Universal Audio Volt 476P

I’ve been using this interface for only a couple months, but I’m so happy with the results so here’s my review. I used a UR242 for years & never had a problem with it for what I do. The dsp’s weren’t terrible, but it was nice to have them for latency issues. Only thing lacking was an insufficient number of outs, which is what I was looking for to reamp guitars. I was looking at the Tascam 208i, but then happened to see an ad for the new budget-line interfaces from UA. Normally, I would never be able to afford anything from UA, but I was intrigued by the built-in compressors & vintage preamps at a budget price.

Since then, my recordings have taken on another life. The preamps are crystal clear, 1176 compressors sound great on both vocals and instruments, and the monitoring choices are a game changer when mixing. I love that there’s also a MONO button, as I always check my mixes in MONO. I don’t use the preamps & compressors on every track, but they’re nice to have nonetheless. I’ve also tried reamping my guitars through the 1176 and the vintage preamp for a more rich tone without having to use multiple plugins. Very happy with the results.

Pros: portable, well-built with classy wood panels reminiscent of Moog pedals, 2 headphone inputs for independent monitoring, Mono button for mixing, multiple monitoring capabilities and a good amount of quality software. Budget price.

Cons: no internal dsp, like in the Apollo models. This isn’t such a big issue for me, as the included software bundle makes up for the lack of dsp.

Overall, I’m elated with this purchase and plan to write another review in a few months. I’m running an old 2011 MBP with a Mojave patch, so make sure your computer is compatible with Mojave or later if you’re running Mac OS. Flawless service from Thomann as usual.

A solid audio interface with plenty to like:
1. Great pre-amps on all channels - vocals sound clean and uncoloured, electric guitar/bass sound rich even through DI.
2. Intuitive hardware design - IO are easy to access, layout of buttons and knobs are good, meters are clear.


What could be better:
Shared phantom power button - having 1 button shared across all channels could potentially damage your mics if not mindful.

Reasons to go for a different option:
Lack of expandability - doesn't have spdif for additional inputs. If you want spdif expandability, go for the Audient ID44 MKii, which is its direct competitor.

Why you should get the Volt 476p:
Sounds good, looks good and comes with a number of great plugins. Along with the Audient ID44, this is probably the best bang for the buck mid-range interface.