Universal Audio Volt 2 USB Recording Studio

I purchased the UAD Volt 2 because of Universal Audio’s reputation for premium studio hardware. Unfortunately, that standard doesn’t quite extend to the Volt product line. After about ten months of regular use, the volume knobs began crackling like an old, broken radio. Mechanical pots can have issues over time, but I didn’t expect this from a brand known for high-end build quality. The Volt is no exception to the problem.

Feature-wise, the interface is also lacking. Useful functions such as loopback or an integrated software mixer — which are extremely helpful for online streaming, podcasting, and DAW screen capture — are simply missing.

On the positive side, the included Softube Marshall plugin is excellent, and the UAD plugins are quite good as well. But if you don’t care much about the bundled software, more practical and budget-friendly options like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or the Arturia Minifuse offer all the essential features at a lower price point.

Overall, the Volt 2 fell short of the expectations that come with the UAD brand.