Feature:
I was disappointed to find out this won't actually do overdubs at 24/96. That's right - despite advertising as a 24/96 device, it will only record -or- play at 24/96, not do both simultaneously which is essential for those of us working in that standard format.

Quality:
It's very solid.

Value:
It should be 24/96 for that price.

Desirability:
Not a good buy for most people.

Sound:
For a low cost device, this sounds okay... not near the quality of my MOTU 896.

Ease of Use:
I struggled with this until I realized it's really intended to overdub at 24/48 (or lower), then it works fine. The ability to control your input and playback level monitoring right in the device is easy and useful.

Support:
I was able to talk to someone at Roland (Edirol's parent company) and they confirmed that the fine print says you cannot overdub at 24/96. It does not say this on any sales web sites or the Roland site to my knowledge.

Overall:
I feel that the advertising misrepresents the product. If I wanted a 48k device I would get an MBox. Otherwise, I would go 24/96 because that's the standard.

• User: a customer from hotmail.com
• Submitted: 7/16/2008
• Style of Music: Roots
• Location: Seattle, WA, USA

Feature:
Has every input that i need so no connectivity problem for me.

Quality:
the unit seems to be of good quality my only complaint is that the usb cable that ships with the unit fits to tightly so i needed to use another

Value:
i think its a pretty good value its a little more expensive than other models i looked at but its also better quality so i expected to pay a little more.

Desirability:
well as far as sex appeal im not going to sleep with it but its a nice design with good looks

Sound:
I would say the sound quality is pretty good i have been using it a few days and overall im satisfied with it.

Ease of Use:
very easy i had it up and running on my vista laptop in about 3 mins after downloading the vista drivers very stable i might add.

Support:
havnt needed them other than to download drivers for vista but i will say the drivers were very easy to find.

Overall:
I really like the product so i wont be looking for anything else anytime soon. as far as what im using it for running sonar with vst instruments im running at 10 ms latency very good so my goal has been met for this product as that the reason i bought it my onboard soud has no asio drivers so i had to get something a note to those complaining about high latency switch to the asio drive for goodness sake it will fix your problem.

• User: a customer from online.no
• Submitted: 3/2/2008
• Style of Music: gospel
• Location: skien,telemark,norway

Feature:
Everything u need in a such a small box...

Quality:
Very good quality, aluminium case, small, perfect for live aplications and outside recording!

Value:
Great value for the price, not so expensive, but pro quality audio - midi interface.

Desirability:
nice looking device, fit perfect with my laptop... :D

Sound:
Very clean inputs, fine signal, but the output is kinda low leveled, probably because of USB bus power. But its still enough for everything, and it gives fine signal.

Ease of Use:
Install, plug n play...

Support:
Didnt need one.

Overall:
I give 9, only because a little less output level, but thats not so big problem, cause u can work with it perfectly...

• Submitted: 8/21/2007
• Style of Music: regge, dub, trip hop, jazz...

Feature:
More I/O than I ever plan to use. Simple interface, Vista drivers available.

Quality:
Solid. My stuff takes a beating. This will hold up.

Desirability:
Not turned on.

Sound:
This is more than adaquate for live performance. I needed a a new device since new laptops have gone away from PCMCIA and this seemed to be the most cost-effective.

Ease of Use:
Plug'n Play. I installed the drivers, plugged it into the laptop and was ready to perform. Used it the same day on the job. Much easier than my pcmcia card when I need to change volume.

Support:
Latencies in Sonar are nothing like they claim. I have to set them considerably higher than my pcmcia card to avoid freeze-up and audio dropout. I am hoping my new laptop (a little more horsepower) will improve this.

Overall:
I'm hoping this will last until I need a new computer. If someone makes a hot smartcard I can use, I might make a change.

• User: a customer from unsafesax.biz
• Submitted: 7/22/2007
• Style of Music: Jazz, R 'n B, standards
• Location: Oregon

Feature:
There are a lot more features and routing options on this unit than I will ever use. My uses are simple: Plug in condensor mics with XLR connections, phantom power the mics, trim the input, listen to the output. All those bells and whistles are there. Simple stuff. On the MIDI end, the unit must handle 6 channel simultaneous In or Out while processing audio. So far, no prob. I love the phantom power cuz I'm sick of buying batteries for the mics. There is a mic upgrade in my future to units that are phantom power only, and this unit is ready for that. Sounds like a simple application, and for the most part, for me, it is set it and forget it. But that's a good thing. With a 3 manual 25 rank theater organ on my hands, I got more to worry about. The unit does its job and it transparent to the user. What more can you ask for?

Quality:
This thing's built beautifully. Rugged case, good feel to the controls, and the components such as sockets and the like seem good quality. I was a bit apprehensive about the plastic XLR sockets, I am used to all metal, but nothing has broken yet, and I don't plan on beating on the unit. Looks good, works well, what more can you ask. Also, the bundling of Sonar was what put me over the edge. This is excellent quality software. Of course as a Cakewalk user, I am biased, we all like what we are used to using, pleasant surprise that I got a 'free' upgrade with the interface. Perfect package for me.

Value:
This unit is a bit more pricey than others I looked at by about 25%. It does come bundled with exactly the software I would have chosen for it, so that makes the price increase worth it. It works in my application without crashing, that is the most important thing.

Desirability:
THe unit looks good without being packaged in a 'glam' case which would turn me off. I like the look of the case, control surfaces, look and location of hte indicators. Good lookin good workin. That's what I need, that's what I got. I really would not need this unit since I had separate pieces that together do what it does, just not as well. The Sound + MIDI + XLR + Mic preamps AND phantom power all in one did it for me. Lower component count.

Sound:
The sound of the unit is a surprising step up from the pcmia sound card I had been using for recording. I thought THAT sounded good. I record with a laptop: 2 gig clock, 2 gig RAM and 160 gig hard drive so the horsepower issues I hear about with other users are no prob. The sound as recorded is very sharp and crisp, and probably will take some getting used to compared to other equipment I had. I also use the bundled Sonar LE which is an upgrade from the Cakewalk Home Studio I previously used. The Home Studio kept crashing probably because it was an old product. The mating of the two is nearly perfect for me. I record a theater organ in my house, and possibly some re-voicing of the instrument will be necessary because of the crisper audio response. This is often done with studio organs. I did not just by this unit for audio, I wanted bundled Audio/MIDI since my Theater Organ is fully MIDI-ed. The console requires 6 simultaneous channels for control. I do audio recording while the sequencer plays back MIDI recordings of my live performances. I do this so that key and pedal clacking from the organ's console are not picked up.

Ease of Use:
There was one glitch in initial setup of both hardware and software that got to me, and to the guy who was selling the unit to me. One call to Edirol squared that away instantly. When you load the drivers, MAKE SURE THE 'ADVANCED' SWITCH IS ON!!! This instruction should be plastered across the unit. Most of us don't know that switch is there, we start loading drivers and if in a hurry, as we did in the store, did not read all instructions first. No harm comes to the unit without this switch set, it's just your drivers don't load. The other glitch came upon first use in my home studio when the MIDI IN would not function. The usual computer fix: Turn off/Turn on fixed that one. After that, for my simple applications, the unit performs beautifully and as I said earlier, is transparent to the user. If you are setting it up with the bundled software, read about setting up a hardware profile in the Sonar LE. If you don't do this, you will get a nasty clicking in the playback pry because of latency or buffer settings. The Sonar hardware profiler will take care of this automatically, BUT....you have to know it's there, just like the 'advanced' switch I mentioned before.

Support:
I had to call the factory even before I bought the unit because we were doing 'trial runs' of hardware and software at the store. I have NO idea what other reviewers' complaints are. I called when they open, (7:30 PDT), got help right away, and my driver install problem was solved in 5 minutes. They even gave me advice on recording software issues. No prob.

Overall:
The product will do what I require of it for as long as the other devices it connects to are still current. As long as there is USB, XLR, MIDI in its present form, and op systems that support the software it interfaces with, this unit will do the number for me. Only if I get a larger studio application where I need more mic inputs will i ever look for something else. I record both the Theater Organ and I have various Rock projects I do, and for the way I record, it will serve me well until more mic inputs are needed. I see it being used in-studio as well as on the road applications recording other Theater Organs.

• User: a customer from aol.com
• Submitted: 6/26/2007
• Style of Music: I have played everywhere from a roadhouse blues band to the Vatican in Rome. Also Theater Pipe Organ
• Location: Chicaago

Feature:
features are useless if the product waon't work

Quality:
Ok, looks good.

Value:
don't waste your time

Sound:
This product does not live up to its advertisement, high latency problems no matter the config, 2Ghz processor 1/2 gb memory all services off in msconfig. Still wont perform properly.

Ease of Use:
spent many hours trying to config.

Support:
Support is virtually non existant, techs were not willing to help beyond, "Is there sound coming out of the computer."

Overall:
Junk...don't buy it. I am returning this item.

• User: a customer from cablespeed.com
• Submitted: 1/15/2007
• Style of Music: all kinds
• Location: Wixom MI.

Quality:
This product is made very well. It is much better from what I can tell than the similar interfaces protools has been offering. It is great for the pc and great for getting you set up through your computer instead of an eight track, tape deck or whatever else you've been using up until you just forked over the $229 for the edirol. I see the price hasn't gone down in two years. I think this is because it is a very high-quality product for your money.

Value:
Yes. Definitely worth the price. Definitely rivals other software out there. I think the mbox is just not as good is this, the only thing that makes it so pricey is that it comes bundled with protools whereas with the edirol you're just buying the audio interface, which is fine if you have your own computer, software and instruments you just want to be able to record without using your soundcard.

Desirability:
Very practical. Very sheek. Sexy.

Sound:
I'm only giving this an 8 because my computer is partially responsible for the drop-out I get from running the edirol with a mic and a guitar plugged in. The sound is crystal clear on the best computer days. the sound of the edirol by itself is a bit sparse, but also, this could be my speakers. I noticed a big difference playing back through the edirol versus playing back through my audigy soundcard. I haven't used it live, but it is quite durable and I imagine it could withstand a lot of abuse before it gave up the ghost.

Ease of Use:
It is so darn easy to use. Just install the driver with the cd, use the manual and hook up your instruments already. I use sonar cakewalk xp which I think is a little too powerful for my computer, thus the dropout and fast skipping recording I get at times, but overall, in the beginning, this was the easiest when I had the simplest cakewalk program for getting me on my feet recording my voice and guitar through my computer without any latency or feedback. It isn't bothered by other electrical things around it either, which is great. I keep it right on top of my computer box and haven't had a problem in the two years I've owned it.

Overall:
I just got a mbox 2 for a present and I don't want to replace my edirol with it because I feel the edirol, like I said previous, is better. I am going to look for something similar with protools compatibility. We'll see.

• User: a customer from yahoo.com
• Submitted: 12/28/2006
• Style of Music: mine
• Location: Oakland

Feature:
MIDI, phantom power, 2 XLRs for stereo recordings...everything I need in a small box! And since it comes with SONAR LE, this is a real bargain for the mobile musician. Using Sony Vegas...I was able to use almost 40 plus tracks without a hitch! Imagine that for such a small device. Wow, I'm beginning to sound like an advertisement...

Quality:
It seems pretty sturdy. I stepped on it once (it was inside the bag). It looked pretty much the same (and functions the same!) when I took it out. I used to have a mixer with the same casing...rust started to form when it got wet so I'm making sure that this baby is humidified properly.

Desirability:
This is a well-made, well-thought of product. Compact and just the right weight. It's my best audio purchase for the year.

Sound:
For the pricepoint, I'd say this one sounds more than decent. I do a lot of vocal recordings with my Mac laptop (dual boot MAC OSX and Win XP) and it has never disappointed me. The limiter can really handle those loud peaks but I'd rather turn the gain knob a bit to avoid clipping altogether. It has a pretty good noise filter which I'd say is one of its key features.

Ease of Use:
You gotta reset Windows after installing the drivers. Sometimes though, it doesn't power the unit right away. Resetting fixes it. Works great with Sony Vegas and Sound Forge. Just choose the appropriate audio driver in the sound menu and you're good to go.

Support:
Never needed it...well, so far.

Overall:
They say a firewire interface would prove better in the long run because of its data transfer speed. I've had headaches with the firewire Digi 002 interface of Digidesign, less problems with the Mbox and a fuss-free experience with the UA-25. I'd say USB devices are a pretty stable option. I wouldn't recommend a better option. This

• User: a customer from yahoo.com
• Submitted: 12/11/2006
• Style of Music: Pop, Classical
• Location: Manila, Philippines

Feature:
i really only care about the sound quallity so i didnt use all of the features, though the pre-amp didnt function.

Quality:
it seems like its a constructon that lasts long, and i think it looks good too.

Value:
because the sound quallity is so poor, this product is useless to me. and i think 240$ is still a lot of money for what you get.

Desirability:
i like the metal construction and the shape of it.

Sound:
Im totally dissapointed with the sound quality it provides, i must say i dont even notice much difference between the sound of my standard sigmatel card and this. im mostly dissatisfied about the low freqentie response, if you want to play digital music with a lot of low end energy, this interface totally fails, and i think the rest sounds empty as well. maybe for 70euro it would be a good product but i payed over 200 for it, my 100euro m-audio audiophile 24/96 card for my desktop really sounds ten times better than this piece of garbage.

Overall:
im allready looking for something better. i heard the focusrite saffire is pretty good. if youre making someting like techno or other club music, dont listnen to the people who are saying this thing sounds good because it really is crap. it has been one of the most dissapointing purchases i have ever made.

• User: a customer from yahoo.com
• Submitted: 12/2/2006
• Style of Music: drum n bass, breakcore, tekno
• Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Feature:
for that price??? couldnt find anything better!

Quality:
nothing amazing..but definitely solid looking and all the ins/outs are of good quality and made to last

Value:
Simply put..this is the best value for money device i could find!

Desirability:
maybe not that sexy looking but it s soooo easy to use that it is in a way a small wonder!

Sound:
Great quality for recording anything to electronic drums, guitar through the HiZ line, excellent preamps for the mics line in, decent limiter included

Ease of Use:
The manual is crystal clear and installing the asio drivers is dead easy. Adjusting buffer size, switching to direct monitoring...no problems!

Support:
no need for support so i cant really judge here. A new version of Asio drivers would be a nice christmas gift!

Overall:
I rate the overall really because of the points stated above (reliability, quality of recording, value for money..) and most of all the UA25 made want to explore more and invest more..job done for Edirol cos i ll def be one of their customers!

• User: a customer from hotmail.co.uk
• Submitted: 8/30/2006
• Style of Music: rock
• Location: birmingham, Uk

Feature:
compression circuit, phantom power, recognized by computer, haven't used the midi. overall very good... low latency... even the headphone out powers my hungry old AKG240's

Quality:
Excellent fit... knobs feel good... some sharp edges

Value:
It's all about the clean sound... can't beat it without spending a lot more.

Sound:
Exceptionally clean and transparent mic pre-amps... the soft knee limiting works well for spoken word. I use it primarily with a Rode NT-2a (I think that is the correct model number..) anyway a Rode large diaphram multi pattern, bass roll-off etc. The interface is easy and records cleanly into my laptop

Ease of Use:
no problems... just check that your USB Universal controllers are supported... the website and your device manager in Windows will tell you quickly.

Support:
Web support beyond drivers looks to be non-existant. Haven't had to call

• User: a customer from snccompute.com
• Submitted: 5/17/2006
• Style of Music: voice work
• Location: Costa Mesa, CA