Help Centre

The Layarav R4 itself, a USB-C cable for connecting to your computer, a printed quick-start guide, and the warranty card. There is deliberately no software bundle — everything the R4 does lives in the hardware.

On Windows: install the ASIO driver from the Downloads page first, then connect the R4 over USB-C and select it in your DAW with the driver type set to ASIO. On macOS or iPad there is no installer — connect and select the R4 as your audio device.

We wrote a complete first-session walkthrough, from driver to first take: Setting up the Layarav R4 on Windows and macOS.

Both rear ports are dual-mode. The port that first completes the USB handshake with a computer carries data; the second then acts as a dedicated power input (5 V). For most sessions a single cable to your computer is enough — the R4 is bus-powered and draws about 2.2 W at idle.

Add a 5 V USB-C supply to the second port when you are running 48 V condensers and loud headphone monitoring, or recording from a phone or tablet whose port supplies limited current. Note that the ports power the R4 only — they will not charge a phone or laptop plugged into them.

Yes — the R4 connects to computers, iPads and phones over USB-C, with no app or driver needed outside of Windows. Mobile ports supply less current than a computer's, so if you are using phantom power on a mobile device, feed the second USB-C port from a 5 V supply.

Press the MON button on each channel you are recording. That routes the input directly to the monitor path in hardware, before the computer sees it — so there is no latency. Then turn off software input monitoring on that track in your DAW, or you will hear the direct signal plus a late software copy.

When monitoring two channels, double-press MON to switch between direct mode (left and right channels independent) and mixed mode (both merged to both ears).

On Windows, yes — the R4 ships with an ASIO 2.0 driver with adjustable latency from 1 to 5 ms, available on the Downloads page. Install it before first connecting the interface.

On macOS and iPad there is nothing to install — connect the R4 and select it as your audio device.

No, and that is a design decision rather than a gap. Gain, phantom power, monitoring, SAFE, AUTO, MIX, ALT and the optical input mode are all physical controls on the front panel, with their state shown live on the 2.0-inch display. There is no software mixer to configure, and nothing that breaks with the next OS update.

24-bit at 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 and 192 kHz, on an internal low-jitter crystal clock. The current sample rate is always visible on the front-panel display.

Updates are published on the Downloads page with version notes. Registering your serial means we can notify you of anything relevant to your exact batch.

Plug the XLR into input 1 or 2 (the combo jacks), then long-press that channel's 48V·SKY button until the 48V indicator lights — that enables 48 V phantom power. Dynamic microphones and ribbons do not need phantom; leave it off for those.

A short press of the 48V·SKY button toggles SKY — a high-frequency response enhancement for 48 V condenser microphones on the XLR input, for greater high-end detail. A long press toggles 48 V phantom power itself.

SKY and INST cannot be enabled at the same time: SKY belongs to the XLR path, INST to the 6.35 mm jack. To enable SKY, remove the 6.35 mm connector from that channel first.

Use a standard 6.35 mm instrument cable into any input, then long-press that channel's INST·MON button to enable INST mode. The INST indicator lights, and the input switches to high impedance (1 MΩ) so passive pickups keep their top end. INST requires a 6.35 mm connector to be inserted, and cannot be active at the same time as SKY.

The four rear outputs are balanced 6.35 mm TRS jacks. Connect your monitors to outputs 1 and 2 with balanced cables, and control their level with the main volume knob. Outputs 3 and 4 can feed a second pair, a headphone amp or outboard gear — and the front-panel ALT button swaps outputs 1/2 with 3/4, which makes A/B switching between two pairs of monitors a single button.

The rear OPTICAL IN port accepts a TOSLINK cable from an external eight-channel ADAT preamp, adding its channels alongside the R4's four analogue inputs: up to 12 total channels at sample rates through 96 kHz, or 8 total at 192 kHz. Set both devices to the same sample rate. The same port also accepts stereo S/PDIF — a front-panel button toggles the mode, and the current state shows on the display.

Full walkthrough: ADAT, explained.

Yes — the rear panel carries full-size five-pin MIDI IN and MIDI OUT. MIDI IN receives from keyboards and controllers; MIDI OUT drives synths, drum machines and sound modules. No adapters or dongles involved.

They are the R4's front-panel gain intelligence. SAFE watches the input and steps gain down automatically before a peak can clip (it acts at −0.5 dBFS). AUTO analyses about ten seconds of input and sets the channel's gain to a −12 dBFS reference. MIX blends the analogue inputs and assigns them to USB channels 1/2 — useful for streaming apps that only accept a stereo input. Each has its own button, and its state is always visible on the display.

First, turn the channel's gain down — the knob spans −12 to +40 dB, and healthy peaks sit around −12 dB on the display's meter. Then arm SAFE, which automatically steps gain back before a transient can clip. For a repeatable starting level, press AUTO while performing the loudest section: it sets gain to a −12 dBFS reference over about ten seconds.

Check, in order: the MUTE indicator (the MUTE button silences the analogue outputs); the main volume knob; the ALT state on the display (ALT swaps outputs 1/2 with 3/4 — your monitors may be listening to the other pair); and that your DAW or system output is routed to outputs 1/2.

The gain knob is also a button: a short press instantly adds a +13 dB boost, and the channel's AMP indicator lights when the boost is active. Press it again to remove the boost.

INST and SKY are mutually exclusive. INST needs a 6.35 mm connector inserted in the channel; SKY needs the 6.35 mm connector removed (it works on the XLR path). Insert or remove the jack, then long-press (INST) or short-press (SKY) again.

Make sure your DAW is using the R4's ASIO driver, not a generic Windows driver — the ASIO driver's latency adjusts from 1 to 5 ms. If you hear crackles under heavy plug-in load, raise the buffer within that range, close other audio applications, and connect the R4 to a port on the computer itself rather than through an unpowered hub.

Try the other USB-C port — when two connections are present, the port that completed the USB handshake first carries the data, so a cable swap can leave the data port occupied by a power-only source. Use the included cable (charging-only cables have no data lines), check the USB connection indicator on the display, and on Windows reinstall the driver from Downloads.

Hold the SET button for more than ten seconds. That restores the device to factory settings — gain modes, monitoring states and output configuration included.

3 years from the date of purchase, on every unit. The full policy — coverage, exclusions and the claims process — is on the Warranty page. Registering your serial activates it and speeds up any future claim.

Write to support@layarav.com with your serial number (format LR4-##-####, printed on the base of the unit), proof of purchase, and a description of the fault. We reply within one business day with an RMA reference and instructions for sending the unit in.

If you are within Amazon's return window for the order, an Amazon return is usually the fastest path to a replacement or refund — see Returns & Refunds. Outside that window, the fault is ours to fix: use the warranty path above.

The warranty covers units purchased from Layarav or an authorised reseller, with proof of purchase. Every genuine R4 carries a serial in our register — if you are unsure about a listing or a unit, send us the serial and we will confirm whether it is ours.