Edirol interfaces remind me of nothing more than the homely Volvos of yore: boxy, but good. The new Edirol UA-25EX is no exception. It eschews flashy looks for rugged construction and useful features.

The UA-25EX takes their UA-25 -- a simple two in, two out interface -- and adds an analog compressor / limiter n the front end, making the UA-25EX all you need to start tracking vocals, drums, or any other highly dynamic source, and getting optimal response without worrying about clipping. The compressor threshold is adjustable on the front of the interface, and the type (attack time) is selectable from the back.

The non-beautiful aluminum chassis makes the unit road worthy, but also rejects RF interference. Just in case you do come across nasty ground lop, there's even a ground lift switch.

The audio conversion is done at 24bit/96kHz resolution, and the newly designed preamps are even more transparent than those on the UA-25. Channel two is switchable for Hi-Z impedance, and there is even optical S/PDIF ins for digital source recording. Did we mention MIDI? Is there anything you want on here that you don't see?

Oh, how about bundled software? The UA-25EX ships with Production Plus Pack from Cakewalk by Roland, a recording software bundle consisting of SONAR LE, Project 5 LE, and Dimension LE. Also, Vista drivers are in the box.

The Edirol UA-25EX is one fine example in support of that old adage about book covers and prejudice. Not that it will change my mind about actual books and their covers.