EVO 8 USB Audio Interface external sound card for music productions (4 in / 4 out, Smartgain, Smart Touchpoints, loopback function, 48V phantom power, 4 microphone preamps, Windows / Mac / iOS), Black

✅ What an amazing piece of kit. I bought the EVO 8 for the convenience of not always having or wanting to turn on my main mixing desk and make a big thing out of it when all I want to do it get cracking with a project, and this allows me that. I literally plug it into my MacBook Air and away we go.Smartgain is a sensational feature that I wish I had decades ago. I like to record myself playing the guitar and singing simultaneously, and the big green button cuts out any guesswork when all I want to do is just start. It listens to me play and sing for 15 seconds and then it sets the levels on all of the mics separately, so all I then have to do is click the record button, amazing, but I can change them manually if I want to, but so far I've no need because the recordings have been perfect.The software is also extremely helpful. There's not much to it, which is great! ...which then automatically routes into my DAW. You will have to assign the four inputs to the accompanying tracks, but that takes 20 seconds. Done.However, there was one issue that occurred which was instantly fixed. After unplugging the device for the very first time, the playback in my DAW was slow whereupon I was given an error message: "Error while trying to synchroniseAudio and MIDI. Sample Rate 16,114 recognised. Check conflict between (your DAW name) and external device". All I did to fix the issue was plug the EVO 8 device back into the USB-C port, play the song which was normal again, and then unplug it. Done. I've not had a problem since. I don't know why this happened - it could have been me or it could have been the manufacturer (Audient), but it was a 20 second fix and it's nothing to worry about. It may not even happen to you, but it was worth my mentioning just in case.Listen, I could go on about this product for ages, but just take it from someone who has a recording studio with many toys and says that the EVO 8 is a mini-workhorse which simplifies the recording process. It has been the best £139 I have spent on recording gear. Buy it.

What a lovely device! +pro -con+ Nice plastic case, well shielded, good weight (nice+good, not incredible+perfect)- It's NOT robust enough to be thrown in a gig-bag- No dB labels on the case near the LEDs [see screenshot attached of some video I watched on YouTube]- You need to be looking down on it to see all the lights - and you cannot put it on it's side if you are using the headphone or instrument jacks+ I never thought I would use the "auto-input-level" toy, but it has made life SO much easier!+ It has loopback for streaming (ie. mixing 'game' noises with 'commentary')+ It has an instrument input for musos (overlaid on input #1)+ Independent phantom power+ The latency is low enough to use my PC for live effects (reverb, etc.) [*IF* you use the official drivers]+ You can pair the two channels for stereo in/out if you wish.+ Full support for both balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs!+ Auto-mutes the monitors when you plug in headphones- There is no way to override the headphone auto-mute feature- It can be a bit fiddly to press the buttons in the right order when pairing channels or selecting what the rotary encoder (volume knob) controls.- You cannot turn off the LEDs while it is connected to a PC- No MIDI ...Do you need MIDI? Consider a MOTU-M4+ The noise floor is *amazingly* low- Struggles to drive my DT770/80's with any great volume - especially when mixing between PC and Inputs - but I have lost a LOT of hearing over the years :/ ...Kids, invest a tenner in some Etymotics BEFORE you get tinnitus and start to go deaf :,(If your budget is £100 - I suggest you stop looking ...If you have £200 in your budget, consider the MOTU-M4, it upgrades to: MIDI (5pin DIN); better physical layout; mutliple 'knobs' for easier adjustments; a nice OLED display; 4 inputs; and other technical stuff you can find in YouTube videos by the likes of Julian Krause.I only bought the evo 4 while waiting for MOTU, who are are having problems shipping kit to the UK at the moment [Spring 2020] ...And I really don't think I could have made a better choice :) ...Why only 4*? See the "-" points above!

Sounds pretty good, works well and looks good

I've had quite a few interfaces over the years but needed something quick for a new project, which was reasonably priced and had 2 inputs. I'm normally disappointed with anything audio related where I've gone for the more budget option, but with the Evo 4 I was pleasantly surprised. It was easy to set up and I like the way the unit operates. I like the central wheel who's operation is set by the button which precedes it, it is intuitive to use.Sound wise it is very good. It's hard to rate mic pre amps, but you notice when they are not great. I had digital multitrackers where they were sub par and also interfaces, but the Evo 4 seems to have plenty of clean gain and works with a variety of mics (I have mainly used an SM57 and LDC so far). Also, unlike other interfaces I've had, there are no earth loops, buzzes or interference, just a clean sound. I've recorded vocals and loud harmonica and guitars, certainly high volume is not a problem with a mic which can handle the SPL's. So although it's probably aimed mainly at content creators etc, it has no issue in the studio.Based on the price I can't give anything but 5 starts so far. It is of lightweight construction, I would prefer it if it was metal, but I've no reason it won't hold up. The headphone amp is more suited to lower impedance phones if you are dealing with loud sources and want headroom in the cans. I tried it with DT770 80 ohms and it was okay, but changed to 32ohm cans to give me a bit more headroom. That said 80 ohm would be fine for solo acoustic or content creation. Just something to be mindful of. All in all a great value little unit, I wanted to get the ID14 but budget meant I went for the Evo and I have no regrets.