Description
BEHRINGER UMC204HD Audiophile 2×4, 24-Bit/192 kHz USB Audio/MIDI Interface with MIDAS Mic Preamplifiers.
From the manufacturer
UMC204HD
Audiophile 2×4, 24-Bit/192 kHz USB Audio/MIDI Interface with Midas Mic Preamplifiers
- 2×4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface for recording microphones and instruments
- Audiophile 24-Bit/192 kHz resolution for professional audio quality
- Compatible with popular recording software including Avid Pro Tools*, Ableton Live*, Steinberg Cubase*, etc.
- 2 state-of-the-art, Midas designed Mic Preamplifiers with +48 V phantom power
- Analog Inserts for use of external effects such as compressors, etc.
UMC204HD
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U-PHORIA UMC204HDThe incredible U-PHORIA UMC204HD bridges the gap between your creativity and your fans. This blazingly fast USB 2.0 studio in a box will have you recording your next masterpiece in minutes with all the connectivity required for your microphones, guitars, keyboards and even MIDI devices. Record the perfect vocal right to your computer-based DAW thanks to the 2 astonishingly pure, world-class Midas-designed mic preamps, which include +48 Volt phantom power for condenser microphones, all going through studio-grade 24-Bit/192 kHz converters for the best possible sound quality. Whether you’re a singer-songwriter, producer on the go, or just need a rock-solid interface for running backing tracks at a gig, the ultra-dependable U-PHORIA UMC204HD will help you shine in the digital domain. |
Studio in a Little Black BoxWhen it’s time to make recording history on your Mac or Windows computer, plug in microphones, instruments or line level sources to the UMC204HD’s 2 combination XLR/TRS inputs for the ultimate in studio flexibility! Connect and communicate with MIDI devices to add the benefit of control surfaces to your studio workflow. |
192 kHz PrecisionYou take your tracks seriously, and the UMC204HD respects that, providing up to 192 kHz resolution for even the most demanding applications in music as well as video post production. Work with confidence and accuracy in your favorite recording software for professional results every time. |
UMC204HD
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MIDAS – The Legend in Sound QualityEver since its formation in the 1970s, Midas has had a long history of innovation and leadership in the world of audio mixing consoles. Employed by the most famous touring acts and installations world-wide, legendary Midas consoles such as the XL4 and Heritage H3000 quickly became industry standards. Midas has earned their impeccable reputation due to their no-compromise approach for audio and build quality and in particular for their Award-winning Mic Preamps which are considered by industry experts as the industry’s best sounding designs. Building on this legacy, the XL8 and PRO Series of Live Mixing Systems continue this great heritage of Award-winning audio quality. Behringer is proud to incorporate a Midas designed mic preamp for the ultimate in high-quality audio reproduction in both live and studio environments. Find out more about Midas’ amazing legacy by visiting their extensive website. |
Getting ConnectedOn the rear panel of the UMC204HD, you’ll find the USB 2.0 port for simple and easy connection to your computer, along with plenty of analog playback options including ¼” TRS, RCA and XLR. The UMC204HD also features 2 analog Inserts for use with external effects such as compressors, gates and EQs, etc. Built-in MIDI I/O allows you to connect keyboards and all your favorite outboard MIDI hardware. |
Everything You Need to Sound AmazingThe U-PHORIA UMC204HD is a powerful 2 input, 4 output USB recording interface featuring genuine Midas-designed mic preamps with exceptional 24-Bit/192 kHz high-resolution converters, designed to help your recordings and mixes sound their absolute best. Visit your local dealer or online reseller and find out what a great addition to any studio or mobile recording rig it can be. |
slw.dncin –
Perfect to jam along with guitar rig 5 and addictive drums to youtube loopsFrom a beginner or person who uses guitar rig 5 and addictive drums to jam along to youtube tracks:1. You can jam along to Youtube or any song on your computer since the instruments “sound” (best that i can explain because i’m a noob!) is routed through the audio interface, keeping your computer sound open to youtube or windows media player, etc.2. improves latency! I was getting major lag with my electronic drumset and a midi to USB that it was unplayable, this solves that! The guitar input with the ASIO driver brings my latency to 1.3 ms or whatever (hard to explain)There is a small learning curve to get the input outputs routed correctly, but with trial and error and help from forums and Youtube, it’s all sorted out! I recommend downloading the drivers from behringer’s website.You can have guitar rig 5 hooked up to a guitar and then the midi in/out hooked up to your electric drums with addictive drums and you have yourself a full jam band almost! Haven’t tried 2 instruments (there are two inputs in the front!) for one guitar rig program so i’m not sure if guitar and bass is possible at the same time.I’ve cheese around with FL studio and audacity and guitar rig/ and “wrote” some metal songs and it’s loads of fun!TLDR: get this if you want to jam along to youtube loops or write your own music!
Alexey –
Low noise, good value for moneyA lot of features for less money and it is really low noise audio interface. It is equal to more expensive options like focusrite. The max gain is even slightly better than focusrite. The only con (only if you really need it) the phantom power can be switched on either for both inputs or none, you can’t control it individually.
D.J. Gow –
Only one downfall but fixable!I really like this interface but the instrument input sounds a bit muddy. I can fix this with a DI box but it’s a little bit annoying. 10/10 on all other aspects, it’s built sturdy, mics sound good, able to use external effects for each channel via rear inserts, and it arrived on time.
nick761572 –
Impressive design and function for this priceDoes NOT support Linux though, sound is choppy
Alan –
Great device with some caveats!I got this to record music using a Chromebook, with which it is supposed to be compatible. It works, sorta. When I attempted to record a second track while listening to the first, I experienced sound cutting out momentarily every few seconds. Turned out that any sound-source routed through the interface did the same thing. Technical support was useless (no live person – written responses only, with no knowledge). Long story short, I switched from Chromebook to a PC and now everything is fine.Also, there js only setup documentation. If you are a beginner (I’m not), there are helpful videos on YouTube.
Michael –
5 Stars! Easy Setup, HD Audio, Dual Versatile Inputs, Monitoring Options, MIDI, Phantom PowerSimply said, the U-PHORIA UMC204HD is packed with features at an amazing price point. The initial setup in Windows 10 was 100% hassle-free. Just connect the included USB cable, let Windows do it’s thing, and in less than a minute, the unit is fully functional. Simply open your DAW or streaming app source list and select “Microphone (2-UMC204 HD 192K)”. Ready to go! The audio quality is super clean. With dual mic/line/instrument inputs (both will accept XLR or 1/4″ TRS) and individual gain controls (plus PAD option), you can connect just about anything and easily match up your levels. For monitoring/analog output, the unit offers consumer type RCA jacks plus 1/4″ TRS, and of course a headphone jack (and MIX adjustment) I personally don’t use MIDI, but it’s there if needed. As for build quality, the knobs and buttons feel great, and the metal enclosure is rock solid. Honestly, when compared to similarly priced products (Focusrite, PreSonus, etc), the Behringer delivers more bang-for-the -buck. Definitely worthy of your consideration.
Fjodor Hoxhaj –
Distorted sound.This sound card has x2 mono inputs (equivalent to 1 stereo input for recording) and x4 mono outputs (equivalent to 2 stereo outputs for sound reproduction/playback.) Each channel has a maximum rating of 192khz & 24Bit. There are no DSP capabilities. This configuration is perfect to use with a traktor dj software, however, to this date 19 aug 2022, the windows driver (v5.30) has a bug which generates clicks on each output. The sound on linux has no issues and works out of the box. I was hoping to listen to music with this at high volume using headphones, but as it turns out more than 75% of the volume distorts the sound. What a dissapointment. You can get a higher volume and undistorted sound from an iphone and not from a pro rated sound card. How can quality control allow this?Material’s quality is trivial if there are sound quality problems for this type of product.Behringer seems not reliable.
K Teel –
Nice sound quality. Also a good value.The UMC204HD and the UMC202HD, both have decent sound quality. If I recall they have just a tad more harmonic distortion than the Scarlet. However, it’s very slight. Overall, the UMC204HD is capable of delivering full, and good sound, with definition. Will it’s sound be as clear as a $1000 interface? Probably not. However, the difference gets into a fine shade of definition. If you want a good deal on an interface (with lots of features), the UMC204HD (and the UMC202HD) will fill the bill. If you’re on a budget, these are the ones that will fit within it, and give you nice sound, and good features. The Scarlets are just a bit more expensive, and have just a tad more clarity, but you don’t get as much for your money in terms ins and outs and features. I just looked up the Behringer UMC204HD and the Scarlet 2i2. The Scarlet costs $60 more, for the two mic in, and with no MIDI jacks. Spend the extra money if you want that extra 3% of sound clarity. The Behringer seems like a better deal to me.
Ron Swanson –
Great value, quality soundReview written after about a week of use. Will update should my feelings change. 03/06/2017This is my first audio interface, previous to this I’ve struggled trying to record direct into my sound card or with my iPhone and low quality microphones and I must say this interface paired with a $20 condenser mic has been some of the best money I’ve ever spent for music/recording. While this is my first audio interface, I’ve been playing bass/guitar for a couple years and have been and audiophile my whole life.The unit itself is well constructed, metal enclosure, every input and output feels well secured. All pots are noise free and rotate smoothly with pleasant resistance.Sound quality is great. If you turn your gain past 50% on either the preamp or monitor preamp, you can start to hear a little bit of hiss, but beneath that, the signal is very nice and with my $20 neweer mic, is plenty loud enough to clip before entering hissing territory.Going direct in with guitar or bass usually means the gain has to be set very low or you have to put the pad on, which works effectively to reduce the signal, but to my ears, bleeds off some of the treble content of the signal. I prefer to set the gain very low and not activate the pad. This results in a super clean signal with almost no noise or coloring.My only complaint with this unit is just getting it set up in general. This is a fault with Windows and not the unit itself. I’ve been a computer repair tech for a few years and it still took me a coiple hours to get everything sorted.For Windows 10, install the driver on behringer a website, set the behringer unit to the default playback device, also set it to the default recording device, but the kicker for me was, you have to set the unit as the default communications device as well or it would not transmit any signal to my daw/pcAll in all very pleased. Between this interface and my mic, I spent $100 and I am genuinely amazed by the sound quality of recordings I’ve already haphazardly done.10/10 would recommend.
mountainmama –
Good Sound Quality, Low Latency, Great PriceI am setting up a small music workstation/recording outfit for my kids at home. Setup with this box was extremely easy, worked from the get-go. Played very well with Windows (WDM) system sound- no problems, just worked. I was leery of buying this box because the specs seemed too good to be true. That and a hit and miss past with Behringer products. As of late though, I’ve been quite impressed with the new products they’re putting out. This is no exception.The build quality isn’t only as good as much more expensive products, but it exceeds them. The chassis is a very sturdy metal, really chunky and solid (which is good). The knobs, while plastic, are also solid and attached to incredibly smooth pots. Honestly, you’d be hard pressed to find a smoother throw on a knob in any product, regardless of price. I am a professional musician/producer and own audio interface products by Apogee, RME, Motu, Presonus, and Avid. As far as build quality, this box is on par. My limited experience with the sound quality of this box thus far leaves me with the impression that the box is certainly adequate if not excellent. The mic pres are clean with plenty of gain. The conversion is also clean and absolutely not getting in the way of creativity or a great performance.Beyond build and sound quality, one of my biggest concerns with this box was latency as I am setting up a workstation that will be primarily built around virtual instruments (VSTi’s) and Cubase. I currently have the ASIO latency buffer set at 64 and that’s producing about 6-7ms of round trip latency. When playing virtual instruments it’s about half that. The box also has a playback/monitor mix knob for zero latency monitoring when recording live instruments/voice. So far the latency performance is excellent and has far exceeded my expectations.Bottom line: You won’t come close to finding something this well built and functional among any of the lower priced audio interfaces. The value for what you’re getting is amazing.