As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, this site may earn from qualifying purchases.
We may also earn commissions on purchases from other retail websites.

Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Review – When You Need More Inputs

3.9 out of 5 stars
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD Review – When You Need More Inputs
Design:3.6 out of 5 stars
Features:3.6 out of 5 stars
Performance:3.6 out of 5 stars
Value:4.8 out of 5 stars

Devices such as the U-PHORIA UMC404HD are the reason why Behringer is one of the go-to brands for budget users looking for reliability and efficiency. This USB-powered device may look plain, but it is easily one of the most versatile audio interfaces you can find for under $200. Let’s take a closer look.

Behringer- UMC404HD-Design

Design

The moment you pull the UMC404HD out of the box you can see that this audio interface is nothing like its competitors. There is just more of it – in every sense of the word. At around 11” wide, it’s quite a large unit, which is understandable when you consider the four separate inputs that line up on the left of the face (more on these soon).

Aside from this, the UMC404HD is more or less a standard interface in terms of design, with inputs on the front and outputs in the back, all packed into a sturdy aluminum chassis. As expected, the UMC404HD features the classic Behringer color scheme, with black the dominant color and light grey details breaking up the monotony. It’s not the most entertaining system to look at but it will look professional in any studio setup.

Behringer- UMC404HD-Features

Features

When you start looking at the features of the UMC404HD, the story starts to unravel. The main focus is naturally on the four channels, with Behringer using dual XLR/TRS connectors for all of them, adding to the convenience and versatility. Each input is connected to a MIDAS preamp, which is a well-known name in the audio market due to its high-quality performance.

Each input has a corresponding control cluster that includes a line/instrument switch, a pad for each preamp, and a gain rotary control. Not bad at all, although there is no individual phantom power option – instead of being able to turn phantom power on a specific channel, you can only use it on all four at the same time. Still, at this price, we really can’t complain. Finally, the back panel reveals a variety of different outputs, including RCA and MIDI, as well as a USB output, which doubles up as the power source (although it can also take a DC adapter).

Performance

When it comes to performance, the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD works like a champ. As mentioned, the MIDAS preamps included in the device are very solid and allow for achieving very clear vocal recordings. In terms of guitar recording, the UMC404HD can take the heat of active pickups with no issues.

The good news is that this audio interface is perfectly compatible with both Mac and Windows machines, as works nicely with most DAWs. Note that the UMC404HD actually comes bundled with a copy of Tracktion DAW, which makes a handy addition for recording and editing.

Conclusion

For under $200, Behringer has pulled off an excellent achievement with the UMC404HD. They have created a powerful and intuitive audio interface with a great range of I/O options, leading to a very flexible partner for home studios. A solid choice for serious beginners, experienced users and bands, who will find those extra inputs very useful.

For more info about the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD, click here.
For more Audio Interfaces Under $100 you might like, click here.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michal says

    You can definitely power the UMC404HD through USB. In fact, I’m doing so right now. The external adapter may be used for computer-less operation.

  2. Gerard Francis Baroi says

    Can we use 4 inputs at a time like for example I’m recording vocal acoustic guitar bass guitar and a keyboard can we do?
    Can it take the load?

  3. Arka Mitra says

    Yes it can. But make sure you’re using a dynamic mic that doesn’t require phantom power, or use an external phantom power box. You’re good to go then.

  4. Arka Mitra says

    Yes Michal, but that’s not a good idea while you’re recording 4 inputs at a time. It’ll definitely give you a white noise. If possible, it’s always recommended to use that DC adapter.

  5. Steve Taylor says

    The sound level seems off when I pluged in my keyboard, first I couldnt turn the sound up because it was too bassy at 1/4 volume, then I plugged in a microphone and the keyboard sound dropped way down to where you could barely hear it. What am I doing wrong?

  6. Aaron says

    Audio driver seems to freeze when running multiple applications with DAW. Already set default Windows & driver sample rate to 44.1kHz and uninstalled/disabled other drivers but still the same issue. Seems that others have the same problem too. Anyone has a fix to this?

Speak Your Mind

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *