Best Usb Audio Interface For Guitar (2024 Update)

Needed new PC audio interface as my Echo firewire and Windows 10 were no longer working together. First tried Behringer UMC204HD. Drivers worked great but noticed that my musical keyboard would clip/distort at low volume levels. Never had that problem with ECHO firewire AUDIOFIRE4. Second try was this MOTU M2 USB interface purchased March 33 2022. Noticed immediately that keyboard could go much higher in volume without clipping. Sound was clear and love *LOVE* full color meters vice clipping lights found on other audio interfaces in this price range. I like MOTU M2 much better than Behringer (no clipping issues and full range low noise sound). I liked ECHO firewire the best of the three because the output volume was greater with no clipping and very clear. But Windows seems to have said goodbye to firewire support. MOTU is best USB so far for me.Chuckiep

I wanted to upgrade my PC sound card, but still wanted to squeeze the maximum quality from my music collection. Although there are high quality sound cards on the market, I decided to look at outboard USB DAC’s. I looked at a number of USB interfaces, but after looking at a number of manufacturers, I whittled it down to either the MOTU M2 or M4. I eventually decided on the M4 as it had all the in’s and out’s at the rear. Having worked in broadcasting for forty years, I have to honestly say the analog output is, well, brilliant. One of the things that drew me to MOTU was the ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC‘s. For the price, the quality of build and DAC quality it is the best I have ever heard. The detail and stereo imagery is first-class. I am now hearing detail that I was not hearing with my PC DAC. I cannot recommend the MOTU M4 enough.Mr G.

This has the makings of a really excellent box. The features, display, and specs are all great on paper. However, it is not compatible with the Gigabyte Aero 15 laptop with i9 10980HK processors, 64GB RAM, and Windows 11 Pro I was pairing it with. I encountered serious and debilitating audio artifacts and the diagnostics in the M-series app returned, The computer's USB host controller has dropped audio. While MOTU provided excellent support, after following all the advice including re-flashing the bios on the laptop, all remedies failed. If they do something to make it work with a high-end Windows workstation like this, it will be an awesome product. For now, it's useless to me. LBLindsay

Nice preamps, lovely valve guitar modelling, really satisfying to use. Customer support from Audient is also excellent. Docked one point as could do with more presets in standalone mode. Also my unit required a firmware update upon arrival.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

It is without a doubt the best you can buy at this price point, it has more features than anything else on the market. It has professional grade audient pre amps, it's expandable up to 10 inputs, it's a reamp box, a tube pre amp, it can record and playback at 96k, it's built like a tank AND it comes with some of the best amp simulation software on the market. You can save your favourite cabinets into the device so you don't even have to touch your computer at all and it has onboard DSP so you can work latency free. Not only that but it works stand alone without a daw so you can essentially use this as a pedal. Its also has a hidden feature, it a class compliant device so it works with android and iOS. Do yourself a favour and get one. This thing is a beast!sk8r3397

Took some time to set up and understand but what a piece of kit ! Very good modelling options, Room variants are brilliant. Inspiring…Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

1. You cannot use it in standalone mode, so computer is always required (It will not take power from USB power supply). This become a problem when I was trying to feed output to the camera which is connected by USB to the same computer. It creates vary bad case of ground loop. 2. It is not going to give you good sound on high impedance headphones. My Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm work, but have weak low freq. 3. Preamp for dynamic mic might be noisy. I am using Rode PodMic and for effective gain I am on edge of introducing noise. You may need to use something like Cloudlifter ($150) depends on your gain requirements.Roman

This audio interface was easy to set up and came with a lot of really cool free software. It’s pretty simple but does great for what it was designed for. I’d give it an A+ If you’re using it for a pod cast or recording instrument/vocals. I personally got this and a cloudlifter for my sm7b. The Scarlett 2i2 gen 3 does not provide enough gain for my specific mic and a cloud lifter was needed. If you’re looking at this for a twitch style streaming set up, it works as an interface, but I would recommend for around same price to get a goxlr mini. You gain more features like separate controls for chat/game/discord with the sliders and the goxlr mini has enough preamp power that you don’t need a cloud lifter for mics like the popular sm7b. Pro: * Gen 3 comes with a usb-c connector on the back. Very nice as most devices are moving from usb a+micro into a more standardized usb-c. * comes with great free DAW in form of ableton live lite. Comes with a a suite of other free software but this one was nice enough to highlight. * quality metal build * simple and intuitive!Cheddarsharp

I replaced my 2nd generation Scarlett 2i2 with the 3rd generation 4i4. I was a bit skeptical of the software application required to set the inputs to line/instrument, but it turned out to be fairly intuitive. The unit comes with a pad and air feature. Pad is self explanatory (gain reduction for loud recordings), the air setting is supposed to model some classic microphone preamp or something to that effect. I'm not totally sure what the difference is, but I've left the Air feature on anyways while recording and I've been pleased with the results, how much of that satisfaction is a result of the Air setting is hard to say since I haven't actually done any objective testing but it certainly doesn't seem to hurt anything by having it on. Initially, when I got the hardware going on my iMac I experienced significant lag while using Logic at various times, particularly when I was trying to copy logic drum tracks or expand the timeline but also while trying to do basic functions as well. I was concerned that I would have to get more RAM for my Mac which is problematic because the model I have makes it both difficult and expensive to increase RAM. However, after a few repeated uses the issue seems to have subsided, so I don't really know what that was about or whether the change in hardware even had anything to do with it, however it definitely was not an issue while I used my 2i2 so it's something to consider. I mainly upgraded because I wanted to start using midi with my electronic drum kit and that was basically as easy as plug and play (aside from a couple added steps in Logic which didn't have anything to do with the 4i4). However, for some reason the midi tracks seem to cause Logic to experience errors during playback when I close and then reopen a project. Again, can't say that this is a result of the 4i4 but I've been able to resolve the issue by simply quitting Logic entirely before reopening a project which isn't much of an inconvenience at all.Kab

The pre-amp for the mic input tames a tube amp well enough to pull off serviceable vocals. This is also great for getting quick ideas down on an iPad. It's built like a tank.Keebler

I use Garageband for making beats on my MacBook and wanted to get a dedicated recording interface. I was looking for something inexpensive that would also work with my iPAD. I also wanted something simple that I could use with a MIC and guitar. After doing some research, I was told I should consider the Audiobox series from PreSonus, or the UR series from Steinberg. I was on a low budget, so the ninety-nine bux for the UR12 is what I went with. Overall, I am very happy with the UR12, it is built like a talk, works with both my laptop and iPAD and it came with a free copy of Cubase AI. I'm able to easily control the volume of my SHURE mic and my Ibanez electric guitar with no problems at all. I didn't notice that there isn't a separate knob for the headphones, but that's not a deal breaker for me since my powered speakers have volume controls right on the front of them. I mean for only ninety-nine bux , this unit does do a lot. I was kinda surpassed reading the previous review on the UR12 because for only fifty bux more, he should have considered the UR22. I did my research before I bought this item, so I knew it had all the features I needed. If it turns out I don't like it, MF has a good return policy. But so far, I'm a happy camper with the UR12!OompaLoompa44

A very good buy indeed. Works brilliantly when loan the driver from the manufacturers website. If wanna simple card for computer and sound up to standard this is very good. Output inputs are nice with RCA connection and for headphones there is an optional connection. Volume nod is great and cool. I dont record any with this but for me the sound side to my computer was the very need. Led lights are very static and cool too. Me like much!!!Sinfonius

I had M-Audio interface before after about 7 years it just stop working on me. They're so many interface's out there to choose from. You can go to YouTube and get your mind overloaded when looking. So One day I look on AMS and saw the new M-Audio Line and because I ready use it before and whenever I had a issue with the product they're Tech-support and customer service was great. That's another reason why I pick this M-Audio. There is three things that I dislike about this product that you may not know about.If you never used Pro-Tools it has a learning curve and if you already have plug-ins that you love work with all the time.They will not work with pro tool first. If you would like to get plug-ins my understand they're subscription base plug-ins. And you will not be able to share your project with another producer so you can work on the project together you can not do it in Pro-Tool first. you have to buy the full Pro-Tools or pay for the monthly or yearly subscription. Other that that for what I need it for my production work it's great.Davell B

This is a solid interface for my home studio. I use it to record Guitar, bass, vocals through an MXL990 (has phantom power). I also use the MXL above/behind drums to nicely capture cymbals, while also placing a mic on the bass drum. Not the best setup for drums, so I'll be looking into a larger unit with more inputs. The downside is that I most often have to set the preamp levels between 4-5 to avoid clipping, but the recordings are loud and clear on each track. I'm currently using PreSonus Studio One, but have also used Ableton Live, so this interface works well with multiple software packages. I haven't connected any midi devices yet, so I have nothing to add there. The headphone connection and volume control work as they should.Dambro

I bought the Rode AI-1 for my mic setup about a year ago. I was surprised at how well built (Materials and overall feel) the unit was for the price. It's a simple piece that in my opinion is a great long term investment from a trusty brand. I'm pretty tough on products I buy and I wish I could give it some sort of negative feedback but genuinely, it's so simple and well built I can't. I've paired it with the RODE Procaster Broadcast Quality Dynamic Microphone and a mixer. Great setup with pristine sound.James H.

Taking the product out of its packaging, I was immediately impressed by how dense a lump it is. It feels very solid and well made. I bought this to have a high quality headphone output with manual volume control, plus the ability to hook up the XLR microphones I already have to my computer. At both of these functions it works perfectly. Very happy with this purchase.William

The AI-1 integrated with my Mac set up seamlessly. Unlike some older devices (such as the FastTrack Pro I upgraded from), the AI-1 can be control with the Mac OS X audio controls on your keyboard. The headphone amplifier works really well and the mic/quarter inch input delivers really high quality sound for home music recordings (using Logic Pro), podcast recordings and more recently Zoom calls. I don't like desk clutter and this device is about the size of an Apple TV and connects through one cable which I run through my external monitor. One issue that the upgrade to Mac OS X Catalina fixed was that I would have to unplug and plug back in the audio interface, so my computer didn't automatically use my external monitor's audio. However, that is no longer an issue. Another small issue, that seemed to be fixed with the upgrade to Catalina, was that I would hear a very faint radio signal in my headphones, but it didn't impact my recordings at all. Finally, I have this AI-1 connected to a pair of JBL monitor speakers through the balanced line outs on the back of the unit. The audio output is incredible. If you're looking for a minimalist, high-quality USB audio interface, the AI-1 is an excellent choice.Krishnan

Stereo recordings work great! After installing the updated drivers and a reboot. I tested it with the NCH WavePad Sound Editor app to verify that it could actually record in stereo and it passed with flying colors. I could see that the right and left sound recording level bars work independently from each other. The 2i2 was connected to a headphone jack by using a 1/8 inch TRS Stereo to Dual 1/4 inch TS Mono Y-Splitter Cable. Found the stereo setting in Windows 10 under the "device properties / additional device settings / advanced tab. Changed the sample rate drop down menu to "2 channel, 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD quality)" So cool!turns2gold

First off, I'm mainly using this to (phantom) power my AT-2020 for voice chat with the occasional music recording. For the most part this thing works great. The drivers were easy to install and using the unit is easy to use. I do have a very strange problem though and it is due to static and popping cropping up when using the mic after a few hours. I am unsure of whether this is a power issue with my USB port or a software glitch. I originally found people having issues with this and they fixed it by upping the buffer with the ASIO software–default is 128–I tried this and for some reason the higher the buffer, the more it popped and static'd. What's really weird is lowering the buffer to 16 reduces the popping and static for a few hours before it happens again. I am by no means very knowledgeable with audio interfaces and I could be doing something wrong, but this has been quite an annoyance. Otherwise, the unit is great and I love it.Hunter

I've owned the 2i2 for a few years now. It works fine for my purposes, but I wish it had some different features. I'm actually not a huge fan of the volume knobs for each channel. Personally I like to have ALL settings for a certain microphone for example built into an instrument in your music software. Having a physical knob just unnecessarily adds something that can easily be taken into account in the software. I'm also not a fan of connectors on the front. I wish everything was in the back to make it look "cleaner". This isn't really a major issue but I wonder why so many audio interfaces are designed this way. I can understand a headphone jack being in the front obviously but connections for XLR cables should be in the back in my opinion. Besides these few features I wish were changed, not much else to say. It works fine. I have noticed latency in some situations, but, to be fair, I'm not certain if the audio interface itself is causing this. It may just be my computer running slowly. Restarting the software usually fixes latency issues. For the price and compactness, it is hard to beat this audio interface.Peter

I am using the UMC202HD to digitise my vinyl collection. I have a Rega planar 3 turntable with an Elyse 2 cartridge. I use RCA to XLR connections. The Elyse cartridge is a MM with an output , I think, of 7mV. This drives the 202 quite adequately through the USB to my MacBook and into Audacity for recording. I was concerned about RIAA equalisation but i think I am correcting this in the Audacity software. I have to turn the gain up on the 202 but it doesn't seem a problem. I am very happy with the outcome.Robert R.

https://youtu.be/ck7zqcA6kbo that is what I recorded and wrote yesterday with it. I am not a good singer so I spoke. there are 15 orchestral tracks. and the BENEVOLENT TILLER CREW band. thats all 3 of me, myself and I because I can't find anyone around here who play an instrument. You can hear it works quite well. there is a little noise at the start. that is because the wiring on the house needs attention. not the unit itself.Ian M.

I'm an aspiring podcaster and for that purpose I have purchased the Rodecaster Pro, which is a fantastic device that is pretty much purpose built for podcasting, streaming and the like. The RCP was also my interface, which it did a fine job of, but it is kind of big and cumbersome to set up for small jobs. No, I don't have dedicated space for my whole podcast setup and everything else. I wanted to have something that was small, quick and easy available for those times where I just need to get my voice or some musical idea into the computer and have some hope of it sounding decent. I wanted to be in the $150 price range and know that for that amount, maybe just a few dollars more, there are a wealth of offerings, and some are better than others, but I went with the EVO4 based on the myriad of favorable reviews on YouTube as well as the price, $130. (Throw in the fact that the interface that I REALLY wanted wasn't available anywhere!) I haven't done a lot with it yet; ran some bass and guitar through it into Logic Pro X as well as recorded with several different mics into several different DAWs and everything seemed to work quite nicely. Setup was pretty easy and configuring a DAW to see this device shouldn't be a problem, I was recording something within 5 minutes of the FedEx guy handing this to me…and I definitely don't know this stuff very well, so good job for simplicity! Some find that the preamps are maybe just a bit underpowered, and yes, they are that, but they are certainly clean. I plugged my SM7B into this and though I had to wind the gain all the way up, I was still able to come up with a useful recording. I think when recording with the 7B in the future I'll probably use a FetHead, though most of the reviews I read said that isn't necessary. Like with any new piece of equipment, there is a feeling out process, so we are still getting to know each other. Loopback is a feather that I haven't yet explored. It looks like it could be cool and useful, but I don't know if that is what I will be using this for. Some aren't crazy about the UI on the EVO4, several different mode buttons and a big knob in the middle that has different functionality for each different mode. It may take some getting used to, but since I didn't have to unlearn anything, I got it pretty quickly. The only knock on this device is the build quality. This was a common concern with all of the reviews I read. The device is made of plastic, which feels reasonably rugged, but at the same time feels budget; the plastic is kind of squishy and the seams are not as clean as they could be. Some reviewers were able to pop the top off just by squeezing. This won't be a concern in my use case, but this is a small little piece of kit, ideal for tossing in a bag with your laptop and other gear for recording anywhere (anywhere your laptop works anyway…-so be mindful of that, it might get banged around after a while. I'm sure if they spend an extra few $ on production for beefier preamps and a more solid housing, this could easily be $30-$50 more expensive, so it's a trade off. The bottom line for me is that the device meets my needs and expectations. It has simple setup and ease of use. The features are ample for something in this price range. I don't know how much I will find myself using the Smart Gain feature, but it is kind of cool to check my settings against that sometimes. The USB-C bus power is pretty handy and lends to portability, but again, the build quality might be a problem if this device is going to put in many hard road miles. This probably isn't going to be the device anyone will use to create their next hit record, but it is certainly sufficient to jot down those ideas for that new record! I'm happy with this product and my purchase.Eric

This interface fulfills all my needs (I bought it to do a podcast). Is portable, easy to operate, and it has plenty of features but something is bugging me… when I plug my headphones there's a high inconstant pitch noise. This sound doesn't seem to register in my recordings but it renders direct monitoring useless. I tried everything I can to fix it: changed cables, computer, proximity to my phone (phone signal interference causes weird noises so keep your phone away from it!), possible LED lights, reinstalled drivers… EVERYTHING. Hopefully is a defective unit (fingers crossed). I already submited my RMA request to get a new unit. Still no response. I will update this review once I receive a new one. My advice: run a couple of test with yours and let us know if you experienced this issue too.Gabriel

I got it to transfer vinyl albums to CD and it's done a good job, along with audacity software, which you have to download I might add. Would have given 5 stars but haven't found the "huge" bundle of included software that's advertised, unless it's in the audacity software itself. Not sure about those "hundreds" of instruments, haven't found those. As for the audacity download, it's an old version, which seems to be ok, but I uninstalled that and went to the audacity sight and downloaded the newest version which is what I'm using now. On the upside, I'm glad to now have a way of recording my own music, guitar and keyboards, as well as my original intent which was transferring vinyl to digital. By the way, the inputs and outputs are 1/8" RCA, in case you were wondering if they were 1/8" or 1/4". The audacity software is great in my opinion. You can make really nice crystal clear CD's if you use the tools, just google for instructions on the various tools for noise and crackle reduction, compression etc.Star Gazer.

At 3 inches by 2 inches the UCA222 is a compact interface that does exactly what I want it to do — make possible a high quality digital audio signal from my computer to my powered speakers. Apple used to make possible a direct Toslink connection between computer and speakers, and I was disappointed to find that they took that feature out of the 2019 iMac. I used Bluetooth to connect for a while, but there was always a lag at the start of an audio stream. With this little Behringer device, I have USB to optical digital cable out and straight to my speakers. Best of all, it is very reasonably priced.bdw112358

The reason I would not recommend to a friend is because most of my friends probably could not get this puppy to work in a week or a year. It is not exactly plug and play as one might expect. As it turns out the UCA202 does not come with any owner manual or much help for setting up and using it for that matter. And it was not easy to get it to work correctly either (at least not in my case). In my case all I really wanted to do was to simply capture some good old analog output from about 50 of my old 33 rpm LP records, via my good old turntable, pipe it through my stereo amp and on out to the UAC202 which would, supposedly, convert the signal in stereo (two channels) and output it via the USB connector to the PC when running the correct software to capture said inputs and save them, eventually, as a .WAV file, etc. That was the goal. Getting it done, however, was not a piece of cake, as advertised. For openers, the signal piped in to the PC via the USB was completely distorted because my basic receiver/amp boosted it too much. It apparently overpowered the UCA202 which then sent a distorted signal to the PC. As a result I thought I set things up wrong and uninstalled all the software and started scratching my head and spending hours searching the web for clues and answers. Finally, after a bunch of trial and error, a light went on in my head and I managed to re-install the following software and re-route the turntable output via a different path on the stereo system and managed to get things working OK. Read on… To make it work via my HP Pavilion G6 laptop (the only PC I could easily move next to my stereo and turntable in order to hook things up… and, BTW, you better have some long stereo connector cables handy as well… also not supplied) I finally figured out which driver to download and install and how to setup and configure the correct audio capturing/editing software; i.e. a copy of Audacity in my case… which seemed to be the easiest one of the bunch to learn to use, etc. First, I suggest going here… http://www.behringer.com/EN/Category/Recording.aspx?s=R200. From there click on the UAC202 image which will take you here… http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UCA202.aspx Then click on the Downloads tab. From there select, download and install a copy of the driver and a copy of the Audacity program; depending on type of PC you have. Install the driver first. Then the Audacity audio capture/editing software. But, keep in mind that you will also need to run Audacity with the UCA202 totally hooked up as well (it must get its power by plugging in the USB connector which should also let your PC, and the driver, etc., know it is alive and ready to tap into for a signal) and that you must, initially, go into FILE + PREFERRENCES (when running Audacity anyway) and select the correct input device via the Audio I/O tab and the Recording drop down options. You will probably want to also select the Directories tab and supply a place for temp files to be stored which you can easily final later… keep reading… Once you correctly configure the Audacity program (and the driver is correctly installed) then your next problem will be to figure out how to LOWER the volume, or signal power, of the signal coming into and passing through the UCA202 before the capture program gets it. Good luck with that. If you have an equalizer or some other way to control the signal, fine. But, in my case, I ended up having to route the signal through my good old reel to reel tape deck (if I did not have this I would have been returning the UCA202 for sure) and from there to the UCA202 because that was the only piece of equipment I had which gave me a way to reduce the volume level of the turntable output before sending it to the UCA202. By dialing down the volume to about 1/3 of what was coming from the turntable and receiver/amp I was finally able to capture a decent recording w/o any overloaded distortion. Now, one more thing. The Audacity program, once set up and working correctly, is pretty slick and easy to use for both capture and editing. HOWEVER, I found that it often dies after capturing a song/cut, or an entire set of songs/cuts into memory. VERY frustrating. You can click on Record and capture 30 minutes of audio data and then, when you hit Stop, the program promptly dies for no known reason. 30 minutes wasted. And it leaves all the recording files on the target temp folder… so you better know where it is so you can manually delete them, stop the program, start it again (to free up any memory or errors) and try, try again… even though the program will let you know if you have old temp files… etc… etc… I found that the program fails like this about 10% of the time. Long story short… When Audacity works and all is configured and wired and set up correctly it will (maybe) function without any distortion and it is actually quite fun to use. But 10% of the time you better count on performing a redo.TMIAmericaOnYouTube

This newest version of the top of the Scarlett range is an excellent sounding interface with a ton of I/O available. The unit itself is beautiful to look at, and the setup is quite easy. In use I found the 18i20 to be mostly self explanatory, things seem to work as they should. In addition to the Focusrite Control software there are also iOS versions that work with iPhone and iPad.Audio quality is very good for the price point. Clean and very usable for professional work, although not up to the level of "esoteric" converters that cost much more. I'm using my 18i20 as a bridge between some older Apogee converters and my computer, for audio playback from my computer, and quick and easy recordings on it's own. It's a versatile and thoroughly modern unit.My only gripe with the 18i20 is that there is no output metering on the front of the unit, only input metering. Perhaps there is a way to switch the metering to output, but I haven't found it yet. There is metering in the control software, but I would like to see it on the front of the hardware.Other than that issue I find this to be a well designed interface with a useful feature set. The two headphone outputs are very welcome as well. I'm definitely pleased with my 18i20. ProAudioStar provided great service at a great price and got this to me very quickly–especially considering the lockdown we are all going through right now. Much appreciated.sonicalbert

This interface is lovely, software is intuitive and easy to access. Would give 5 stars if it had DC coupled outputs. For the money, I can't imagine doing much better if you have a lot of instruments and require lots of audio routing. If you are looking to interface with Eurorack or other systems that use cv/gate input/ouput, maybe look at MOTU units. ADAT i/o's work seamlessly with many ADAT expansion units. Build quality is solid, sounds fantastic and looks real nice. Overall, highly recommended unit. Hope to see DC coupled outputs in future units, its a must in my opinion, and wish more companies would realize this (Do this Focusrite, and you got the best interface on the market and 5 stars from me).MB

I have to admit I have been out of the game for a few years. Decided to pull out the old gear and a few things weren't compatible with the new software on my computer. So I got some advice from a super knowledgable tech on the at their call center. He recommended this and I must say it was plug and play essentially and very versatile. What a nice treat to come back with easy to operate hardware. I like the number of ins and outs and the ease of use and the talkback mic button, yeah don't forget about that feature. I can even use my ipad as the controller so that I don't have to be right at the computer or hardware. I mean overall this is fast and clean and its red!!! I always have loved a sexy red head… I mean red audio component.Joe K.

I got this interface because it was compact, affordable, and offered great speed with USB 3.0. However, the Yamaha Steinberg driver that it uses is a total disaster. It has an incompatibility with my chipset (Windows 10 with an AMD ryzen cpu) that makes the USB 3.0 functionality completely unusable. Very frustrating. I have also heard that the Yamaha driver causes other windows to have issues when using certain DAWs. It is really frustrating because I love the device itself and it's design. If you are going to put all this effort in on the hardware, make sure you have the software to go with it. Feels like wasted potential.Jeff

Integrates well with Cubase but not a requirement. Great bargain and a ton of power with a small footprint. Of course the limitation is two inputs, but sometimes depending on application that is enough. Good sounding with quality preamps and zero-latency monitoring of input signals. Cubase AI comes free with it and is also very powerful, although it's a bit complicated to set up. User just needs to be patient and follow the instructions. MacPro Video offers some very good instruction at a reasonable cost, but there are other instructional videos out there that are free via YouTube. Be willing to start off slow and you should have little or no problems.dpuc_0

Looked for what seemed like ages for a confirmed working and decent quality audio interface for the usb c ipad pros. A lot of manufacturers are pretty non-committal. Paired it with a usb c hub and everything works immediately and well. High quality hardware, great sounding pre and latency is not to be found of any concern. If you are looking to make music on the ipad pro with a usb c then this is a viable option to consider. Works with garageband too with no issues. Comes with some software but not worth trading garageband for. I did not buy the 50 buck version of their app. Maybe better?KC

Compact solid unit. Well designed and made. Great provision of inputs and outputs. Sits on the desk nicely alongside the computer. Really good price with masses of usable software. Be aware the software is a mixed blessing. There is so much it is tedious to download. I am really happy. It can do much more but I just wanted it for basic multi-track recording at the work desk.Geoff F.

My application is a dedicated MIDI/audio interface for a VirTual Theater Pipe organ. A MIDIfied console from an actual 1920's Theater pipe organ drives a complex MIDI switching system which in turn drives a sample player. MIDI information is transferred to and from the console, utilizing the USB 96. The audio from the sample player is also output to reverb and power amps via the USB 96, so it has a lot of work to do. The USB 96 never misses a beat with 8-channel two-way MIDI as well a very clean audio stream duplicating all the complexities of a WurliTzer theater organ. The unit replaces both a MidMan Anniversary 2 x 2 which would occasionally give MIDI glitches and a Creative Labs sound card, a necessary move when organ operations were transferred from a desktop to a laptop and from Win7 to Win10. Installation was seamless, and the unit performs perfectly in its application. It works so well, I got a second one for music production on my DAW, which is also used for sample processing for the organ. These devices are rock solid.Les

This is definitely not for beginners or those who are not skilled at technology. I have spent hours trying to get this to work and am still not there. I called Eat my Beats and they referred me to the Presonus company who do not answer calls or return calls so you are on your own with this. A friend who took a college sound class told me it took him 3 weeks to get this to work for him. He wasn't able to help me with mine sadly. It appears that the Studio One DAW that comes with this can do many things which keeps me plugging away. I have until January 12 to return and I may do that yet if others who do sound recordings can't help me get this going. So just beware, if you want to plug it in and start recording right away it won't happen. So far I'm very disappointed.Pat

Fantastic Value – ASIO driver for Win10 easy to install. "Problems" folks are experiencing are due to windows system configuration settings, and are easily "fixed". Great sound quality; I use this as an alternative digital audio interface with a Traktor S2 MK3 controller as an ultra compact mobile DJ setup. Very modular and extremely easy to use! USB-Bus powered is a HUGE plus; no additional power adapters necessary – 1 USB cable only! Great for live streaming/broadcasts as well! – See settings for getting the CUE & Headphone buttons to work with your controller & Live Broadcast: – Using Traktor Pro 3 & OBS Broadcasting software (Opensource Freeware) – In Traktor: Set your MASTER audio output to channels 3&4 – MONO – Set monitors to channels 1&2 – MONO – Set Microphone input to channel 1 On the unit-Cables: – TRS out [Channel 3] to your PA System or external mixer – TRS Out [Channel 4] to the front, channel 2 Input – Microphone input to channel 1 – Plug headphones into headphone jack. Settings on device: – Control input levels for your microphone and input for stream by adjusting the gain knobs (Microphone input 1 will likely be set close to MAX, input 2 will likely be set lower – watch the meter on the top of the unit to avoid clipping!) –SET ALL SWITCHES on the front of the unit to the far-left position: – Both input switches to "LINE" – Switch to MONO – Input switch to 1/2 Set input knob far-right to HOST Set large volume on the top of the unit to the MINIMUM setting – Control your MAX output volume on your pa mixer / external mixer – Adjust your broadcast audio levels in your broadcast software (OBS) FANTASTIC Product! – Also works great as a midi interface – VERY SATISFIED!John Danger.us

I choose this interface because I thought I wouldn't outgrow it. The available recording quality is high, and it came with a solid selection of software. I got it when it came with a Guitar Rig Pro, which was a huge bonus. I considered all of the typical budget interfaces and settled on this one because of the variety of inputs/outputs, large volume knob, meters rather than single light, and direct/host adjustment for monitoring. The reviews and YouTube videos convinced me it would be a solid choice for what I wanted – an intro level interface that I wouldn't quickly outgrow. I might have purchased something else if not for the Guitar Rig Pro offer, but I'm really happy with what I got. Important points that I didn't see elsewhere: This has an ASIO driver for Windows so you don't have to use ASIO4All (major plus). Be prepared to tweak settings to get rid of pops/crackles (do research, close everything else, consider saving to a hard drive that doesn't house your OS, might have to be external if you have a laptop). Make sure you are using the right option when you download software (the MK2 option) and upgrade the firmware when you get it. I've had it about a month, and it's a good fit for what I wanted. A bit more than a pure intro level interface that is relatively easy to use. I would not recommend this to someone brand new to recording (the 1 or 2 would like suffice of this brand or one of the others in that 100-150 price range) just because it's likely a bit more than needed. Happy with the purchase and service. Note: 5/5 based on meeting expectations, being a good value, and having good sound quality for an interface for someone looking to get more into recording.LesPaulWoman

I’m a newbie when it comes to audio interfaces, but this is so much better than my PC’s onboard sound. Recording quality using my MXL 770 mic is excellent, low noise and really low overall latency. I’ve had the ASIO buffer as low as 64 samples (2.5 to 3ms) on my 10 year old desktop PC and not had any issues. I like the form factor too, it’s really handing sat on my desk. The volume knob is easily accessible and the other controls feel solid too. I really enjoy the direct monitoring, not from a latency issue as I don’t really notice it much, but from a “conference call perspective” – when on headphones it’s really nice mixing your own voice with everyone else’s when having a group chat. It’s like all being in the same room and feels like the headphones disappear. The free software is nice too, new toy syndrome I know, but I love the reverb plugin! Overall I’m loving this significant upgrade to my system.Will

For any kind of studio set-up, keeping it simple with great gear that doesn't break the bank but sounds good is where you start. This is one of those items. It's not an ISA, but it's complimentary to one, as this is what you can use along side it as long as it has it's digital card, have two extra channels, and you can record literally anything at seriously great quality, what you would call clean, so you can throw even digital effects on it through your DAW and get exactly what you're looking for. Also it works without having to be plugged into USB, what I do is run it into a Zoom H4N Pro and I record multi-track on the go long as I can plug in the 18i8. It's all about what you can do with your equipment, and this is exactly what I needed.buffalorider

I've been doing bedroom recording for a long time but recently needed to record a live band. Been a massive learning curve and I'm nowhere near testing this product to its full potential, but what I can definitely say is: Great preamps: managed to achieve a very good vocal sound with what I'd consider to be a pretty crappy mic and very decent representations of mic'd cabinets Latency when recording 4 channels simultaneously so far was basically non existent Integration with Logic Pro. Plug and play for inputs, monitoring required download of software and a frustrating hour before I realised I needed to update to latest version of El Capitan to get this to work (hence the 4 stars as I hate having to update mac software, what with the whole 'which of these updates will basically destroy a perfectly good machine I payed a grand a half for thing). works like a treat now, two distinct mixes available for either two artists recording or one and me monitoring. Very pleased with first usage, but as I say, newbie to live recording having very limited, track at a time experience previously. Basically if you want a way to reliably get a good few nice, clean, usable signals in simultaneously, this is a great choice and well worth the extra few quid on the smaller units. Now to figure out what the hell to do with them once I've got them!Richard

The interface I bought was factory refurbished. Except for a dent on one corner the rest of the unit was flawless. After installing the appropriate drivers from the factory website it fired right up and connected with Reaper effortlessly. What makes the 18i8 so desirable is its ability to get 8 more XLR channels for a total of 12 using the ADAT connection. If you do alot of remote recording, having this flexibility really is a lifesaver. I'm not an equipment prude. I use Behringer and Korg interfaces too. They all have their purposes and this one is just as awesome!dpet6119

Works super easy, displays clipping, instantly fixed delay problems I've been having with my daw! I wish I bought one of these sooner. Highly recommend this for beginner audio editing software users. It should be one of the first item you invest some money into.ergu_1653

Ive been through several over the years. Some cheap, some high end, and it is true that get u pay for. Or I should say it was true, because focusrite is killing it with the Scarlett line! U can tell when u grab it that its built well. Strong and durable to last. But the sound quality is what is truly amazing. Recording and playback both are just so crystal clear! 10 yrs ago you just couldnt get that good of sound in a home studio unless you had 10s of thousand to drop into it. Last but not least… Small package BIG POWER! I only bought the solo (2nd Gen) the smallest I think, but youd never know it by listening to the performance. And using is super easy with midi usb, plug and play. I love my solo 2nd gen! And I see myself upgrading to at least the 212, or bigger. Either way, focusrite has a new life long customer in me. As long as they keep standards at this level. Hope this helps someone.grmrc.us.bil6bniuqu

I got this interface because it was compact, affordable, and offered great speed with USB 3.0. However, the Yamaha Steinberg driver that it uses is a total disaster. It has an incompatibility with my chipset (Windows 10 with an AMD ryzen cpu) that makes the USB 3.0 functionality completely unusable. Very frustrating. I have also heard that the Yamaha driver causes other windows to have issues when using certain DAWs. It is really frustrating because I love the device itself and it's design. If you are going to put all this effort in on the hardware, make sure you have the software to go with it. Feels like wasted potential.Jeff

Integrates well with Cubase but not a requirement. Great bargain and a ton of power with a small footprint. Of course the limitation is two inputs, but sometimes depending on application that is enough. Good sounding with quality preamps and zero-latency monitoring of input signals. Cubase AI comes free with it and is also very powerful, although it's a bit complicated to set up. User just needs to be patient and follow the instructions. MacPro Video offers some very good instruction at a reasonable cost, but there are other instructional videos out there that are free via YouTube. Be willing to start off slow and you should have little or no problems.dpuc_0

Looked for what seemed like ages for a confirmed working and decent quality audio interface for the usb c ipad pros. A lot of manufacturers are pretty non-committal. Paired it with a usb c hub and everything works immediately and well. High quality hardware, great sounding pre and latency is not to be found of any concern. If you are looking to make music on the ipad pro with a usb c then this is a viable option to consider. Works with garageband too with no issues. Comes with some software but not worth trading garageband for. I did not buy the 50 buck version of their app. Maybe better?KC

I needed at least 8 inputs so I could record my drums directly into my DAW. I have a Presonus 1818 in my control room & purchased this unit in my live room. 1st time out the box it was amazing. Once you download the software it is intuitive, easy to use, & my drums sound great.The Bro J

Overall: This review is simple. I have a Behringer UMC404HD that I use for Podcasting and to play-back YouTube video backing tracks while recording myself practicing guitar to those tracks, and recording my music. I usually use Audacity or Ardour, but occasionally I use Tracktion all with no issues. This past week everything stopped working. I thought the Behringer died because it quit working. I tried it on 3 of my Windows PC's and it had the same issue on all three PC's. I then went online and did some research on a new interface and decided to try the TASCAM US-16×08. TASCAM is a name I've long heard about in recording, so I assumed I'd be getting a top-of-the-line, even if mid-tiered, device. When the US-16×08 arrived I hooked it and downloaded the drivers, installed them and boom. It didn't work either. It got pretty much the same error, with the same symptoms. To make this short. I did some research on the error I got from the TASCAM and it turns out that several months ago Windows released an update that turns off the Windows input microphone as a new default setting. Once I got that info and corrected that setting and sure enough the TASCAM started working. Sort of. Here's the real review. It seems the TASCAM demands to have total exclusive control over the Windows sound system to record. That means I can't play along with the Youtube stuff I use for practice. It also prevents me from playing back anything that isn't coming through whatever DAW I'm using at the time. In fact, If I'm listening to anything and I load up any DAW, the audio playback continues but goes silent. I can't hear it and I can't record it. It doesn't matter the audio source if it's not coming from the DAW, then I can't use that audio. I can still use the TASCAM to record, but I expected a similar experience like with the Behringer just with more inputs and outputs as options. Turns out there are fewer options than with my Behringer UMC404HD. At this point, I feel like I've blown $300 on something that I can't use the way I need to use it. For me, the TASCAM US-16×08 is not worth the money for my uses.Thomas

Decided to step up from a Behringer UMC 404 HD as 4 channels is pretty limited. The Behringer works great, good mic preamps, great sound etc. But 4 channels is just not enough for recording a full band. I use at least that on just the drum tracks. The Tascam 16 X 08 was the ticket. The driver loaded without a hitch. I'd say it was "plug and play" but as you probably know there is some set-up you must always do with these things. Setting your buffer size, sampling rate, adjust for for minimum latency and best sound without any glitches and all that stuff with your DAW. I won't go into detail about all that. A lot of latency, glitches, sound quality is dependent on your ram size, CPU speed, how hard your DAW pushes the CPU etc. I use this with a Mixcraft StudioPro 7 DAW. I like this DAW for it's recording power and it's creative aspects too. I also love Samplitude for it's over the top creativity factor on another computer. I use this with a Mackie 1604-VLZ mixer. So now I have 4 busses for my drum tracks and have 4 more direct outs for bass, rhythm, whatever tracks. I runs smotthly with no lockups, freezing or other surprizes. This is no toy, it produces professional quality sound and probably with better results that what you'd get from a "professional studio" with limited time factor involved. As you can tell, I'm lovin it. If you'rein a band, have some recording/producing knowledge, this is the deal. Burn your own master CD's, and produce your own skipping the hassle and costs of the middle man. With the sound quality and versatility I now have, I feel this unit goes beyond just making demos. The sky is the limit, go for it.John

I am using the UMC202HD to digitise my vinyl collection. I have a Rega planar 3 turntable with an Elyse 2 cartridge. I use RCA to XLR connections. The Elyse cartridge is a MM with an output , I think, of 7mV. This drives the 202 quite adequately through the USB to my MacBook and into Audacity for recording. I was concerned about RIAA equalisation but i think I am correcting this in the Audacity software. I have to turn the gain up on the 202 but it doesn't seem a problem. I am very happy with the outcome.Robert R.

https://youtu.be/ck7zqcA6kbo that is what I recorded and wrote yesterday with it. I am not a good singer so I spoke. there are 15 orchestral tracks. and the BENEVOLENT TILLER CREW band. thats all 3 of me, myself and I because I can't find anyone around here who play an instrument. You can hear it works quite well. there is a little noise at the start. that is because the wiring on the house needs attention. not the unit itself.Ian M.

Nice preamps, lovely valve guitar modelling, really satisfying to use. Customer support from Audient is also excellent. Docked one point as could do with more presets in standalone mode. Also my unit required a firmware update upon arrival.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

It is without a doubt the best you can buy at this price point, it has more features than anything else on the market. It has professional grade audient pre amps, it's expandable up to 10 inputs, it's a reamp box, a tube pre amp, it can record and playback at 96k, it's built like a tank AND it comes with some of the best amp simulation software on the market. You can save your favourite cabinets into the device so you don't even have to touch your computer at all and it has onboard DSP so you can work latency free. Not only that but it works stand alone without a daw so you can essentially use this as a pedal. Its also has a hidden feature, it a class compliant device so it works with android and iOS. Do yourself a favour and get one. This thing is a beast!sk8r3397

Took some time to set up and understand but what a piece of kit ! Very good modelling options, Room variants are brilliant. Inspiring…Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.