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Scarlett Solo vs Behringer UMC22 vs M-Track Solo: Three Budget Interfaces Compared

By Mike · Published October 11, 2026

Most first-interface shopping ends up at the same three boxes: the Behringer U-Phoria UMC22 at roughly $40 to $50, the M-Audio M-Track Solo at roughly $50, and the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th gen) at roughly $140. All three give you one mic input, one instrument input, phantom power and a USB connection to your computer. The differences are in the details, and a few of them matter a lot depending on your computer and your microphone.

We already have a UMC22 vs Scarlett Solo comparison and a Scarlett Solo vs M-Track Solo comparison. This page puts all three in one place and ends with a straight answer on which to buy.

The three side by side

(Prices move, so check current listings. Specs come from the Focusrite specification page, the M-Audio M-Track Solo user guide and retailer listings for the UMC22. Where a number isn't published, the table says so rather than guessing.)

What the numbers say, and what they don't

Noise and gain are closer on paper than the price gap suggests. The published noise figures for the M-Track Solo and the Scarlett Solo are within 1 dB of each other, and the gain ranges are within a few dB. Those figures are measured under different test conditions, so don't treat the comparison as precise. The practical takeaway is that the headline spec is not where the money goes. What you pay for with the Scarlett is mostly consistency and drivers, which is where owners tend to report the biggest differences. That last part is our read of owner reports, not a measurement.

The headphone output is not a reason to buy the Scarlett. The M-Track Solo's headphone output is rated at 60 mW per channel into 32 ohms. The Scarlett Solo's is rated at 32 mW into 33 ohms. If you use hard-to-drive headphones, check the rating against your pair, but the cheaper box is not the weaker one here.

The resolution gap is real but rarely audible. The Scarlett records at 24-bit up to 192 kHz. The UMC22 is listed at 16-bit and 48 kHz. For finished music, 48 kHz is the normal delivery rate. The 16-bit versus 24-bit difference matters more in practice: 24-bit gives you more headroom when you set levels conservatively, which is the safest way to avoid clipping a take.

The part that actually separates them: drivers

On a Mac, all three are easy. The M-Audio guide states that no driver installation is needed for class-compliant operation with the M-Track Solo, and the UMC22 and Scarlett Solo both list Mac support.

On Windows, the picture changes. The M-Track Solo needs M-Audio's driver installed before you plug it in, and it then shows up in your recording software as an ASIO device. That works, but it is a step you have to do right. Our UMC22 comparison covers why Windows users on that box tend to end up on a generic workaround. The Scarlett Solo is managed by Focusrite's own software on both platforms, which is the main reason it is the default recommendation for Windows users who don't want to troubleshoot. If you land on the M-Track Solo, our M-Track Solo driver and crackle guide walks through the Windows setup.

Which one to buy

Buy the UMC22 if you are on a Mac, you will use a condenser microphone, and the choice is between this and not recording at all. It is also the right box for a secondary rig or a student setup.

Buy the M-Track Solo if you want the cheap option with a proper, documented Windows driver and you are willing to install it correctly. Its headphone output is rated higher than the Scarlett's.

Buy the Scarlett Solo if you are on Windows and want the least friction, you record quiet sources with a low-output dynamic mic like an SM57 or SM58, or you know you will be doing this for years. Our SM57 vs SM58 guide explains why those mics need clean gain.

Buy none of them if you might record two sources at once within a year, such as vocals and guitar together or two mics on a drum kit. A two-input interface up front costs less than buying a one-input box and replacing it.

What none of them change

Your microphone and your room shape the recording far more than the interface. A $50 interface with a decent mic in a quiet room beats a $140 interface with a bad mic in a noisy one. If you are on a tight budget, spend the difference on the mic, and read our guide to recording vocals in an untreated room and the budget home studio guide for the full picture.