Vibe-rich tube-emulation circuitry, a built-in analog 1176-style compressor, pristine pro-grade conversion, and an impressive bundle of music production software make the Universal Audio Volt 176 portable 1x2 audio interface a top-notch yet affordable win for quality-conscious vocalists, musicians, and even content creators such as podcasters and livestreamers. Attractive, sturdy, and compact, this bus-powered USB Type-C interface is equally capable in a computer-based home studio or on the go with your iPad or iPhone.

Plug a mic, guitar, or synth into the Volt 176's mic preamp and press the Vintage switch to impart the pleasing character of an emulated UA vintage 610 tube preamp to your voice or instrument. Keep peaks under control while adding punch with three selectable presets of 1176-like analog compression. Direct monitoring lets you hear yourself with no distracting latency, and there are separate volume controls for the speaker and headphone outputs. Got a beat machine or keyboard controller? Connect them to the MIDI 5-pin ports on the rear panel to easily integrate them with your setup. Knowing the value of good tools, Universal Audio bundled the Volt 176 with versatile and creativity-inspiring software tailored for music makers. From the popular Ableton Live Lite DAW and UJAM virtual instruments, to guitar/bass amp simulations, Melodyne pitch correction, and high-end processors for mixing and mastering, there's a bit of everything to help you transform ideas into polished productions.

Musicians, Singers, and Content Creators    USB Type-C for Computers, iPad & iPhone    1 Vintage-Tone Mic / Line / Hi-Z Preamp    1 Headphone Out, 2 Monitor Outs    24-Bit / 192 kHz AD/DA Conversion    Bus Powered / Mac, Windows, iOS    Tube Emulation and Classic Compressor    48V, Zero-Latency Direct Monitoring    MIDI 5-Pin Input and Output    DAW, VIs, Amp Sims, FX, and Vocal Tuner

From the team that brought you the game-changing Apollo interface, Volt 176 delivers superior studio sound quality with character and tone far beyond its class.

Few sounds can compare to a vintage Universal Audio 610 tube preamp, as used to record everyone from Ray Charles to Van Halen. Volt 176 gives you the rich, full sound of this classic UA mic/line/instrument preamp, thanks to its built-in tube emulation circuitry, a UA exclusive.

Get album-ready punch and presence with Volt 176's onboard 76 Compressor, an innovative analog circuit inspired by UA's classic 1176 Limiting Amplifier. The 76 Compressor features three perfectly tailored presets to tame voice, guitars, synths, and drum machines. Just plug in, pick a setting, and play.

Some audio interfaces give you a smattering of random audio apps. Not Volt. Instead, UA put together a bundle of serious music production tools, virtual instruments, and plug-ins including Ableton, Melodyne, UJAM’s Virtual Drummer, Marshall, Ampeg, and more.

• Ableton Ableton Live Lite (music production DAW)
• Softube Marshall Plexi Classic Amp (guitar amp sim)
• Softube Time & Tone Bundle (mixing effects processors)
• Celemony Melodyne Essential (pitch correction)
• Relab LX480 Essentials (classic studio reverb)
• Plugin Alliance Ampeg SVT-VR Classic (bass amp sim)
• Brainworx bx_tuner (guitar/bass tuner)
• Brainworx bx_masterdesk Classic (mastering processor)
• UJAM Virtual Drummer DEEP (virtual drum instrument)
• Virtual Bassist DANDY (virtual bass instrument)
• Spitfire LABS (virtual instrument)

Also included with the interface is a 30-day trial of UAD Spark, a subscription-based collection of plug-ins and virtual instruments that run natively on your Mac computer's CPU—no UA hardware required. Get exclusive instruments and tools with an ever-expanding library, and give your recordings the analog tones heard on hit albums.

Volt 176 gives you simple 1-in / 2-out audio connections. Just plug a mic or instrument into the XLR-1/4" combo jack on the front panel. Then, connect your speakers or headphones via 1/4" sockets to monitor your audio with no latency. With Volt, you'll be creating like a pro, fast.

Traveling light? Plug Volt 176 into your iPad or iPhone, and you can easily create beats and samples, record your band's rehearsals, and edit songs anywhere. An external Volt power supply and an Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter are required (available separately) for iOS mobile devices other than iPad Pros with USB Type-C.

Featuring rugged all-metal construction, retro wood sides, and sleek industrial design, Volt 176 elevates your production space with impeccable style, built to last for decades.

• Class-leading 24-bit / 192 kHz audio conversion
• Studio-quality headphone amplifier for loud, clear monitoring
• Separate volume controls for headphone and monitor outputs
• USB bus powered to reduce cable clutter
• 48V phantom power for condenser microphones
• Direct Monitoring for latency-free recording

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. hi. can i send stems from my daw through this unit to be processed on an outboard mixer and have the processing recorded back. how is the ad/da conversion

A: You can run audio tracks out of your DAW through this interface to then go out through the balanced line outputs. The processed audio can go back into the line inputs to record in your computer. The AD/DA conversion is very good.

Q: 2. Are the preamps powerful enough for low input/gain hungry dynamic mics, like the Shure 7M7B? Planning on using this for a 3 or 4 mic podcast.

A: The Focusrite Scarlett 18i8's preamps are technically powerful enough for a dynamic microphone like SM7b or the RE20, but best results and the lowest noise floor will still be had with a mic activator such as the CL1 CloudLifter.

Q: 3. On Windows 8.1, do the different channels appear in separate devices or do they show up as separate channels on a single device?

A: Tim, These use a focusright scarlett software as a controller that displays all the channels in a single mixer style software consol. Regards,Rob

Q: 4. Are the monitor outs balanced?

A: The Monitor Output jacks on the Scarlett 18i8 are balanced 1/4 outputs.

Q: 5. Can the H1essential provide phantom power to an XLR connected boom?

A: The Zoom H1essential 2-Track 32-Bit Float Portable Audio Recorder doesn't have an XLR connection, so it wouldn't be able to provide phantom power to a connected mic.

Q: 6. Can you bypass the Mix Control software and use Pro Tools only to control mix on second generation?

A: The Focusrite Control software is used for internal routing within the interface. This is not required otherwise. You can use ProTools and other DAW software with the interface directly as well.

Q: 7. will this work with protools 10?

A: Yes

Q: 8. Can you use your own microphone?

A: Yes, the Zoom H1essential 2-Track 32-Bit Float Portable Audio Recorder has a 3.5mm input that can be used to connect an external microphone.

Q: 9. anyone tried to hook this up with new iPad Pro? usb-c to usb-b 2.0?

A: You will need to use the Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/897273-REG/Apple_md821zm_a_LIGHTNING_TO_USB_CAMERA.html

Q: 10. Would the interchangeable capsules from my previous gen Zoom H6 be compatible with this recorder?

A: The Zoom H6essential 6-Track 32-Bit Float Portable Audio Recorder is not compatible with previous-generation modular components for the Zoom H5, H6, and H8.