Audient iD MK3: iD1, iD2, iD2+ or iD4+? Which One to Buy

Audient iD MK3 is the third generation of the iD desktop interfaces, and it opens with one change you need to know before you shop: the names. iD1 is the old iD4, iD2 is the old iD14, iD2+ is the old iD24 and iD4+ is the old iD44. The number now tells you how many mic preamps you get: one, two or four. The plus means inserts, ADAT and advanced monitor control.

If you went looking for an iD14 and found an iD2, your memory is fine. Audient simply relabelled the drawers. Launch day is 12 November 2026. The iD2, iD2+ and iD4+ ship straight away, while the iD1 follows in early 2027.

Old names, new names

This is the table to bookmark if you know the previous iD generation. Every figure comes from the manufacturer, prices included: they are Audient's recommended retail prices in euro at launch, 12 November 2026.

What all four have in common

Audient describes it as one engineering platform, so the gap between models is what you can plug in, not how the recording sounds. Every iD MK3 carries Audient Console mic preamps with 75 dB of clean gain, built on the discrete Class-A design from the flagship ASP8024-HE console. If you want to know what a preamp does and when paying more for one makes sense, we wrote it up: what a preamp is and whether you need one.

Add 32-bit conversion with 128 dB of dynamic range (manufacturer figures), up to 192 kHz, Smartgain for setting levels and digital recall of the analogue settings. It all runs over one USB-C cable on bus power, with no mains adapter, on Mac and Windows. For what those numbers mean in practice, see sample rate and bit depth explained.

New this time is onboard DSP: EQ, compression and reverb with zero latency, processed in the interface rather than on your computer's CPU. The hardware got a redesign too: a sloped top panel, a stepped metal encoder that clicks into place, and back-illuminated LEDs and metering.

RoomTune and the RM1 microphone

This is the headline feature and the easiest one to misread. RoomTune is free software that corrects your monitors for your room, calculated in hardware on the interface's DSP. No plugins, no CPU cost. Because the correction runs in the interface, it applies system-wide: your DAW, Spotify, anything that plays through it.

Measuring needs the RM1 Reference Microphone: omnidirectional, MEMS capsule, each unit individually calibrated, powered by 48 V phantom. You enter its serial number and RoomTune sets the gain, level and phantom power itself. Audient says you go from unboxing to a calibrated mix in under twenty minutes.

Here is the practical part. The RM1 comes in the box with the iD2+ and iD4+, and you buy it separately for the iD1 and iD2. At launch RoomTune corrects the stereo speaker outputs. Headphone correction and extra target profiles are announced as a free future update, so do not count on them today.

One caveat, because it is part of the job: correction compensates for the room, it does not replace acoustics. It can flatten a response curve, not a slap echo off a bare wall behind you. Place the monitors properly first, and our guide to studio monitor placement covers that.

The Analogue Tone Suite in practice

Four tools that colour the sound on the way in, before it reaches the DAW. Orbit is a discrete variable-impedance circuit that physically changes how your microphone meets the preamp, from airy and modern to weighted and vintage. Audient lists three voicings: Punch, Smooth and Vintage. HMX adds harmonic saturation through a custom MOSFET, which means weight for thin kicks and body for clean guitars. LIFT opens up the top end. GLOW combines HMX and LIFT in one move, for a mix-ready sound the moment you hit record.

Think of it as seasoning: HMX is the salt, LIFT is the lemon and GLOW is the ready-made blend in one jar. As with salt, add it a little at a time and taste.

The four models, one by one

iD1 (formerly the iD4) is a 2-in / 2-out interface for the solo musician. One Console preamp and a JFET instrument input work at the same time, so a vocal and a guitar land in the same take. It has a hardware Direct Monitor button, a stereo monitor output and dual headphone outputs (6.3 mm and 3.5 mm). On sale from early 2027.

iD2 (formerly the iD14) is a 10-in / 6-out for the home producer stepping up. Two Console preamps, one JFET input and an ADAT input for eight more channels, so a growing studio does not force a new interface. Two stereo monitor outputs and an assignable function button for monitor control. Remember that the RM1 for RoomTune is a separate purchase, at an RRP of €49.99.

iD2+ (formerly the iD24) is a 10-in / 14-out for the producer building an integrated studio. Two balanced hardware inserts on channels 1 and 2 put your compressor or EQ in the path before the DAW, with no workaround involved. ADAT runs both ways, eight channels in and eight out, and two headphone outputs carry two independent artist mixes, with dedicated hardware monitor controls. The RM1 is in the box.

iD4+ (formerly the iD44) is a 20-in / 24-out for the engineer running high-channel-count sessions. Four Console preamps, two JFET instrument inputs and two inserts on channels 1 and 2, plus sixteen channels of ADAT both ways. That adds up to 20 inputs, which Audient pitches at a full band or a drum kit. Two independent headphone amps feed up to four cue mixes, and it runs at full performance on USB-C bus power. RM1 in the box.

Which one to buy

• You sing and play alone, one mic, little desk space: iD1, if you can wait for 2027.
• Two mics, duets, a plan to expand over ADAT: iD2.
• You own a compressor or EQ and want it in the signal path, plus two headphone mixes: iD2+.
• You record a band or a drum kit and count channels in the tens: iD4+.

An opinion that may cost us a few iD2+ sales, but honesty wins: if you plan to use RoomTune, compare the iD2 plus an RM1 against the iD2+, not the iD2 alone against the iD2+. The iD2+ includes the RM1 and adds inserts and eight ADAT outputs, so the price gap reads differently once the microphone goes on the bill. At launch RRP that gap is €130: €249 for the iD2 and €379 for the iD2+. Add the RM1 at €49.99 and the iD2 comes to €298.99, so the gap shrinks to about €80. If RoomTune does not interest you and you own no outboard, the iD2 is the more sensible buy.

What it will not fix

A few things plainly. Every spec in this guide comes from the manufacturer. There are no measurements of our own here, and I will not pretend there are. Room correction is no substitute for panels and bass traps when a room sounds plainly wrong. If your monitors sit in the wrong spot, a flattened curve will not save the mix, but studio acoustics and a good placement of your active monitors will. If the driver misbehaves after install, start with the current version from the manufacturer's site before blaming the hardware: nine times out of ten it is an ordinary conflict after a system update.

If you already own an iD4 MKII, iD14 MKII or iD24

No rush. If your current interface does what you need, the new generation mostly means RoomTune, the Analogue Tone Suite and onboard DSP, and those may or may not matter to you. The previous series stays on the shelf for now: Audient iD4 MKII, Audient iD14 MKII and Audient iD24. If you are still choosing and unsure whether the new features earn their place, talk to us first.

Our showroom at Nowogrodzka 6A/102 is open Monday to Friday 10:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 12:00 to 17:00. Tell us what you record and in which room, and we will match the model without piling on extras you do not need. Every product carries 36 months of warranty, and the 30-day Test-Drive covers equipment in the programme, so ask whether your pick is included. Phone: +48 573 580 840. You will find the current price of each model on its product page.

Straight answers

Four new interfaces, one rule for choosing: count the preamps, decide whether you need inserts and ADAT, then add the RM1 to the bill if you want RoomTune. The rest is down to your room, and rooms, thankfully, never need a firmware update.

Back to top ↑