M-Audio AIR 192×4 USB C Audio Interface

Recomendado.

This thing has flat out worked and done everything I’ve asked of it perfectly. I has all the features I want for a small interface.
-2 mic pre-amps so duets can be recorded simultaneously
-MIDI in/out for inputting virtual instruments/drums using my old MIDI keyboard
-low noise floor for clean recording
-adequate gain for gain hungry mics (Shure SB7-B)
-very low latency

I love the form factor. It’s not tiny. But that means I get big knobs on the top of the interface that are easy to adjust accurately. No tiny knobs on the front of a tiny interface that almost require tweezers to adjust. I use this interface on my desk and it mostly stays on my desk. If you constantly move your interface, there are smaller ones available. But I still like the features and ease of use of this form factor so would move this slightly bigger interface.

I like the VU LED meters with multiple levels. Much preferred over just “Signal” and “Clip” indicators. I can more easily tell when my gain levels are where I want them to be.

I love the USB/Direct knob for mixing how much direct (zero latency) sound feed and how much USB sound feed you get back from your computer. It helps to nail vocal takes while still being able to hear the track you are building on from your DAW. Much better than a switch between 100% direct or 100% USB like others interfaces have.

As for ‘popping’ and noise mentioned in other reviews, I’ve not experienced this at all… EXCEPT when someone used a low quality mic or instrument cable. Good cables and solid connections gave perfect pop free sound every time.

I use Reaper as my DAW so had no need for the ‘lite’ versions of DAWs that came with the interface. But those DAWs could certainly get you started. But Reaper @ $60 is almost free and it’s way better than what’s included in the box. (Even the Reaper “demo” is a fully functional version you can use as long as you wish… although they will nag you to buy.) 

Included are some really good VST FX plugins that can be used in most DAWs. There are also some great virtual instruments and drum machine plugins. Plus 2GB of samples and loop tracks. All these are worth the price you pay for the whole interface.

If I had any wishes, it would be for ‘pad’ switches on the channels to drop down the input level of hot instruments, but this can be handled easily enough with the gain knobs.

I highly recommend this interface.

I used to use an M-Audio Profire 610 from ~2009 and it still works to this day. However, in that time I have transitioned from a mac user to a Windows user, and having only firewire connectivity is limiting for me. Since my Profire has served me so well for so long, I wanted to stick with M-Audio instead of jumping on tp similar Focusrite products. Some of the reviews here were a tad limited or negative from my perspective as a potential customer, but I still thought it was worth a try to see how M-Audio’s quality has stood the test of time.

So right off the bat, I was all excited to start using it and in a rush I downloaded the 192 | 4 driver instead of the 192 | 14 driver like a dumb muppet, and was wondering why the app said no hardware was connected. After I got that sorted, everything else integrated smoothly.

I like how the headphone outputs can drive my 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 800s with ease. If you turn the knob to 3 o’clock, it’s loud enough that you’ll feel your hair follicles vibrating. The mic quality and latency is sublime with my MXL 990 condenser. While the VU meters do work well indicating the volume levels of my turntable, I found that they are not very helpful when plugging in my mic. It’s better to rely on your DAW in this case. I am very happy with the guitar inputs and really enjoyed noodling around with Guitar Rig and experimenting with different audio formats and sample rates.

I suppose that thing that stood out to me about this device is how much it can do. I can route my vinyl to it, use a mic, have my monitors bumping, plug in two sets of headphones, jam along with my guitar, poke notes on my midi keyboard with my nose, all while listening for any notifications that may come through on my computer. I like that.

One thing I miss that the Profire 610 had was a more robust computer interface. I could name my tracks for inputs and outputs, and I could control it on my computer. However, that device only had two gain knobs, two headphone audio knobs, and a master knob. I suppose it’s nice to have a more physical interface and it takes me back to my guitar pedal collector days.

As far as build and feel go, I am pretty happy. It looks very appealing and the metal chassis seems indestructible. My two slight complaints would be that I wish the main volume potentiometer had a little more resistance when I am turning it. It is super smooth. Also, the right side where the power goes in can get quite hot. I found that at a 192000 kHz sample rate it was much hotter than at 44.1 kHz and it kinda worried me about the longevity of the device if I were to be always running it that hot.

When it comes to using it as a media device, I have been using it in conjunction with Voicemeeter Banana and Light Host. This allows me to have a lot of control over the inputs and outputs and I can also patch in VSTs if desired.

All in all, I suppose my needs are a little odd, but this does the job at a reasonable price. Hopefully, this M-Audio interface will last me 11+ years as well.

Chegou antes do prazo, tudo certo, bem embalado e funcionado perfeiramente. Fiz o registro no site da M-audio e ganhei os produtos descritos na cx. (Plug-ins e daw. ). Recomendo demais o vendedor, vou sempre comprar com eles.