Akai EIE PRO Electromusic Interface Expander USB Audio Interface

Record four analog mic/line inputs over USB at up to 96 kHz/24-bit resolution, with the EIE PRO audio interface, complete with a 3-port USB hub.

Overall User Ratings (based on 3 ratings)
  • Overall:
    2.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    2.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    2.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    3 out of 5 stars
Overall: 2.5 out of 5 stars
(3) (see rating details)
Submitted September 19, 2014 by J C

"Excellent Interface"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I've owned this for about 2 weeks and it has been the most stable interface I've ever used aside from my old M-Audio Delta 66. Every Firewire Interface I've ever used sounded good, but had stability issues even with high buffer settings. Despite the stigma on USB audio interfaces, I decided to take a chance since Akai is typically a good brand in most everything. Needless to say this interface does not disappoint. In fact, it's the most stable interface I've ever used. It installed pain free, very well layed out so it's easy to get around. The software is minimal, which is good, because that way I can control everything from the DAW in terms of routing. I have the buffer set at 49 samples (odd number, but the lowest it goes in my case) and it doesn't skip a beat, not even so much as a pop. I could never do that with my firewire interfaces, and yes I had a TI chipset card. The lowest I could ever set it was 256 and even then it wasn't 100% stable. Preamps work good. Maybe not quite the gain from the more expensive brands, but definitely more than adequate for home studios and project studios alike. Add all that up with the additional quarter inch connections in the back, digital i/o, and MIDI, and you simply cannot beat this thing in this price range! I clicked 5 starts on support because I have dealt with Akai in the past and they've done me good, just so you know. Buy this!!!

Musical Background:

20 years between gigging and producing.

Musical Style:

Metal, Rock, Electronica, Techno, Soundtrack, Cinematic Scoring.
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Submitted March 5, 2015 by Nick L in Bellingham, WA

"So close yet so far"

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
The features of the product were EXACTLY what I was looking for. I help run a large multi-person podcast and having the ability of external line outs and inserts saved me from having a lot of additional equipment. Unfortunately, this product developed a nasty audio crackle and popping. It was random and seemed to happen the longer the unit was left on. A quick internet search found this to be a very prominent problem going back quite some time that Akai hasn't been able to successfully solve. I spent numerous occasions on the phone with the manufacturer in an effort to get it sorted out with no luck. All symptoms point to it being a driver issue and not an actual hardware issue but at this point I've spent too much time and energy trying to get it to work. It's very unfortunate because the problem basically renders the unit useless and unusable. I should also note that my other interfaces have no issue whatsoever and I have gone back to using those.

Musical Background:

Podcasting

Musical Style:

Podcasting
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Submitted December 20, 2013 by Thomas D in London, ON

"EIE Pro with Mavericks"

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
After 3 months still no driver from Akai and it looks like there will not be one. Does work good with latest driver and firmware upgrade with any Windows or Mac OS other than Mavericks.

Musical Background:

Semi Pro

Musical Style:

Christian Worship. Some Blues
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