Product Review: Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD

Since he was a child, the german Uli Behringer spent a lot of time learning about music and technology. As a result, he went on to study sound engineering and classical piano at a university in Düsseldorf. During this study he began constructing his own equipment, believing the equipment of the university to be lacking. Fellow students picked up on his efforts and soon requests to build equipment were exceeding his ability to produce them. This led to the foundation of the company 'Behringer' in 1989, which has grown considerably since then. In 2002, it's own manufacturing facility was completed. This facility produces more than 2,5 million pieces of equipment each year, including about 300.000 mixers alone.

One of the latest additions to Behringers' supply line is the U-Phoria series. This series includes five audio interfaces, the UM2, UMC22, UMC202, UMC204 and the UMC404. A sixth interface called the UMC1820 hasn't been released yet, despite being announced early 2014. The UM2 and UMC22 support a resolution up to 48kHz, while the other three versions support up to 96kHz. These last three also feature HD versions that support a 24bit/192kHz resolution. Apart from that, the main differences between all versions are the type and amount of inputs and outputs available. Therefore, this review of the UMC202HD can be used to decide which version of the U-Phoria series is most suitable for your needs.

The UMC202HD version features two mic/line inputs, featuring pre-amps from sister company Midas. This company has been around since 1970 and their pre-amps carry a good reputation in the music industry. The only version that features a different (Xenyx) pre-amp, is the UM2. Outputs for the '202' version include the standard 6,3mm jacks for stereo as well as headphones. The '204 and the '404' feature additional in/outs, including MIDI. The Pad function, which is useful to reduce clipping during recording, is only featured in the three digit versions. However, all versions include a switch to turn on the +48v phantom power, allowing the use of condensor microphones. Combined with at least a 48kHz resolution, recording quality is on par with professional recordings.

When unboxing the device, the first thing you'll notice is the metal casing. For someone who travels a lot, it's reasurring to know that it can take some abuse. Next to that, the knobs feel really solid, although the buttons feel a bit wobbly. The indication lights for signals, clipping and power might seem a little small, but are clearly visible. After downloading and installing the software from Behringers' website, it was instantly recognized by my preferred DAW and ready to go. While recording vocals I noticed no latency with the Direct Monitoring feature, which makes it a valuable asset for many musicians. 

Anyone looking for a reliable audio interface to record high quality sounds, will enjoy the UMC202HD. It's easy to use and offers enough possibilities for the serious bedroom producer. The solid design is also a big plus, the only negative remark is that the little buttons don't feel as solid as the rest of the product. Also, if you prefer additional features such as the ability to connect MIDI and/or external signal processing devices, the slightly more expensive versions from the U-Phoria series might be a better choice. 

Do you have any questions or remarks about this review? Share them in the comments!

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Product Review: Reloop Beatmix

Since 1996, Reloop has been focussing on creating the best possible turntables. Their line of Beatmixes is one of their latest efforts, made to appeal to beginners and advanced users. Beatmixes is plural, since there are multiple versions. However, this review describes the one with no number at the end, which was created with and for VirtualDJ.

When looking at the Beatmix for the first time, many will notice the huge aluminium jogs first. When giving them a spin, they feel like they are able to withstand many gigs and practice sessions. You'll be using them to browse through songs or for scratching, depending on which jog mode is activated. It's also nice that you are able to manage the sensitivity with small knobs at the back. This side also contains the USB entrance, sound outputs and the possibility for a Kensington Lock.The front contains inputs for a Headphone and a Microphone. Not too much, not too little.

Back on top, in the middle, is a simple browse section which is well executed. The decently sized knob allows easy access to folders, and makes it possible to search through many titles in a short amount of time. The 'A' and 'B' buttons for their respective decks make it easy to find and load the right song without having to touch the mouse. 

When a song is loaded, it's time to play it. The play section has four nicely sized buttons, controlling the Sync, Cup, Cue and Play features respectively. The Cup feature is a combination of Cue and Play, which instantly plays from a selected Cue point. The possibilities of the buttons are increased by the addition of Shift button, which in my opinion is genius. Holding Shift allows you to Return to the beginning of the song, Tap the tempo, activate Fader Start and Keylock.  

The EQ and Master sections are pretty self-explanatory and provides you with all you need. All the dials are nicely sized and allows precise control over the parameters. 

The faders also don't need much explanation and work like you would expect them to, sturdy but loose enough for those smooth transitions. In addition to the faders for the tempo, there are also Pitch Bend buttons.

The last section is reserved for FX, samples and loops. In my opinion this is where the Shift button really shines. It doesn't matter if you're using FX, samples or both, it's a great feeling to have everything under control using this small section. Setting up and controlling loops is made very easy as well, including the ability to move it in the right position in advance, or making a perfect loop on the fly. 

To conclude, I think it's really nice that they managed to put in so many functions without making it confusing or too big. The decent size also improves the portability and the quality of the materials give a sense of security that it will not break easily. All in all, it's simple enough for the DJ that's just getting started, but it has enough functions to allow an advanced DJ to be creative.

Product Review: AverMedia Live Gamer Portable

Avermedia is a Taiwanese company, founded in 1990. In the beginning they focussed on Research and Development for Digital Video Technology. After becoming a leading company in the computer market, they broadened their scope and are now devoted to improving entertainment experiences. Can the Live Gamer Portable do this as well?

Ever since I was an early teen, playing Halo 2 multiplayer with a few friends, I have dreamt of directly capturing my screen footage. Although there were options available, I didn't have the money to buy them. So all I had was my dad's camera pointed at the screen, which at least helped me analyze my game. So now about 10 years later, I decided to get one to make game video's for Majestic Entertainment. Has my dream come true?

When taking it out of the box for the first time, the first thing you'll probably notice is the abundance of cables. You won't need all of it, unless you have all consoles (except Wii) or PC. The HDMI cable might not be sufficient for everybody, since it's really short, but I think it's really nice that everything you need is included. 

The instruction booklet gives you easy instructions on how to set it all up and within 10 minutes it's good to go. It's possible to record directly to a harddrive or (to make it portable) to an SD-card. There's even a small pouch included which is great for people who are always on the move, or just a nice way to store it when not using it for a while. 

When everything is connected properly, the device will show you by displaying a blue light, if not it will flash. By pressing the big button it will start recording and display a pulsing red light. The included software allows you to setup some configurations for recording like the definition and size (mbps). The output captured by the device is exactly as expected. It does however seem to miss a frame every once in a while, but this doesn't happen very often and is hardly noticeable. 

All in all, I couldn't have wished for a better device to fulfill my long-term dream of capturing game content. For the same price, there devices that are more or less the same quality. However, some don't include all the necessary cables, which can mean you're spending more in the end. There are less expensive capture cards, but they don't have the same quality. It's up to you to decide which one will be most suitable for your needs. 

Product Review: Novation Launch-Key Mini

Product Review

Novation 'Launch-Key Mini' 

Novation is an English company founded in the year 1992 and has been a part of Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. since 2004. The company is perhaps most famous for it's software applications 'Basstation' and 'V-Station', which are both included with the Launch-Key Mini that was released recently. These applications have some really cool features, but sadly I can't use them in Reason. However, any other DAW supporting VST plug-ins will run them. Novation also offers a wide variety of hardware equipment, including many keyboards, and some created specifically for optimal use of their own software. An interesting company to say the least.

Now on to the Launch-Key, since most people would agree that it looks really appealing in the picture, with all the colorful lights and what-not. And when taking it out of the box for the first time, it doesn't disappoint. It's really amazing that such a small device could have so many features. It doesn't trade size for functionality which is always a big plus if you travel a lot. The Launch-Key weighs next to nothing and can fit in almost any bag. The lack of weight presumably comes from the housing, which on the bottom looks like some cheap plastic toy. The top has a nice metallice finish though, and remains cleaner and more scratch-free when compared to more expansive hardware.

And since you'll mostly be looking at the top, it doesn't even matter that much. You'll probably be too busy playing with the shiny keys, which feel just like someone would expect them to do, accompanied by a good sensitivity. The drum-pads feel very stable and are easy to get used to. It doesn't seem to register very light taps however, but I presume that is because they are able to withstand a relatively high amount of force. The knobs, although nothing special, feel sturdy. Some people might argue that they are a bit loose, and prefer a tighter feel when turning the knob.

To close off I'd like to warn users of older DAW's, because of compatibility problems. When the Launch-Key was acquired, I was using Reason 5 when version 7 was available. Therefore it took me a couple of days of searching for solutions until it worked. It does however work flawlessy with most, if not all the latest version of DAW's.

• Pro's

Everything in one

Small, easy to travel with 

•  Con's

Older DAW compatibility problems