Behringer Intros $200 U-PHORIA UMC1820 Audio/MIDI Interface

Behringer-U-Phoria-UMC1820

2014 NAMM Show: Behringer introduced the U-PHORIA UMC1820, a $200 18×20, 24-Bit/96 kHz USB Audio/MIDI interfce with 8 MIDAS mic preamplifiers. 

Features:

  • 18×20 USB2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface with ADAT I/O for recording microphones and instruments
  • Audiophile 24-Bit/96 kHz resolution for professional audio quality
  • Compatible with popular recording software including Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, etc.
  • Streams 18 inputs and 20 outputs of ultra-low latency audio to your computer, supporting Mac OS X and Windows XP or higher
  • 8 state-of-the-art, MIDAS designed Mic Preamplifiers with +48 V phantom power
  • Optical I/Os supporting S/PDIF, ADAT and S/MUX formats up to 96 kHz

The Behringer U-Phoria UMC1820 has a street price of about $200. See the Behringer site for details.

20 thoughts on “Behringer Intros $200 U-PHORIA UMC1820 Audio/MIDI Interface”

  1. Dang, this looks great! Now to wait 5 months until other people buy it and review it first and see whether or not it lives up to its paper specs in real life.

  2. If this product delivers in terms of sound quality and reliability, this is a pretty impressive offering. All of the inputs are combination jacks (XLR & 1/4″). It’s hard to tell from the images, but it looks like a very shallow box (depth wise). Both the front & back panels are VERY logically laid out. After a glance, I wouldn’t need to look at a manual. The other thing would be whether the driver & other software was good. RME did a great job with their mixer/router for the Fireface series.

    This looks like a fantastic entry level i/o (again, if the quality is there).

  3. I have a behringer 12 channel analog mixer I got 4 years ago and it still runs like a tank. Eq is very nice, functions more like a guitar eq than a filter which is what I like since I was first a guitar player before a synth nut. The effects were really nice, and the quality was great. I’d often run my computer audio through it just because of the power of the master eq and the funk it gets out of a little extra reverb. I’m hoping this unit matches it’s quality, so I could just use the channel returns to feed this and then get a high quality out of pc mixing and recording setup 🙂

  4. On the website there are images of the rear panel showing the power input. On closer inspection, the power input is a non-polarized, two-conductor (non-grounded) input that looks like those old thin power cords that get plugged into the wall. The label says 12V DC 2000 mA. So it will use a wall wart, but if you have one of those old cords lying around, make sure no-one connects directly to 110V AC. That seems like a problematic choice for a connector.

    1. I’m sure it has a outboard power supply.. like a Laptop. That connection will go to a breakout plastic box just like a laptop and a lot of other gear. My Dangerous unit has that.. But at least the Dangerous is on XLR and balanced power.

  6. Holy shit, this can’t be real. I’m in the market for an audio interface like this one. I’m assuming its going to be crappy quality because the spec to price ratio is crazy. I’m going to hope for the best and buy one as soon as I find it for sale. My experience with behringer has been mostly positive, the stuff is kind of cheaply made but you can’t beat the prices (the usual, obvious budget gear trade-off).

  8. Looks a lot like their FCA1616 except 2 of the inputs moved to the back instead of the front and the price dropped by $150. I’ve had zero problems with the FCA1616 I bought, mostly for the reasonably priced ADAT out. If this thing functions as well at a $200 price point, it’s a great deal.

  12. I do not trust Behringer until I see this product in market. Remember when they presented UFX1604 and passed over 20 months to see it in markets. I think they have a strange politic to promote their products. They put a model and a price in NAMM and wait. Try if you want to download the only brochure of the product at behringer’s site: it is impossible ….why?…So wait…..donot forget that FCA1616 has no on/off button!!!!

  13. I waited the better part of a year for the fca1616 to materialize from vapor/concept. Eventually, I gave up and spent a bit more for a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20. No regrets.

  14. not sure if anyone is still following this thread … but this thing has actually appeared in shops now.
    did anyone get it? thoughts?

  15. I got one last December and it works very good. Midas sound is there, not the best in the world, but very acceptable. If you use pro tools like me, make sure your version accepts this plug and play device. Another thing, my computer bogged bad when I tried to press OPT I/O button because its getting old (2010 Mac, snow leopard 10.6.8). So, if you want to use that option, make sure to have a computer good enough. The negative sides could be that the phantom power is just for the 8 midas channels and it goes on packs of 4 ( a little stupid). I hope this experience could give you a good view for you to take a decision of getting it or not.

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