Behringer U-Control UMA25S £80 (PC/ MAC)

This MIDI controller/audio interface appears to offer everything a computer musician needs for not much moolah. So what's the catch?

This "ultra-slim" USB controller keyboard and audio interface packs in an awful lot: 25 keys, mod/pitch wheels, eight knobs, a few buttons (including transport section), LED display, stereo RCA line-in and outs, expression and sustain pedal inputs, MIDI out, mini-jack headphone and mic sockets (which 'mirror' the signals on the RCAs) and direct monitoring controls. It can be powered by USB, battery, or PSU (though one isn't supplied).

All of which is not bad considering the 18.1"x8.7"x1.8" footprint! Plus, the unit looks a million bucks, with shiny red casing and a smart design. To top it off, there's a carry case, strap (for keytar-style playing), headset and a software suite thrown in (see boxout). But for 80 sheets, surely it's too good to be true?

While initial impressions are good, the experience is soured by the Windows ASIO drivers for the audio interface element. They'll only install the device on the USB port the keyboard is plugged into during installation, and won't allow you to either change ports without reinstalling or use another audio interface on that port. Though these deficiencies are detailed in the driver's ReadMe on the bundled CD-ROM, they're not mentioned in the installation procedure.

In fact, the latest version of the driver on the Behringer website doesn't have any documentation at all!
The latest Driver download for the UMA25S includes instructions within the ZIP file:
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Support/U-Control-Downloads.aspx

We ended up using ASI04ALL instead, and this seemed much more satisfactory. And on the Mac, it works perfectly well as a plug-and-play Core Audio device.

Control issues
We also had a few problems with the hardware itself. The level knobs around the back are fiddly to get at, and the keys have little travel, which makes accurately inputting velocity levels tricky. More crucially, it was all too easy to distort the headphone out, even at low levels.

On the plus side, the RCA inputs worked fine, and the eight MIDI knobs felt solid. The included peripherals are also genuinely useful.

Our feelings on the UMA25S are mixed. It certainly looks the business, is well built and full-featured, but the headphone output and ASIO driver issues make the audio interface element less useful than it might have been.

We can't recommend the UMA25S unreservedly, but those after an extremely cheap all-in-one solution to their mobile music-making needs will find it offers good performance for the price, as long as they can live with the issues we've raised.

Contact: via website
Web: www.behringer.com
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The soft option
The UMA25S comes with a surprisingly comprehensive software bundle. The jewel in the crown is energyXT2 Behringer Compact, a cut-down edition of the DAW that's limited to eight audio, instrument or drum tracks, two global sends and two inserts per mixer channel.

While these limitations mean that you're restricted to working on simple projects, it's still a great bonus and will give novice computer musicians a fine introduction to working with audio and MIDI.

There's also the grandly-titled U-Control Ultimate Software Package Volume 1, which is actually a collection of rather old hat freeware hosts and plug-ins. Some of these are still useful (Audacity and the Kjaerhus Classic collection are particularly good), but a lot of it has been superseded and the majority is Windows-only. Still, it's better than nowt, and it could inspire newbies to check out more recent freeware offerings.
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System requirements
(PC) 1.4 GHz CPU,512MB RAM, Windows XP or later

(MAC) 1.4GHZ CPU, 512MB RAM, Mac OS X 10.4

Test system
(PC) Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAML Windows Vista, Cubase 4

Alternatively
M-AudioOxygen8 v2 cm44»8/10»£69
It has no audio interface, but for low-cost MIDI on the go, it's top notch and dirt-cheap to boot.
Novation X-Station 25 N/A»N/A»£35O
If you're seeking compactness and features, this has the lot, including DSP effects and phantom power

Verdict
FOR
- Extremely affordable
- Dazzling looks
- Solid build
- Decent RCA inputs
- Handy software bundle
- Carry bag, strap and headset included!

AGAINST
- III-conceived ASIO drivers
- Headphone output distorts easily
- Keyboard action isn't amazing

The UMA25S is a workable audio and MIDI solution, though a few improvements would make it a stunner

MARK: 7/10
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