BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC404HD and MICROAMP with Neewer Gold Plated Male to Female Audio Stereo Adapter(5-Pack)

Just to give you an idea of where I come from and for comparison's sake, here the interfaces I own or have owned...Focusrite Scarlett 2i2Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 2Focusrite Scarlett SoloDigidesign Mbox2Avid's Mbox 3Propellerhead BalancePresonus Audiobox 22VSLAlesis i02 ExpressMackie Onyx BlackjackBehringer Uphoria um2Behringer UControl UCA222Behringer Xenyx 1202USBM-Audio MTrack Mk2Line 6 Tone PortZoom H4N Recorder/InterfaceI've been recording exclusively in home studio's(actually all in my apartments spare bedrooms) for the past 10 years plus, so I know a thing or two about setting up to record in less than ideal situations. The audio interface, to me, is a central part of that kind of set up where recording is getting more and more mobile. If having numerous single or dual channel interfaces has taught me anything, its that most of these out there will fit the bill for 90 percent of us recording in our own home. There is not a wildly huge margin of sound quality were talking about here at least when dealing with these "under $300" units, despite what the internet might have you believe. With that said, this little guy was a very pleasant surprise indeed. First off, the Midas preamps caught me off guard in that they were much cleaner and better sounding than other Behringer Mic Pres I've heard. For under $70, I got an interface that rivals the now-famous Scarlett 2i2 in terms of sound. Actually, the fact that this one has a pad button for use with high output guitar signals makes it preferable to my Scarlett in many situations. The build quality is very nice and feels durable, and it's all black and silver casing looks pretty sharp on my desk. It was very easy to set up and was a breeze to get going on my Windows 10 Pro 64 bit PC. Its one of the lowest latency devices I've used which is pretty important if you record lots of Vocals and Guitars. I have to say well done to Behringer on this one. At the current price, it simply can not be beat in terms of quality or feature set. Highly recommended.

----------------OVERVIEW----------------PROS• (4) great MIDAS design preamps with XLR/TRS combo jack for mic/line/inst signals• Pad for each preamp• Very small footprint• Dual monitor output with A/B and mono switches• Can be powered from the USB busCONS• Single phantom power switch for all channels (all 4 on or off) – be careful with mixed sources (ribbon mics, acoustic guitar pickups, etc)!• No internal effects for use during low latency monitoring----------------Value Rating: HIGH----------------First off, the value of this interface is FANTASTIC if you simply need a no-frills interface with four preamps. I’ve done direct comparisons with other USB devices, with four preamps, (main example being the Focusrite 18i8). For several hundred dollars less the Behringer UMC404HD provides:• A set of preamps that, according to a few recording tests I’ve done, sound EXTREMELY similar to competitors - (my YouTube channel, B6Music, will have video reviews and product comparisons showing this soon)• A much smaller footprintAnd you’ll only sacrifice a few features, which I did not find worth $200+ plus more dollars. Those included:• Expandability using ADAT and/or SPDIF connections• DSP for effects during low-latency monitoring• A second headphone out with separate gain (but 4 of these can be added for as low as $20 via a headphone amp)----------------Sound----------------As stated above, the preamps definitely give more expensive competitors a run for their money. There were very little discernable differences (audibly and visually, using frequency analysis software). Preamps offer plenty of gain and are warm, smooth clean, etc. The phantom power works as it should, although, there is but a single switch which means additional gear may be required if you are mixing sound sources that don’t play well with phantom power. MIDI I/O is basic with a single 5-din connector for both in and out (ie: 16 channels in, 16 channels out).----------------Usability----------------Usability is great. All jacks, knobs and buttons and located fine and use is intuitive. The device is MAC and PC compatible and will work with most any DAW. I have been using this with MAC OSX El Capitan 10.11.1 and Logic Pro X. It has been flawless and requires no drivers or downloads. I have not personally used this on Windows but I know they advertise compatibility and the device will work with most current versions by downloading drivers from Behringer’s website. Another GREAT feature, which is not common on interfaces with this many preamps, is that it can be bus powered. That means, if you are mobile and don’t have a place to plug in the AC adapter (included) you can power the interface from your laptop.----------------Build----------------All of the gain and volume knobs feel great. They operate smooth and feel very stable. The construction is small and, overall, the build and finish quality is great. I have no complaints about any of the jacks, buttons, knobs, LEDs, etc…IncludedIn the box you’ll get:• UMC404HD interface• AC Adapter• USB Cable• DocumentationAnd as download (I did not use the downloads and there is not much in the documentation about what is included) you can get:• Audio recording, editing, podcasting software• 150 instrument/effect plug-ins----------------Conclusion----------------If you just need a couple extra preamps, vs other inexpensive interfaces which usually only have two, the Behringer UMC404HD is a fantastic choice. Although you sacrifice a few features, I’d use this interface, to save a few bucks for other gear, over most other options in the sub-$400 range – beyond that I’d step up to a bigger 8-preamp unit. It’s fantastic for small studio setups and for a mobile rig.