The market is filled with a huge number of compact USB audio interfaces for computer recording, but very few deliver true pro-level audio performance. Roland’s QUAD-CAPTURE is one those few, and it comes at a friendly price that’s not much higher than the sea of budget interfaces you’ll find at most stores and online retailers. With its hi-res mic preamps, rock-solid drivers, onboard DSP, operation up to 24-bit/192 kHz, and more, QUAD-CAPTURE is perfect for small-scale project studio recording, and excels at any mobile recording application where quality is paramount. If you’re looking for a mobile USB audio interface and are serious about achieving top-level results, you really need to check out this awesome performer.   

Great Sound Runs in the Family

The first product in Roland’s CAPTURE family was the OCTA-CAPTURE audio interface. Since its release, it’s been universally lauded for its exceptional audio performance. With 10-in/10-out audio capability, eight pro-quality mic preamps (VS Preamps), VS Streaming Driver, unique AUTO-SENS feature, and onboard DSP, OCTA-CAPTURE set a new standard in USB audio interfaces for others to follow.

QUAD-CAPTURE directly inherits its pro features from OCTA-CAPTURE, giving you ultra-compact 4-in/4-out performance at a fraction of its big brother’s already affordable price. Roland has put a lot of effort into making these two interfaces perform to the highest standards, with careful attention to analog circuit design, component selection, audio driver development, and A/D-D/A conversion. You can learn more about the under-the-hood technologies in QUAD-CAPTURE and OCTA-CAPTURE in the following PDF documents:

• QUAD-CAPTURE Technology Overview
• OCTA-CAPTURE Technology Overview

Front-Panel Rundown

QUAD-CAPTURE features four-channel operation via analog and digital I/O. The two analog inputs work with either mic- or line-level signals, and are easily accessible via convenient XLR/TRS combo jacks located on the front panel. These jacks accept either XLR connectors or balanced/unbalanced 1/4-inch connectors, and 48-volt phantom power is available when connecting condenser mics to the XLR jacks. The 1/4-inch jack on Input 1 can be set for high-impedance operation via a rear-panel switch, allowing you to connect a guitar or bass directly with proper impedance matching for the best sound quality.

The analog inputs feature the same acclaimed VS Preamps found in OCTA-CAPTURE. These top-quality Class A mic preamps really set QUAD-CAPTURE apart from others near this price class, delivering ultra-clean, low-noise performance that’s on par with audio interfaces and dedicated mic preamps costing many times more.

Two SENS knobs on the front panel allow you to set input levels quickly, with bright LED level meters for each input conveniently surrounding the knobs. To make setting levels even easier, QUAD-CAPTURE features AUTO SENS, a unique feature also inherited from OCTA-CAPTURE. Simply play the source audio, press the AUTO SENS button, and QUAD-CAPTURE sets the perfect input levels automatically, with the current level shown with the LED meters. How is easy is that? This is really great for setting input levels on the fly in mobile situations, and is also perfect for helping beginners set proper levels to achieve distortion-free, high-resolution recordings.

QUAD-CAPTURE also features a Direct Monitor function, which lets you monitor the input audio directly at the input with no latency. The MIX knob on the front panel controls the balance between the direct signal and the output from your recording software. If you have two sources connected for stereo recording, you can sum the monitoring with a convenient MONO switch, which lets you easily check for phase issues. The front panel also has a jack for connecting headphones; this output provides a strong level, ensuring that you can adequately check audio signals in mobile settings, even when the ambient noise level is high. 

Rear Window

On its rear panel, QUAD-CAPTURE features stereo S/P DIF I/O, which allows you to connect a digital device and use it simultaneously with the analog inputs and outputs. Speaking of the analog outputs, these are provided on the rear panel as well, supporting balanced or unbalanced connections via 1/4-inch TRS jacks. There are also MIDI IN and OUT jacks (QUAD-CAPTURE functions as a MIDI interface, too), as well as switches for phantom power, Hi-Z operation on Input 1, and a ground lift that can be used to eliminate hum that might sometimes occur when connected to other devices.

Rounding out the rear panel is a USB jack for connecting to your computer. QUAD-CAPTURE gets its power directly from your computer’s USB bus, so there’s no need to hassle with external adaptors—a single-cable connection is all that’s needed. Unlike most bus-powered audio interfaces, QUAD-CAPTURE regenerates the incoming power with its own wide-ranging power supply, providing the analog circuitry with the ideal voltage for the very best sound quality and efficiency in mobile environments.

VS Streaming Driver: Ultra-Stable, Low-Latency

In addition to analog circuit design and analog-to-digital conversion, an interface’s audio driver software is a critical part of its performance. QUAD-CAPTURE (and OCTA-CAPTURE as well) uses Roland’s newly developed VS Streaming driver, which provides industry-leading operation with high stability and very low latency. All current Windows and Mac DAW platforms are supported through ASIO 2.0/WDM (Windows) and Core Audio (Mac).

QUAD-CAPTURE’s high-performance crystal master clock works with the VS Streaming driver to greatly reduce jitter, which in turn allows for a steady and stable flow of audio data to and from the computer. At 44.1 and 48 kHz, this lets you achieve latencies as low as 48 samples, or approximately one millisecond, with an ASIO driver. With VS Streaming, you can enjoy excellent performance when monitoring live audio through your software in real time, such as when processing the sound with a guitar amp simulator or a vocal effect, or when you play a virtual instrument plug-in in your DAW from a MIDI keyboard.

Software Control Panel and Onboard Dynamics Processing

The powerful software-based control panel for QUAD-CAPTURE offers remote control of the unit’s externally available functions, and also gives you access to many extra internal features. Processing horsepower is provided by QUAD-CAPTURE's onboard 40-bit DSP, ensuring pristine audio quality without taxing your computer’s resources.

In addition to manual input sensitivity control and AUTO SENS, you can activate a low-cut filter and invert the phase on each analog input channel via the control panel. You can also use a full-featured compressor on each analog input channel, with an extensive set of controls and comprehensive metering for gain reduction and output level.

The software panel allows you to control direct monitor levels independently for the two analog inputs and stereo digital input via an internal digital mixer. You can also choose a variety of signals to monitor via the digital outputs: the direct mixer, or WAVE OUT 1-2 or WAVE OUT 3-4 from the driver’s audio output. QUAD-CAPTURE’s sampling rate is adjustable in the control panel as well, with available settings from 44.1 kHz up to 192 kHz. (When using the digital connectors, 96 kHz is the highest sampling rate available.) Of course, you can easily save and recall the settings you make on your computer.

Wait…There’s More

QUAD-CAPTURE has a handy loopback recording feature that lets you capture its main stereo audio output digitally in your recording software without having to connect external cables. This is perfect for capturing live streaming audio from your computer, such as webcasts and music performances.

Included with QUAD-CAPTURE is SONAR LE DAW software, which is based on the award-winning SONAR X1 from Cakewalk. This full-featured music production and editing application gives Windows users everything they need to start recording with QUAD-CAPTURE right away if they don’t already have DAW software.

The Top Choice for PC Recording On the Go

With pro features, pristine sound quality, bus-powered operation, and a super-affordable price, QUAD-CAPTURE is truly a gem among a crowded field of budget audio capture devices. It’s small and strong, housed in a road-tough aluminum body that you can transport anywhere with confidence. Grab a QUAD-CAPTURE and step up to a whole new universe of mobile audio performance.