Mackie's Mid-range Contender
Priced at $54.95, the Mackie Onyx Artist 1x2 Audio Interface is Mackie's entry in the audio interfaces category. With 797 buyers rating it at 4.5 stars, it currently sits at #15 of 47 in our rankings. It won't beat the top picks on raw rating, but at 39% below the category average price, it has a different value proposition.
Construction & Materials
Construction at $54.95 skews toward functional rather than premium - expect plastic over metal and basic finishing.
By the Spec Sheet
- Brand: Mackie
- Price: $54.95 (well below the $89.70 category average)
- Amazon rating: 4.5 of 5.0
- Reviews: 797
- Category rank: #15 of 47 in audio interfaces
- Cheaper in category: 18 products
- Higher-rated in category: 14 products
- More-reviewed in category: 14 products
What 797 Buyers Say
797 reviews and a 4.5-star average is a strong signal. At this scale, manufactured reviews would have to be unrealistically pervasive to move the score this much, which means the satisfaction is real for the typical buyer.
Cheap vs. Capable
At $54.95, the Mackie Onyx Artist 1x2 Audio Interface sits well below the $89.70 category average. 18 options are cheaper and 28 are more expensive.
The category leader is the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen ($119.99, 4.6★, 34,030 reviews). The Mackie Onyx Artist 1x2 Audio Interface is $65.04 cheaper, which is the main reason to pick it over the leader.
Direct competitors at this price (±25%):
- Behringer UMC22 USB Audio Interface - $52.90, 4.5★ (12,402 reviews) · Roughly comparable
- M-Audio M-Track Solo Audio Interface - $49.00, 4.3★ (7,263 reviews) · Cheaper
- FIFINE AmpliGame SC3 Audio Mixer - $49.99, 4.4★ (4,167 reviews) · Roughly comparable
If rating alone is your filter, the highest-rated option in this category is the Elgato Wave XLR MK.2 Audio Interface at 5.0★. If pure price is the filter, the cheapest is the QianLink USB to 3.5mm Audio Adapter 2-Pack at $4.99.
Is It For You?
Yes - high rating, below-average price, healthy review volume. The Mackie Onyx Artist 1x2 Audio Interface is the kind of choice that's hard to regret. The only reason to skip it is if a specific feature you need is missing.
Best fit for:
- Budget shoppers who want functional audio interfaces without overspending
- Quality-first buyers who prioritize a track record of satisfaction over saving a few dollars
Wrap-Up
8.3/10
Not a top-tier rank, but the price-to-rating combo is genuinely good. A reasonable choice if the top picks don't fit your budget.