Alesis iO4 Four-Channel, 24-Bit Recording Interface

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.00
Sale Price: $149.00
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

• Four-channel computer audio-recording interface
• Record up to 24-bit, 48 kHz audio into virtually any software
• Monitor sessions with balanced studio monitor and headphone outputs

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I recently picked this up for the sole purpose of podcasting. After doing some research I found out that this recording interface works over USB 2.0 . Because of that, the iO4 can record four 16-bit mono tracks simultaneously (or two 24-bit stereo tracks). In the event of a microphone going on the fritz for a period of time or someone sneezing into the mic, you can easily mute/delete that sound portion from that one microphone rather than mute/delete the entire podcast. This helps post-production tremendously.

In terms of sound quality, the iO4 delivers. I would recommend taking advantage of your recording software's "mute frequencies below 10hz" option as this helps any low hum you may hear. However, it is hardly detectable without the mute. I have an Audio Technica AT2020 as well as a Shure SM58 and the recording device's mic preamps do great.

There are two things that are somewhat bothersome with this recording device. The first is the dB gain. In order for your microphone to even register on the dB scale, it has to be set at about 70% or greater on my condenser mic (AT2020). For the dynamic mic (Shure SM58), I have to turn it up to 85% or greater. This doesn't give you a lot of room to mess around with the volume. The slightest movements of the knobs in this range can drastically alter your volume levels.

The other issue I have is the power cable. It is a mere 4'5' long. If you have this on top of a desk, this isn't a problem. However, plugging into a wall outlet and moving the device to the center of the room will result in the cable being fully extended. As a result, this leaves the iO4 to potentially be knocked off whatever you have it resting on every time someone walks by.

However, neither of these are enough of a deterrent to not recommend this device. If you are looking into podcasting on the cheap, this is a good place to start.

EDIT: One item to note is that the dB gain isn't enough to push a mic such as the Shure SM7B. In the event you have more expensive microphones, you might not be able to pinch pennies when it comes to your mixer.

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If you've done computer based recording, you know what a difference drivers can make. In my opinion, a company's continued commit to solid drivers makes all the difference in how well a unit like this functions. Unfortunately, Alesis doesn't even develop a driver for this unit at all. Instead, they rely on default operating system drivers and a third party driver calls ASIO4All. Those drivers don't cut it for professional purposes. I couldn't get it below 20 milliseconds of latency with out dropouts. In comparison, I plugged in an old Native Instruments (NI) interface and achieved 5 milliseconds. NI still updates their drivers for this discontinued product to ensure that they continue to work well and work on new operating systems. It doesn't look like Alesis is even interested in writing a driver in the first place, and certainly is not going to support a driver for this unit in the future.

In short, products from some companies will not work well without good drivers, or will turn into expensive doorstops when they stop supporting the product for the latest operating system. My advice: Choose a company that stands behind their products by writing and maintaining good drivers.

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First of all, this interface doesn't include ASIO drivers. Instead, it ask you to download ASIO4ALL.

24 bits only if two channels used (well, you already know this before purchasing).

Mine came with a noisy preamp, when raising the gain more 75%, the noise is noticeable. So, if you want a really clean recording it won't do, else, it will be ok.

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I'm a diy musician and I used to use a usb condensor mic to record pretty much everything from vocals to guitars and bass. But after I got this I could do so much more. It has a 16 bit and 24 bit mode and mono and stereo modes too for different types of recordings like micing an acoustic guitar with two mics. It also works really good for micing drums (2 overheads, a kick, and snare mic) and like the other reviewer that you have to use a lot of gain, you do have to turn it up quite a bit but not so much that you're not able to use certain microphones

I haven't recorded guitar and bass directly through this because i usually end up mic'ing an amp when it comes to those but if you use garageband or logic you could use this to plug in your guitar and use the amps that are built in to the software

I haven't had any problems with this but the monitoring could be a little tricky when you first get it but it's nothing you won't get used to after the first few minutes of using this and it isn't the most expensive thing you could get so it is plastic so if you have a problem with dropping things you might wanna save up for something with a hard case and the preamps aren't the highest quality but if you're an at home this is a really good piece of equipment for anyone that's starting out recording. This is perfect for podcasting too.

I'd say this is a 5 star product especially for the price. There are other interfaces like MBoxes and the Apogee Duet but if you're on a budget or if you don't know too much about recording you should definitely get this!

the io4 is ok, i'm lucky to avail of the low-price offer of the time... but the power supply got busted after only three days. The real bad news is that you'll surely have a hard time to get a replacement (power supply) under warranty from Alesis. I will not recommend the product because Alesis wouldn't replace your power supply whenever it got busted after only 3 days of use. Especially if you are a buyer-user from places other than U.S. It's a real bad experience. They'd just insist you're not covered of the warranty. Read the warranty notice carefully and you'll see what I mean. So if you are not in the U.S. I tell you be aware. They must clearly state that the product is only intended to be sold in the U.S.