Audient iD4 MKII review

The iD4 MKII is a small, metal interface for people who record one thing at a time. It packs one Audient Console Mic Preamp, the same discrete design found in Audient's ASP8024-HE recording console, with 58dB of gain. A separate JFET instrument input, designed to mimic a valve amp's input stage, takes a guitar or bass, so you can still capture a mic and a DI together. Audient lists 32-bit converters with 126dB of DAC and 121dB of ADC dynamic range, and two headphone outputs. Handy extras include a speaker on/off button, ScrollControl, monitor pan, direct monitoring and loop-back for streams. Its round-trip DSP mixer latency is 0.6ms at 48kHz. The tradeoffs: with only one mic preamp you cannot record two microphones at once, it needs a USB 3.0 port to run on bus power, recording tops out at 24-bit/96kHz, and its US price did not load in our check. We compared documented features and published prices; we did not test it.

Who it is for

Solo singers, podcasters and guitarists who record one source at a time and want a small, sturdy desk unit.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• One Audient Console Mic Preamp with 58dB gain
• JFET instrument input modeled on a valve amp input stage
• 32-bit AD/DA converters with 126dB DAC and 121dB ADC dynamic range
• Dual headphone output and speaker on/off button
• ScrollControl, monitor pan and audio loop-back

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Same discrete mic preamp design Audient uses in its ASP8024-HE console
• Strength: All-metal case in a 13 x 12cm footprint
• Strength: Mac, Windows and iOS compatible
• Weakness: Only one mic preamp, so no recording two mics at once
• Weakness: Needs a USB 3.0 port for bus power, per Audient
• Weakness: Maximum resolution is 24-bit/96kHz

Key facts

• Inputs: One mic/line preamp, one JFET instrument input
• Mic preamp gain: 58dB
• Resolution: 24-bit/96kHz
• Round-trip DSP mixer latency: 0.6ms at 48kHz, per Audient
• Power: USB-C bus power, USB 3.0 port or better

Where it ranks

Audient iD4 MKII is No. 5 in our Best Audio Interfaces verdict.