I really like these two little interfaces; they’re great sounding and feature big bang for the buck! Originally, the UA-4FX started out under the Edirol flag, but has been rebranded under Cakewalk along with the UA-1G ( both brands are owned by Roland BTW.)
The UA-4FX is an affordable, all in one solution that features MIDI in/out, an XLR jack along with a 1/4 inch jack and a host of on board effects covering everything from tube preamps, compressors and cabinet simulations. The UA-4FX is ideal for those of you that may be working with one or two keyboards and record vocals and guitar directly into your DAW.
UA-1G is a smaller version of the UA-4FX; dropping the MIDI, XLR and effects. It’s more ideally suited to those of you that work exclusively in software or already have a preexisting setup and just need to run your sound into something. But if you do need it, there is a 1/4 connection that will accept either a mic or instrument.
Both interfaces feature stereo RCA in/out with volume controls for both directions as a well as being able to fully duplex and run ASIO. In addition, the UA-4FX has a 1/4 stereo headphone connection as opposed to the 1/8th on the UA-1G, which in my opinion, is a nice touch.
I initially started out with the UA-4FX and was very satisfied with the sound, however I felt a bit overwhelmed with the on board effects and the redundancy of the MIDi and XLR jacks to my current setup. I ended up selling it to a mate on a forum and recycled the cash into the UA-1G which I have been immensely pleased with. I really enjoy the 1/8th stereo jack (no more looking for that pesky adapter!!) and I feel much more confident with it in a laptop bag because of it’s relatively flat construction and flush mounted dials, although it is rather longish, which I found is really hard to discern from the photos.
In either case, if you’re looking for an affordable audio interface with just a basic set of inputs, I have no doubt you’ll be quite pleased with either one of these interfaces! And no Windows 7 worries either! Updated drivers are available for both from the Cakewalk website.
The UA-4FX & UA-1G:
Get the UA-4FX at Zzounds.com!
Get the UA-1G at Zzounds.com!
Technical Info:
UA-4FX:
-USB audio interface with up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution
-14 types of powerful, easy-to-use onboard effects, including COSM tube mic-preamp simulator
-XLR input with phantom power, Hi-Z guitar/dynamic mic input
-USB bus powered, no AC adapter required
-MIDI I/O with FPT (Fast Processing Technology) for fast, stable performance
-Supports WDM, ASIO 2.0, and Mac OS X Core Audio
-Cakewalk Sonar LE and Edirol Virtual Sound Canvas plug-in included (PC)
-Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 surround compatibility via S/PDIF output (Windows XP)
UA-1G:
- Stereo input and output at 24-bit/96kHz audio quality
- High-end A/D and D/A converters for accurate recording and playback
- Large Input Level knob for easy control while recording
- 1/4-in. jack with Hi-Z option for recording electric guitar or bass
- Electret condenser mic input
- RCA and optical S/PDIF I/O
- Headphone output
- USB powered–no AC adapter required
- SONAR LE for music recording, editing, and publishing on PC
- Low-latency ASIO 2.0 (PC); WDM (Windows Vista, Windows XP) and Core Audio (Mac OS X) support
