Yamaha AG08

Your computer sees the AG08 as four separate USB audio interfaces, so it can be addressed by multiple apps at the same time...

In recent years the market for podcasting and streaming hardware has blossomed and the latest arrivals to the party are Yamaha. Given that they and their subsidiary Steinberg have been in the mixer, audio interface and digital audio game for decades their presence is hardly surprising, but their AG08 deliberately treads a slightly different path from most competitors: its hardware controls are simpler, more akin to those of an analogue mixer, and there’s no onboard recording facility — the AG08 is very much intended for use with a computer or iPad.

While this means you can do a little less using the hardware alone than with, say, a RodeCaster Pro, Zoom PodTrak or Tascam Mixcast, many will find the controls simpler and more intuitive, and when you wish to dive deeper there’s the free AG08 Controller app for that. Crucially, when hooked up to a Mac or Windows computer or iOS device over USB, the AG08 presents as several separate devices, allowing it to function as a conventional 24‑bit, 48kHz multi‑channel (8‑in/2‑out) audio interface, and as multiple virtual interfaces for routing audio from different apps out to the hardware, before passing a mix back to your computer or out to another device for streaming or recording.

Weighing 2.2kg, it’s portable but has the heft to stay put on its rubber feet even with many cables attached.

Hardware

Available in a black or white finish, the AG08 has a fairly compact footprint, with angled side panels rising to support a wider control panel on the top. Weighing 2.2kg, it’s portable but also has the heft to stay put on its rubber feet, even with many cables attached. In the box are the AG08, a universal 12V wall‑wart PSU, a 1.5m USB‑C to USB‑C cable (the AG08 can be bus‑powered but the PSU is required for use with an iPad; there’s no Android USB support), a multilingual safety guide, a Precautions & Legal Information leaflet... and a curiously minimal introduction to the AG08 that directs you to the online product page and user manual. Leaflets also provide download codes for some capable software: Steinberg’s Cubase AI and WaveLab Cast for Mac/Windows (there’s a free update to the new v2 for v1 users, by the way), and Cubasis LE for iPad.

On the analogue side, as well as having two mono and three stereo inputs that cater for a range of different sources, the AG08 boasts multiple outputs, on XLRs, quarter‑inch jacks and TRRS mini‑jack.

The first two of eight rear‑panel inputs are mono, with XLR‑jack combi connectors accepting mic or line sources, and the centre jack for channel 2 doubling up as a high‑impedance (1MΩ) instrument input. The remaining analogue inputs are for three stereo channels: 3+4 are line level on dual quarter‑inch jacks; 5+6 have both RCA phono connectors and a stereo mini‑jack, the latter taking priority; and 7+8, which is mini‑jack only but it’s a TRRS type that serves both as an input and an analogue aux output. This last socket is the only means of connecting an Android phone, and on the subject of phones it’s worth noting that there’s no Bluetooth connectivity, a feature found on many competing devices and whose omission won’t bother everyone but some will miss. There are also two stereo analogue outputs: mix out on dual quarter‑inch TRS jacks, and monitor out, presented on both XLR and TRS sockets. Completing the rear‑panel connectivity are the 12V power inlet and USB‑C socket (USB 2), with a switch to select the power source, and an assignable footswitch jack.

On the top panel, each analogue input has its own channel with a fader and mute switch, and the three stereo channels can alternatively receive stereo USB feeds from a computer/iPad; a switch toggles between the analogue line and USB sources. These channels also have a slide switch to route them to the Streaming bus, of which more later, and channels 3+4 have a high/low gain switch which, effectively, is a pad to accommodate hot signals.

All input channels have a signal‑present/peak LED, which lights red 3dB below clipping, but channels 1 and 2 are more fully featured. These have a traditional analogue mic preamp gain knob at the top, along with switches for +48V phantom power (with status LED), a 26dB pad and, for channel 2, a line‑level/instrument input switch. They also have access to DSP processors and effects. A backlit button engages an EQ plus compressor preset, whose settings can be tweaked using the app. A similar FX button sends the signal to a reverb/delay effect, set using a push‑turn encoder that allows you to switch between reverb, delay or both; again, this is tweakable using the app. Each of these two channels also has its own dedicated effect. For channel 1, that’s a Voice...