Universal Audio's Volt series of audio interfaces was launched in 2021, promising "classic studio sound" at a price that's within reach of budget-conscious musicians and presenting a more affordable alternative to the company's popular Apollo series.
Four years on and the range has expanded to encompass eight different models, with the latest Volt interface announced by UA this week: Volt 876 USB Recording Studio. Whereas other models in the Volt line are desktop interfaces designed primarily for solo recording, Volt 876 is a rackmount unit aimed at more complex multi-instrument recording scenarios.
A 32-bit/192kHz, 24-in/28-out interface, Volt 876 is equipped with eight of UA's tube-emulating Vintage mic preamps and eight 1176-style compressors, which can be activated via buttons on the front panel, offering a selection of presets tailored for guitar, drums and vocals. These are joined by two LED-ringed dials for input gain and monitoring level, along with various controls for talkback, metering, clocking and headphone levels.
Volt 876 features two mic/line inputs with XLR/TRS combo jacks on the front panel that double as Hi-Z instrument inputs, joined by six more mic/line inputs on the interface's rear. There are eight line-level TRS outputs on the back and two headphone outs on the front with dedicated level controls. MIDI I/O is available via dual 5-pin DIN connections and two ADAT/SPDIF ins and outs can be used to digitally expand the interface's I/O.
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Volt 876 arrives bundled with a variety of software, including UA's companion Console app which offers assistive Auto-Gain and convenient recall of front-panel settings. You'll also get UA's Producer Suite, a collection of plugins that includes the company's LA-2A and 1176 emulations and the PolyMAX synth, and a copy of LUNA, Universal Audio's free, AI-powered DAW.
Coming in at the top of the Volt range, the 876 interface is priced at $999, less than half the price of the cheapest rackmount interface in Universal Audio's popular Apollo series.
Universal Audio Volt 876 USB Recording Studio will ship on on October 14.
