If you are asking, if you spend half as much again as you spent on your synth, on an audio interface, will you get better results? The answers and opinions you get will vary as far and wide as the imagination can imagine... but the truth is the only correct answer is: It depends!

It depends on if you know pretty much what you’re doing. It is not a guarantee that because you have higher spec’d gear you automatically get better results. It is never automatic. And can you hear what is doing what? There is an analog preamp, and a digital converter in play... I’m sure there are golden ears who can immediately know which is contributing what... but most folks cannot.

The MOXF tops out at 44.1kHz, so without getting into comparing brands, you can consider the specification - does recording at 192kHz automatically mean you’ll get a better recording? I know a lot of musicians who go through all that extra effort and expense to do every thing at 192kHz. But at the end of the day they are only certain that they made the effort, and they spent the extra cash to get that feeling that they are doing everything they can to ensure the best sound... (but not one of them is totally confident).

To actually compare the MOXF’s A-to-D to these other devices you’d need to restrict them to 44.1kHz... and at that point, not sure how you’d want to measure the results. Given this will come down some what to the hardware and as much to the Driver.

See, the point I’m making is that it is really “how do I get the best results when recording at home?” It is not how do these compare... you really want to know how to get the absolute best results you can.

The idea that “It must be the shoes...” can only get you so far. ‘Shoes’ being the gear.
If you don’t get that reference, props to Spike Lee, who would, in trying to be like Mike (Michael Jordan) would state that the magic must be the shoes he wears... undoubtedly, the “shoes” are a part of it, but it is experience and talent that are the real contributors to Michael Jordan being “money” when it came to basketball.

Yes higher resolution gear should be a part of it... but it ain’t everything...

Should 192kHz sound better than 44.1kHz? Yes
Does 192kHz always sound better than 44.1kHz? No
Not like 24-bit always sounds better than 16-bit, that difference everyone hears.

Hearing being subjective, we can make the following broad assumptions about average hearing humans:
a change in volume of 1dB is not detectable by all humans.
a change in volume of 2dB is detectable by most humans.
a change in volume of 3dB is detectable by all humans

When it comes largely to frequency response (not Amplitude) then you have far less folks able to appreciate the higher sample rates. Theoretically, you’re on solid ground recording with greater frequency resolution, but at some point only your pets are really appreciating the difference.

My point, (finally), if you are recording music tracks with the MOXF... the built-in Audio Interface via USB (pristine 24-bit/44.1kHz) is excellent, convenient, cost effective method of recording the MOXF synth; you’d be hard pressed to improve on this method of recording the MOXF, it’s D-to-D recording via USB.

If you are thinking using the MOXF A/D Input for recording external analog sources like other keyboards, or microphones, then you are opening a different discussion that, once again “depends”. I don’t know the two specific devices you mention but recognize they are dedicated devices (meaning they don’t have a 128-Note polyphonic Synthesizer attached) so I would assume they have next level Microphone preamps.

Are you likely to hear the difference in Mic preamps versus the difference quality A-to-D?
That’s really the question, n’est pas? You’d need sophisticated measurement devices to tell if the A/D conversion of the RME is better than the Apollo, but likely you’d be able to judge the preamps more subjectively... as preamps can have a “character” (warmth). Where when talking the conversion to digital, words like ‘accurate’ are used, preamps are more personal.

*Experience*, I mention that always because it is the most important thing in all of this... and the reality of it is that there are no shortcuts to experience. Work with what you have... exhaust it. If you don’t get better with each project, then you’re not trying hard enough, not experimenting enough. Improve on the things you can improve upon.

If, for example, you are wishing to use a Microphone for recording vocals. You get one kind of result using a dynamic hand held microphone, you can get an entirely different result using a large diaphragm condenser microphone.

Is one better than the other... you should know by now... “it depends”.

It depends on what you are going for... going for the sound of a band “live” on stage, or trying to create an intimate mood with the vocals?
It’s not always automatically better to use a condenser... some would argue it is, but they are basing that on their own experience. Trust me, there are times when you’d kill for a SM57 (just a flat mic) there are times you want that Neumann warmth... one is never right for every thing.

(Having a great high-end large diaphragm condenser mic without the proper space to use it in would be silly. If you’re converting a corner of your bedroom or garage to be your studio, some times it’s really easy to get ahead of one’s self).

How do you get to know? Experience... so before you spend be sure you exhaust what you have — much can be learned when you have less gear. Some of what you’ll learn will be invaluable experience.

The MOXF does not provide +48V phantom power to condenser mics. If you are ready to move to condenser mics, then you’ll need to spend money... at that point that’s a good reason to purchase an expensive external audio interface...

And at that point *you* can experiment ... conduct your own experiments about which gives you better results. You will undoubtedly learn from the experience of doing it yourself. At that point, you’ll find you can combine items, you can combine methodologies and workflows; knowing to use the best for each situation.

The best advice I can give is in order for experience to be ‘the best teacher’... you actually have to *finish* working on something... and compare results yourself.

Thanks for the question. Hope it helps.

Hello Bad Mister

Great Answer ! Great Advise !
Thank You Very Much 😀
Peter