Audient iD4 MKII vs iD14 MKII vs iD44 MKII: Which Interface to Buy

Audient iD4 MKII held up beside the iD14 MKII and iD44 MKII audio interfaces

If you record alone, one mic and maybe a guitar, buy the Audient iD4 MKII at ₹18,490. If you need two microphones, two pairs of speakers or a path to more inputs later, the Audient iD14 MKII at ₹27,490 is the better long-term buy. The Audient iD44 MKII at ₹64,999 is for producers who track bands, use outboard gear or need four mic preamps on the desk from day one.

All three share the same Audient Console Mic Preamp design, a JFET instrument input, audio loop-back for streaming and the ScrollControl volume knob. What changes as you move up is the number of inputs and outputs, digital expansion, monitoring controls and how the unit is powered.

Prices below are as listed on proaudiobrands.com in September 2026. Specifications come from Audient's own product pages, tech spec pages and MKII user manuals.

Audient iD4 MKII vs iD14 MKII vs iD44 MKII at a glance

Model Mic preamps / instrument inputs USB channels (in / out) Line outputs Digital expansion Power Price Best for
Audient iD4 MKII 1 / 1 2 / 2 2 None USB bus power (USB 3.0 port) ₹18,490 Solo vocals, podcasts, streaming, beginners
Audient iD14 MKII 2 / 1 10 / 6 4 1 optical input (ADAT or S/PDIF) USB bus power (USB 3.0 port) ₹27,490 Singer-songwriters, duos, growing home studios
Audient iD44 MKII 4 / 2 20 / 24 4 2 optical inputs and 2 optical outputs 12 V DC external power supply ₹64,999 Project studios, bands, outboard users

What all three MKII interfaces have in common

Before comparing, it helps to know what you get regardless of which one you pick. That way you pay only for the features you will use.

Audient Console Mic Preamp

Every iD interface uses a discrete mic preamp circuit that Audient says comes from its ASP8024-HE recording console. In practical terms that means clean, low noise gain for condenser and dynamic mics. The iD4 MKII is listed with 58 dB of gain and all three models offer at least that much on Audient's spec sheets, which covers most vocal and podcast microphones in a home room. Very quiet sources on low output dynamic mics can still need a lot of gain, so check your mic before assuming any interface will be enough.

JFET instrument input

Each model has a JFET D.I. input for guitar and bass, which Audient designed to behave like the input stage of a valve amplifier. If you record guitar straight into amp simulator plugins, this is the input you use. The iD4 and iD14 have one; the iD44 has two.

Loop-back, ScrollControl and direct monitoring

All three can capture computer audio together with your microphone, which is what you need for live streams, recording video calls or mixing a game feed into a stream. The large volume encoder doubles as ScrollControl, a virtual scroll wheel for adjusting on-screen parameters in your DAW. Direct monitoring runs through Audient's DSP mixer, with round trip latency quoted at 0.65 ms at 44.1 kHz on the iD4 and iD14 and 0.677 ms on the iD44. That figure is for hearing your input through the interface's own mixer, not for monitoring through plugins in your DAW, where your buffer size decides the delay.

Converters and headphone amp

Audient describes the current iD range as using 32-bit AD/DA converter technology, and its spec pages list input (ADC) dynamic range of 120 dB or more on all three, with output (DAC) dynamic range around 125 to 126 dB. Differences at this level will not decide your purchase. The headphone amplifier on each model is rated by Audient to drive headphones up to 600 ohms, so high impedance studio headphones such as the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 250 ohm are not a problem.

Audient iD4 MKII: the compact 2 in, 2 out interface

The iD4 MKII is a 2 in, 2 out interface with a footprint Audient gives as 13 x 12 cm. You get one mic/line input with the console preamp, one JFET instrument input, a stereo pair of balanced line outputs for speakers, and a headphone output available on both a 6.35 mm jack and a 3.5 mm mini jack, so two people can listen at once.

A Monitor Mix knob blends your live input with computer playback, which makes tracking vocals over a beat simple. There is also a Speaker on/off button, so you can mute your monitors while recording a vocal on headphones.

It runs on USB bus power. Audient's spec lists a minimum of 0.9 A at 5 V from a USB 3.0 port, and up to 1.5 A from a USB-C port, which gives higher headphone output levels. Phantom power is a full 48 V even on bus power, so condenser mics work properly. Audient also lists the iD4 as iOS compatible.

Who it suits: a singer recording one vocal at a time, a YouTuber or podcaster with one mic, a guitarist recording DI parts, and anyone who wants a quality first interface without paying for inputs they will never use. If you are shopping around ₹20,000, it is worth reading our home studio audio interface budget guide as well.

Limits: you cannot record two microphones at once. A two-person podcast, stereo mic pair on an acoustic guitar, or a singer who also plays guitar through a mic will outgrow it quickly.

Audient iD14 MKII: two preamps and room to expand

The iD14 MKII is a 10 in, 6 out interface. On the analogue side you get two console mic preamps with individual +48V switches, one JFET instrument input and four balanced line outputs. The extra channels come from an optical digital input that works as either stereo S/PDIF or 8-channel ADAT.

Why the ADAT input matters

ADAT lets you add an external 8-channel mic preamp later and record up to 10 inputs at once, which is enough for a small drum kit or a live band rehearsal. The manual notes that at 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz only 4 ADAT channels are available, so run 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz sessions when you need all eight. If you never plan to record more than two mics, you are paying a little for flexibility you may not use, but for the price gap of ₹9,000 over the iD4 it is good insurance.

Monitoring features you will use daily

Four line outputs mean two pairs of speakers, or one pair plus a feed to an external headphone amp for a band. There are speaker and headphone buttons, and a configurable iD button that can be set to Dim, Cut, polarity reverse, mono sum, talkback or cue mix monitoring. The talkback feature can use your computer's built-in mic or a USB mic, so you do not lose a preamp to talk to a performer.

Like the iD4, it runs on USB bus power from a USB 3.0 or USB-C port, with true 48 V phantom power. Audient describes the chassis as just over 17 cm wide.

Who it suits: singer-songwriters recording voice and guitar together, two-person podcasts, producers who want to compare mixes on two sets of speakers, and anyone who expects their studio to grow. Among two-channel interfaces in this price range, you may also be comparing it with the MOTU M2 and SSL 2 MKII; our MOTU M2 vs M4 comparison covers the MOTU side.

Audient iD44 MKII: the studio desktop centre

The iD44 MKII is a 20 in, 24 out interface built for people who record more than a couple of sources at a time. It has four console mic preamps with +48V, pad and high-pass filter switches, two JFET instrument inputs, four line outputs and two independent headphone amps. Headphone output one has both a 6.35 mm and a 3.5 mm socket, so three sets of headphones can be connected.

Inserts, ADAT and word clock

Channels 1 and 2 have fully balanced inserts. You can patch a hardware compressor or EQ between the preamp and the converter, or use the insert return to feed an external preamp straight into the converters. For producers who own outboard gear, this is the feature that justifies the price.

Two optical inputs and two optical outputs support ADAT or S/PDIF. At 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz that adds up to 16 channels of ADAT input, enough for two external 8-channel preamps. There is a word clock output for syncing other digital gear.

Control and power

Dedicated Talkback, Dim and Cut buttons sit on the top panel along with three user-defined function keys, which can be assigned to features such as speaker switching, polarity invert or mono sum. The software mixer lets you set up to four stereo cue mixes for performers. The iD44 also has a standalone mode and a power switch.

Unlike the smaller two, the iD44 MKII is not bus powered. It ships with a 12 V DC switch-mode power supply that Audient rates at 2 A and says accepts AC line voltage from 90 V to 264 V at 47 to 63 Hz. The unit measures 276 x 174 mm with a height of 51 mm according to the tech specs.

Who it suits: small commercial and project studios, bands tracking live drums with an ADAT expander, producers integrating outboard processors, and anyone recording several musicians with separate headphone mixes.

Key differences explained in practical terms

How many mics you record at once

This is the first question. One at a time: iD4. Two: iD14. Three or four, or a plan for 8 to 16 with expansion: iD44. The iD14 can reach 10 inputs with an ADAT preamp, but its two onboard preamps are all you get without extra hardware.

Speaker switching

The iD4 has one pair of line outputs. The iD14 and iD44 both have four, so you can switch between main monitors and a second pair such as small desktop speakers. If you are still choosing monitors, see our guide to the best studio monitors under ₹30,000.

Bus power versus a power supply

Bus power is convenient on a laptop and for recording on the move. The catch is that both the iD4 and iD14 need a USB 3.0 or USB-C port with enough current, so older USB 2.0 ports and some unpowered hubs can cause problems. The iD44 uses its own adapter, which keeps it independent of the laptop's USB power but ties it to a wall socket.

Price gap

The step from iD4 to iD14 is ₹9,000 and buys a second preamp, two extra line outputs, ADAT input and talkback. The step from iD14 to iD44 is ₹37,509 and buys two more preamps, a second instrument input, inserts, ADAT output, a second headphone amp and dedicated monitor controls. The first step is easy to justify for most home studios; the second only makes sense if you need those features now.

Other Audient interfaces worth a look

  • Audient EVO 8 (₹21,749): a 4 in, 4 out bus powered interface with four EVO mic preamps and Smartgain automatic gain setting. Audient notes that all four channels need a USB-C to USB-C connection. A good pick if you need four mics on a budget and do not need ADAT.
  • Audient iD24 (₹41,490): a 10 in, 14 out bus powered model with two console preamps, balanced inserts and ADAT input and output. It sits between the iD14 and iD44.
  • Audient EVO 16 (₹58,700): 24 in, 24 out with eight EVO preamps and ADAT/S/PDIF expansion, for users who want more mic inputs than the iD44 at a similar price.
  • Audient iD48 (₹1,04,900): the larger iD interface for full band tracking.
  • Audient Nero (₹47,700): a desktop monitor controller for studios running several speaker sets.
  • Audient Sono (₹37,690): a guitar recording interface with a valve preamp and Two notes cab simulation.

You can compare every model in our Audient collection or browse all audio interfaces.

Buying and using an Audient interface in India

Power, voltage and USB ports

The iD4 and iD14 take their power from your computer. On a desktop PC, plug into a rear USB 3.0 or USB-C port on the motherboard rather than a front panel port or a cheap hub. If your laptop shows dropouts or the interface disconnects, try running the laptop on its charger, since some laptops limit USB power on battery.

For the iD44, the supplied adapter is rated for a wide AC input range, which covers normal Indian 230 V supply. Voltage spikes and sudden cuts are still a risk to the whole studio, so run your computer, interface and monitors from a UPS or a good surge protected power strip. In areas with frequent fluctuation, a stabiliser on the studio circuit protects your active monitors as well.

Room size and setup

Most home studios in Indian flats are a bedroom corner, and all three interfaces fit on a desk. The iD4 and iD14 sit easily beside a laptop. The iD44 at 276 mm wide needs about the space of a small keyboard, so plan your desk before buying.

Heat, dust and humidity

Metal chassis handle daily use well, but dust settles in pots and jack sockets. Cover the interface when not in use, and keep it away from open windows during monsoon humidity. Avoid stacking the iD44 power adapter under papers or cloth where it cannot shed heat.

Warranty and support

Buying from an authorised dealer means the warranty is honoured locally and you have a clear point of contact if something goes wrong. Register your interface with Audient's ARC portal after purchase to download drivers, firmware and the bundled software.

Which one should you buy?

  • Solo vocalist, rapper or podcaster with one mic: iD4 MKII.
  • Guitarist recording DI and one vocal mic, one at a time: iD4 MKII.
  • Singer who plays guitar and wants both mics live in one take: iD14 MKII.
  • Two-person podcast or interview setup: iD14 MKII.
  • Producer who wants to switch between two pairs of monitors: iD14 MKII.
  • Home studio planning to record drums within a year: iD14 MKII now, add an ADAT preamp later.
  • Studio with hardware compressors or EQs: iD44 MKII.
  • Band tracking with separate headphone mixes: iD44 MKII.
  • Four mics on a budget without ADAT: consider the EVO 8.

FAQ

What is the Audient iD4 MKII price in India?

The Audient iD4 MKII is listed at ₹18,490 on proaudiobrands.com in September 2026. The iD14 MKII is ₹27,490 and the iD44 MKII is ₹64,999. Each price is for a single interface.

Is the Audient iD4 good for vocals and beginners?

Yes. It has one Audient console mic preamp with true 48 V phantom power, a Monitor Mix knob for zero latency input monitoring, and simple controls. The only real limit is that it records one microphone at a time.

Audient iD14 MKII vs iD4 MKII: is the extra cost worth it?

If you will ever record two mics at once, want two pairs of speakers, or may add an ADAT preamp, the iD14 is worth the ₹9,000 difference. If you work alone with a single mic, the iD4 gives you the same preamp design and loop-back for less.

Does the Audient iD14 MKII need a power adapter?

No. The iD14 MKII and iD4 MKII are USB bus powered but need a USB 3.0 or USB-C port. The iD44 MKII uses the supplied 12 V DC power supply.

Can I record a drum kit with the Audient iD14 or iD44?

With the iD14 you can reach 10 inputs by adding an 8-channel ADAT mic preamp. The iD44 has four preamps built in and two optical inputs for up to 16 more channels at 44.1 or 48 kHz. Neither can record a full kit on onboard preamps alone.

Which Audient interface is best under ₹20,000?

The iD4 MKII at ₹18,490 is the Audient pick under ₹20,000. If you need more than one mic input and can stretch slightly, the EVO 8 at ₹21,749 gives you four preamps.

Does the Audient iD4 MKII work with an iPhone or iPad?

Audient lists the iD4 as iOS compatible, so it can record to an iPhone or iPad. The iD14 and iD44 are listed for Mac and Windows.

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