With your primary studio audio interface likely being anything but portable and hooked up to all manner of other hardware, keeping a smaller, more agile alternative in your laptop bag gives you the ability to make professional-standard recordings anywhere you like. Here are some of the best mobile-minded interfaces on the market right now…

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen

Allegedly the biggest-selling range of audio interfaces in the world, Focusrite’s budget-priced Scarlett series has become ubiquitous among ‘content creators’ and music producers alike, and the smallest of them, the Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen, is an affordable high-quality option for recording guitars and vocals on the road.

It couldn’t be any more straightforward, sporting just an XLR mic input (with +48V phantom power), an instrument/line input, stereo quarter-inch monitor outs, a headphone jack, and bus-powered USB-C connectivity. There are a few niceties thrown in for good measure, though, most notably the ISA-emulating Air circuit, which enhances the inputs with added sheen and presence; direct (zero-latency) monitoring; and the Gain Halo meters around the input Gain knobs, which make setting levels a cinch. Recording and playback are at up to 24-bit/192kHz, the preamps are first class, and as a rugged secondary interface for mobile work, the Scarlett Solo makes for a very solid choice, both literally and figuratively.

Audient EVO 4

With its eye-catchingly futuristic aesthetic, this dinky bus-powered USB-C interface has become something of a hit with game streamers, podcasters and musicians since its release in 2020 – and coming from the house of Audient, there’s no questioning its technological pedigree. The EVO 4 ticks the usual 2-in/2-out boxes with combi XLR/quarter-inch inputs and stereo monitor outs on the back, and instrument and headphone jacks on the front, but sets itself apart with its cleverly minimalist control panel and the brilliant Smartgain button, which automatically sets the mic or instrument gain after just a few seconds of input. The software mixer is equally slick, and includes a Loopback function for routing signals directly between applications on your Mac or PC, and the whole package comes together beautifully as an easy-to-use and effective solution for location work.

Arturia MiniFuse 2

You might be wondering why we’ve opted for the second smallest member of Arturia’s MiniFuse family, rather than the even more pocketable 1-in/2-out MiniFuse 1, but the MiniFuse 2 adds MIDI DIN In and Out sockets and a USB-A port for pass-through connection of any other USB device to the host computer, which we reckon are worth the extra outlay and increase in size. Of course, the MiniFuse 2 also expands on the 1 with an extra combi input, for two in total, and these are partnered with stereo main and headphone outputs. Power and data are delivered over USB-C, Loopback recording is on the cards, the casing is supremely sturdy, and the bundled software is a major draw in itself, headline by four full Arturia effects: Rev PLATE-140, Delay TAPE-201, Chorus JUN-6 and PRE 1973.

Sounding fantastic, representing exceptional value for money with those plugins, and raising the versatility bar with its MIDI I/O and USB hubbery, the MiniFuse 2 is a compelling option for the roaming producer.

PreSonus AudioBox iTwo

Like the MiniFuse 2, we’ve opted for the PreSonus’ iTwo here over the smaller iOne, as it includes MIDI In and Out – so if that’s not something you feel the need for, and you’re happy with one mic, one instrument input, a pair of main outs and a headphone jack, the latter is well worth considering instead. The iTwo, however, doesn’t cost a great deal more, and also upgrades the inputs to a pair of combi XLR/jacks, as well as adding a direct monitoring Mix control.

The casing is reassuringly stout, the audio quality is good, and a separate USB-A Device port allows for adaptor-free connection of an iPad (running PreSonus’ Capture 32-track DAW or any other recording App), should that appeal.

Universal Audio Apollo Solo

Originally launched in 2018 as the Arrow, and rebranded in 2020, the Apollo Solo is UA’s smallest and most affordable interface, and – crucially – their only bus-powered one. Connecting via Thunderbolt 3, the Solo hosts two combi mic/line inputs and two quarter-inch outs on the back, and an instrument input and headphones output round the front. Of course, one of the big draws here is the potential to run the company’s vast library of DSP-powered plugin effects (a decent collection of which is bundled in), including those that make use of Unison technology for peerless, ultra-responsive preamp and guitar amp emulation – although with only a single DSP chip onboard, you certainly won’t be turning your DAW into a full-on Neve console with the Solo. For recording away from your main studio setup, though, it’s more than enough to work up and track great guitar tones and vocals.

In every other regard, the Apollo Solo is simply a superb audio interface, with clean and dynamically expansive preamps and converters, powerful and intuitive control/mixer software, and an eminently portable form factor.

RME Babyface Pro FS

RME’s pocket-sized desktop interface is by far the most feature-rich entrant in this particular list, and that’s reflected in its hefty pricetag. The Babyface Pro FS is built like the proverbial brick outhouse and looks awesome, and almost qualifies as excessive in terms of I/O, with paired XLR ins (mic/line) and outs on the back, and the side panels hosting two instrument/line in jacks, separate headphone jack and minijack outs, MIDI I/O (via a breakout cable), and ADAT In and Out. The innards are no less impressive, with the electronic wizardry for which RME are renowned yielding ridiculously low latencies and pristine audio quality.

All that, in conjunction with the super deep Totalmix FX software, makes this an interface that you might well find yourself calling on in the studio as well as out and about. An amazing feat of engineering that delivers everything you could hope for in a small-format audio interface.

Do you use a dedicated audio interface for recording on the move? Tell us about it in the comments.