Discover the Best Audio Interface for beginners

Great little USB interface & desktop DAC

I got it a few days ago and have recorded piano and sax with it using an SM57. This little interface sounds great. Im very happy with it, super easy to use and with my Mac to it is completely plug and play. Also makes for a very nice desktop DAC.

Next level peice of gear

Pros : • you can control Two tracks at the same time even though there is only one motorized fader. • also compatible with other DAWs (Pro Tools, Logic, etc) Con: It seems delicate compared to the other audio interfaces Presonus offers like the AudioBox 96 and The studio C series. Not a dealbreaker but it's worth noting.

What an Amazing Audio Interface

This audio interface surpassed my expectations and its so small and compact you can take it with you anywhere. It took my vocals to the next level and the price is amazing. I have been to B&H in New York when I lived there and they are a top notch business and the store is amazing. They know their stuff and their staff is so knowledgable. They sell nothing but the best and their service is top notch. As for the interface it will make your vocals sound even better and smoother than ever. I even have my Harmon Karman Soundsticks III I got from them and they are amazing when you plug them into this device at the same time so you can check back your recordings after laying down a vocal track or a guitar track or whatever you can use to connect to this on top of an IPAD which i will be using next as I am learning to use garageband on my laptop my iPad will be next with this track solo but in the meantime its doing great with my 13 Macbook Pro Retina for Home studio music production. Top notch product for great price. I love this thing! ... More

Great tool!

Got this for my 15 y/o daughter. She plays guitar and writes her own songs and was wanting to record her music to start up a YouTube channel. I spoke with a B&H tech and they gave me several recommendations, some were less expensive but this had guitar and voice both covered in one. I paired this with the MXL 770 microphone and got a mic stand and pop filter. I set it up and we surprised her with it when she got home and she cried. Then she did a quick recording with it in Garage Band of one of her songs. When we played it back, I cried. I couldn't be happier with the ease of use (as the household tech support guy) and with the quality and ease of use. You won't be sorry. ... More

Absolutely Flawless!

This is yet another excellent audio interface from PreSonus! With a sleek design and USB-C connectivity, this thing is a powerhouse for at home recording or streaming.

Perfect interface for a home studio, best quality in the price range

As close to industry standard gain range, conversion quality etc. as you can get for $500 or less (higher quality hardware by the numbers than even the Focusrite 18i20). Perfect interface, and easily the best sounding and looking one I've ever owned. Great monitoring controls built in right up front which is huge for a smooth workflow and eliminates the need for another box taking up space on your desk. Every knob and button is smooth and responsive. You'll notice the difference in quality immediately if you're coming from a lesser/older interface as I was. As a side note, I purchased a demo unit, and you'd never know it's not brand new. I had a hard time believing mine was ever even removed from the box. Definitely worth mentioning as you can save up to 20% that way. ... More

Beautiful build, great software additions.

I love it. It was working great for a couple weeks, but now my laptop isn't reading the audio box. I downloaded their universal control and DAW, additionally the plugin extensions--by the way are all great--but their technical support team isn't extremely helpful. This is still a good product, I think it has something to do with my computer's driver anyways, but I still wish after investing in the company and product I would receive a lot more help. ... More

Works when Scarlett 2i2 doesn't

I went back and forth with FocusRite CS about my 2i2 that would just start digitally garbling the output after 0-90+ minutes and require unplugging/replugging USB to reset the driver. (Brand new top of the line Dell Precision laptop as well as 3 y/o Dell Precision laptop exhibiting same issues). Super frustrating and never was able to get the driver to play nicely with Windows 10. Contrast that with the PreSonus 26c which worked as soon as I plugged it in, quick driver download, and has zero issues/failures. Beyond that, the features are very similar but just implemented slightly differently. (24c is closer to the 2i2 but was on backorder at the time) Works flawlessly with Ableton, MS Teams, Webex, USB cameras on same bus, Premiere Pro, Zoom, browsers, etc. Sound quality is excellent for in/out. One happy customer here. ... More

Great upgrade

Purchased the Studio 26c to upgrade a much older PreSonus Firebox which requires 2 dongle adapters to connect to my 2018 MacBook Pro. The USB-C connection is direct and now supplies power to the device whereas the Firebox needed A/C power. Instrument and mic settings are now lower to achieve decent input signal allowing much more headroom if I need it. The bundled Studio One software is a plus, but I rely on Apple's Logic Pro X for audio recording and the Studio 26c is recognized immediately. I'm very satisfied with the Studio 26c. ... More

Works really well, best value for money

I've had the 2i4 for six months now. Having plugged and unplugged it innumerable times, recorded with it innureral times, tested it repeatedly, I cdan say it's about as close to bug-free as you'll ever get in a hi-tech product. The sound quality is excellent, very liquid-sounding. I can concentrate on the sound of the mics instead of the USB interface. When I plug in a pair of Rode NT1A, which have a self-noise of only about 5 db A weighted, I don't really hear hissing at all coming from anywhere. OK, you're probably wondering if there is any downside. Well, let's see. I wish it were easy to open up from above and also obtain the service manual, so I can modify it for even better sound (I'm sure some capacitors and stuff can be upgraded, such is the audiophile that I am). Also, once in a blue moon, I hear a sudden glitch in the sound, a sudden instantaneous drop-out. Not sure if it's my laptop (I have both a Vista and Win 8.1 laptop with SSDs on board) or the USB. I'm using the best USB2.0 cable I can find, with ferrite bars on both ends, fully shielded throughout. But it only happens maybe once in a one-hour recording, and you have to be listening to appropriate material to hear it. So all in all I'm happy with my purchase, and don't feel any need at this point to buy something new. I can concentrate on mics and mic technique instead. I've only used condenser mics. Not sure if the preamp is quiet enough for a dynamic mike like an SM57. ... More

great sound quality and unique features

I am using the Scarlett to digitize LP's and record guitar/vocals. Previously I would use a mixing panel and do the analog-digital conversion in my PC. Current laptops/desktops (even Apple) contain a very inexpensive A/D converter chip and the electrical noise generated inside a PC affects the analog signal and is audible. I used to buy a SoundBlaster PCI card but they are expensive and drivers are sometimes an issue. The Scarlett which performs A/D conversion outside the PC is audibly better. It distinguishes itself by a solid build quality, a wide range of signal levels (guitar to line level) it can handle and the useful clip indicator (ring around the level knob turns red). As expected, LP's are recorded as clean as possible but require a small preamp with RIAA correction. It is also bundled with a Lite version of Ableton Live, so all in all a great value. ... More

Good for Recording to a Chromebook

I wanted to record from the XLR output on the back of my Fender Acoustasonic 40 amplifier to my Toshiba Chromebook. Wasn't sure if this could be done. Used the free Windows recording program "Audacity." To enable the Chromebook to run this Windows program, I used the application program "CrossOver." I was pleasantly surprised that the Behringer UMC202HD was instantly recognized by the Chromebook and works perfectly with this setup. You should be aware that the UMC202HD does not come with any cables. The cables you need depend on how you want to use it. For my application, I needed a USB cable to connect to my Chromebook and a standard XLR microphone cable to connect to the Acoustasonic 40 amplifier output. I am very pleased that this interface is working with my setup and I highly recommend it. ... More

It's cheap, but it doesn't sound cheap.

I gave it five stars because of the sheer "bang for the buck." I've been using an Apogee Duet 2 for 9 years and it sounds better than the UMC202HD but it DOES NOT sound $535.00 dollars better. Buy the UMC202HD and put the money you save towards a nice mic.

Fantastic!

I'm from Mexico, the product arrived in 2 days and I'm really happy with the service. I only had to pay custom duties and taxes ($45 aprox) and I paid them when my package arrived to my house, but it was expected. I think I didn't selected international delivery, Next time I'll try to change that, hopefully they don't charge me that. Great B&H management with the product. My review is simple. I did my research, this is a great, new and cheap audio interface. I am trying to do a podcast and it works, so it is a nice and beautiful product. The company audient and Evo 4 are still working on software updates and it is great to see videos from YouTube of the company explaining how to use it. I have no knowledge about audio, but it is easy if you know at least to work with your PC or Mac. There is nothing to add. Hopefully I don't have problems with the product. Right now is working fine with just one mic channel that I have tried. ... More

Amazing interface with 1 Caveat

This is my first interface so I don't have a ton of experience but it was pretty much between this and the Scarlet Solo. I liked that this interface had a MUTE function and I couldn't find one with the Solo other than turning the Gain all the way down. I paired it with a Mv7x and I have to use like 80-85% gain for it to sound really good. So, a cloudlifter will prob be in the future. The Caveat I speak of is that when you plug in a headphone jack to monitor the mic, it auto mutes the speaker outputs on the back. So, no speakers while using monitor. That would be the only dealbreaker I could see. Anyways between the solo and this I went with the looks and how it would work on my desk over the Solo. ... More

You get what you pay for, but watch for those bargains!

Bought this from one of big five music dealers online. Most retailers were out of stock, and I got the last one at Z retailer. Shipping and packing were xlnt. A bit oerkill with the size of the box it was shipped in, and lots of cushioning. First impression was WOW. It does not look like a toy or car battery charger like another brand I was considering, but a very professional looking device. It is small, less than a foot wide, under 2 inches high and about 5 inches deep. Within this rather small device, every square inch is utilized. No big name brands on it, no empty spaces. It is very well laid out. All of the inputs, combination, phone jack, xlr type, are on the front panel, unlike some of the more expensive brands. Using the phone jacks on these four inputs, you can choose, instrument or line level on any one of them. A nice touch. Again, unlike the more expensive interfaces. Another nice touch is the four inserts on the back panel. I use this for a four buss mixer. Also on the back panel are, 2 main outs, both phone jacks and balanced xlr's. I use these outs for may monitors. There are 4 monitor, or whatever, outs also. These have phone jacks and RCA jacks. Your choice. Midi input and output also. I use a USB connector for my keyboards. In other words this little unit has it all, and is laid out really well. Some units have your inputs in the front back sides or whatever, this was well thought out. Once recieving the unit I went to the Behringer sight and downloaded the drivers. It went too smooth. Somethings got to be wrong! But all is good there. I wited and waited for a passcode to download Tracktion. A DAW that comes with the unit., but you first have to register the unit, then wait for Tracktion to send you a passcode. After a few complaint letters it finally came. Up to now I was trying out a DAW called Reaper. I like Reaper a lot, and I'll get into that later. When I finally got the passcode, the free, well the one that comes with the Behringer wouldn't download on my 64 bit computer. The one that would download was not free, for that you get a discount and it's not free. $$aint bad, but that's what the Reaper sells for too. I learned about Reaper from a review where another guy had the same problem. The free Trackton wouldn't load into his windows 7 64 bit machine. Note; On the Behringer site, there is a link to a free Audacity DAW. Audacity has been around a long time, works well and is free. Mine is a windows 8 64 bit. I used and tried several DAW's, so I have some measurable experience with these. My favorte is Samplitude. Sam is very intensive and can really bog down a computer that isn't fast, doesn't have a lot of ram, and not much space on your hard drive. If your using a not so powerful laptop or desk top, I would recommnend Reaper. Anyway, with hundreds of DAW's out there, its up to your own personal preferance. I will probably go to one of the Samplitude DAW's. Sam starts at $100 and goes up to the real high end pro stuff for over $3000. Enough about DAW's. The reaper laoded up without a hitch, connected to the Behringer drivers and voila, I armed some tracks and began recording. Tried out one of my better condensor mics and it sounded great, not my voice, the recording quality, lol. The mic pre-amps are indeed very quite. I was registering some low level noise while using the mic. Not bad, but it was there, it was actually a lower noise level than on of my mixers a lot lower. finally came to find out that the mic was picking up the fan from on of my other computers. shut that off and was way happy with the low noise and headroom I had. These Midas pre-amps are some of the best I've ever used. No glicks (a term I use when using digital devices where they make that , not quite a click, pop or glitch but a sond like one of the samples in the waveform hesitated or something. The pots on this (volume knobs) are really smooth and seem to have just the right feel. I can hear the difference between 44.1 khz and 96 khz barely. I'm just wondering if you can really hear a difference when you go all the way to 192 khz? Psycho-sematic? I think they should do some placebo tests on this one, lol. I am monitoring my sound through some very old advent 35 watt computer speakers with a JBL subwoofer. Real time analyzed for a flat frequency responce through 31 band per side equalizer, and some old Telex headphones. So maybe you can tell I'm very particular about my recordings. To sum this all up. I think Behringer hit it out of the park with this. I'm really happy with my purchase, and so glad I didn't go with one of those more expensive ones. The only thing left is the test of time. I may even upgrade to the larger more channel Behringer interface when they become readily available. Good luck to you all. Hope you found this helpful. Bottom line, it's all about the music. ... More

Solid interface

it's built very solidly. Materials don't feeI cheap compared to Focusrite scarlett series interfaces. You'll need to get to Focusrite Saffire range, which is double the price for the same type of quality-feel in materials. Same preamps as X32 boards which sound very good. I own Focusrite 2i4 and in my opinion preamps in this Behringer UMC404HD sound more transparent. When used as a DAC for music playback it sounds as good as my Apogee Duet interface. This is the best interface in this price range hands down. On a Mac go to Audio MIDI set up in utilities and choose your sample rate for the interface. To my ears, music playback sounds the best at 192khz. It's very hard to tell a difference between 96khz and 192khz, but when you listen to string instruments there is more openness and presence at sample rates above 96khz. ... More