit/192 kHz

Phantom Power: +48 V

Why Should You Buy It?
Behringer U-PHORIA UM2 is a usb audio interface that has almost everything and yet it comes with a super cheap price tag, and that may be the main reason why one deserves this audio interface.

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3. PreSonus AudioBox iTwo – Best Value

The PreSonus name is one of the most famous and most powerful names in the industry of sound, and it is definitely one of a kind. Here appears PreSonus with an amazing usb audio interface that brings to you guys many important features. There isn’t any design specialty that it has but still, I would like to mention that it is made of metal, and it comes in a very pretty blue color.

The USB connectivity is present here as well, and it is the type of 2.0. PreSonus says that this audio interface has great compatibility with Apple devices, which is a big plus when it comes to using it with GarageBand, and also, you can find outputs that include TRS, and an output for headphones.

When it comes to the usage of a microphone, this usb audio interface doesn’t own one but two inputs for them, and it works with Class A preamps that are dedicated to condenser microphones.

This audio interface helps you provide a great sound quality in a general form. The frequency response that the sound is brought at is from 20Hz to 30kHz. All frequencies, from the lowest to the highest, are brought to you super clearly. It works with any digital audio workstation.

Resolution: 24-bit/96 kHz

Phantom Power: +48 V

Why Should You Buy It?
Quality and quantity combined together are the best things that any device can bring to us, and I am more than proud to say that the famous brand PreSonus has done this in the best way possible. I think that this audio interface is the way to go.

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2. Komplete Audio 6 Mk2 – Best for Integration (Connectivity)

This audio interface comes from Native Instruments which brings some of the greatest audio interfaces that one can find. The Komplete Audio 6 Mk2 is definitely used by many professionals in the world of sound, and it is able to provide you with some amazing features. Even though it isn’t the smallest that you can find, you will notice that it does a great job when it comes to the portability part.

It is the connectivity in which this audio interface is able t shine and does a perfect job! On Komplete Audio 6 Mk2, you can find the main connection which is the USB 2.0, and different types of inputs such as XLR input, TSR, RCA, and MIDI (more related to Android devices).

While we are here, there is an amazing connection with microphones as well, and this audio interface can also be used with different instruments that you may own, and two outputs that are added for headphones.

The sound quality of this audio interface isn’t the best that you will find, but still, it does a decent job while in use and you can work with different things, at different frequencies while using GarageBand.

Audio Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz

Phantom Power: 48 V

Why Should You Buy It?
If you are in need of an audio interface that has immersive connectivity, the Audio 6 Mk2 is definitely one of the best ones out there. It has an impressive connection in many ways and it does the job great with GarageBand.

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1. Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 – Best Overall

I am well aware that you find this portable audio interface from Focusrite in many different articles, as the best overall, but that’s because it is indeed one of the greatest when it comes to different usages. It is a well-built audio interface that can accompany you for a long period of time. 

In order to get connected, this portable audio interface uses a USB-C and which means that it is compatible with different Apple devices that you may use. You can also find two line inputs as well as two TRS balanced outputs. While we are at the output, on this audio interface you also have a headphone output; meaning that you can use headphones easily. 

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 has two preamps, which are reserved for microphones that you may use. As for the DAWs, it is able to perform amazingly with all of them since it is compatible with everything, especially GarageBand. 

If your concern is more about the sound quality that this audio interface has, I would like to say that it is indeed one of the most amazing ones that you can find. Every frequency of sound is brought properly, while the sound’s frequency range is 10Hz – 40kHz.

Audio Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz

Phantom Power: 48V

Why Should You Buy It?
Based on everything that is mentioned, this audio interface has everything that one may need from an audio interface in order to use one with GarageBand. It has two headphone outputs, and each headphone output works well.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is GarageBand?

GarageBand is a type of audio workstation which is found in macOS, iPad, and iOS devices. It allows the users of these devices to create music, podcasts, and any other thing that is related to sound.

It is an Apple workstation that was first launched on January 6, 2004. Since then, it is one of the most powerful workstations, which is used by many people all around the world.

Is GarageBand free?

The answer to this question is one of those that will surprise and please many people. GarageBand, even though a great workstation, is completely free! Anyways, there are some versions of it that may cost you a little money, but the GarageBand itself is free, so no worries.

Can I use GarageBand in Windows?

There are many conspiracies that say that the GarageBand workstation can work on other devices besides the Apple ones but that is completely false. GarageBand isn’t available on other platforms besides the Apple ones

Does any type of audio interface work with GarageBand?

You know that there are many usb audio interfaces that you can find on the nowadays market, and the most important thing is that a big percentage work amazingly with GarageBand. There should be no worries here either.

What are the features that GarageBand offers?

With GarageBand, you can do whatever you want that is related to sound. You can easily record your voice, and record instruments, and you can also use the microphone on your phone.

What it requires is only to play it back on the workstation. Nothing else!


Buying Guide

Here we came at the part in which you guys can find some of the most important factors that you should know before purchasing an audio interface for GarageBand. As you all know, I love to give you some advice on what you should consider! Here goes the buying guide about audio interfaces for GarageBand:

Connectivity and Compatibility

The connectivity of any audio interface and of any other device is one of the things that should definitely be considered and it is one of the most important factors in the buying guide. If we consider audio interfaces for GarageBand, knowing that it is an Apple workstation, you should check whether it can get connected with the Apple device that you are using and basically check if it is compatible with it.

The audio interfaces that I listed above, are all compatible with any type of device.

Inputs and Outputs

Depending on what you will be using with the audio interface that you are about to buy, the inputs and the outputs are some essential things that you should know about. As an example, there are audio interfaces that work with headphones and there are some that don’t and that may be kind of a problem when it comes to the usage.

Quality of Sound

Hence the name, an audio interface is a device that is related to audio or sound in general, and they are basically mostly used in the world of sound. Yet again, knowing how that audio interface will bring the sound to you before buying one is the best thing that a person can do. As I always mention, before finding one you should find out some tests on the world wide web which show how a particular interface delivers sound.

Design and Build

When I mention the design of most audio interfaces I am not really concerned about how beautiful they look. Instead, what I mean is that the audio interface should be compact, and why not be portable so that you can use it wherever you may go.

Price Range

Nobody wants to spend a huge amount of money and that is a fact which is said by many people worldwide. That’s why the price tag that an interface owns is also an important thing that deserves a place in the buying guide. You can notice that they come at different prices and different valued.


Final Words

All the audio interfaces that I mentioned in this article are some of the greatest ones that can be used with GarageBand. However, you can notice by the way that I listed or categorized them how each one comes at you, and in my opinion, it is the easiest way to find the best one.

I really hope that this article will help you find the best audio interface for GarageBand!


Further Reading

Being a professional in audio means that you should know how to advise other people on getting anything, and that’s what I will do right now! I do have some suggestions for you, of course, if your interest is in something else.

We all know how famous is the Shure SM7B and the AT2020 microphone, right? Well, here I would like to introduce you to some of the best audio interfaces for Shure SM7B and audio interfaces for AT2020.

Now, if your concern is related to the device that you are using or want to use, and it is a Chromebook, you can check out the audio interfaces that work amazingly with Chromebooks.

If you know the importance of DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), then you definitely have heard about FL Studio. I can’t help but mention that there are some amazing audio interfaces for FL Studio that you can check out!

Whether you’re looking for information on audio equipment, looking to learn more about how things work in the music field, or looking for reviews of products, we got you covered!

 
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