Universal Audio Volt 176 USB Audio Interface

Using this is a dream. One button press and I'm ready to record. Compressor: The compressor is killer! - It not only makes the vocals sound fuller and easier to understand, but it effectively works as a limiter too. So this means I can get extra loud or extra quite with my voice, or move closer and further from the mic - and not have to waste time in editing fixing the volume levels. Amazing for my uses and works far better than Elgato's attempt at this. None of the reviews I saw mentioned this but it's in the manual - you can adjust the compressor via the gain knob. - Basically the compressor sets the top limit and the harder you push your gain the more you push your quite stuff into the loud stuff. In other words, this thing is freakin fantastic. I can get compression that's extremely mild - all the way to pretty insane compression - depending on use/preference. Note: (Please note that while I'm very knowledgeable in audio and I've been working in audio/video for over a decade, I'm still not an expert audio engineer and I have not used a professional standalone compressor unit (other than software plugins, but there too I am not an expert). So I can't say for sure exactly how this stacks up to the big boy stuff and I have not compared them side by side.) Price: Price feels a little steep especially if you want multiple channels. But for a professional device this is worth every single penny. All my issues from my four previous interfaces have gone away. And this kicks the back side of any USB mic that I know of (except *maaaaaaaybe* the Rode NT1 5th gen but that doesn't fit my uses and of course it's limited to one built-in mic) Phantom power: Small complaint is that for my main mic (the insanely good Earthworks SR117) I have to switch on phantom power each time I use this interface. For example if the computer goes to sleep then the Volt might turn off for a few seconds and the phantom power resets to the off position. This IS good for safety with some rare mics that can be damaged by phantom power. On most modern mics this isn't an issue but it's a nice safety feature to have anyways. When it's on there's a pretty red light which is nice. But since the default is phantom power off every time, it's happened a couple times where I started troubleshooting my mic and cables etc before realizing this was the issue. But it's a single button press to turn on so as long as you're aware of this and you or someone else is monitoring with headphones then it's hardly a problem. And anyways this only applies to mics that need the phantom power. There's other quality of life things like that when enabling phantom power it goes silent for a few seconds so your mic doesn't cause a pop. Very nice! If I'm not mistaken all the other settings are remembered after power off. Most importantly all the gain and volume etc since those are physical knobs. I have the single input version of this Volt as that's all that was in stock at the time. Meters: The audio meters on this are better than all my previous interfaces but still not enough different levels for what most pros would want. But with the awesome compressor it's really not an issue because I can't peak anyways. - so for my uses I'm anyways adjusting based on how the compressor sounds and not based on any visual indication. If you don't need fancy effects running on your interface (other than the awesome compressor) then I don't know of anything better. Stunningly well made device. Alternatives: I was considering the Rode interface since it has a ton of effects and adjustments but looking at Amazon reviews there seems to be issues with the device failing so for now that's a no-go for me. And it's not exactly cheap (500 ish). Same for Lewitt's interface. Looks like they need to work on reliability. Conclusion: In conclusion. I love it. 100% recommended. And it's pretty too. Nice eye candy for the desk. The lights and buttons on it look exceptionally good! Not just cheap LEDs. Photo: Photographed in my desk drawer where it lives. This keeps my desk surface clean for whatever project I'm working on and it keeps my devices and cables away from my cats. Compatibility notes: Mac: Works great on my Mac. Plug and play. I assume Windows as well. Camera: For use with a camera (which I do often) I can output from the headphones output of the Volt into the mic input of my camera, then plug in my headphones into the camera's own headphone output. This works great because the headphone volume knob on there volt works as an additional amplifier to adjust the output volume *after* the compression. This would have been nice to have for the USB output too but as it is at the moment you only have the main knob (which is limited in volume if you're using the compressor and then digital adjustments on the recording device (computer etc) for any further amplification. The headphone out has lots of volume so I can set the camera's built-in gain to the lowest setting and then overpower the camera's noisy preamps to keep noise low. Playstation compatibility: ***(most people can ignore this)*** This interface is *not* compatible with the Playstation 5 in case anyone is trying to record videos on that. But even with interfaces that ended up being compatible (elgato Wave XLR, Shure X2U), the PS5 seems to record audio in a super low bitrate and it's totally unusable if you want something that sounds nice. So I've switched to just recording my screen with a camera - worse image but audio is x10 better which for me is much more important. Plus manually coping recordings off the PS5 is a huge pain if you need to do it often. I could do screen recording with a second computer but I don't want a second monitor on my desk. Another option might be some professional recorders like the Atomos ones but I don't want to spend money on that right now.

Great product, makes my voice sound beautiful!

I use this to record voice over work. It does a great job. The compressor is nice. I would like a separate control outside of the gain to control the compression about, but so far it hasn't been an issue. Overall a great sounding, low noise, easy to use interface for recording.

I use the interface now for three years. I really like the feature set, in particular the built-in analog compressor, it allows for an easy way to improve the sound coming from my microphone, most of the time without the need for additional postprocessing. The mic amplifier is also quite sensitive. The connectivity options are great, the built is sturdy enough to have survived some moving around of the interface. I only give four stars, as there are for a year issues with the volume knob, you can hear a scratching noise on the audio when you change the volume. This disappears after several turns left and right, but still, this is a quality issue. I am living in a humid climate, but not too humid with aircon on most of the time, so this is a quality issue a buyer should be aware of. All in all, I am satifsfied with the unit.

Well worth the money easy set up through usb just plug into your computer and start using. crystal clear vocals and beautiful design built in compressors makes recording smooth and easier

High quality construction. It has weight and very compact. The design is timeless and will be a piece of equipment to keep forever. Comparing to the other Volt series without the compressor, this one has several benefits for the price. Design is more thought out for being able to use while standing or sitting. The knobs and buttons feel very sturdy. The compressor is really noticeable on guitar.

A beautiful and easy to use interface with a 76 compressor and vintage settings for clear instruments and vocals! A great add on to your home studio

Excellent sound.... works well with my HP Envy laptop with Intel chip i7-7500U @ 2.7 GHz and 8 GB ram running Win 10. Getting the Windows drivers was easy once you establish a Universal Audio account and register the device. Amazing that the drivers install themselves and make the required changes to the computers audio setting and the DAW settings ( Reaper in my case) . When the Volt is powered on the sound is routed via the DAW and the Volt. When the Volt is switched off the sound is switched back to the computer's audio devices. When the DAW is opened I found the Volt settings installed under the preferences in Reaper. The Volt drivers are in the ASIO tab and should be selected. I have had no compatibility issues with Windows despite what I read in reviews. Sound quality beats my Focusrite Solo especially when using the built in compressor. Haven't tried the "vintage" button yet.

Excelente interface com ótimo preço ! Estou muito satisfeito.

Amazing sound out of compression and vintage buttons for guitar !

Das beste Interface, was ich je hatte. Exzellente Audioqualität trifft auf tolle Features. Ich nutze es, um ein Rode Podmic oder auch ein Fifine K688 am PC zu betreiben. Der große Regler auf dem Gerät ist damit für mich überflüssig, Kopfhörer hängen vorne am Monitoring Ausgang. An diesem gibt es Ton vom PC, sowie Monitoring des XLR Ports, sofern per Knopf am Gerät aktiviert. Ich hätte gerne einen Mute-Button für den XLR Port gehabt. So muss man entweder den Gain auf 0 drehen, einen XLR Mute Button am Kabel verbauen oder ein Mute per Software am PC einstellen. Dies wusste ich aber vor dem Kauf und ziehe daher keinen Stern ab. Auch die Features Kompressor und Vintage PreAmp Mode sind äußerst gut gelungen und heben die Qualität des Klangbildes nochmal deutlich an. Stimmen werden klar und warm. Die Effekte sind hörbar, aber nur ein tolles Abrunden des Klangbildes. Es klingt nichts verfälscht oder aufdringlich mit Effekten belegt. Ich bin ein großer Fan von dem Gerät und den Effekten geworden. Das Gerät funktioniert übrigens auch sehr gut unter Ubuntu/Linux bei mir. Klare Kaufempfehlung

Highly recommend this device. Portable and great quality audio recording/playback device.

Lo tiene todo: calidad en su construcción, en su sonido, diseño seductor y muy buen precio.