Audient iD14 MkII

The Audient iD14 MkII is the interface that Focusrite users upgrade to when they want noticeably better preamps without moving to professional-grade pricing. Audient's Class-A preamps are derived from the same 8024 console design used in their larger studio desks — the same architecture that has appeared on major recordings — and at this price point they are genuinely hard to beat.

The headline difference over a Scarlett-tier interface is converter quality. The iD14 MkII measures 121dB on the ADC and 126dB on the DAC — figures that compare favourably with interfaces at twice the price. In practice this translates to more headroom when recording, better low-level detail, and a noticeably quieter noise floor. Ribbon microphones and passive dynamics that struggle with consumer-grade preamps work well here.

The form factor centres around a large scroll-wheel encoder that doubles as a virtual control surface — you can map it to plugin parameters, DAW faders, and transport controls directly from the hardware. Two separate headphone outputs run independently, useful for artist and engineer monitoring without an additional headphone amp. Optical ADAT input adds up to eight additional channels at 44.1/48kHz for studios that want to expand via an external preamp.

The iD14 MkII has a notable limitation: no MIDI I/O. There is also no hardware direct monitoring control — the monitor mix is managed entirely in software via Audient's iD Mixer application. For straightforward recording this is fine; for live use or quick tracking sessions it can be less convenient than a hardware knob.

On the used market the iD14 MkII holds value reasonably well. It is not as ubiquitous as the Scarlett range, which means supply is more limited but so is the downward pricing pressure.

Who Is This For?

• Producers and engineers who want Class-A preamp quality at an accessible price
• Home studios recording microphones that benefit from genuinely quiet, high-gain preamps
• Users who have outgrown Scarlett-tier interfaces and want a meaningful quality step up
• Studios needing two independent headphone outputs without additional hardware