The soundcards supplied with most computers are fine for playing music and for recording from ordinary audio devices but if you want to record with a real instrument such as a guitar, or from a microphone, none of the plugs are the right size.

For those in this position the Mobilepre USB is a good choice. It is a two channel recording device, meaning it can be used either to record a stereo instrument or two different sources at the same time (for example, separate guitar and vocal tracks).

Each channel can be used with one of three different plugs: 1/8in (3.5mm) jack, as would be found on an mp3 player, ¼in (6.3mm) jack for recording instruments, and an XLR microphone input. Each channel also has a level control, so it is easy to set the volume when recording. A headphone socket with its own volume is also included.

Installation is a simple matter of plugging in the Mobilepre into a spare USB socket on the PC. It acts like a new sound card, so once it's installed (using the supplied driver CD) it is then available automatically in all audio software in Windows.

Recording software Ableton Live Lite 5  i also supplied with the Mobilepre USB. This recording software can be used to combine both recorded audio and MIDI tracks. This 'lite' version is limited to four audio and four MIDI tracks, however.

The Mobilepre USB will also work with other audio software, such as Magix Music Studio 12 or even the open-source recording software Audacity.

We were very impressed with the quality of the recordings, and there was no noise in the background on any of our test tracks. The headphone socket on the unit is very useful, especially with the volume control, as it allows you to have a 'live' preview of the sound.

This is an excellent product for anyone considering starting to record instruments and vocals onto a PC. Installation is easy and it is easier to connect cables to the box than fiddling around at the back of the computer. The limited software supplied is sufficient for beginners and is a good introduction to this sort of music production.

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