Behringer U-Phoria UMC22 USB Audio Interface

Like just about everything Behringer makes at this price point, the UMC22 is chiefly one thing: cost-effective. You don't get best-in-class sound quality. You don't get a flashy brand name. You don't get the most features. What you do get is an audio interface that works, and honestly does a surprisingly good job.Setup is easy. Plug it into your computer. USB2 is fine. Plug in your headphones. Plug in your monitors. Plug in your mics/instruments. Done. Drivers aren't obscure or finicky. Don't worry about it. Outputs in the rear need two 1/4" TR cables for left and right channel. Output in the front needs a 1/4" TRS cable. Make sure you've got semi-decent studio headphones and/or monitors, too - an audio setup is only as strong as its weakest link, and if you're looking up 1/4" adapters for your Beats or whatever, maybe skip this and invest in better headphones instead.Craftsmanship's okay. It's a Behringer audio interface, not an SM-58. I wouldn't go throwing it down flights of stairs for fun.You have two audio inputs - the XLR/TRS hybrid jack going through the Midas preamp, and the second TRS jack that goes through a Xenyx preamp. Neither are particularly touted for their sound quality (the Midas is better than the Xenyx by far, though), but it's miles above motherboard-integrated stuff. Both can record at 48KHz tops - as far as I'm concerned, if you're looking at this interface instead of something higher-end, that's plenty. The "direct monitor" button you see on the front ducks your computer sound output and lets you listen to your connected inputs through the hardware, which has its uses.The interface outputs to headphones and to external monitors by means of 1/4" TRS and TR cables, respectively. Sound is clean - mind you, my ears aren't well trained to that sort of thing, and if yours aren't either then the sound quality should be fine. It's important to note that it will always output to both headphones and monitors - if you want to listen to just headphones or just monitors on-the-fly, this won't provide a convenient solution to that. It does, however, eliminate the need to go through your OS's sound system, which can be useful when working with ASIO or CoreAudio exclusive modes to reduce latency.If you want the best and have the money to back up your needs, consider looking elsewhere. Again - an audio setup is only as strong as its weakest link. But if you want the pretty solid, and you're on the kind of budget that has you saving up for purchases like these, I think you can't go wrong with the UMC22, or the U-PHORIA series in general.TL;DR: It's cheap. It's fine. If you need it, get it.

This thing rocks. Super simple to use, excellent Behringer quality for the home enthusiast. If you're looking for something affordable that works flawlessly, this is the ticket.

Pros:PriceXLR / 1/4in combo jack + 1/4in jack = A cheap and handy way to get two inputs from a mic or a guitar, or two guitars. Perfect if you're podcasting or doing light home recording. (Or if you just want a great mic for skype)Multiple options for monitoring, through headphones and a stereo, or all at once.Can play sound from the computer into your monitors if you wantedCons:Monitor output quality is poorSignal/Clipping lights only work when the gain is turned up past 50% even if the audio is coming into your computer at a proper level.The direct monitor button appears to do nothingThis audio interface is very good if you are trying to plug your guitar or a microphone (Or both at the same time!) Into a computer. My only complaint is that there is a very audible hiss on the front headphone monitor jack, and the rear stereo outputs also have this problem to a significantly lower extent. One big problem that will keep you from using the monitoring on the interface altogether (and from using it as a convenient headphone amp too) is that it absolutely KILLS the highs in anything that comes through these ports. Mids are ok, bass is ok, but the highs are just smushed and muddy. Not to worry too much though, as the quality of the recording that you end up with in your DAW is just exactly what the microphone picked up, no added EQ. That I've noticed, anyway.The build quality on this unit, at least externally, is superb, and far above what you'd expect from a consumer device in this price range. The unit is an all metal enclosure (Or an extremely durable plastic) with some silver plastic trim on the front. The knobs feel weighty and give very good confidence in the device.