Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Review
4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
- MIDAS-designed mic preamps deliver high-quality audio reproduction
- 24-Bit/192kHz resolution for professional audio quality
- Direct monitoring for zero-latency cue mixes
- Headphone output with level control and monitor A/B source select for DJ-style cueing
- High-quality components and rugged construction ensure long life
Introduction
In this article, we delve into a detailed analysis of 38,073 user reviews from various languages worldwide to examine the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD. This analysis is performed by the RR artificial intelligence and updated daily with newly submitted reviews. The RR AI utilizes a complex algorithm to first scrutinize user reviews for credibility, filtering out unreliable ones. It then proceeds to dissect and evaluate the valuable insights within these reviews, providing users with ratings regarding the features of this product. Based on these assessments, users can make informed decisions about whether this product is suitable for them or not.
Ratings Based on Features
These results are a summary of user reviews of the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD. For example, 87% of 13,431 users who have commented on the Easy to use of the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD have given positive feedback.
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 124 Reviews
You get what you pay for, but watch for those bargains!
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed by Rock it John on B&H Photo Video
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
Don't buy this product thru GC! Get it from another Seller.
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Audiophile
Reviewed by Leo on Guitar Center
Unfortunately the product itself is not the problem. I wasn't lucky and mine died on me 4 months later after buying it (a defective one). Behringer did not want to fix it( even though it was under warranty) because GC created a policy where it prohibits them to fix this product if bought thru GC. I spent the money and CG didn't fix it and Behringer didn't either! Buy this product somewhere else! Or better yet save extra money and buy a better product!
Solid interface
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed by DenisB. on B&H Photo Video
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
Fantastic Value
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Audiophile
Reviewed by Darnold on Guitar Center
I have owned and use several low and high end interfaces. Out of all of the interfaces in this price range from other competitors, this is the best in my opinion. For what you pay this thing is packed full of options and features. The sound is very neutral and very similar to the x32 line preamps which are quite good. They are not going to blow your mind but they should not disappoint either. Not as sterile as a Yamaha, but not sizzly / airy as a Presonus. I also like to use my Presonus interface for certain software instruments, but it has a character that I do not prefer to hear on every track. The Behringer has a bit more depth to it and doesnt seem to get harsh like some other cheaper interfaces do. They dont seem to have a particularly high noise floor either. Very usable for many different applications. Midi is also a huge plus. As well as the led indicator for midi signal. Two different monitor outputs and a mono stereo button is amazing too. Lets not forget the pad and line switch on each of the channels, and rca options in the back. XLR and quarter inch main outputs (cool). I dont know anything else in the price range that even compares. I will edit this if I am incorrect, but I also remember this being class compliant which makes it very driver friendly (except windows of course). I almost never buy anything that isnt these days. This makes it plug and play compatible with mac and linux operating systems, and should also work if plugged into an ipad via camera connection kit. ... More
Excellent.
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Audiophile
Reviewed by Toby on Guitar Center
This is an excellent interface all-around. I make good use of the 4 inputs, and I've tracked stereo acoustic guitar, piano, vocals, electric guitar (both DI and mic'd amps), bass, and drums (via the Glyn Johns technique). -20dB pads on each input are very useful when tracking drums. The metal casing feels quite sturdy. Mine has already received pretty significant battle-scarring, but without impacting performance in any way. Good build quality and great bang-for-the-buck.
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Good value for money
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed by Shekar Narayanan on B&H Photo Video
I was using Lexicon Alpha for almost 4 years now and the controls worn out and started making loud cracking noise when adjusting the levels. So decided to buy a new one with more input - so like many others debating between Scarlet 2i4 and others. Saw few reviews about this UMC404HD and it has everything I wanted for a better price. The box arrived as expected and it was well packed. After I connected, the first thing I noticed was the volume level was very low compared to my Lexicon. I have to increase the volume at my mixer and the speaker to get the same volume I used get from Lexicon. I use this to play/record my Korg M3 and the connect both Left/Right to Line1 and Line 2 to get stereo output. It has good gain control and without clipping, produced sweet tones. Definitely sounds better than the Lexicon. Have not had a chance to connect microphone to test the vocals but I am sure, it will sound better than my old unit. Also, this has phantom power which I always missed and could not use mics which needed this phantom power. Now, for Cons: I really liked how the input/output cables were at the back of the unit on the Lexicon. I wish this unit also had some inputs at the back side. I don not like all the cables hanging from the front which is little annoying. For some this may not be a big deal but for me it is. But on the other hand, no other devices in category offers that. (Reason for only 4 stars) Some reviews claimed the headphone output is bad - but from my experience, I get good volume and sound using sennheiser studio headphones. Overall, I am very satisfied. ... More
Unbelievable value from a quality interface
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Audiophile
Reviewed by Wil on Guitar Center
This is an powerful and affordable recording interface. Seriously, if you are looking at this page with any desire whatsoever to invest in an interface and the UMC404HD is in stock, BUY IT. This unit has features rivaling units easily twice the cost. I'm using this interface with Presonus Studio One 3. I had no problems setting up the interface in the DAW. The control panel for the interface has useful features like level adjustments and latency settings. I was able to get my input and output latency down to 2.5ms at it's lowest setting. Having 4 inputs is convenient, and the preamps sound crisp. I record DI guitar, and I re-amp using one of the 4 outputs. The signal sounds as good re-amped as it did when originally played, despite going through the interface's I/O. ... More
I would not hesitate in purchasing it again
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Audiophile
Reviewed by CHAD on Guitar Center
Perfect for my needs. With 4 line input channels and midi in and out this has been the missing piece from my setup. The equipment feels solid and is compact while still being accessible with individual gain settings for each channel and a headphone monitoring with volume control away from the input channels. The Phantom power for mics is a switch on the back of the box along with all of the 4 outputs -both 1/4 and RCA connections. Whole there is no direct iOS support, you can port the audio through the 4 channels on the front of the box and midi through another a USB to midi interface. I have been using the UMC404HD with an iconnectivity-midi4 for all of my midi porting and this has been a good setup. I tried all of the irig interfaces with the exception of the Duo and they all pale in comparison- there is nothing that comes close to this interface in its price range with what it offers. Completely satisfied! On note on the drivers on PC, I had to reinstall them after I changed the USB connection to my PC while the unit was on - not sure if that is common but caused a small interruption to figure out what happened. ... More
works great
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed by John on B&H Photo Video
This device is straightforward, inexpensive, a lot of features. Once I installed it, set up my DAW for it, it just works with little or no attention. It does work with Samplitude, and records all 4 descreet channels at once. If you have trouble with this, check your preference settings on your DAW. I know first hand, it works with Samplitude, Ableton Live, Reaper, Acoutica/Mixcraft Pro. Magix Music Maker Live and Cubase. It probably works with every DAW out there. The mic preamps are xlnt. It has every feature you could possibly want from an analog to digital to USB and back (including midi). Also having the four inserts for effects send and returns are a big plus. For the price, this is an amazing device. Altho I've stepped up to a larger many more track interface, I still use this for midi, sample loops, effects, digital drums etc on another computer that feeds my main recording computer. Been doing digital recording since 1992, when we used multiple track sound cards and USB interfaces were pretty new and not very good at all. All this has changed. Not all Behrnger products are great, but Ttey've been one of the front runners when it comes to interfacing with computers. Check out their mixing boards. The only complaint , very minor complaint with Behringer, is they're lacking in info on the instruction manuals. ... More
Broken interface and I took the bait
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD 4x4 USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Mara H. on Reverb
Due to family/pandemic drama, I got side tracked and wasn't able to check this. Took the seller weeks to ship it, and by the time it arrived life was too hectic to break out the new gear. But that's where I messed up, cause the device is a total lemon. You see if anyone ever plugs anything more than 5v into it's 5v dc jack it instantly fries power circuitry and turns the audio interface into little more than an ugly paperweight. BEWARE OF THIS SELLER. The only way they didn't know this was garbage before selling it to me was if the last time it was used someone unplugged it and plugged a 9 or 12v plug in for no reason just before shipping it. SO I bought what was promised to be a working unit, life got complicated, and now I'm stuck with a long black brick of knobs and the seller laughs all the way to the bank. If this sellers sells often then they might be trying to turn broken equipment on purpose, just banking on people being too bury for Reverb's short little return window. Extraordinarily disappointing. To the seller: I know that life is hard all over, and it feels like you have to do whatever you can to survive, but this is messed up. There's better ways to live than scamming. Hope you're well, please get a gig that isn't about screwing other people ... More
Best in class for the $
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD 4x4 USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Jonathan F. on Reverb
I figured I'd write a quick blurb because I had a lot of questions that weren't answered. First, for the money, this thing is awesome. Yes, there are nicer interfaces from Focusrite, but if you have the money for a Thunderbolt Claret, get it. All outputs are dead quiet. The inputs don't get a lot of hiss until 85%-90% on the gain dial. Even a relatively insensitive microphone like an SM58 can be used while having a low noise floor. Playback outputs 1-4 play at software volume level and run at line-level; the front controls do not affect playback outputs 1-4. All balanced outputs are [theoretically] "impedance balanced", rather than transformer balanced, which for a prosumer, is fine [I did not verify this claim myself, another person stated this]. The Main output is adjustable on the front panel. Maxing this out does not produce extra hiss. The phones out will produce hiss above 85%, but this is ear-splittingly loud. You can mix the amount of sound from the inputs with the amount of sound on from playback on the front panel (zero-latency monitoring). You can switch what set of playback outputs are being sent to the mains or headphones. Latency is low enough it doesn't bother me. Overall, this thing is a winner. ... More
Behringer makes great products
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed by James on B&H Photo Video
OK, let me be completely honest here. For many years I looked past the Behringer product line simply because they were so much less expensive than the competitors products. I finally came to my senses and decided to give them a try. I bought a small mixer and I was pleasantly surprised with the construction quality, the look and feel, and the level of components they used. On top of that, the sound quality was very good. It was so good I decided to try their products again. This brings me to this review of the Behringer Audio/Midi Interface I recently bought. Once again it exceeded my expectations in terms of construction, features, ease of use, and sound quality. Why did I overlook their product line for so long just because it was bargain priced? I have overpaid for several other manufacturers products that simply were not as rugged, well made or designed as well. I would suggest you don't make the same mistake I did in ignoring the Behringer line, unless you just like spending more money than you need to... ... More
Nice Unit
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed by Jon'sOn on B&H Photo Video
This unit is very nice. It sounds good and has some nice features. All the input can be used for instruments as is without a DI box which is something other audio interfaces are lacking. The latency on my system is very low and not noticeable. The price is very reasonable. Overall I am very satisfied with this audio interface. I use this to record my band. I use an electronic drum set hooked up to the midi port. The keyboards are plugged directly in the computer. The guitar and bass go directly into this box as do 2 vocal mics. ... More
Awesome Audio interface; Great at twice the price
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Audiophile
Reviewed by Chris L on Guitar Center
I upgraded my iRig that I originally bought for my ipad but was also using for the PC. The UMC404HD is awesome, it works great. Great audio quality, effectively zero latency in Studio one or pro tools. Great versatility, the monitor mix is great for blending your amplifier with music from the PC for practicing, You can also use the mix to get zero latency monitoring when recording, but to be honest, I can't hear any latency when using with Studio one so I don't typically use it that way. It has multiple monitor outputs, and a separate headphone volume control. I can be in my sitting room playing everything through my headphones: Studio one/pro tools/audio from Spotify, whatever. I capture speaker emulated outputs from my Amp into inputs 1 and 2, then a DI "dry: signal into 3 so I can re-amp with Amplitube, GTR, or any other guitar modeling software. Because of the included outputs, I can even send the recorded dry signal back out to the amp to get a different real amp sound post recording. I could not find anything close to this that was not twice as much. ... More
Very Pleased, Nice Sound, & Great Value
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed by Kevin on B&H Photo Video
I have been very pleased with this item, especially for the price. I also intended to use this interface mainly to convert older multitrack tapes to the digital domain, and the 404HD has performed extremely well for this task. I also intended to use this interface to convert vinyl Lps and singles to the digital domain. With its multiple input types, the 404HD has also performed well for this purpose, too. All-in-all, this interface is an extremely good value and has performed well in all aspects tested to date. I should also add that I have been quite pleased with the clean sound. (I am not sure what the criticisms are of Behringer, but I have very pleased with all of their products that I have been using going back more than 15 years. And they have proven very reliable. All of my previous Behringer purchases are still operating well). If you do not need an extremely high end product (and the differences are practically imperceptible in most applications), I would definitely recommend the U-PHORIA UMC404HD USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface. ... More
So close to a great product
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD 4x4 USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Jason M. on Reverb
Caveat: possible my unit was a dud. That happens. But my experiences were as follows: I bought this to replace a Scarlett 2i2. With just slightly more ins and outs, and with midi integration, it seemed like a perfect budget interface for my amateurish needs. When it worked, it did exactly what I hoped. The MIDAS pres were similar to the Focusrite's in terms of clarity and coloration, and I was able to have extra tracks permanently established for things like reamping. But it would just quit on me and produce no sound. Trouble shoot on the computer for 20, 30 mins, unplug, restart, can't get it to come back. Plug in the Scarlett, works immediately. A week later I try the Behringer again when I wanted to reamp. It worked, everything was cool, soon thereafter my audio cuts out. It'll show the meters jumping on the screen, bafflingly, but nothing comes out to the speakers. Plug into 2i2, instant music. And so it has sat unused since then, and I'm living with my Focusrite's limited ins and outs. When the time comes to replace it, I'll probably spend more money and get a higher quality unit. ... More
Great product, even better price!
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed by The Podcaster on B&H Photo Video
The UMC404HD is a great product at an unbelievable price! There are many other audio interfaces that will give you 2 xlr / instrument combo jacks in but in some instances for less than half of the price you get 4 really clean Midas preamps. I am using it to do a podcast and with an ordinary dynamic mic the Behringer xm8500, I am getting very good results. I can't wait to get a broadcast quality microphone to use with the unit. The noise floor is very low, in fact, I am working in an untreated room and I don't hear any background noise. For the price it is great. I plan on using it to help a quartet practice, by having each singer on an individual track, and then let him hear himself so that they can refine their individual part. This way they can spend less time trying to figure out where needs fixing. Initial testing of that was great worked as expected. If you have any doubts just watch the reviews online and ask an agent for help. ... More
Pleasantly Surprised
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed by Mike on B&H Photo Video
When I purchased this from B&H Photo, I was expecting a decent product, but that was it...decent. I am happy to report that it is well beyond decent, and that I am quite happy with the purchase. I had heard that with lower priced interfaces you may encounter a lot of clicks and pops and noise from the pre amps. I have not experienced any of this with this product. Everything works as advertised. I am under no delusion that this is the end all, be all of audio interfaces. But if like me you are using it in a home hobby studio, then I'm sure you could do a lot worse than this unit. ... More
Excellent product
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD 4x4 USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Peter S. on Reverb
First off, I am only giving the UMC404 four stars because I am a chef and musician and nothing is ever truly prefect. I have had this product for a few weeks now. I had purchased a zoom product for recording which came with cubase before i purchased the U-phoria. Integration into Steinberg Cubase Elements 10.5 was seamless. Midi ports work great along with outputs. All fore input channels are Hi-Z/ passive guitar and bass capable along with being phantom power ready. The Only things I wish were there would be a manual to actually tell you what everything does and how to connect it...You NEED to download the Appropriate driver or your interface will not work!!!!!! And having a pre installed driver would be nice as well. I picked mine up for About $200 out the door which is literally half price from elsewhere "GC" if you catch my drift. YOU WANT TO BUT THIS!!!! ... More
Big Bang for Little Bucks
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Desktop 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
For the price, this interface is remarkably good. The unit is well engineered and built considering the cost. I originally wanted to use this unit as a computer audio output(DA/level control) and possibly a MIDI interface. I'm now using ALL the features in the interface. The audio quality is surprisingly good for the price, including the pre-amps. I've used it with direct instrument connections and condenser microphones with success. The unit functions as a standalone interface without the need for an attached computer too. The only complaint I have is that a rack mount option was not available.
