U-Phoria UM2 : OK for complete beginners

This was my first ever audio interface. It was with this piece of equipment i learned how to record takes. It opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

It did not take long however untill I was left craving for more. It frustrated me that the sound I got into my DAW was not the same I heard from my instruments.

The interface has a very loud and distinct self-noise, almost chime like in the upper register. This annoying rattle becomes unbearable even when the knobs are set at the half-way point .

Despite the fact that I don’t trust this piece of equipment enough to create music with it; I can not deny the fact that it truly is plug and play. It has ‘industry-standard’ features which familiarizes the newbeginner with different parts of the process of recording stuff.

I say this, but I still remember having to spend a considerable amount of time installing ASIO drivers to make this thing work as i wanted it to when switching to Windows. (I suppose this is mostly a windows-problem rather than the interface’s fault, as it worked flawlessly together with my old trusty mac).

I also had difficulty setting it up for live streaming. But again, I don’t know if this is due to the interface’s manufacturing or other factors outside of Behringer’s control.

I have mixed feeling about this piece of equipment, as by the time I finally decided to upgrade, I’ve been through it all, and learned a lot about many things, which helped me make a well informed choice. In other words it was the perfect entry interface for me personally. At that point I’ve used this device on a weekly basis for more than 2 years.

But I would not recommend this to anybody who actually plans to use this to create stuff, as it will not do your takes justice.

I would recommend this to someone on a tight budget with a lot of free time, who wants to start experimenting, and better understand what it means to record stuff. But not necesarily record anything on a professional level.

It pains me to give it 2 stars, considering how much priceless experience I’ve got out of it myself. But it simply does not hold up to my needs no more.