Audient iD14

Audient makes the large-format mixing consoles found in professional studios worldwide, and the iD14 MKII packs their Class-A mic preamp design into a $300 desktop interface. The preamps have more headroom (up to +24dB) and a more natural, open sound than the Universal Audio Volt 276's shared preamp stage. JFET instrument input, optical ADAT expansion for adding eight more channels later ($200 cheaper than the typical rival with ADAT), and a scroll-wheel monitor controller that feels premium. Engineers upgrading from a Scarlett usually land here.