This, combined with the weight of the Arrow - around 2 pounds - lends it a stable desktop presence.

Underneath the unit is a large non-slip surface to keep the Arrow from moving around. As a bonus, the all-aluminum chassis is a space gray color that perfectly compliments the iMac Pro its simple, streamlined design looks real good sitting on my desk. One of things that I appreciated about the Onyx Blackjack was its tank-like build quality, and the Arrow isn’t far behind in that regard. The build quality of the UA Arrow is, in a word, solid. I have to say that I’m very happy with what I’ve experienced thus far. Now that the Blackjack is essentially dead, and the Arrow has arrived at a $499.99 price point, I jumped at the chance to give UA’s entry-level interface a test drive. Universal Audio’s products, like the Apollo Twin, have long been on my radar, but I could never convince myself to make the jump, especially since my Onyx Blackjack was still working well at the time. Mackie’s mixer served me well, but I’ve long been aware that better products exist that result in better sounding audio. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos Audio comparison HardwareĪs I mentioned in our initial post about the UA Arrow, my trusty Onyx Blackjack from Mackie was on its last leg.

2 XLR inputs with high-class 24/192 A/D converters.

Front panel buttons for input, hi-pass filter, phantom power, 20 dB pad, polarity inversion, and step linking.

14 included UAD plug-ins with option to purchase more.

Is the Arrow worth considering if you’re in the market for a portable audio interface for your iMac or MacBook Pro? Watch our hands-on video for our first impressions. The Arrow is an interesting product for several key reasons, headlined by its support for bus-powered Thunderbolt 3, a first for Universal Audio. The UA Arrow, like other interfaces that the company makes, can provide your recordings with the tone and feel of a traditional analog recording. Last week, Universal Audio announced a new entry-level audio interface, the UA Arrow, that’s positioned just below its popular Apollo Twin interfaces.

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