Spring 2026: The Best I/O for Smaart v9
The market for measurement interfaces is shifting away from bulky all-in-one boxes toward modular, high-speed USB-C and Dante-enabled preamps. It’s a much-needed change that saves us from lugging around unnecessary hardware. Here are my top three picks for the 2026 season.
The Integrated Choice: Audient EVO 8
Still the king for Smaart v9 due to its native gain-tracking integration.
Being able to see your preamp levels directly inside Smaart is a genuine workflow game-changer—it keeps you from faffing about with external knobs when you should be measuring.
The “good” Choice: Anything Focusrite Scarlett
The Focusrite Scarlett is that ubiquitous little red box found in every studio across the land.
The only real downside for Smaart is the lack of gain tracking and that we do not sell these. You have to go to Hans for that … which is not a problem since he is a nice chap and good friend.
The Budget Hero: Audient EVO 4
Remarkably, it’s on par with the EVO 8 despite being the entry-level option.
The prices of these interfaces today feel like mere commodities compared to the small fortunes we had to shell out back in the day..
Smaart is excellent on its own, but most users find they get much more out of it after some structured training. That’s where our seminars come in. At TZ Audio we run practical seminars, both online and in-venue. We offer seminar-only or full “all you need packages” including software & hardware. It’s simply the fastest way to become comfortable and confident with the measuring a sound system.
If you’re in Norway, Sweden, Denmark or Iceland – or elsewhere – we offer is online seminars and traveling to Norway is a valid option too of course. We’re here if you have any questions about the software or upcoming seminars.
Thanks for reading!