Steve Johnson shared his experience with Studiologic SL73 Mk2 and its built-in Audio Interface.
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Wondering how the built-in audio interface on the Studiologic SL73 Mk2 holds up in real-world use?
→ I ran some tests today and compared it to my MOTU Ultralite Mk5. Here’s what I found — including what works, what doesn’t, and whether it’s gig-worthy.
A few folks have asked about the built-in audio interface on the Studiologic SL73 Mk2. I ran some tests today and wanted to share my impressions.
First, some level-setting: this isn’t a high-end interface. It’s a functional, likely consumer-grade feature — designed more for convenience than for pristine audio quality. Perfectly fine for lightweight use, but don’t expect the kind of performance you’d get from a dedicated, professional-grade audio interface.
For comparison, my primary interface is the MOTU Ultralite Mk5, which uses the ESS Sabre32 ES9026PRO DAC — a premium chip known for excellent dynamic range, ultra-low distortion, and crystal-clear transparency. It delivers 125 dB dynamic range and -114 dB THD+N. MOTU claims it can run a 32-sample buffer at 96kHz with round-trip latency of just 2.4 ms. The Ultralite Mk5 alone costs more than the entire SL73 Mk2 keyboard.
The SL73 Mk2’s built-in audio interface, by contrast:
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Has no published specs or DAC info from Studiologic.
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Based on user reports and teardown hints, it likely uses a generic USB audio codec (possibly from Texas Instruments, Realtek, or C-Media), similar to what you’d find in budget interfaces or built-in laptop soundcards.
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Supports standard 44.1/48 kHz sample rates, probably 16/24-bit depth, and has minimal analog stage quality — suitable for monitoring or casual use, but not on par with a high-end unit.
So how does it perform?
I tested it in Gig Performer at 48kHz with various buffer sizes. Here’s what I found:
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Stable down to a 64-sample buffer (1.3 ms) — impressive!
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32- and 16-sample buffers caused clicks and dropouts — not usable.
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Output level is lower than the Ultralite Mk5, which has stronger gain staging via MOTU’s CueMix software.
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Sonically, it lacks the clarity, openness, and transparency of the Ultralite — but if you didn’t have a reference to compare, you might not even notice. It’s perfectly listenable.
One quirk: changing the buffer size occasionally caused the SL73 to lock up, requiring a quick power cycle to reset. Not a dealbreaker — in live use, you wouldn’t be adjusting buffer sizes on the fly anyway.
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Conclusion
The SL73 Mk2’s audio interface is totally usable for non-demanding gigs. It’s not stellar, but it gets the job done — especially when convenience matters more than absolute fidelity.
I wouldn’t use it for serious recording or high-stakes performances. But for a quick, low-key gig where I just want to bring the SL73, a MacBook, and a USB cable? Absolutely.
In fact, I plan to do exactly that next Wednesday at the biweekly jazz jam I host. With Gig Performer running PianoTeq’s acoustic and Rhodes models, the sound is great, and at 24.7 lbs and only 41" wide, the SL73 is a welcome relief compared to lugging my 38.5 lb Yamaha CP4.
I hope you found this to be helpful and informative!
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