Hey, it’s Alex from Audient!
Today we’re going to be answering one of the most common questions we receive, which is what should I get?
iD4, or EVO 4?
Well, today I’m going to talk you through and compare both of these devices,
so hopefully you have a better understanding of which one will work best for you.
Starting off with the basics, both devices are audio interfaces meaning they are capable of recording audio into your computer
from your microphones and instruments, whilst simultaneously sending audio from your computer out into your speakers and headphones.
The first major difference is the number of different inputs.
While both interfaces allow you to record two channels of audio at the same time, EVO 4 features two microphone inputs,
with an instrument input for things like guitars and basses that will replace the first microphone input when used.
Whereas iD4 has a single mic preamp, with a dedicated instrument input on a second input.
Both will work great for single microphone setups,
however if you are needing to record more than one microphone at the same time,
or if you want to record two people at once, then perhaps EVO 4 is the interface for you.
The instrument inputs on both interfaces feature the same JFET technology,
offering you an enhanced, rich tonal foundation for your instruments as you record.
The mic input circuitry, however, is different. iD4 uses the Audient console mic preamp design,
which is the same preamp found in our large format recording consoles, found in professional studios all over the world.
Whereas EVO 4 uses our EVO preamps which have been designed to sound and perform
sonically very similarly to the Audient Console Preamp,
however our EVO preamp is digitally accessible, meaning it can be controlled from software, or automatically set using our very
useful Smartgain technology, which we will go into a little bit later.
In regards to performance, both iD4 and EVO 4 preamps offer 58dB of gain,
with very low noise figures,
meaning you can crank the levels up really high for those gain hungry mics,
such as the incredibly popular SM7B,
and you will continue to get great sounding audio without clipping.
In summary, the Audient mic pre all analogue circuitry offers a bit more analogue character whereas
the EVO mic pre is renowned for being incredibly clean and benefits from the advanced control due to its ability to be altered digitally.
But rest assured both inputs will give you studio quality results, at home on your desktop.
In terms of getting audio out, both interfaces have a single pair of speaker outputs to connect to your powered speakers.
They both have quarter inch headphone outputs, however the iD4 also has a mini jack connection,
meaning you can run two sets of headphones simultaneously.
Both of the headphones and speakers are adjusted through one control, making it really simple to adjust your levels at all times.
Both interfaces have been designed to record and play back high quality audio for critical listening.
This is achieved through our class leading converters.
For those of you who don’t know, converters are the microchips that convert audio into a digital signal that can be read
by your computer, as well as converting digital signal back to analogue so that it can be played out of your speakers and headphones.
How well this process is handled is down to the quality of the converters, an area where lots of interfaces fall down.
But with both iD4 and EVO 4 this is not an issue, both interfaces deliver incredible audio performance,
but with that being said, on paper, iD4 will offer higher quality audio due to its more powerful converters.
Both interfaces share the same monitoring controls, which are what you use to control
and customise the audio in your speakers and headphones.
They each have a monitor mix feature, enabling you to access ultra-low latency playback of your inputs signals
and blend them with your computer audio, as well as Monitor Pan,
letting you separate your inputs between your left and right ears so you can build a headphone mix that suits you.
So those are the main audio features, however both interfaces have a few extra features that can really help your workflow.
Both EVO 4 and iD4 MKII feature Audio Loop-back,
which enables you to record your computer audio alongside your microphones.
This is great for content creators, podcasters and streamers,
whether you’re recording remote interviews, streaming game content, or making commentary videos for example.
EVO 4 was designed to make the recording process simple and with that in mind it offers some very unique smart features that cannot be found on iD4.
These have been designed to help beginners get recording quicker or just to help improve the workflows of any creator and musician.
They are also particularly useful for when you’re recording on your own.
So what is Smartgain? Smartgain will automatically set the perfect input level for either or both of the inputs on EVO 4,
which is great for beginners who need help ensuring they aren’t going to set the levels wrong and risk ruining their recordings,
but also for people who don’t want to worry about the technical side of recording and just get things ready to go quickly.
Another useful smart feature is the EVO Control app, which allows you to control every aspect of the EVO 4 interface from your computer,
whether you are setting input and output levels, or adjusting the monitor controls.
EVO 4 isn’t the only interface with smart functions, iD4 features ScrollControl,
which allows you to get hands on with your software.
It essentially turns the hardware volume knob into a virtual scrollwheel, so whenever you have ScrollControl mode activated
and hover your mouse over a compatible parameter, you will be able to adjust it using the volume knob as if you were adjusting a real piece of gear.
This is great for adding a more human element to your automation.
So to sum everything up, both EVO 4 and iD4 have been designed to give you high quality audio performance for recording and listening back,
with iD4 taking the lead with marginally better audio performance.
However EVO 4 offers more features for its price,
including an extra mic input allowing you to record with two microphones at the same time,
whilst also featuring some added smart features such as Smartgain and EVO Control.
I hope this video has helped show you the difference between the different units,
remember at the end of the day, it’s all about being creative,
so pick up whichever will help you to get the results you want.
If you have any questions about either EVO 4 or iD4, please leave a comment or get in touch and we’d be happy to help,
and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more Audient related news and video content.