I've been recording music and sound both professionally and for fun since the mid-90's. I've been fortunate enough to get to use a wide variety of equipment at all levels, from cheap junk to top pro quality. My home desktop recording setup has centered around an M-Audio Delta1010 card for many years. In studios, I've used a variety of things, from Digidesign, RMC, Apogee, etc... I needed a simple and cheap USB interface to use with an old beater laptop for some mobile recording. After much research, I nabbed a Behringer UMC404HD. The price was cheap enough to be worth the gamble; I've used Behringer things a few times in the past, but never an interface, and was worried it might be too junky to be usable. But seeing that these are perpetually out of stock at most places, I figured it would be easy enough to flip if it ended up being a lemon. Thankfully, I won't even need to worry about that, because this one is a winner! Best $99 I've spent on anything in a long time.
Sound quality is great. I'd say the quality of the conversion beats my M-Audio card (which was originally at least 6x the price!). I'm going to chalk this up to improvements in technology over the years, and it really makes the Delta show its age. A nice clear sound, not lacking in body, and doesn't have any of the harshness I've encountered with other Behringer products of the past. I'm not going to say it's "warm" sounding at all, but it really doesn't need to be, honestly. It's just a solid clear sound with a minimum of any noticeable hype or color. Behringer's parent company recently bought Midas, and the UMC404 claims to have the same mic preamps as used in the high end Midas consoles. Which model of console is anyone's guess, and it's really more just an excuse to stick the name on there to play off the reputation of the name (though, Midas is a big name in live FOH consoles, not really anything to do with recording consoles). But whatever, the mic preamps do sound good. Noise isn't too bad - recording piano with some dynamic mics didn't get any bad noise issues. It will get a bit hissy if you have to max the gain out, but there are few situations where I see that happening, and if you really need lowest noise, you can always use a nicer external preamp and patch into the line inputs. The inserts included on each input is a nice touch! You can easily patch a compressor after the mic input - which is good news for tracking vocals. This is an extremely helpful feature that most other interfaces neglect.
One complaint about the mic preamps: they don't work well with low-output ribbon mics. I tried it with my Cascade Fat Head II and it was a no-go. Not enough clean gain available. Had to max it out to get any signal and at that point the noise was too much. Ribbon users would need something like a Cloud Lifter or other external preamp to be able to use them with the UMC. Too bad, but that's really not a huge letdown considering the price and how well the unit performs otherwise.
Control panel for the drivers is very spartan, but it does enough to tell you what's going on and make a few adjustments. People like me who are used to the luxury of an onboard DSP zero latency monitor mixer (like the Delta has) will be a little disappointed by the lack of monitor adjustment with the simple analog input monitoring on the box itself, but it's still work-able, just a bit unusual to lack a separate control for monitor mixing. But considering the price and general sound quality, this isn't really a complaint.
As far as how well it plays with software, I've tried this with Adobe Audition, Reaper, and Tracktion. It works just fine doing multitrack using the ASIO drivers in Reaper and Tracktion, but it did NOT work well with Audition at all. Attempting to use the ASIO drivers to do a multitrack recording in Audition caused Audition to crash. Multitracking in Audition doesn't seem to work at all with this, even when switching to the MME or WASAPI drivers. I'm blaming this on Audition because Adobe sucks. Tracktion was billed as "included" software, but it wasn't actually in the box with it, and when I registered the product with Behringer to get my "free" download code, I have yet to get any reply from them. There's a free version of Tracktion available and that's probably what they're talking about. Behringer pulled this crap before by including the freeware Audacity with interfaces and billing it as some great deal of included software (and Audacity sucks, BTW). Tried messing with Tracktion a bit, but really not a fan of the workflow. It's quick and easy, but it's too stripped and just not an interface I find comfortable. Reaper gave the best results for multitracking on the laptop, and then I used Audition for editing/mastering the final mix. My main software on desktop is Samplitude Pro X, but I haven't plugged the Behringer into my desktop yet. The laptop is running Win10, so good news for Win10 users that the drivers seem to work fine with it.
Haven't tested the MIDI yet, and therefore haven't used any realtime softsynths with it, so I can't make any judgment about the latency. The control panel gives you some control over this, so I'm sure I could probably get it to where it feels good for realtime synth. But as this is being used almost exclusively for recording, low latency is really not on my list of needs.
Time will tell about the long-term reliability of a $99 interface with this much packed into it, but overall construction seems solid and I've had no feelings about it being too delicate to carry around in my backpack. Should hold up well to regular mobile use.
Giving something like this 5 stars seems excessive, because there's certainly better out there. But at this price? Not even close! In the very crowded world of sub-$200 audio interfaces, I will put the UMC404HD up there as a clear winner.
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From the manufacturer
UM2
Audiophile 2x2 USB Audio Interface with XENYX Mic Preamplifier
- 2x2 USB audio interface for recording microphones and instruments
- Audiophile 48 kHz resolution for professional audio quality
- State-of-the-art, +48 V-powered XENYX Mic Preamp comparable to stand-alone boutique preamps
UM2
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Compose. Record. Mix. Share.Tracktion is one of the world’s fastest and easiest Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) for composing, recording, editing, mixing and sharing your music with the world. Featuring a single-screen interface, and pushing the envelope in design elegance, Tracktion brings together outstanding Pro DAW features, such as dynamic automation, unlimited track count, MIDI recording and support for VST and AU plug-ins. This powerful music production software gives you all the tools of an entire professional-grade recording studio. Learning a DAW has never been easier, thanks to their vast and readily available library of resources. |
Seamless Integration with Popular DAWsThe ultra-compact UM2 is totally compatible with virtually all popular recording software including Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, etc., so you can record tracks directly into you favorite computer-based DAW – and mix and master to your heart’s content. |
Sonically Superior Mic PreampsThe studio-grade XENYX Mic Preamp used in the UM2, has been praised by audio engineers all over the world for its hug-headroom, low-noise operation. These state-of-the-art mic pres represent a major step in the evolution of audio technology – and they can easily hold their own, even when compared to the most expensive stand-alone mic preamps. XENYX preamps offer a staggering 130 dB of dynamic range, with a bandwidth that extends from below 10 Hz to well above 200 kHz. Armed with these outstanding mic preamps, the UM2 provides such transparent, crystal-clear performance you just might think someone upgraded your mics while you weren’t looking. |
Convenient MonitoringThe UM2 Mix control allows direct monitor select, which means musicians can experience their performance clearly – resulting in a better performance and recording. With its powerful Phones Output, Direct Monitor Level control, Status and Signal Clip LEDs, plus USB-supplied power – the UM2 is ready to go wherever you go. |
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Getting ConnectedOn the UM2’s front panel you’ll find the a combination jacks that accept balanced XLR, ¼ " TRS and unbalanced ¼ " TR connections along with a ¼ " TRS. The rear panel is home to the +48 V phantom power switch, a USB 2.0 port for simple and easy connection to your computer and power, plus RCA playback options for direct connection to studio monitors. It just doesn’t get any easier than this! |
Free Would Be Nice!Because you’ll want to take full advantage of the UM2’s recording and podcasting potential, we’ve included a download for all the software you’ll need for audio recording, editing and even podcasting – all free of charge and downloadable from behringer.com. You’ll be ready to go live on your PC or Mac right out of the box! We’ve also provided a free download of more than 150 virtual instruments and FX plug-ins – turning your computer into a powerful home-based or mobile recording studio from input to output. |
Recording the Next Big HitThe amazing UM2 ultra-compact 2 x 2, 24-Bit/48 kHz USB audio interface allows you to record the perfect vocal or instrument tracks directly to your computer, thanks to the XENYX Mic Preamp with +48 Volt phantom power for condenser microphones – and studio-grade 48 kHz converter for superb sound quality. Whether you’re a singer-songwriter, producer on the go, or just need a rock-solid interface for running backing tracks at the gig, the ultra-dependable U-PHORIA UM2 will help you shine in the digital domain. |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Behringer U-Phoria UM2 USB Audio Interface | Recommendations  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $35.00 | -13% $34.99 List: $39.99 | $55.88 | -14% $59.99 List: $69.99 | $49.99 | $69.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Friday, Nov 29 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Nov 20 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Nov 20 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Nov 20 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Nov 20 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Nov 20 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | DigitalDJGear | HeartOrigin Direct | EBXYA | nuosiya | Amazon.com |
| number of channels | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| hardware interface | usb2.0 | — | usb | usb | usb c, usb2.0 a, usb2.0 b, built in flash memory, 1 4 inch audio, 3 5 mm audio | usb c |
| connectivity tech | USB | XLR | USB | USB | TSR、XLR、TS | XLR |
Love This Interface - Expandable - Great For A Band Or Surround Sound…
AUDIO INTERFACE: I really like this audio interface. I bought this rather than the various cheaper and more popular 2x2 or 2x4 versions so as to leave all my options open, including surround sound. Most audio interfaces that are offered assume you want to create stereo 2.0. But what if you want to go further than that? You might have heard of 2.1, 5.1, 7.1 or even Dolby Atmos 11.2. There are other surround sound options like 3D audio and Spacial Audio and more. So take Dolby Atmos 11.2 as an example. For 11.2 you need 13 OUT ports for all those speakers. Or scale back to 5.1. You still need 6 OUT ports for your 5 speakers plus your 1 subwoofer. Most Studio Audio Interfaces do not support that many outs.This interface supports 20 outs but you need an additional piece of equipment to fully realize that - see below. Without that addition, Behringer UMC1820 will still give you 10 OUTs. 10 is enough for 7.1 for example. So really consider if you want to be able to create surround sound or just stereo. Or at least be able to, without having to start over and buy another interface.The 8200 is the ideal unit to add to the Behringer UMC1820 and it is made for it. This adds the other 10 OUTs. And yes, more INs also.Behringer ADA8200: https://amzn.to/4aBOTVcWhile the 8200 is called a mic preamp it also supports 10 more OUT PORTS. Not just IN and not just mics, but INs for instruments too.This threw me for a while, because the name “Mic Pre Amp” is what most people focus on, which is have enough INs for the whole band and a drum set. OUT is not always the focus as most small home studios only create in 2.0 stereo. You can also pair two 1820 units together as long as your DAW allows you to align the wordclock for the unit you want to be the master. The Behringer ADA8200 is less expensive though than another 1820 and has a switch for the wordclock built in.I also like that this is rack mountable or not as it has little rubber/silicon feet. Some might concern that the bit rate and resolution is not as high as some other audio interfaces. However, even Dolby currently uses this bit rate and resolution and so does the current new (2024) Apple Logic Pro for surround sound. Thus, this is still state of the art for most types of surround sound.My other top choice (and what I would have bought budget permitting) was this unit which is built from the ground up for surround sound.https://amzn.to/44TFZ4aClean Power is the foundation of any rack so I started with a Furman Power Conditioner which is shown in the photo. I am still shopping for a rack.Furman: https://amzn.to/3WUnzhHNote the two screen captures with the 8200 connected to realize all 18 and 20 ports.Don’t forget you need two ADAT cables if you add an 8200:ADAT Cables: https://amzn.to/3KwiDsfIf this was helpful let me know.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2016
Size: UMC404HDStyle: Audio InterfaceVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2018
Size: UMC404HDStyle: Audio InterfaceVerified Purchase
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