There is a whole new class of USB2 interfaces out now shipping beginning October. All have a Blend/Mix or similar knob and promise near-zero latency. Everyone's using the same ICs but the feature list varies.

Focusrite's version is called 3rd Generation and those are the ones you want. Avoid the older ones.

https://focusrite.com/news/introducing-scarlett-3rd-gen

I just bought a Mackie mixer with one of these new interfaces built in and love it. I will probably buy the MOTU M4 for the desktop soon but am waiting for NAMM to see what others are releasing.

The Mix or Blend between input and output plus extremely low latency over USB 2 is the hallmark of all of these from MOTU, Mackie, Native Instruments, Behringer, RME, M-Audio, PreSonus and a few others I'm forgetting. AKG has a new podcasting mic with that interface built in, too. Mackie has desktop boxes and 6–30 channel traditional mixers (mine is a 12).

BTW, USB-C is just a connector. None of these is USB 3 except the PreSonus and none are USB 3.1 or Thunderbolt. Frankly, the round trip is so fast (2.8ms) that USB-2 is fine.

Everyone is coming out with something and the prices are low. It's a buyer's market.


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