Volt 1 USB Audio Interface
Everything you need to start recording music with legendary sound.
- Professional 1-in / 2-out interface. Affordable Universal Audio quality recording for all.
- 24-bit / 192 kHz audio conversion. Capture your performance with studio-quality detail.
- Vintage Mic Preamp Mode. Add the warmth of a UA 610 preamp directly to your recording.
- UAD plug-ins, LUNA DAW, and more included. Mix with big, analog studio sound.
- Compact and portable. Record anywhere with a bus-powered USB audio interface.
Downloads & Details
What’s Included
Included Software for Mac & PC
1-In / 2-Out
Includes FREE Plug-Ins
Studio-Quality Audio
Record Anywhere
Easy-to-Use
Legendary Studio Sound
Start Creating, Instantly
Included LUNA DAW & Plug-Ins
Record Anywhere
Specifications
I/O
- Monitor Outputs
- Two (one stereo pair)
- Headphone Output
- One stereo
- USB
- One USB 2.0 port (USB Type-C connector)
- MIDI
- In, Out (two 5-pin DIN connectors)
A/D – D/A Conversion
- Supported Sample Rates (kHz)
- 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192
- Bit Depth
- 24
Analog I/O
- Frequency Response
- 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.1 dB
- Dynamic Range (A–weighted)
- 112 dB
- THD + Noise (1 kHz @ -1 dBFS)
- -103 dB (0.0007 %)
- Equivalent Input Noise (150 Ohms, A-wtd)
- -127 dBu
- Maximum Input Level
- 9 dBu
- Input Impedance
- 3 Kilohms
- Available Gain
- 55 dB
- Phantom Power
- +48V (switchable)
- Connector Type
- XLR Female, pin 2 positive
- Frequency Response
- 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.05 dB
- Dynamic Range (A–weighted)
- 111 dB
- THD + Noise (1 kHz @ -1 dBFS)
- -84 dB (0.006 %)
- Maximum Input Level
- 12.5 dBu
- Input Impedance
- 1 Megohms
- Available Gain
- 55 dB
- Connector Type
- 1/4" TS unbalanced
- Frequency Response
- 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.05 dB
- Dynamic Range (A–weighted)
- 111 dB
- THD + Noise (1 kHz @ -1 dBFS)
- -102 dB (0.0008 %)
- Maximum Input Level
- 22 dBu
- Input Impedance
- 15 Kilohms
- Available Gain
- 55 dB
- Connector Type
- 1/4" TRS balanced or TS unbalanced
- Frequency Response
- 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.1 dB
- Dynamic Range (A–weighted)
- 110 dB
- THD + Noise (1 kHz @ -1 dBFS)
- -102.5 dB (0.00075%)
- Maximum Output Level
- 15 dBu
- Output Impedance
- 100 Ohms
- Connector Type
- 1/4" TRS balanced or TS unbalanced
- Frequency Response
- 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.1 dB
- Dynamic Range (A–weighted)
- 110 dB
- THD + Noise (1 kHz @ -1 dBFS)
- -102.5 dB (0.00075%)
- Maximum Output Level
- 15 dBu
- Output Impedance
- 100 Ohms
- Connector Type
- 1/4" TRS stereo unbalanced
System Requirements
macOS & Windows
- Available USB 2.0 (or higher) port
- USB cable (included)
- Intel, AMD, or Apple silicon processor
- Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit editions)
- macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer operating system
- Internet connection for software downloads
iPad & iPhone
- iPadOS / iOS 14 or newer
Compare Models
Included Plug-Ins
UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection
Included
Hear It In Action
UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection
Plug-In:
UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor
Included
Teletronix LA-2A Tube Compressor
Included
Vibe Analog Machines Essentials
Included
Hear It In Action
Vibe Analog Machines Essentials
Plug-In:
Pure Plate Reverb
Included
Hear It In Action
Pure Plate Reverb
Plug-In:
UAD Showtime '64 Tube Amp
Included
Hear It In Action
UAD Showtime '64 Tube Amp
Century Tube Channel Strip
Included
Hear It In Action
Century Tube Channel Strip
Plug-In:
PolyMAX Synth
Included
Hear It In Action
PolyMAX Synth
UA Studio Sessions
Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
The Volt 1 is different because its preamp has an all-analog Vintage mode that shapes the signal before conversion, so the character lands on the recording itself. Most interfaces in this class aim for a neutral front end and leave the coloring to plug-ins after the fact. The Volt 1 gives you both, since it also ships with UAD plug-ins and the LUNA DAW.
Vintage preamp mode on the Volt 1 is an all-analog circuit that gives the mic, line, and instrument input the rich, full sound of our classic 610 tube preamp. Press the VINTAGE button and the front end of the interface itself changes, so nothing is being emulated in software afterward. It suits vocals, acoustic guitar, and anything you want sitting forward without extra processing.
The Volt 1 is the entry point to the Volt family, and the rest of the line scales up by input count and onboard compression. Volt 1 has one input with one Vintage preamp, Volt 2 adds a second input and preamp, Volt 176 keeps one input and adds an onboard 76-style compressor, and Volt 276 gives you two of each. Above that, Volt 476 and 476P take you to four inputs, and Volt 876 offers eight Vintage preamps with 24 in / 28 out for tracking a full band.
Get the Volt 1 if you record one source at a time, and the Volt 2 if you ever need two at once. The Volt 1 has a single combo input with one Vintage preamp, while the Volt 2 has two inputs and two Vintage preamps. Both use the same 24-bit / 192 kHz conversion and the same included software, so the choice is about inputs rather than sound quality.
The Volt 1 records at up to 24-bit / 192 kHz through our award-winning preamp and converter technology, so it delivers professional results. Volt 1's preamp is quiet with plenty of gain for both dynamic and condenser microphones. Vintage mode then gives you an analog tone option that most entry-level interfaces simply do not have.
The Volt 1 does not have onboard DSP. It is a USB interface with an all-analog Vintage preamp mode, and your plug-ins run on your computer's processor. That works because UAD native plug-ins run on Mac and Windows without any UAD hardware attached. If you want DSP processing on the way in, that capability lives in our Apollo audio interfaces rather than in Volt.
The Volt 1 works with both macOS and Windows, and it is class-compliant USB. The included LUNA Digital Audio Workstation runs on Mac and Windows as well, and the interface works with any DAW that supports standard audio devices. Volt 1 connects over USB-C, with a USB-C to USB-A cable included in the box.
The Volt 1 works with iPad and iPhone running iOS 14 or later, because it is class-compliant USB. Depending on your device you may need an adapter for the connector and an external power source, since phones and tablets do not always supply enough bus power. That makes the Volt 1 a practical way to capture ideas away from your desk.
The Volt 1 is bus powered over USB, so one cable to your computer handles both audio and power. It still supplies 48V phantom power for condenser microphones, along with a studio-quality headphone amplifier for monitoring. Only mobile devices that cannot supply enough bus power will need an external power source.
The Volt 1 records one source at a time through a single combo input that takes a microphone, a line signal, or an instrument directly. That covers vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, bass, synths, and voiceover, one pass at a time as you build up an arrangement. It also has 1-in / 1-out MIDI, so you can connect a controller keyboard, synth, or drum machine without a separate MIDI interface.
The Volt 1 has Direct Monitoring, which sends your input straight to the headphone and line outputs so you hear yourself in realtime as you record. That sidesteps the delay (latency) you get from monitoring through the computer and back out again. The headphone amplifier is loud and clear enough to track against a full mix.
The Volt 1 includes the LUNA Digital Audio Workstation plus a set of UAD plug-ins: the UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection, UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor, Teletronix LA-2A Tube Compressor, Century Tube Channel Strip, Vibe Analog Machines Essentials, Pure Plate Reverb, Showtime '64 Tube Amp, and PolyMAX Synth. UA also bundles additional third-party instruments and utilities, plus a three-month trial of PureMix Pro training. Bundle contents change over time, so the What's Included tab on this page carries the current list.
You do not need UAD hardware to run UAD plug-ins with the Volt 1, because UAD native plug-ins run on your computer's processor on both Mac and Windows. The plug-ins included with your Volt 1 work in LUNA or in whatever DAW you already use. If you add DSP-powered UA hardware later, your plug-in library carries over with you.
The Volt 1 is still worth buying because your computer's built-in audio cannot give you a real mic preamp, phantom power, or latency-free monitoring. Plug-ins keep improving, but everything they process starts with what the preamp and converters captured, and that part cannot be recovered later. The Volt 1 gives that first stage a genuine analog front end instead of whatever your computer happens to include.
The Volt 1 is a strong first interface for a home studio built around one microphone and one instrument. A workable starting setup is a computer, an interface, a microphone, closed-back headphones, and a pair of monitors, and the Volt 1 covers the preamp, phantom power, conversion, and headphone amp in that list. It also brings the DAW and the plug-ins, so the software side is handled the day it arrives.
The Volt 1 works well for podcasting, voiceover, and streaming with a single microphone. It supplies 48V phantom power for condensers and enough clean gain for dynamic broadcast mics, and Vintage mode adds warmth to a spoken voice without processing it afterward. Direct Monitoring lets you hear yourself in realtime while you talk, which makes long sessions much easier on your voice.