Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD

For the price it's obviously a no-brainer. The interface is solid and very well built. The pre-amps are amazing so as the sounds you can get from it. There's only a major drawback which made me return it and get the UMC204HD (for 20€ more): the direct output you get from the channels 1 and 2 is hard-panned,a nd by that I mean that if you plug a guitar or something else in for example the input 1 and you want to hear it directly without having to use a daw and avoid delays in the signal while playing, you will hear it only from your left headphone or left speaker. The UMC204 instead has a mono/stereo switch which allows to overcome that problem. All but that is very good in this interface, but I think that if you need to record an instrument it's a major issue (it's very annoying hear it through just one side of the headphones). I would strongly recommend the UMC204HD which is similar to this but gets you covered

I was using a 20 year old Roland USB audio interface until I burned it up after moving to another country with different voltage and didn't realize the wall PSU was not universal voltage.

I wanted to replace it with a similar device. Most of the time the use is just as a DAC which takes input over USB from a Linux box and the analog out goes to a mini stereo system. I was using the recording features on the Roland but I have not tested the Behringer yet.

I was pleased to find not only does the UMC202HD run my Sennheiser HD 25s perfectly well but even the HD 600s sound good via the headphone jack. I think it is surely the best DAC you can buy for 64 Euros...

It runs off USB and even supplies phantom power if you need it. Quite an amazing device. The audio over the headamp is not perfect, it's a little thin, but it is very clear, clean, absolutely without any noise. You will not be able to turn the volume past 50% without the HD 600s becoming uncomfortably loud.

I'd like to see a power button on the front panel and for recording some kind of useful level metering is absent but seems pretty important. However given the tiny size I don't see there is room for it. Personally I wouldn't mind a larger enclosure to get the metering.

Summary: deal of the century on a 192 KHz DAC.

I’ve been using the Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD for a few months now, and I have to say, I’m thoroughly impressed with this little audio interface. As someone who’s just starting to set up my home studio, I didn’t want to break the bank but still wanted something that would give me good sound quality for recording vocals and instruments. The UMC202HD absolutely delivers on that front.

Build & Design: The interface feels really solid for its price. It’s lightweight, but the metal casing gives it a nice, sturdy feel. I love how compact it is – it doesn’t take up much space on my desk, which is a huge bonus when you’re working with limited space. The controls are simple and easy to use, and I had no trouble figuring out how everything works, even as a beginner.

Audio Quality: This is the real standout. I was blown away by how clean and clear the recordings are. The MIDAS preamps are fantastic – they give my vocals and guitar a professional sound without any noticeable hiss or distortion. The 24-bit/192 kHz resolution makes a huge difference, and everything sounds crisp. I also love the phantom power option for my condenser mic – it works perfectly.

Connectivity: It has all the essentials – two combo inputs, headphone output with its own volume control, and RCA outputs for speakers. I’ve used it with my condenser mic and guitar, and both sound great. The Direct Monitoring feature is super useful, especially when recording myself. There’s zero latency, which makes it much easier to focus on my performance without worrying about any delay.

Software: I’m also impressed with the software bundle it comes with. I’m new to digital audio workstations (DAWs), and the included Ableton Live Lite and Tracktion have been great for getting started. The setup was pretty straightforward, and I haven’t had any issues with compatibility on my Mac.

Performance: No complaints here. It’s been stable, with no dropouts or glitches during recording sessions. The USB connection is fast enough for my needs, and I’ve been able to track multiple instruments without any issues.

For the price, this interface is an absolute steal. It’s perfect for beginners or anyone who doesn’t want to spend a ton of money but still wants great sound quality and reliable performance. I’m really happy with my purchase and would highly recommend the Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD to anyone in need of a solid, budget-friendly audio interface.

Pros:

Excellent sound quality

Solid build

Easy to use

Great value for money

Low latency and great performance

Cons:

Could use a few more outputs (but honestly, it’s fine for my needs)

Definitely a 5-star product in my book!

It is a very good audio interface.I like to record with it, good quality sound and I love the direct monitoring without any latency. It is awsome that I can use XLR and 1/4 cable to connect instruments and microphones.

But be careful! With MAC you need no driver but with WINDOWS you do. You don't receive a CD with the driver so you have to download it from internet. The problem is that there is no driver for WINDOWS 7 64bits! Really Behringer?
If you contact them they will send you a link to download an uncertified beta driver that will be stopped by the OS because Windows 7 64 bits allow just certified driver to be installed.You can solve this problem by certifing it by yourself but this process its not for everyone.It took me a while to get it done.So Windows 7 64bits users be careful to this.This is the only con, but its a big one.

Concerning other things I like everything about it.I like the fact that I can use it instead of an amplifier for my guitars and then connect headphones or an audio sistem.

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There is now official driver for Windows 7 to Windows 10 available at http://www.music-group.com/Categories/Behringer/Computer-Audio/Audio-Interfaces/UMC202HD/p/P0BJZ/downloads

This is my first audio interface. Using it in conjuction with Bandlab for some band projects during lockdown. First off, excellent service from Thomann, well package item and arrived in good time. My first order with them as well.

The setup of this is really easy. Basically for the Windows setup go to the Behringer site and find the latest drivers. Download, unzip and run the setup file. Then plug it in and away you go. Two inputs on this so I can plug my bass and a mic in. Level input is easy, just make sure the clipping light isnt flashing. Best to play throught whatever your planning to record and set the gain for each input. Easy enough. The direct monitoring is great and works at the press of a button.

Only issue I've had is some latency with Bandlab. There is a way of doing a latency test on that to change this but I managed to get round it by fiddling with the sound control panel setting.

Build quality of this unit is really solid. Metal case all round and the controls are smooth and easy to use. Excellent value for money.

This interface is very good especially if you consider the cost. I've had quite a few Behringer products over the years and they have in the most part been good.
The UMC202HD is a real asset if you need to make good quality recordings quickly and easily. The lay out of the inputs, outputs and controls is intuitive so easy to master and the quality of the preamps belies it's modest cost.
One small gripe is that channel 1 is routed to the left output, channel 2 to the right while monertering recordings, although it is in stereo when mixing down, I mono-d my head phones while recording, so not to much of an issue for me.
I would be happy to use this in my studio professionally as it slotted in to my DAW seamlessly with the drivers on the Behringer website.
So to recap, easy to set up and use, quality is at the higher end for this type of interface and the build quality is excellent for the cost.
Again great customer service from Thomann, thanks.

I bought this interface to use for my band recordings. We already have a mixer containing enough channels and for this reason I just need 2 channels on the interface, cause in this way it's possible to record stereo using the main output of the mixer. Although this is the main plane, I'd like to use this device to personal recordings, like bass guitar or guitar and voice directly on the interface input.
For the first impression I need to say that this interface is really interesting, and for this price, I thing it wouldn't be possible to find something better. We have 24 bits, 2 channels, which fits very good to my situation and I'm very satisfied with the Midas preamp performance as well. Besides that, the headphone amp is really good and I hope you can enjoy this interface like me.
I use windows and I didn't have any problem to download and install the drivers, everything is fine. I highly recommend!