I feel like an ass. I posted a fairly long and scathing review of the UMC404 that concluded it's fine as an entry level interface and unusable compared to the ID22.

BUT...likely the drivers did not install correctly or were in conflict with something on my Windows install.

Before I put it back in the box for the return I installed the drivers on a different system and tried the UMC on that.

It sounded...well it sounded good. Maybe great? Likely great in comparison to how I thought it did sound. The big problem before were the pres were very noisy. Now the pre's are really quiet, all the way up. In fact, now the pre's provide more gain and are as quiet as the pre's on the ID22.

How do they sound? They sound good!

Is it as good as the ID22? Well I can't say. I haven't recorded a session with various instruments. But I did record acoustic and electric guitar through both to compare them. There were differences but just based on those tracks alone I feel totally confident that you could make a great sounding recording using the thing.

So I take it back, for now. The UMC404 sounds shockingly good for the $80 I got it for. Literally shocking.

implying BEHRINGER ever made quality stuff

ok so im planning on getting this unit. Had a few doubts though. I want to use this interface live with my band...just wanted to know if i can send a seperate mix to the drummer (with a click)...and a seperate for FOH? thanks!

Generally I don't even look at Behringer products any more. But I just checked a couple of recording demos on YouTube done on Behringer U-phoria UMC series interfaces. Those preamps sound unbelievably good considering the price!

For the price range the electronic/circuits Beheringer uses isn't bad. Where they cut costs is in the pots and connectors which are the cheapest made. Since these are things users manipulate the most they are the first things to fail, and they are the reason the manufacture has a bad rep.

I own several pieces of they're gear. I have one of they're 12 channel mixers I bought used for $50 and left it sitting out uncovered for several months. Dust got into the slider and made the contacts fail. I eventually got it cleaned and working again, but the material used to block the slider holes could have been better to prevent that from happening. Another example is with they're pedals. They use cheap plastic jacks and PC mount pots. I put a little weight on an input jack and the contacts inside the jack bent so I had intermittent contacts. I had to go into the jack with a spring hook and bend it back to get it to work properly again.

Any kind of musical gear needs those key areas to be durable because they are normally the first things that fail. If they were to beef those areas up they gear wouldn't be that bad at all.

As far as they're interfaces go, Tascam has multichannel interfaces in the same price ranges. The builds and audio quality are incredible for they're price ranges. They are solid metal rack units with high quality pots jacks and switches. I bought one of they're 6 channel US-1200's on sale from MF for $89. I found another on EBay in mint condition for $80 with free shipping. I plan on buying they're 16 channel version to replace my studio DAW's PCI card setup at some point. I have 24 channels available but rarely if ever use more then 16. The unit cost of the US-1600 is $250 new which is better then anything else I've seen available.

The 4 channel Version is a bit high. I think its in the $150 range. That's a bit more then the Behringer but that's likely because its a 4X4. Its also the next step up from a 2X2 so its a matter of supply and demand. I'd rather spend $100 more and have 16 channels any day. That way I can record a full drum set and band without having to worry about having enough channels.

You guys might be interested in these measurements.
Budget DAC Review: behringer UMC204HD | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

The same guy did them for the Mytek Brooklyn
Review and Measurements of Mytek Brooklyn DAC | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

That's an interesting interpretation of the word "scathing."

I had a pair of Behringer monitors years ago that sounded great and translated well. They were better than many monitors twice their price.

I've had two friends whose Behringer mixers outlasted their Mackies.

Their ADA8000 converters are generally regarded as very usable, even by people who can afford better.

I think a lot of the hate is undeserved.

I used one. A nice piece of kit for not a lot of money considered you can't get 4 Midas preamps for that price, so it's like the A/d converters and MIDI interface is free.

It certainly seems sturdier than the Focusrite Scarlett comparable model. That thing was extremely buggy and Focusrite had bad support.

In my defense I'm sure I meant to either use a different word or my phone auto-corrected.

But that should not stop you from making a petty and inconsequential contribution to this thread.

Guilty as charged. Was just poking you in the ribs to kid and didn't do a good job of making that clear. It was just funny when I read it

Anyway, I do not own anything Behringer, but my impression is also generally that the hate-hype is overdone. I reserve the right to change my mind if I buy.

I bought the 404HD on a whim, having always been disappointed with the quality of all Behringer gear that I owned in years past - but must say (especially for the money) it's quite good.

Absolutely silent, great dynamic range and with LPX, unless you're pushing 24/192, there's been no perceptible latency through the USB interface when over-dubbing even through my MBP directly.

My only complaint is the lack of a dedicated power switch, so I leave it on all the time, but it's never given me any issues and is a real steal and has yet to exhibit a single hiccup since I bought it when first released.

I know that there are better interfaces on the market, of course, but for the bit depth and sample rate that this offers and the quality of output with no latency in my setup (24/96) it's impossible to beat for the $$ and it's very well put together and portable as well.

Now, the fact that it beat the Mytek Brooklyn as a DAC as noted above (although no DSD, only 192K) is pretty impressive.

Even if it dies on me, I'd probably get another.

I highly recommend it without hesitation.

Gregko

Sadly, I purchased one to try against my Brooklyn as well. However, it didn't have enough gain to go direct to my Crown DCi which drives my JBL M2 Master Reference Monitors.

That`s a real problem for myself, anyways. I want to feel SOLID pots, etc. I could probably forgive, and even probably not even notice if the insides were at least decent. But turning a knob and it feels all loose, or sliding a slider and it`s sloppy feeling is a TOTAL deal breaker. Although all the issues I`ve had with them when I "bit the bullet" were those that I described, and excessive noise. Jeez, can it really cost THAT much to fix these problems? Does EVERY part have to be the cheapest of the cheap? People would pay an extra 5 bucks for solid pots, etc. It`s kinda like the Peavey story. A history of making the worst amps ever, all the way to making amps for EVH and revamping their own line. I think it`s been discontinued, but the Valve King freaking sounded AWESOME! I almost bought one for christ sake. If Behringer could turn it around like that, sure, I`ll but their gear all day. I`d rather pay MORE for a well-built Behringer piece than "unbelievably cheap" for a sloppy-knobbed, noisy piece. One of the few times I`d say "pass the cost to the consumer..Please!"

Yes output level is a place they cut corners on the 404 and 204.

originally had tascam us-1800 - thru GB.
then got a focusrite scarlett solo cause everything i could find out about it was raves about their preamps.
then i heard about uphoria.....& everything i could find out was positive plus really so much more affordable $...so i got the 202hd.
after looking, and searching for a better daw that didnt cost a grand - i have presonus one v3 artist....really very, very nice. intuitive GUI & loaded with nice features.
end of story - focusrite 50db of gain is really nice & quiet. tascam has a tad less gain - but more versatile also with quiet & clean preamps for a budget interface.
behringer....not so much.
50% less gain than other two. i cant use it.
its quite possible, since im still learning that im doing something wrong - but if i can get good results from the other two interfaces, i would hope that the fault does not belong to me.
comments / questions / suggestions are truly welcome.
most everyone on here knows a boatload more than me - and has the experience to back it up.
thanks all.

I was after an ada8200 to expand my iD22. Found a refurbed umc 1820 for cheaper than the 8200. Bought it expecting to send it back after 10 minutes. Still got it, and gonna keep it. Software is pretty basic but hey - for less than a decent plug-in who cares. Built like a bloody tank too. Prolly still gonna get an 8200
The fact that there are quite a few refurbed ones about tells it's own story about the manufacturing side tho'....

I have a Uphoria UMC202HD. I bought it at a time I was strapped for cash and needed an interface. Well 6 months later it still works and runs 18 hours a day every day. The pots were smooth and precise in the beginning and lo and behold are still smooth and precise. No looseness at all which is a common Berhinger complaint. It sounds great especially putting the mics directly into the interface. In this respect it sounds a fair amount better than going through my Mackie 1202 or my Xenyx 1202. The UphoriaUMC202HD I have is quiet and clean, almost clinical in it's accuracy. Oh and yes Virgina it sounds noticeably better than my once prized Audio Labs PCI card I used for years. Every occupation and interest needs a whipping boy to badmouth and in the world of audio/recording gear Berhinger seems to be that whipping boy. But I don't buy into the idea it's crap. Going back to my pair of 1202 mixers my Xenyx 1202 is getting on being a decade old and it has likely a couple of thousand hours on it. And it has held up as well as my Mackie 1202 which is the same age. My Xenyx was a gift but the UMC202HD was a conscious decision and I see no reason to upgrade it any time soon. So if folks get nice results from Behringer these days I'm not at all surprised.

No offense but I'm a little skeptical that the Behringer (or any modern AI, really) has only 25db of gain. May I ask where you got those numbers? I didn't see anything anywhere; oddly, most companies are not at all forthcoming, almost downright secretive about it (course if those numbers are right I could understand why).

...

Strangely, I went through almost the same progression, but with different results.

Started with a US 2000 - thought the pre-amps were noisy and didn't sound too good.

Went to a Scarlett 2i2 . Nice mic pre- amps, great latency when used with a single VST instrument, BUT continuous and almost seemingly random clicks and pops when running multi tracks. Even using the biggest possible, buffers made no difference.

Relegated the Scarlett to my laptop for live use, where it works nicely.

Rather gun shy about buying an expensive interface after the Scarlett experience , bought the 404. Mic pre-amp almost as good ( no gain problems for me) , drivers better - handles mixes that would have made the Scarlett click and pop like my knees on a bad day.

Does have a tendency to go into la la land if I'm sharing the device, and switch from a 48K source to a 44K source while both are open.

Yeah the 202 is on my short list. Heck the UM2 might work, all I need is 1 mic jack

EDIT: take it back, nothing less than the 204. Need MIDI. doh.

Quoting this funny post from 2018

a question on umc404, i can't find the answer elsewhere:

can it be used as a 4 preamp box?
in other words, does input signal go straight to output, no a/d conversion?

Half the volume of 50dB is 44dB, not 25..

He said 50% less gain, not volume, and the 204 has 56db...somehow I doubt the 404 has any less, though it's certainly possible (their user manual didn't say, which is amazingly common).

I stand corrected!

There are inserts on the umc404 so in theory you could use the output of the insert as a post-preamp output. Is there a particular reason you'd want to do that?

If he's got spare inputs but not enough preamps.

I am thoroughly happy with my UMC202HD. It's ability to have line outs with volume pot is proving very handy. This thing sounds clean and clear. The mic pres are equal to mic pres on my Macki 1202 and are superior to my Berhinger Zenyx 1202. So it's win win. The pots in my unit are solid with a firm smooth action and very linear gain. I had to buy my UMC202 in an emergency and originally I was going to upgrade the 202 but it sounds and performs so well I can find no reason to upgrade. I suppose I can find better but expect to pay 5X more than the 202 cost. Focusrite grabs a lot of attention but this Berhinger series is equal to the Scarlets and in some was better.