Tascam US-16x08 – USB Audio/MIDI Interface (16 in/8 out)

Product Information

If you find yourself recording entire groups together, or recording live performances, its not too farfetched to think you might need 16 channels ( or more). With the 76 Compressor, you choose 1176-style Vocal, Guitar, Fast, or Off one-button compression, each delivering a characteristic flavour without going overboard. The Vintage option provides the tube emulation, gentle saturation, and top-end lift of UA’s classic 610 channel. Bit depth maxes out at 24 and sample rate at 192 kHz, and while you won’t get those numbers with the channels maxed out, you can get close with 16 channels.

Comprehensive interface features an all-analog design with ESS and Cirrus Logic 24-bit AD/DA converters for consistent signal preservation and unwavering clarity

Audio class compliant USB 2.0

A compact interface with pro features and connectivity, the SSL2+ promises an affordable version of ‘the SSL sound’, bringing the feel of a gazillion recordings made in 7-figure recording studios within reach of everybody. Universal Audio used to focus on the high-end market with interfaces that boasted both a quality signal flow and also acted as hosts and accelerators for the company’s very well-regarded plugin range. That changed with the Volt range, a set of four units that eschew the plugin hosting in favour of value and more standard features. The more expensive 176 and 276 are reviewed later in this buyer’s guide, but the Volt 1 and 2 offers most of what they deliver bar their extra 1176-style compression. So all the products I’ll recommend today are capable of at least 16 simultaneous inputs during a recording session. Some will be capable of more, but 16 inputs will be possible for all of them. Achieving More Than 8 Channels But digital audio is different. A digital audio signal is a collection of information that can be used by a computer (basically, just a long string of 1’s and 0’s).

On most audio interfaces you’ll typically find both XLR and 1/4-inch inputs, often combined into combo connectors so that you can plug mics, guitars, synths and the like into the same input. Many interfaces also offer a phantom power option, which is required if you want to use certain microphones. We think the one-dial solution is beautifully implemented and overall the design makes both the EVO 4 and 8 clever, compact desktop solutions that sound great. These are great value too, the simplest and cleverest solutions to compact audio interfaces we’ve come across. Like every flagship product we’ve introduced, Symphony I/O Mk II benefits from on-going expertise that constitutes the Apogee Engineering Advantage, once again pushing forward the state-of-the-art. Both Volts 1 and 2 are plug-and-play USB-C interfaces that offer UA’s excellent preamps on their combi inputs, with one input available on the Volt 1 and two on the Volt 2. These offer a great vintage tube sound on your inputs, giving recordings a richness rarely heard in this price range. Bundled software includes Presonus Studio One Artist and Studio Magic Software Suite, Ableton Live Lite, so you'll have plenty to get you up and running no matter what your audio interface needs.While Audient’s EVO 4 and 8 are compact interfaces, 16 definitely ramps things up in terms of size and connectivity but still retains their best features and ease of use. EVO 16 is a 24 in/24 out up to 24-bit 96kHz design, with eight mic/line inputs and eight balanced TRS outputs. The remaining I/O uses two pairs of optical connectors offering 16 I/O channels. Rounding things off are two headphone outputs.