Universal Audio Volt 276 USB-C Audio Interface Reviews

For the size and price, and as a mobile rig, this is a great little piece of gear. The built in capabilities make it a really useful tool.

All though I end up sending it back for the Apollo - this one is solid, clean, convenient (the on board Compression) and easy on the eyes.

Been using the Volt276 for the last few months, It made such a big difference in recording vocals and ( Guitar/ Bass Guitar), the compressor just bites the signal in good way and makes everything that is coming through the input in a very good natural level, somehow I never had such results using digital compression.

I absolutely love this interface. It works wonderfully with my iPad mini gen 6. Straight into it with one cable and that's all. Using Cubasis on the iPad and a darkglass element or microtubes infinite and I'm cooking with fire.

I just upgraded to the UA Volt276 Interface from the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 1st Gen that I had for years. My old Focusrite got the job done and helped as I worked on developing my production skills. Once I made enough progress and had more of an intermediate skill set, I knew it was time to upgrade. Now my home studio setup has DEFINITELY improved. The Volt276 works flawlessly with my Ableton Live 11 Standard on my MacBook Pro. I even tried connecting the Volt via a thunderbolt cable so my USB hub wasn't as overloaded which turned out great! Very low latency, amazing effects. First time I tried switching brands and I couldn't be more happy with the end result. I bought this interface on a budget but am still very pleased with my purchase. If you have a little more cash to spend, I'd definitely recommend upgrading to the Volt476 or even the Apollo editions. Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with my new Universal Audio Interface.

I recently ordered this beauty as an upgrade from my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and I am upset that I did not do so sooner. The sound captured by the Volt is noticeably richer when I compare tracks recorded from both devices. I was running out processing power with the Scarlett on some of my more elaborate mixes. The Volt doesn't seem to notice 40 tracks with plenty of greedy plugins.

Pros: Incredible sound capture at the price. I have a Nord keyboard so believe me there are details to notice. To be honest I do not see how spending more money on a higher end interface could provide better recording quality, but then I've never used an ultra high end device like the Apollo. The Volt also has heavy build quality that feels like it will last for many years. Very intuitive, simple, and straightforward to use and setup. Gorgeous aesthetics to boot!

Cons: It takes up two usb ports when plugged into your laptop vs. the one used by the Scarlett. The "vintage" button is a total gimmick, but who cares when the sound captured by the Volt itself is already rich and full! The built in anaolog compressors are fun but also useless in a studio setting. Maybe they provide value in a live setting, but I have no experience to offer there. These are not really serious cons?

Summary: Spend the extra money to get this over any of the other entry level interfaces. You'll never need to upgrade. Thanks Sweetwater for a painless and confident purchase!

It's been a breeze to setup for a beginner. I felt the vintage pre-amp and compressor added enough value over some of the cheaper options. The analog feel with buttons for everything and the levels are very clear when setting gain. Software plugins are working well in Studio One and I'm enjoying Ableton for the first time which came with it. I plan to use the Volt 276 for vocals/music eventually, but the excuse to get it was improving voiceover on my work training presentations. So far so good.

Thank sweetwater fast shipping great service and sales engineers who actually know the product. The volt 276 is the real deal.

So a few things about this interface. The quality is fantastic, and built it compression, though limited to the three presets, works very well, especially when tracking loud, large dynamic range vocals in a home studio. Be aware the, "Vocal," Preset will break up if you push it substantially, but it is a character addition to the mic at that point. It does have the ability to completely limit out the channel.

The look and feel is fantastic. For a desktop style interface, it's well made. The VU bar meter is really nice to have when compared to something like the single led light clipping red when too hot. Just convenient. The separation of Monitor Volume and Headphone Volume at this price point is also pretty awesome.

The software bundle is killer. Well worth the interface cost alone.

Overall, super happy, and I haven't noticed any quality issues in any aspect of it.

Great buy.

I use the UA Volt 276 for Twitch streaming, podcasting and some recording. This thing is outstanding. So easy to use and the built-in compression is next level good. It IS a bit pricier than other interfaces, but results don't lie. Vocals sound amazing & when recording guitars, it adds that special 'something' to your tone. I HIGHLY recommend the UA Volt 276.

I bought this as a gift for my brother as an entry to the UA world. He was completely blown away by how much it improved his sound. Immediately replaced his old interface, and he couldn't be happier it seems. UA sounds great, and he's been enjoying some of the free plug-ins that come with it. Great product at a great price.

This interface is hands down the best on the market for its price. At $ it's actually a steal and I may even prefer it over my old Apollo.

I love the idea of having built-in compressors that you can "set and forget". I know some people out there would faint at the idea they can't control their own attack, release and ratio, but the compression is subtle and adds a nice character to whatever you're recording. Plus, you don't have to use it if you don't want. It also allows for people who don't have rack space (or $ to spend) for outboard gear to have something similar at their fingertips. The vintage button is great for running some hard synths through the box and adds a crunchy warmth that would be akin to adding saturation plugins.

All in all, vocals sound great, the preamps are loud and I no longer have to use a headphone amp for monitoring either, just a solid product and can't recommend enough. My only regret is that I didn't buy the 476

I use my 276 for multiple things. Mainly streaming on Twitch/YouTube & recording guitar/vocals. It excels in whatever context I put it in. Audio for streaming? 5 stars Recording vocals? 5 stars Recording electric guitars?5 stars and especially recording acoustic guitars direct or with a mic? 5 stars

It's a bit pricier than some other interfaces but the UA sound & quality is well worth it.

Having been using the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for the longest time, I figured I'd upgrade. I came across the Volt on a YouTube ad and found that it was just the right interface to transition to. The vintage button and the 1176 compressor are just amazing; really gives recordings that extra polish. If you're looking for a new audio interface, I'd 100% recommend this one!

The Volt 276 has been really great to record with! It has exceeded my expectations, especially for what an interface can do at this price point! I keep the vintage mode on most of the time, and I love the warm character it adds. The compressor is also fantastic, and has been especially great for vocals and guitars. It's easy and convenient to travel with too- I just took it to the mountains to record some tracks. I've always gravitated towards the warm tones and production style of 60s rock and 70s soul recordings, and this interface makes exploring those sounds achievable and fun! A huge thanks to my sales engineer, Justin Wofford, for his expertise in helping me make this purchase! I couldn't be happier!

I'm not gonna lie, universal audio gear is expensive. Or it used to be – Now with this budget audio interface I can have the quality of universal audio but with a much lower price tag! As soon as I plugged it in, my studio sounded so much better and the style makes my desk look amazing! The large monitor control knob makes controlling my studio monitors super easy, and the vintage preamp and compressor sounds make my microphone and guitar sound fantastic! There's nothing about this that I don't like! And for the price tag, you can't beat this! This is a great new addition to my studio and I very much recommend it! Yes, I may only be 15, but I have been producing music for a very long time, and have worked my fair share with professionals and professional gear. This is no joke, – this is a dang good product!

MAGNIFICENT Pre Amps for the price.
Great Compression.
Superb free PLUGINS with purchase. Better than any other interface in its price range. The best studio on a budget.

I was using a MOTU M2 and Arturia Minifuse 1 , when i moved to the VOLT 276 i definitely felt a big change. Probably it is not the one that has the ''best specs'' but COME ON! it gets the work done and has a very unique sound. If you are planning to buy the volt 276 i can tell you for sure that the compressor helps a lot and the vintage mode gives some ''analog'' sound to your signal. In a few words, it is a fantastic audio interface with good preamps, solid drivers and good quality materials... You can't go wrong with this interfaces

This one is a bit of a game changer, in my opinion. You can can really do some high end recordings with this little guy. We are currently living in a rent house while we are building, and since I do piano/keyboard overdubs from home for other clients, I needed to downsize my studio without losing quality. This little dude was the answer. The preamps are great, and the built-in compressor and vintage mode sounds great on everything I've tried it on. The free plugins are pretty sweet as well. Do it, you won't regret it.

Truly the finest at that price point.

No audible latency, extremely quite and above all so vesatile with the vintage mode and compressor options depending on your needs.
I was blown away by the compressor and the ability it has to cut through a mix with out needing to tweak much in my Daw.
Love the fact that is stand alone and has an on an off switch on the back.

Did I s mentioned midi.

Elegant design by Universal Audio.

Defently the winner this year on the budget interface arena.

Finally a professional sounding interface for recording music with clarity at a fraction of what you pay for an expensive one.

Super easy set up. Extremely low latency. (8 samples 1.667ms input and 1.50ms output) Pre-amps are warm and quiet. 1176 is great.

If you need an affordable high quality interface the Volt 276 is the way to go.

I upgraded a bit from the focusrite scarlett solo 3rd gen. IMMEDIATELY heard better fidelity, especially in the low end. As a bass player this was a huuuuge plus for me. Kinda caught me off guard because I wasn't necessarily getting this solely for that purpose but really impressed.

Also really like the "vintage" mode as it adds a nice sparkle and life to your sound. The compressor is also nice. Kinda noisy but as long as you don't stack every track with it, it's fine IMO. Sounds great on bass.

Also cool to note, if you're a podcaster, adding vintage+compressor to your mic in is BASICALLY radio voice. I have a cheap $ condenser and it sounds really cool.

Highly recommend!

I was looking for an entry level UA interface, and the Volt 276 is it! It's great, I use it with ProTools. And my sales guy, Tad, is a great resource & he's very responsive! Thanks Sweetwater & Tad, Rob.

It works perfectly and the installation was smooth.

Please note that this review is written from a perspective of a Linux user. It would probably have been a five star review if I was using it on other platforms. I tested it under Fedora 35 and Ubuntu 20.04.

This interface appears to be well built and feels like a high quality device. Looks are subjective, but I really like the aesthetics of this device. Controls are well placed and easy to use. Having a power button is fantastic. It is a great design. I would have loved having an optical SPDIF out but those are rare these days.

Interface is immediately recognized when plugged in, and works flawlessly. I was not able to get it to work in Ardour but that is probably either my lack of familiarity with Ardour or a bug in Ardour. It worked without any problems with all other software I tried to use it with (Reaper, Bitwig, TonelibGFX). Everything sounded great to my ear and the bonus compressor is actually pretty useful. I couldn't hear much of a difference, if any, with the vintage mode, I'll have to try it out some more.

So why did this not get 5 starts. Well, if you are using this with Linux you are a second class citizen. You will not be able to register the product. You will not get any support, be able to update the firmware or download any of the bundled software. Unfortunately, that is the same with every other audio interface manufacturer and is something we have no choice but to put up with, for now.

If you don't mind the above, it is a great option for Linux users, but for the above listed lack of support, by the manufacturer, I just can't give this a 5 start review.

I was going to be traveling for a month and away from my home studio and was looking for a solution so that I could record wherever I put my suitcase down. It's bus powered so it's really portable. Set up was a breeze and I was making high-quality recordings instantly. The pre-amps sound great to my ears. Solid construction.

Always wanted a universal audio device. They finally made one that I could afford. My expectations were high based on what I've heard from other interfaces by universal audio. A perfect example of you get what you pay for, I guess my expectations were too high. After making peace with the learning curve turned out to be a much better interface than what I was using. Quite satisfied with it in comparison to what I previously was using, so all is well. Deftly hear the difference with the compressor on . But it's the preamp that makes it more than worth the cost much better than any preamp I've heard in a device in the same price range. Now that I understand it how it works quite please with it.

The UA Volt is a slick little device and lives up to the hype; however, the company and its customer support are abysmal. I had a nice time with this device but when it was time to move on and sell the device, they make transferring ownership and the software package needlessly clunky and difficult.

Will never be purchasing a universal audio product again, I purchased a volt 276 and had nothing but a horrible experience with it, I believe I was given a faulty unit and the UAD's tech support was awful, they were rude and refused to admit that the issue was with the unit, they made me jump threw hoops for weeks and change multiple settings on my production computer and nothing would work I should have spoke with sweetwater techs from the start, luckily I was able to return the 276 and get a way better interface with more ins and outs at a lower price, this product was just not worth it, sure the wood looks nice and I bet it works great for simple bedroom recordings and beginners looking to get into recording or producing but pro mixing and mastering or complicated productions that take up large amounts of cpu then this is not the product for you, you want a motu