Features:

  • 2x2 USB audio interface for recording microphones and instruments
  • Audiophile 48 kHz resolution for professional audio quality.Maximum Sampling Rate: 48 kHz
  • Compatible with popular recording software including Avid Pro Tools*, Ableton Live*, Steinberg Cubase*, etc.
  • Streams 2 inputs / 2 outputs with ultra-low latency to your computer, supporting Mac OS X* and Windows XP* or higher
  • State-of-the-art, +48 V-powered XENYX Mic Preamp comparable to stand-alone boutique preamps
Behringing it!

Behringer out did themselves with this usb audio interface! I will admit I was ready to return it because upon first attempt at setup I ran into multiple issues. It turns out if you're on Windows 10 you have to go online and download the right drivers or else it will not install correctly leaving you frustrated and disappointed. I finally found the correct driver at around 3:30 in the morning and ran the installation program, rebooted my laptop, and then ran the installation program again. Viola! I am using the INs and OUTs both in FL Studio simultaneously while I browse YouTube on Google Chrome. The audio quality is superb for the $99 you pay for it. I would say purchase this product if you're on edge! It's sleek and portable. You can power this with or without the power adapter so don't worry about always carrying around the adapter that comes with it. Another benefit is all the outputs this interface offers you at the selling price... You won't find that any where else from what I have seen. Happy Amazon shopping!

Great stand-alone DAC .. the audio interface features are an added bonus

I recently purchased some JBL 305 MKii monitors for my desk so simplify my audio setup. I was getting noise from my PC analog output and many folks recommended an external DAC. Doing research introduced me to audio interfaces, which I'd never heard of before all this. I originally picked up the Focusrite 2i2 because of the solid all around reviews. It seemed to work fine, sound good, etc. But further reading led me to the 404 and given the additional features and the lower price, I had to check it out. I did quite a bit of A/B testing between the Focusrite 2i2 and the Behringer 404 and here is my non-expert conclusion: 1) Audio quality (DAC) is equal to that of the Focusrite. After lots of A/B testing with my favorite songs I honestly couldn't tell any difference between the two devices. Overall the quality is top notch, bringing forth lots of detail and definition that really shine through the 305s 2) Some people have complained about the quality of the headphone output, but I have found nothing wrong with it. I'm running a pair of Sony MDR-V6, which are efficient, and I can get ear-splitting volume with room to spare. Sound quality is also very good, but obviously much different going through a set of cans versus monitors. 3) Inputs work very well. At first I had trouble because I had the mic setting incorrect on my PC, but once I got that squared away playing my guitar through the inputs worked great. And I love the ability to pan between input and monitor volume with a knob on the box. The Focusrite doesn't have this. I'm no expert with audio interfaces, but so far this thing has been great and I'm enjoying my music all over again. Highly recommended as an audio interface and simply as a DAC for listening to FLAC and other high-res music files. You get much more functionality and excellent sound quality for less than you'll pay for many stand-alone DACs.

Best value in it's class - In depth review

----------------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 bus CONS • 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 footprint And 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… Included In the box you’ll get: • UMC404HD interface • AC Adapter • USB Cable • Documentation And 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.

Amazing Outstanding and CHEAP!!!!!!!

This is one of those things that should cost 10x what they're charging for it. Its fantastic! This little $99 interface is AMAZING. The clarity on the onboard Midas pres are great, the inputs are easy to use and its built solid. I was disappointed that it does not have rack ear capabilities, but the pros FAR outweigh the cons. The headphone amp has plenty of volume, the first 4 inputs all have a pad and selectable input buffers. The rear 4 inputs are just basic i/o with no controls. Its a fantastic sounding SMALL CHEAP AWESOME interface. I suggest it for anyone who wants to do home recording. I use it to track demos, NOT for professional releases. But with the right software, I guess you could do that? I use Gband and Logic and it worked the second I plugged it in. Top notch stuff for NO money. Behringer absolutely killed it (and you don't hear me say that often). I am a touring backline tech and one band I tour with uses an X32 rack for monitors and it sounds VERY similar to that (pre-mons mix). GREAT STUFF!!!!!!!

works with linux

Sound quality is great. Also, I'm using this with linux (Ubuntu Mate 16.04). It works flawlessly, plug-and-play (no drivers needed). To configure in Linux, I used these steps: * plug in USB device * boot up OS * Start up QjackCtl setup, select the USB sound card device. * start Jack * start your DAW (for example Ardour) Of course, in linux general system sound will still be routed to the system sound card. These are configured under the system Sound Preferences Input/Ouput settings. Or you can keep system sounds running through the native soundcard, and only use the USB soundcard for multitrack recording (jack). The DAW software I use (Ardour) reads both channels as a single Left/Right stereo input. One word of caution: if you plan on using the direct monitoring feature, you'd probably be better off to spend $10 more dollars and get the 204HD model instead of the 202HD. Behringer's models are a little confusing in that 202 and 204 are almost identical. The 204 model will give you control over a stereo/mono headhone signal, and balance knobs. Otherwise, with the 202, the two inputs are hard-panned to be left/right with direct monitoring. So if you only record one input, direct monitoring would be in one ear. For me, the latency on my system is low enough, I don't really need direct monitoring, and also I don't record in mono (one channel).

Why does the Behringer umc202hd keep getting a bad rap?

I should have bought this before I purchased the focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen2. The focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen2 kept giving me glitches and popping and crashing my computer, the drivers were not compatible with my Windows 10 64-bit AMD computer. So I decided to try the Behringer umc202hd connected it to my computer downloaded the Windows driver installed it and guess what people no popping or glitches on my Windows computer. And it works well with all my Daw's. MPC Studio Black Ableton suite 9.7.1 FL Studio 12.4.1 Mixcraft Pro Studio 8 and 7 propellerhead reason 5 and 9 Essentials... the Behringer is an awesome product and way better than the focusrite for me, and the price was unbeatable...

Surprisingly Impressive.

I've gone through many recording interfaces in my time. Certain models stop being supported and you end up with a graveyard of USB interfaces over the years. I'm really glad i got this one. For under 100 bucks, i can record 4 channels at once, works perfect on both my Mac Mini and Windows 10 machines alike. Craftsmanship is good. Knobs feel good. I would have accepted it if there was some cheapness, considering the price, but this is a totally legit unit. Unless i find out a month from now that it magically dies on it's own, I see no reason to spend more money on any other interface unless you need more than 4 channels. This unit has dedicated outs per channel too! So besides the main outs, you can get a separate out per channel. That's uncommon in "cheaper" class units, so i was surprised by that. It's great to send mics and lines to this first, and use the outs on the back of the unit to send the signals through monitoring, additional processing, etc. In the past I would use a Patch bay to achieve the same thing, so I was able to minimize my set up by adding this unit to my studio.

The new "top of its class" in this price range

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 2i2 Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 2 Focusrite Scarlett Solo Digidesign Mbox2 Avid's Mbox 3 Propellerhead Balance Presonus Audiobox 22VSL Alesis i02 Express Mackie Onyx Blackjack Behringer Uphoria um2 Behringer UControl UCA222 Behringer Xenyx 1202USB M-Audio MTrack Mk2 Line 6 Tone Port Zoom H4N Recorder/Interface I'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.

Can't go wrong with the UM2 it sounds amazing.

Amazing little interface for the price. I picked up the UM2 to drive an inexpensive XLR condenser mic, and it works great. Its pretty no frills, but you can't go wrong for the price. Behringer did a nice job with the DAC's and they are very clean and noise free for me. I did see a subtle difference with the website driver vs the generic Windows installed driver but I didn't use any of the other software. Dual input is a bonus at this price, even with the single XLR and 1/4 TRS input jack, they are driven with independent GAIN settings. The next one up offers some extra features like a pad feature and an improved MIDAS preamp, but honestly the little UM2 sounds just fine for my needs, it is pretty on part with some more expensive ones out on the market, and I'd be hard pressed to no choose that over a little USB mixer board for the $70-100 price point of some of the others. It depends on what you want though, if you have 1-2 inputs and you don't care about compressors and all that fancy stuff or just need a no frills clean interface than this works great. Computer sound can be pumped out the outputs (RCA and 1/4 TRS), and mixed with a monitor button. The monitor blend button does quiet the output somewhat but it lets you hear the inputs overlaid with he audio. The indicators are small but nice to have, good to see some signal activity and clipping. The only cons that I have are that the USB input is driven with a single mixed channel input, so if your looking for virtual interfaces, eh you won't find it at this price point.

Best in Class!

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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