Edirol UA-25

The Edirol UA 25 is a good usb audio interface for you to use at your home studio and setup. Or if you are the type of person who is on the go a lot your can take it with you almost anywhere because its not that big. I wouldn’t expect to get great quality from it though, its pretty much like a started audio interface. It will serve its purpose though but for more complex stuff it just wont cut it.


UTILIZATION

Never had any issues with it and never had to pick up a manual. Everything worked like it was suppose to and never froze up my computer or my program. I did experience some more lag with it than expected. Maybe its because I was use to using firewire interfaced and then jumping on my laptop with a usb interface was a problem. I am not too sure if that’s what it was or not.


GETTING STARTED

Is very easy to get started, but as I said before don’t think that you can get great quality from it. Even if you have a good mic you still wont be able to see its full potential using the Edirol UA 25. Not saying the UA 25 isn’t good because it is, its very affordable and compact I would recommend it to someone who is just getting into recording at home and needs somewhere to start. It will provide a good understand of how interfaces work. The Edirol UA 25 would be a good starter interface.


OVERALL OPINION

Overall, it does the job. I couldn’t see my self using it for to long though I just felt limited to the ability to only do some demo stuff. that’s why I got it though was just for that reason. I didn’t expect much more. If you are looking for a smaller interface that will give you a better quality you can look into the Mbox line of products. They are small compact but better than this. Overall, still good.

The Edirol UA-25 is an audio interface that has two microphone preamps and can record two tracks at once. In addition to the mic pres, it has two 1/4 inch inputs as well as eight 1/4 inch line outputs. I have run the Edirol UA-25 on a Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM and have run it with an M-Powered version of Pro Tools.


UTILIZATION

With the UA 25 you are able to record two tracks simultaneously no matter if you'd like to use the mic preamps or the 1/4 inch connections. I haven't had any latency issues with this interface, but with these type of firewire interfaces this really has more to do with your computer than the audio interface itself. The preamps are decent sounding, but are definitely nothing to write home about.


GETTING STARTED

This audio interface has always run pretty smoothly for as long as I have used it as I've never had any real issues with it. I only use this interface when I want to record on the go and can't bring my whole set up, so I don't use it all the time. The make up of the Edirol UA-25 isn't complicated at all as all of the knobs and buttons are laid out well and easy to find. The features include the basic controls including gain knobs for the preamps as well as a pad for each and a mic/line toggle buttons. It also has two 1/4 inch headphones outputs and an assignable level control section. The manual for the Edirol UA-25 is complete and thorough and while I never had much use for it, if you are a beginner and this is your first audio interface, I would definitely recommend having it around.


OVERALL OPINION


I've had the Edirol UA-25 for about a year and I use it as a supplement to my Pro Tools rig so I can bring it around if I need to record on the go. It is a very reasonably priced audio interface and it is nice to be able to run it with some sort of version of Pro Tools, even if it isn't LE or HD. This is really a perfect audio interface for the user who wants something cheap to get some ideas down or to get their feet wet with recording. This isn't the most well made piece of gear out there, but it gets the job done at a cheap price that makes it a viable option for people with all budgets.

The Edirol UA-25 is a simple, USB audio interface for use in home studios. This type of interface is a perfect way to start building your small home studio. It's definitely not going to be adequate for an sort of in depth recording, but if you're just looking to get some demos down it will do the job. There are a lot of audio interfaces out there like this, so definitely make sure to do your homework before deciding on one. The UA-25 in particular has two dual XLR-1/4" microphone preamps, each with their own gain knobs and a 1/4" headphone jack in the front. In the back it's MIDI and digital (ADAT) inputs and outputs as well as 1/4" and RCA outputs for your main monitors. It has built in phantom power and can support sample rates up to 96 K.

UTILIZATION

If you understand the basics behind audio interfaces, nothing should seem complicated to you about the Edirol UA-25. Once you make your initial connections, there's not too much to be aware of on this, as it's pretty simple. Of course I do understand that those who are looking at something like this probably are just starting out. If you feel lost just looking/hearing about this, grab the manual for some help...

GETTING STARTED

The sound of the mic preamps on the Edirol UA-25 aren't all that great, but are suitable for laying down demos at the least. Those looking at the UA-25 most likely aren't going to need the best sounding preamps, and if you are I'd suggest you stop reading this review and look elsewhere! You probably couldn't make a professional sounding recording, but if you just want something with a few mic inputs to use in your DAW, the UA-25 sounds just fine for that.

OVERALL OPINION

While there isn't too much that sets the Edirol UA-25 apart, it's still a solid USB audio interface for very small home studios where you might have this and a microphone and your DAW basically. I do however, think that you can find a comparable audio interface for cheaper out there, as this seems like it should be a bit cheaper than it is. Definitely check out the full scope of USB audio interfaces like those made by M-Audio and others if you're looking for the best bang for your buck in an interface...

The device offers direct monitoring, a very nice feature. Also, it allows a digital output to input bridge, allowing rewiring sounds into teh UA-25 without leaving the digital domain. It has two decent pre-amps, with phantom power on one and Hi-Z on the other. Less enticing is the fact that it cannot cope with 96 kHz play and record at once. To use 96 KHz, you have to flip a switch between playback and record, and -to make things worse- you have to unplug and reconnect the USB plug everytime you flip that play/rec switch. But the worse of all is that on my PC, everytime I disconnect the UA-25 and replug it in, my PC reports a new USB device, and apparently forgets where the driver is, forcing me to reinstall. A serious drawback, that has made me live with 48 kHz. If you are happy with 44.1 or 48 kHz, this isn't a big deal though.

Price paid: € 230

UTILIZATION

The interface is child easy. You have two inputs with sense potmeters, a Hi-Z and Phantom switch, digital in toggle, and direct monitor switch. It's all there, and easy to use.

GETTING STARTED

A sturdy aluminium case, that can take some abuse. The buttons are long and thin, I would have preferred short and stubby. Overall it's just fine.

OVERALL OPINION

This budget interface delivers a very clear sound, with no audible noise unless you really crank it all the way up. As far as I can tell, it lives up to expectations.

Except for the fact that it has this driver issue, I am totally happy with it. Looks good, red and blue led, rounded corners, I like it a lot. It is in use every single day.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Pruneau ( 8-, 2005)