Gear Of The Year: Best audio interface/mixer of 2020
No studio would be complete without an interface – this is the best of 2020.
WINNER: Universal Audio Apollo X4
Price £1,450
Contact Universal Audio
Compressing UA’s DSP expertise into an easy-to-use four-input interface – each of which sports the flavoursome Unison preamps that have become the company’s calling card – the Apollo X4 packs a punch in the studio, with its large monitor volume control and colourful meter panel. It can take the strain of UAD-2 plug-ins and the free addition of UA’s new recording environment Luna means this isn’t just another interface but an all-in-one professional recording package.
Highly commended: Audient Evo 4
Price £100
Contact Evo Audio
With its Evo sub-brand, Audient rethought interface design to provide this pleasingly portable two-in, two-out – alongside the Evo 4’s double-that sibling, the Evo 8 – unit. It may look like an ideal beginner’s interface (and it is) but it’s also more capable than it seems. Its preamps and converters deliver sparkling, uncoloured sound, and the loopback bus makes it a handy asset for widespread use beyond music production, namely streaming.
Also nominated:
- RME Babyface Pro FS
- Arturia AudioFuse Studio
- SSL 2+
- Steinberg UR24C
- AMS Neve 1073 OPX
- PreSonus Quantum 2626
To check out other GOTY categories, click here.
