Roland Quad-Capture Reviews

4.8/5.0 based on 17 customer reviews

Sweetwater Advice

Charlie Davis

Do you need the ability to record only one or two things at a time, but also want extremely low latency, crystal clear preamps, and top notch conversion? Also, do you want to get all of this without it costing an arm and a leg? This is the interface for you. Same great sound quality as its big brother the OctaCapture, but with fewer channels and no built-in DSP. The Roland Quad-Capture is a truly great option for small home studios who still need great sound quality.

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Customer Reviews

ta
from Orlando, Fl United States
May 12, 2013Music Background:
40 year pro

Sonars sexy sister!

With meters you can see from across the room sucking every spotless bit of audio, lightning quick midi AND...inserts itself into the track ins and outs!

Clarence Williams
from Belen New Mexico USA
May 8, 2013Music Background:
Professional musician, engineer and producer

Roland Quad Capture's or GREAT

This is the second quad capture i've purchased from sweetwater, I was so impressed with the first one, I got another one for my studio, I've never had any problem's with either one, the set up is a snap, I use sonar x1 and sonar x2 producer daw's,just run the install disk, plug it in and sonar profile's it and your ready to rock!! I believe the sound I get is compareable to an RME interface. Both unit's have worked flawless in many hour's of recording & mixing. Thanks to my sales engineer Bob Furlong for the suggesting this interface when I was looking! Sweetwater people or the best!!!

David "DCee" Byard
from Philadelphia, PA USA
March 15, 2013Music Background:
Musician, Producer, Engineer and Composer

This interface is a real bang for the buck!

At first, I was skeptical about the price and size of the interface. However, after I plugged it in and started creating music, it kept up with what I needed to do. The sound quality is amazing. The preamps are solid and can compete with the top tier brands. Roland outdid themselves with this interface. I have officially been silenced! If your taste is gold, but the money is looking low, cop this! You will not be disappointed.

clark s
from San Diego, CA
January 16, 2013Music Background:
Hobbyist, Musician

A great piece of equipment

Honestly, if you cant afford the octa-capture, or youre looking for something high quality that is also portable, and durable.... look no further. This device is built very solid, and smart. It functions flawlessly.
A few things:
1. The drivers are extremely stable, 1000x more stable than drivers Ive used for any audio interface in the past. Heck, theyre even more stable than drivers Ive used for computer video cards and chipsets.
2. The preamps are pretty darn clean. Theres a slight bit of noise generated by them, but it doesnt become audible until high up on the potentiometer, and by then your input signal is way too loud and hot, possibly also clipping.
3. Quality of recordings is great.
4. Ground lift switch, for "just in case" moments.
5. Easy to install, unplug, replug and use. The driver control panel is very intuitive and easy to use.
6. Sound AMAZING. And I dont just mean the recordings, this thing sounds great in terms of output as well. I havent heard a sub-$500 interface sound this good in my experience before. It has crisp highs, but well defined lows and it could just be me but a decent spaciality. Not too extremely punchy.
7. MIDI and SPDIF In/ Out. Nuff said.
8. Auto sense feature is pretty sweet, helps me get good levels while at the same time understanding how its working. In the driver control panel you can adjust how much margin or buffer room in dB the auto sense feature allows. Default is -6dB.
9. The direct mix running through the device (whatever sounds are coming out of it, regardless of their source, can be captured as an input in your DAW. So anything from youtube videos to online lectures, can be recorded with ease.

Cons:
1. No separate control for headphone volume. Meaning if youre looking to recording something, and the person recording needs headphones, you need to manually turn off your studio monitors, because one knob controls the levels for both outputs. This is really sad they included this "feature" but regardless I rate it 5 stars.
2. My first unit seemed to be defective, however Sweetwater replaced it and my new one is running flawlessly.
3. No way to bypass the preamps. While this is something that ticks me off a tad bit, the vs-700 preamps that come with the quad capture are very dry and dont color the sound much at all, so as long as you know what youre doing you should be good

Trust me, youll thank me later. This may be a bit pricey, but with sweetwaters tech support and warranty you cant go wrong.

Like I said, the driver is the secret weapon keeping it HIGHLY stable.
Also, it seems to handle reverb envelopes pretty well, the internal clock must be pretty decent.

Definitely a must-buy, despite the slightly high price. Also, Roland has some amazing tech support compared to other companies.

Mike
from Livermore, CA
June 6, 2012

Flawless on Windows

I recently replaced my PC and upgraded to ProTools 10 on Windows 7. I ran into a series of frustrating driver problems trying to get my old interface to work after migrating to the new PC. I decided to give the Quad-Capture a try. The Roland drivers are rock solid on Windows and it works absolutely flawlessly. The Windows Quad-Capture control panel includes selectable compression, phase reversal and low cut. Running at 192kHz limits input to the 2 VS XLR/TRS inputs on the front of the unit. The Quad-Capture also has an auto-sense level control: hit the button, play the louest section for 2 or 3 seconds and you're good to go. It also came bundled with SONAR LE - not something I was looking for but nice to have anyway. ProTools 10 and SONAR LE both work fine installed on the same machine by the way. The Quad-Capture is a little more expense that the other interfaces I was looking at, but extremely reliable and rich in features. Worth every extra penny. If you're on Windows and only need basic two channel XLR/TRS input, this is the interface for you.

Clarence Williams
from Belen New Mexico USA
May 4, 2012Music Background:
Professionel Producer/Recording Engineer

Roland Quad Capture Interface Review

Have only used my quad capture a few times since receiving it, But I am blown away by the sound of my produced tracks, very clean & noise free, even using unblanced patch cables out of my mixer, thru the Quad Capture into my DAW. I was looking at another interface, but my sales rep, Bob Furlong asked me to try the Quad capture & told me I would have to have very good ears or speakers to tell any difference & he was RIGHT!!! Set Up was a snap, took less than 5 minutes to set everthing up & I was up & running. My Sweetwater Sales Rep is the BEST!!!!! Thanks Bob!!!!!

Joseph LeVine
from United States
March 13, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Best so far after trying 5 other brands

I have used Zoom H4N , Presonus Firebox & 4x4 USB , Line6 UX1 & M-Audio Fast Track Ultra.
This Roland audio interface beats them all hands down for durability , ASIO reliability and sound capture quality. The mic pre-amps work wonderfully even with power hungry condenser mics (unlike the M-Audio Fast Track <--Shame on you M-Audio).
The driver installation on my Windows 7 Professional 64bit laptop was effortless. The SENS feature is great for avoiding clipping better than doing it by ear. So far I have explored the mic , guitar & midi features of this unit with my Roland GI-20 guitar synth , and there have been no hiccups nor disappointments.
It was a toss up between this Roland Quad & the Komplete Audio 6 from Native Instruments , but the Roland won since it was immediately available (not on extended back order).

Faron Collins
from Dallas,Texas
February 8, 2012Music Background:
Musician

Great Interface

This interface was a replacement for a firewire unit that had some major issues with drivers for 64bit. I had owned a Roland interface before so I knew that it was very stable and a perfect match for Sonar software. I bought this mainly for stability and wasn't expecting much in the way really good features, but this is packed with them. First off it has a built in gate and compressor, the gate is great for knocking down low level background noises and the compressor is good for a slight compression during the recording process. The default setting is light and doesn't squash the signal flat of dynamics. It does have threshold, ratio, attack, release and gain knobs in the on screen control panel so you can tweak the gate and compressor to your liking. Two features that really make this unit stand out among other units this price are the Auto Sens and the VS preamps. The VS preamps are dead quiet even with a very sensitive tube condensor mic hooked up there is no noise with sensible level settings. And for the settings this is where the Auto Sens comes in. Sing or play a section at the volume you'll be recording with the AS engaged and then click the AS button again to lock the setting automaticly adjusted to -12db.....easy no bumping up and down the sens knob trying to get a proper level. The advantage of -12db is headroom and not overdriving the preamps by having the levels too hot. But you can always set them manually or bump it up a bit hotter if you like but the AS works great and is a time saver especially if you are doing double duty in a homestudio. It dosen't come with an optical connection but it does have a coaxial I/O to send digital signals to near field monitors and such as well as MIDI I/O.
It comes boxed with Sonar X-1 LE which I didn't use because I have Sonar X-1 Producer Expanded but the drivers are rock solid with Windows 7 64bit and perfectly mated to the Sonar software.

chris neal
from boston,ma
January 26, 2012Music Background:
Musician

No Regrets Here

Roland did a great job with this interface. This was a great addition to my home studio. I couldn't of asked for more. My sweetwater sales rep recomended this to me and i didn't question his advice. Recording with this device is easy, very straight forward. i mic up my amp for guitar and keyboard. i plug the bass guitar in directly for a pure deep tone.
ZERO latency! For the money this is the best quality out there no doubt.
Thanks Sweetwater, you guys rock!

Grabar Alma
from Seul, Corea del sur
August 5, 2011Music Background:
Producer/Mixing Engineer

Better than TC-BMC2

1. AD/DA: more transparent tham TC-BMC-2.
very accurate and sterilized sound.
especially on percussive things.

2. Build Quality: military grade / sturdy

3. Easy of use: very logical and easy to install.

4. Muy Fuerte en CLIP. When you drive input of line signal as you want to record master output to input, there is no audible distortion even if the input level signal LED hit the RED!!

5. VSTi midi sequencing and recording with AKAI LPD8 / KORG MICRO KEY is fantastic. No latency at buffer 64 or 128

I really recommend this product.

Bryan
from NJ
August 1, 2011Music Background:
Music Producer In-Training

Exactly what I wanted and expected

This is my first purchase of an audio Interface. I am producing my own music for the first time, and I can say a few helpful things even though I don't have experience with similar products:
-The manual has really detailed instructions of how to set this device up with both a PC and a Mac. It's not quite a plug-and-play device, but if you follow the steps you will be able to get it working. They give you 20+ steps, so they didn't cut any corners with the directions.
-There is no noticable latency.
-I have used this to record audio from a XLR mic, and midi/audio from a Roland TD-12 drum module. It handled both easily when all the right wires were connected.
-This device may not work with all computer speakers; you really should get studio monitors to get the most out of this either way.
-The dials work well with nice LED indicators, and the mono button is useful if you're outputting to an amp.
-It feels sturdy enough to take with you. It has a metal casing so it's not going to crack apart or anything.
-Auto-sensitivity is a cool gimmick, but it's not really necessary most of the time. Not a negative, just saying. There's no harm in trying it out, at least.
-It should be obvious from the 5-stars, but this thing does seem to give accurate output, which is really the main thing you need.

I recommend the Quad Capture highly, but one thing to address is whether or not this is worth it for the money versus a cheaper interface. What led me to get this is that this looks to me like a sturdier model with really high quality output and low latency. and will be guaranteed to work well with Roland modules. It is going to be supported by Roland and they have really good documentation online for all their products. Beyond that I cannot compare this to another model. I can just tell you that it's a nice piece of gear.

Cowboy Joe
from Santa Monica, CA USA
May 13, 2013Music Background:
Drummer, Composer, VO Artist

Rock solid upgrade of the UA-25 with some cool new features.

I used an Edirol UA-25 happily for years, and had tried both an M-Box and a PreSonus Audiobox 22VSL in anticipation of using ProTools - which would not work with the Edirol. Both had issues, so I decided to go with the Quad-Capture, which is essentially the current version of the UA-25. Installed easily and quickly and solved all the issues I had with the other 2 boxes. No issues whatsoever after about a month of daily use on a Windows 7 64 bit system.

Plenty of gain on the pres and output. I can't say for sure that the pres sound better than the UA-25, but for my application they're certainly just as good (I do VO work). Output gain is very sensitive and the usable range is a bit narrow, but this is a very minor concern. The software interface allows for precise control of input levels, and includes optional compressor, lo-cut and phase button.

As with most newer units, sample rate can be adjusted on the fly, no need to shut down and flip a switch like you did with the UA-25.

BTW - you CAN record What-U-Hear with this unit, You'll need to enable ASIO direct monitoring (in the Quad software) and then select the Quad-Capture MAIN as your recording input in your audio device routing. You may need to then disable ASIO direct monitoring for other functions depending on your system.

Definitely recommend!

Thomas Aldrich
from United States
June 14, 2012Music Background:
40 year full time pro musician

Sonar's right hand man!

Install the driver, plug it in and get to work!
For the first time ever I booted up Cakewalk Sonar X1 and the ins and outs were set to the Quad for me!!!
The sound quality is a notch better than the others in this price range.
Thanks Ryan for getting this great piece of gear to me so quickly!

buccfan4047
from Tioga, ND
February 13, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Great value!!!

This is exactly what I was looking for. I had a cheaper interface and I felt that I had outgrown it long ago and wanted something with a couple inputs and a little bit better control. This did that and more. I am very impressed with the ability to tweak your options on the unit itself or on your computer if you are not by the unit. It comes with some kind of recording software, but I haven't used because I already have a good program in reason. I highly recommend getting this if you are getting started in producing your own music.

Matt
from Harrisburg, PA
December 15, 2011Music Background:
Home Studio Nerd

Rock Solid

The new Roland Quad-Capture is the successor to the Edirol UA-25 and UA-25EX. I’ve been a longtime user of the UA-25 and was hesitant to make the change to the new Quad-Capture. The UA-25 has Neutrik pres and a nice warm sound that I had gotten used to over the years. Also, it has always worked flawlessly with any computer I’ve hooked it up to. Now that I’ve been using the Quad-Capture for the last couple of months, I must say that I’m happy to have made the switch. The big draws to the Quad-Capture are the auto-leveling feature and the built-in compression. These two features work hand in hand to give you awesome results every time. Compression is handled via a software app that shows up in the control panel of your PC. You can’t fine tune the settings as much as I’d like, but, regardless, I’m getting the best results I’ve ever gotten. The thing I was worried about most with the Quad-Capture was that Roland replaced the Neutrik pres with a pair of their own VS preamps. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to find them cleaner and more articulate than those found in the UA-25. Pretty much every other part of the new Quad-Capture is the same as the UA-25… Which is a good thing because that means this is a stable, rock solid piece of gear that will be with me for years to come.

Pastor P
from IL
June 21, 2012Music Background:
Pro Musician

Highly Satisfied

Met my needs. Still experimenting and learning, but I highly recommend this product.

from Grovetown, GA
November 5, 2011Music Background:
Musician

BAT69

Nice array of input possibilities good signal to noise ratios, especially when it comes to input for digital computer recording. Of all the audio capture devices I've used this is by far the cleanest. Highly recommended for small computer home studio users.