Line 6 Tone Port KB37 Review

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(More customer reviews)As a part-time, semi-professional musician/performer/producer [you can check out our NOVAkILL CDs here at amazon.com] I have a need for good quality and portability at a reasonable price. For maximum flexibility, I have been using USB audio I/O devices for the past 5 or 6 years, as they allow me to work on my workstation at home or laptop on stage with the same equipment. I was first attracted to Line 6 by the announcement of the KB37 because it looks so incredibly slick and sexy. To see if it could deliver the goods, I got hold of a UX2, which is basically the same as the KB37, without the keyboard. It took me about 5 minutes to realise the potential of this set-up so I got hold of a KB37 as soon as they were available.
HARDWARE - The unit feels really solid. The plastic is very heavy-duty and it all seems pretty well put together, although one of my VU meters is slightly crooked. The three-octave keyboard has a good feel and also feels fairly robust. The I/O knobs [chrome] are perhaps a little loose [it is easy to bump them and change their position] where the controller knobs [black] are very stiff until you use them for a while. It is very light-weight and no wider than most two-octave keyboards so it is extremely portable. The footswitch jacks are a real bonus. The audio inputs and outputs are very good, allowing you to get high quality, clean recordings and to monitor everything easily.
DRIVERS - Line 6 Monkey makes sure your drivers and other software are always up-to-date so it is a good idea to let the monkey look for the latest versions when you are setting up as the CD that ships is nowhere near current [it doesn't even support the KB37]. Once the Monkey had done it's thing, everything just worked. You use the driver interface to assign controllers and footswitches to different functions. It works really well but is a little hard to get at in a hurry.
SOFTWARE [GEARBOX] - This is definitely the best part of the deal. The are plenty of amps, cabinets and other effects available and you can chain them all together to create amazing results. If you are not happy with what you get, you can go on-line and buy even more from Line 6, but I have barely scratched the surface of the bundled options after almost a year. GearBox has very flexible routing - you can assign the hardware VU meters to any of a number of things [inputs, outputs, etc]. You can monitor and/or record with or without effects and you can even record your vocals or guitar parts whilst monitoring other instruments through the unit. You can have a single stereo signal path or two unique mono paths. e.g. one set-up for your vocal and a completely separate effect-chain for your guitar at the same time, whilst monitoring your hardware synths through the unit. Because it operates outside the normal Windoze audio system, latency is negligible which makes it great for using live.
IN USE - This is where we ran into a few problems at first. The KB37 only transmits on MIDI channel 1 so, because we had been using Channel 8, I had to go through all of our songs and change things to Channel 1. But it was worth it because in every other way, the KB37 delivers for us. It is a great device for recording vocals and synth parts and it is a flexible and handy controller for our sequencer and soft-synths. On stage it is even more impressive as we can use it for live vocal effects without having to run our voices through our sequencer software. With two footswitches attached I can change GearBox presets easily on stage and mute the effects between songs.
SUPPORT - Terrible. We had a few problems with the unit when we first started using it and the Line 6 forum was completely useless. After 8 weeks of getting no help from them whatsoever, I eventually discovered that the problem was not with the KB37. If it had been, I doubt it would ever have been solved.
OVERALL - This is close to the perfect solution for us. It is robust and portable, simple to use, yet offers incredible sound quality, both for getting clean recordings and from the amazing GearBox software. If the support was better, this would be a 5-star review.

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The latest addition to the award-winning TonePort family of USB recording and modeling interfaces, TonePort KB37 delivers world-class Line 6 guitar, bass, and vocal tone with the added convenience of an integrated keyboard controller.TonePort KB37 comes with Line 6 GearBox modeling software, which provides a must-have collection of 16 guitar and 5 bass amp/cab models, 30 stompbox and studio effects, and 6 models of high-end studio microphone preamps. And with its exclusive ToneDirect� monitoring, super simple set up, and full-sized keyboard, any musician from beginner to pro can easily record studio quality tracks! Hardware features include two high-quality XLR microphone inputs with phantom power, a guitar/bass instrument input, stereo line inputs and outputs, S/PDIF digital output, stereo headphone jack, analog VU meters, dual footswitch jacks, expression pedal jack, patch select and transport control buttons, pitch bend/modulation wheels, and four assignable real-time knobs and buttons.TonePort KB37 ships with Ableton Live Lite 5 � Line 6 Edition recording software for an immediate studio experience right out of the box.Both hardware and software are compatible with the most popular Mac and Windows recording programs and support 44.1/48KHz with 16/24-bit recording, plus a 96KHz compatibility mode.

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Tascam FIREONE Firewire Audio Interface Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently upgraded to a MacBookPro with Logic 7 on it. I needed a control surface that was Firewire based and would allow good functionality and portability. This audio interface/control surface provides a nice touch. I went from an Ozone Midi controller to this because this one was Firewire-based AND I never was into using the keyboard. For my purposes, plugging a mic, guitar, bass and electronic drums this was a great option. It took a little bit of fiddling to work with a MacBookPro (with Tiger and Leopard) and involved a rollback of Firewire drivers/firmware which is available on the Tascam website.
Without the rollback, the control surface will not work (or will work unpredictably). This is a Mac/Logic 7 issue. Anyway, I'm pleased. It looks great, works great (after Fix for Mac OS X 10.4.10 FireWire) and seems very durable.
Time will tell.

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2-Channel FireWire Audio Interface. Large weighted backlit Jog Wheel. Programmable Function Keys. MIDI I/O. Includes recording software

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Lexicon IONIX U42S 4-Input USB 2.0 Desktop Recording Studio Review

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(More customer reviews)This device is solidly built, compact, and has great styling. Oh, and fantastic audio.
September 20, 2009 update: Better hope you don't have to deal with Lexicon's tech support. It is absolutely the worst ever anywhere. If you read through the comments to this review, another customer had extreme difficulties finding 64bit drivers. They weren't on the shipping CD, unlike my CD which did have the drivers. It took him weeks before anyone would respond to him. Ultimately, he bought another brand. The new 64 drivers were released a few weeks ago. I tried to install them on my computer and came up with total zero - the device no longer worked since the driver install failed. I emailed tech support, 2 weeks later I got a did you disable your virus software? Then I responded immediately, they are fools, of course that wasn't the problem. Then a week later I got another email that said and engineer identified the error code I sent (in the original email, but repeated for effect a second time)as the USB connection not working properly, and was the blue USB light on. Oh and by the way, please send them the information from the System Device control panel for the type of computer I have. I finally discovered that there was a problem with Windows 64 bit installers after Vista's SP2 update that makes it not work very well sometimes. I did this registration thing with a file. Reverted my computer to the old driver and then the software actually installed correctly - and I'm back in business. Sadly, absolutey no help from Lexicon.
If it were possible to change the star rating, or split the rating - Device / Hardware 5 stars; software not so great 3 stars; tech support for a Professional Product - absolute -100000000 stars totally blows chunks worse than most software companies I've dealt with.
Back to the Original Review:
Some physical description, this is a 4 input mixing, analog to digital, sound console. It uses USB-2 to connect to a computer, however a computer is not a necessity to use this as a mixer. The software included Cubase LE4, Pantheon II Reverb plug in, and Toontrack EZDrummer Lite (along with the required drivers and owner's manuals).
The inputs - 4 rear XLR / 1/4" combo plugs (allows either type of plug in); Midi IN; SPDIF - Coaxial - IN. There are two Instrument 1/4" jacks on the right hand side of the console.
The outputs - 2 1/4" headphone jacks on the left side. Two line level 1/4" jack audio outputs, Midi Out, and SPDIF - Coaxial -Out; and USB out.
There are also two buttons on the back for +48V phantom power.
The controls on the front, 2 headphone controls, the 4 input controls (inputs 1 and 2 can be made stereo pairs; as can 3 and 4). A large output level control. And a control to blend the amount of raw direct input sound, versus the amount of post processed sound.
Each volume control has a set of LED's above them to adjust levels.
The mass of this controller is just perfect, it weighs enough so that the thing will not slide around while plugging and unplugging inputs. The style is a bit like Harmon Kardon - black over silver. The control knobs just scream high quality. The whole thing is powered by a well designed A/C adapter with cords on both ends.
Computer installation. Plug the USB connector in. Insert the included software disc, select install drivers, and find out that only the 32 bit drivers are included. So it's off the Lexicon website to get the 64 bit drivers, my system is 64 bit Vista. After a ton of windows and separate installs, a reboot was necessary and all was happy with the connection.
Then came the pain and suffering:
Cubase was a major pain in the rear end to install. There must be 50 steps to finally get this program validated, registered, and authorized. It's frankly critical to open the installation instructions and follow them to the letter. Nothing but nothing is simple about this install, and it's just to complex to repeat here.
Once up and running - wow this thing is a total joy to use. I'm very new to recording (this is my first recording console). We plugged in an electric acoustic Laguna guitar, followed the instructions for getting started with Cubase, adjusted the volume on the console (the LED's on teh console helped get the levels right), hit record in Cubase; and voila a really great clear recording saved as a WAV file. Couldn't have been easier and higher quality.
The bit of surprise was playback. No matter what I tried, I could not get my Logitech Z-10 speakers to output a recorded track directly from Cubase. This is all probably by design, and it's just my inexperience. I had to use the left hand headphone jack to listen to the sound. This also worked as a monitor when we hooked up an electric guitar. The output quality on those headphone outputs was incredible. The only way I could playback the recorded track, once you press stop at the end of recording, the WAV file is written to the hard drive. That wave file can then be simply played through windows media player or any other player like a standard WAV file.
We did a few recordings and then burned the WAV files to CD. Played on a very nice stereo system, the clarity was absolutely amazing. Bass was solid, the highs were crystal clear. I loved those first recordings.
I've paired this with a Shure SM58 microphone for voice recording.
It feels like I have purchased a really fine solid piece of audio hardware. The sound recorded so far is nothing short of remarkable. For a pure beginner, I was able to get this set up and working surprisingly quickly and do a very decent recording. The Cubase learning curve is going to be huge, I can see that. But simple first out of the box, what a great experience.

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The I'ONIX U42S USB 2.0 Desktop Recording Studio offers the highest quality hardware and software to provide the user with exceptional recordings. All the necessary tools are provided to transform your PC or Mac into a professional 24-bit/96kHz digital recording studio including the U42S recording interface, Steinberg Cubase LE4 recording software, Toontrack EZdrummer Lite, and the new Lexicon Pantheon II VST/AU reverb plug-in.Brilliantly designed, the Lexicon I'ONIX U42S sits where it makes the most sense, between your keyboard and monitor. Now all the level meters and gain controls are at your fingertips when using your DAW. Everything from the metal chassis to the electronics inside is meticulously crafted to ensure superior recordings that live up to Lexicon's standards of performance.Featuring newly designed dbx 60V high-voltage, ultra-low noise mic preamps on all 4 channels, the I'ONIX U42S is more than equipped to provide professional recordings that keep your music sounding its best. The preamps run on a high-voltage supply to guarantee stability and provide you with a superior recording across a wide dynamic range. Performance driven A/D – D/A converters ensure pristine 24-bit/96kHz audio to capture every subtle detail of your performance.The I'ONIX U42S can record four tracks at once and includes 4 combi-jack mic/line inputs with +48V phantom power, 2 TRS balanced line outputs, 2 hi-Z instrument inputs, 2 high power ¼" headphone outputs, S/PDIF and MIDI I/O. Dedicated knobs and meters offer easy access to input and output levels and locking combi-jacks make sure that a connection is not lost in the middle of a performance.The Lexicon name is synonymous with the world's best reverb. The Pantheon II VST/AU reverb plug-in offers 6 reverb types with 35 factory presets, which range from Vocal to Live Sound and Special Effects. Lexicon's exquisitely rich, full reverbs make it easy to complete your mix by adding depth and dimension to any track.

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Edirol FA-66 6 x 6 FireWire Audio Interface Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been using this product for about a year now and it has some real strengths in terms of audio fidelity and everything being in the one unit. I shared some of the difficulties of the last user initially, using a Dell Inspiron 8600, but was able to resolve them. The FA-66 can be resource fussy - not much extra needs to be going on with the computer before there is skipping. Maxing out the buffer fixes this, but this is devastating in terms of latency. The Windows that ships with Dells is less customisable than plain-vanilla Windows, and does have lots of things running in the background. I eventually identified that the anti-virus software was launching a separate app to check for updates (every 10 minutes!) and that this was causing skipping. Audio programs themselves - despite being resource intensive - don't seem to cause the problem. Once I disabled this app everything was good and I could operate at latencies of about 4ms without any problems.
There are a lot of good external units out there of which this is one. It really comes down to what you want and what software is packaged with the unit. 192KHz is overkill since consumer products like these have too much DAC jitter for this to be relevant. 96KHz is probably pushing it. But for straight-forward home or field recording where you don't want to bother with a mixer or a separate midi box, this is hard to look past. The inclusion of an analogue limiter sets it apart from offerings from M-Audio and the like, it is solidly built and having phantom power is very handy.
November 2007 Update - I've been using this with a MacBook Pro for a year now and its a dream. My recent purchase of Apple Logic Studio completes a really solid set up, exposing me to the harsh reality that any remaining limitations are user-based.

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6 x 6 FireWire Audio Interface

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M-Audio ProFire 2626 High-Definition 26-in/26-out FireWire Audio Interface with Octane Preamp Technology Review

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(More customer reviews)A few months ago, i decided to update my MOTU 828 mkii firewire interface with something that has better DAC converters, so i did some research and i decided to purchase the M-Audio Profire 2626.
When i plugged this unit in my studio and listened to it, i was taken by the clarity of the DACs, i also did some testing of the preamp mics, and they are clean sounding and uncolored.
So, I thought i had a great deal.. a 192/24 firewire 8x8 interface for around $500. Unfortunately, as i started using the unit more and more in my studio, i realized the many problems m-audio has been infamous for: bad drivers and unreliable software.
1-The biggest problem with the unit is that the latest ASIO M-Audio 2626 Windows XP drivers will blue screen some XP workstations when changing the audio resolution from 96k back to 48k or 44k in a DAW or some other program that uses the unit's driver. There is a thread in the M-Audio's forum about this, and quite a few people are experiencing this problem. As of January 10th 2010, the problem is still unresolved.
The funniest and saddest thing of all, is that when i use the free ASIO4ALL drivers with the Profire-2626, they do not crash Windows when switching audio resolutions. This should tell you how bad M-Audio drivers are.
2-The marketing literature for the M-Audio is basically incorrect and will lead you to believe the digital mixer offers true mixing flexibility (like MOTU's CueMix software) of all inputs and outputs.. which is FALSE. You can use the digital mixer's faders to control the analog inputs coming into the unit, ONLY if the inputs are connected to the preamps via XLR plugs.. if you use TRS 1/4" jacks to connect to inputs 3-8, the signal bypasses the mic preamps and cannot be controlled in the digital mixer. How stupid is that?
I had to go out and order 1/4" to XLR adapters to connect some of my synths to be able to control their input in the digital mixer
My older MOTU 828 mkii unit never had this inconvenience...
3-Want to use the 2626 inputs and outputs to send digital signals from your DAW to an analog box and back into your DAW?
Good Luck.. it took me a while to figure out how to do it (nevermind i used to do this in the MOTU 828 mkii all the time) and then i wasn't able to monitor the return signals without listening to the return signal mixed with the send signal!
Yep.. you can't monitor return signals without going through the mixer unless you are using the XLR inputs.. because if you use the TRS inputs you cannot control or mute the signal!!
2010-02 UPDATE
4-About 10 months ago, a user in the m-audio forums discovered that the Profire 610 and the Profire 2626 are not sample accurate when recording. What does this mean? it means if you want to record a band playing together, the tracks are going to be out of sync with each other, and you will need to synchronize them by hand in your DAW.
M-Audio confirmed this was a problem with their drivers, but after 10 months of waiting a fix hasn't been released yet.
All this problems with M-audio's unreliable and poorly written software have lead me to eventually replace this unit with something that offers better software and hardware quality, like the RME fireface 800.. the thing stopping me is the price.. the RME Fireface goes for about twice the price of the Profire 2626.. and for a good reason.
The experience with the profire 2626 has taught me a lesson: Don't buy another M-Audio product ever again.
But, don't just take my word for it.. point your browser to M-audio's profire forums and you will see all the problems users are having with this unit..


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Building on a legacy of award-winning FireWire audio interfaces, the M-Audio ProFire 2626 brings next-generation performance to your PC or Mac host-based recording system. This powerful interface delivers 26 x 26 simultaneous I/O, complete with an onboard DSP mixer sourced from up to 52 audio streams. It features every kind of connection you needincluding award-winning Octane preamp technology on all eight analog inputs, ADAT, S/PDIF, word clock and MIDI. Critically acclaimed JetPLL jitter elimination technology ensures pristine audio quality and reliable synchronization all the way up to high-definition 24-bit/192kHz resolution. In addition, ProFire 2626 offers easy FireWire connectivity, extremely low latency, dual headphone outputs, front-panel instrument inputs and standalone operation. ProFire 2626 is compatible with most major audio software, including Pro Tools M-Powered.* * Compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered 7.4 with downloadable update. Please visit m-audio.com for update availability. 96kHz and 18 x 18 I/O maximum with Pro Tools M-Powered.

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IK Multimedia AmpliTube 3 Amp & FX Tone Modeling Software Review

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(More customer reviews)A guitar/bass amp modeling software product with usable tones...? Seriously?
Yup.
I've used Line6, Studio Devil, and some other unmentionables over the past few years and I just could not accept them as serious tools. Useful for practicing quietly at home in the late night hours? Sure...but when it came to using them for recording, forget it. Everything seemed off, from overall tone to playing dynamics. It was always obvious that you were using software. So for a long time, I just steered clear of these tools, convinced that it would take some long-term research and development to solve the many issues.
But I'm pleased to say that products like Amplitube are giving me hope. I am very impressed with their version 3 and the newer Amplitube Fender release. Someone really has their act together at IK Multimedia and shows a great understanding of how guitar sound is produced overall. Plugging in and finding quite convincing tones ranging from the sweetness of a stereo chorus Roland JC120 to the onslaught of a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier with a distortion box out front always brings a smile. There are some less-than-inspiring presets, but these may suit some ears more than mine.
However, the real power is in Amplitube's flexibility. You can take any preset that's in the neighborhood of what you're looking for and then tweak it until you're happy. Everything from stomp boxes to the amp face dials to rack effects and microphone placement, it's all there. You can even tell it which mics (e.g., Shure SM57, etc...) to use, where to place them relative to the speaker, how far you want them from the front of the cabinet, and what type of room (e.g., small studio, hall, etc...) to use. The differences are sometimes subtle, but everything adds up to an overall sound. And once you have the whole configuration "just so", you can save the settings to your own preset folder and then call them up whenever. No need to write everything down and hope that you've accounted for each variable. The software takes care of it for you.
We're using Amplitube with our Mbox 2/Pro Tools LE 8 setup and it makes demo recording so much easier. Now the hardest part of recording is setting up the drums and vocals, as the two guitars and the bass are easy to configure and record. Not to mention that the direct in analog-to-digital recording is clean and free from ambient noise, so there's only minimal scrubbing required during mixdown.
I've read some reviewers out there speaking poorly of Amplitube and about modeling software in general. The central argument is always the same: poor tone and playing dynamics. I can understand this complaint and in the past, I'd be right there with them, chanting the Luddite opposition to digital anything. But not anymore. I'd recommend that the diehards out there demo the newest versions of these products and think again about how things are shaping up. I've been playing on and off for almost twenty years and in that time, I've owned and jammed on a lot of different amps, including a Fender Champ, Deluxe Reverb, and Twin Reverb, a Dr. Z Mazerati, Engl Powerball, two different Marshalls, and a couple Vox. I'm not a tone snob, but my ear is pretty good. To me, the new wave of modeling software is really starting to nail down the tone factor. Moreover, they're getting much better at rendering variables and dynamics such as pick placement and attack.
Is it perfect yet? Eh...maybe not. But things have come a long way and in my opinion, it's good enough for most recording efforts. Pros out there may not agree, but I'm speaking here to everyday folks like me who just enjoy writing and recording music and playing out live on occasion. Note that for live applications, you'll really want a way to access the presets more conveniently, like IK's StompIO floorboard, which is another considerable investment by itself.
Bottom line: give it a try and I really think that (unless you're a tone snob) you'll be impressed.

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IK Multimedia AmpliTube 3 represents a massive upgrade of the popular amp and effects tone modeling software. AmpliTube 3 provides even more sound variety, realism, and creative power than earlier versions. If your recording or playing "rig" is lacking in that rich, lush expressive analog warmth, then you need to check it out. With over 160 precisely modeled pieces of vintage and modern gear available in one package, AmpliTube 3 is an incredible tone gear collection for the player/producer/engineer suffering from tone angst.More Gear - Infinite CombinationsAmpliTube 3 contains over 160 pieces of gear, more than double the amount of most other packages, including models from the most sought-after vintage collections and modern-day workhorses. You'll get 51 individual stompboxes and effects, 31 amplifier preamp & power sections, 46 speaker cabinet models, 15 high-end stage and studio mics, and 17 post amp rack effects. Plus, with the new AmpliTube 3 open architecture, you can add more packages as you need them, like AmpliTube Fender and Ampeg SVX.More Feel - True Dynamic ResponseAmpliTube 3 gear models give you ultra-realistic playing feelnot just the tonesbut the actual dynamic response of their hardware counterparts. Plus, with IK's proprietary VRM (Volumetric Response Modeling) technology, you can add totally accurate rotating speaker effects and free dual mic placement with room ambience and response to custom craft your tone.More Power - Creative InspirationAmpliTube 3 unleashes more creative power than previous versions, helping you to easily carve new, truly unique voicings for your guitar, bass, keyboard, drum, and vocals. IK's effects let you create sounds you never heard before, and the "drag & drop" effects configuration feature lets you quickly experiment with effects in the signal chain to get that totally unique sound.More Tone - More Than You Can ImagineAmpliTube 3 is the voice for your soul. With this insanely large collection of super-realistic modele

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Alesis MultiMix 8 USB 2.0 Mixer Review

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(More customer reviews)I was a little nervous to buy this without reading someone's assurance that it would do specifically what I wanted: record our band multi-tracked into a MacBook.
But it works great. No hiccups while streaming 6 channels at once into Garageband. Amazing at the price.

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Designed with low-noise analog electronics, the MultiMix 8 USB 2.0 mixer lets you take advantage of 100 studio-grade 28-bit digital effects. Whether used for mobile or studio recording, the MultiMix 8 USB 2.0 mixer makes recording high-quality audio to your computer fast and easy. The MultiMix 8 USB 2.0 mixer is also bundled with award-winning Cubase LE software for instant creativity right out of the box.
Key Features
10-direct outputs to your computer for recording and 2 return inputs for monitoring
High-gain mic/line (XLR and 1/4-inch balanced) inputs with phantom power, 2 stereo balanced 1/4-inch
Line inputs, aux send (to onboard or external effects), stereo aux return
Switchable 75Hz high pass filters
100 onboard 28-bit preset effects including reverbs, delays, chorus, flanging, pitch and multi-effects
3-band EQ per channel with high/low shelving and mid band pass/reject
Separate 1/4-inch balanced main and monitor outs, headphone out
24-bit, 44.1 to 96 kHz operation with high-end A/D and D/A conversion through an integrated USB 2.0 Audio interface
Steinberg Cubase LE included

Specifications
Input Channels
Mic In Sensitivity Range: -60dBu to -10dBu nominal, +5dBu maximum
Line In Sensitivity Range: -40dBu to -+10dBu nominal, +25dBu maximum
Mic/Line Gain Range: +10 to +60dB

Equalization
High-Pass Filter: 75Hz, 18dB/octave
High Shelving: 12kHz, +/- 15dB
Mid Bandpass/Band Reject: 2.5 kHz, +/- 15dB
Low Shelving: 80Hz, +/- 15dB

Aux Sends
Aux Send A & B Gain Range: -∞ to +10dB

Aux Returns
Aux Return A Gain Range: -∞ to +15dB
Effects Level/Aux Return B Gain Range: -∞ to +15dB

Channel Levels
Channel Level Gain Range: -∞ to +10dB

Master Levels
Main Mix, Ctrl Room Gain Range: -∞ to +10dB

1/4-inch Inputs
Stereo Aux Return Level: +4dBu nominal, +20dBu maximum

RCA Inputs
2-TRACK IN Level: -10dBV nominal, +5dBV maximum

1/4-inch Outputs
Main Mix, Ctrl Room, Ext Aux Send Level: +4dBu nominal, +20dBu maximum
Headphone Output: 75 ohm output impedance >105mW into 75 ohms, >40mW
into 600ohms

RCA Outputs
2-TRACK OUT Level: -10dBV nominal, +5dBV maximum

Dimensions and Weight
14.5 x 10.75 x 5 inches
7 pounds

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Mackie Onyx 32 Mixer (4 Bus, 28 Onyx Preamps and 2 Stereo Channels) Review

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(More customer reviews)Esta mezcladora es un equipo increiblemente genial, logramos superar todas las desventajas que habíamos tenido tiempo atrás. Tiene una consistencia robusta en los componentes, todos los controles demuestran gran calidad. El manual es sencillo e incluso puedo mencionar que aprendí muchas cosas del manual ya que no se limitan a explicar cuestiones técnicas sino más bien se obtienen ejemplos prácticos. El control que me proporciona sobre lo que quiero tener en el monitor/phones es increible. Todo lo que siempre había querído hacer para poder monitorear la mezcla ahora es posible. La calidad de la ecualización es estupenda realmente no es dificil lograr una equalización adecuada en pocos segundos. El compresor/limitador es un recurso importantísimo que va por el mismo precio. El control de las líneas auxiliares es genial.

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Mackie Onyx 32·4 and Onyx 24·4 mixers build upon the legendary Mackie SR24.4 and SR32.4 consoles - with their flagship Onyx mic preamps, new 4-band Perkins EQ, 100mm faders, a 6x2 matrix and a built-in stereo compressor limiter - all at a price that won't break the bank. These new mixers bring the innovative feature set and unequalled sound quality of Mackie's Onyx Series to the world of mid-format live mixers, effectively filling the gap between the Onyx Small-Format and 8-bus Onyx 80 Large-Format Live Sound Consoles. The Onyx 4-bus Series mid-format consoles incorporate a host of new features like a full complement of Mackie's highly acclaimed, flagship Onyx preamps that combine greater fidelity, increased headroom and unequalled sonic performance with greater radio frequency rejection and wider dynamic range. Additional Onyx 4-Bus features include a fully balanced signal chain for lower noise and wider frequency range, as well as Mackie's exclusive Cal Perkins-designed four-band EQ circuitry, renowned for its highly musical British sound and wider-range control. Both Onyx 4-Bus consoles also feature a 6x2 matrix, 100mm Panasonic faders, and a fully assignable stereo compressor/limiter section built upon the high-quality THAT 4301 chip. This compressor/limiter features independent threshold, ratio and fast/slow attack controls, and can be assigned to the main output mix, Groups 1 and 2, or Groups 3 and 4. Onyx 4-bus Mid-Format Live Sound Console Features Premium Onyx Mic Preamps on all mono channels Four-Band Perkins EQ Six fully assignable Aux Sends with Pre/post switches, mute and AFL solo Smooth, long-throw 100mm Panasonic Faders Analog direct outs per channel Two Dedicated Stereo Inputs 4 segment channel metering Dedicated talkback section 6 x 2 matrix Built in stereo compressor/limiter An All-New Design for Superior Sound A

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Tascam US-1800 USB2.0 Audio/Midi Interface Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this unit partly because it came with a nice audio recording program called cubase. I like the interface but trying to register and run the free software has proven to be impossable. Great interface but don't buy it hoping to be able to use the software the company behind the Software has made it impossable to use their product (Steinberg). Interface is really usefull and easy to use. 8 xlr, six 1/4" plus midi and spdif(digital) inputs to connect to your computer with a single usb cord. Four assignable outputs. Phantom power to boot on the xlr ins. Very clean sound and I haven't add any problems with latense. Used it to record my band live, no problems running all 14 analog inputs and spdif at once for 15 tracks.

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The US-1800 audio interface from TASCAM offers more inputs than any interface in its class. Up to 16 inputs and 4 outputs are transmitted to Mac or Windows over high-speed USB 2.0 connection. The US-1800 features eight XLR microphone inputs with phantom power and 60dB of clean gain. Six balanced line inputs are also provided, as well as stereo S/PDIF digital and MIDI in and out.Included with the US-1800 is Cubase LE5, the latest workstation software from Steinberg. This 48-track audio workstation includes must-have features like automation, plug-ins, mixing, editing and MIDI tracks. Cubase LE5 uses standard VST plug-ins for adding virtual instruments and effects.If you want the most inputs into your computer for the minimum amount of cash, TASCAM's US-1800 is the only choice!

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Mackie Onyx 1620i FireWire Recording Mixer Review

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(More customer reviews)this mixer is amazing. if you have wanted to build a project studio or record your band in your rehearsal space, this is the mixer you need.
the pre's sound great. very quiet (even when jacked).
the eq is really fun to play around with. you can really find the sound you are looking for with a few tweaks.
i'm using Ableton as my recording DAW. it's really snappy and after a few tweaks, very hard to notice any latency.
the Firewire I/O also works with Pro Tools, which is great. the driver is available for purchase on the mackie website.
for this price, you won't find anything even close to the same ball park.


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Compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered 8; Mackie Provides Power Mixing to Your Stage or Studio! The Mackie Onyx 1620i Firewire recording mixer combines the benefits of a powerful computer interface with the tactile, hands-on control of a premium analog mixer. Equipped with eight premium precision engineered studio grade Onyx microphone preamps, the Onyx 1620i is great for live sound reinforcement or studio recording, all in a durable road-worthy package.

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Focusrite Saffire 4 In/10 Out Firewire Audio Interface Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm very happy with my new Saffire. Great sound, great pre-amps, latency very close to zero, very portable for a FW audio interface, a great compressor among the DSP plugins. Nothing to complain about it. Note: I'm working on a Core Duo Mac Book Pro, with 4GB of RAM and running Logic Pro 8.

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The Focusrite Saffire is a new breed of Firewire interface with onboard DSP and 24-bit/192kHz processing. Saffire fuses state-of-the-art hardware with highly integrated software to take audio interfacing one giant step closer to the professional studio experience.Four inputs (two digital) and 10 outputs (two digital) with unrivalled foldback and monitoring options ensure the engineer has all he needs to navigate through a modern recording session. Focusrite build and sound quality, intelligent front-end design and cutting-edge compression, EQ and foldback reverb software combine to guarantee an intuitive and trouble-free recording experience.The brand new software accompanying the Saffire hardware is a revolutionary new platform from the team that produced LiquidControl and the Forte Suite. This stylish application floats comfortably over any recording software and allows extensive control over the sound of the recorded signals and the multiple (monitor and headphone) output paths.Compression, reverb, amp modeling and EQ Saffire-powered plug-ins are included. All four are also available as a suite of plug-ins from within the recording platform in use. Up to five separate user-defined stereo mixes can be created of all incoming signals and recorded tracks from the recording platform. With such comprehensive monitoring/foldback options and onboard high quality signal processing and effects, the Saffire is truly the interface of choice for the serious recording e...

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Pro Tools Mbox Mini (3rd gen) Review

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(More customer reviews)First let me say, I have no idea what the other guy is talking about. I just got my Mbox Mini the other day and had zero issues installing the program.
As for using the Pro Tools, it can do everything and sets the standard. I wish it came with more plug-ins, but those that are included cover all aspects of sound production. I was surprised to see a trimmed-down Guitar Rig 4 plug-in included.
While the learning curve for Pro Tools is steep, once you get the hang of it, there isn't anything it - and you, can't do!

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Professional around the world have long been using Pro Tools recording systems to create award-winning music and sound for film and TV.Now you can get the same professional results in your personal studio with Pro Tools Mbox Mini - a complete, integratd, computer-based music creation and production system.The ultra-portable Pro Tools Mbox Mini features everything you need to easily compose, record, edit, and mix music-including studio-standard Pro Tools LE software.You get over 70 stunning effects and virtual instrutments, plus other tools and features to help you create music quickly and easily.Mbox Mini also delivers premium sound quality, plus rock-solid compatibility with nearly every popular audio recording application.

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Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 Professional 20 In / 20 Out Firewire Audio Interface with Eight Focusrite Pre-amps Review

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(More customer reviews)Great firewire interface recording unit. I am using this with Windows 7 64 bit and Sonar 8.5.3 Professional Edition. I have tried many different interface units and the Saffire Pro 40 has been the easiest to install and use. The preamps are very good and better than other units I tried. The only negative is the latency, as with most firewire devices but even that is not a big issue. I have been using this unit for two years and if it were to fail (out of warranty) I would buy another.

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Focusrite's unparalleled pre-amp legacy forms the foundation of this new interface, with eight award-winning Focusrite pre-amps. These are combined with the very latest in firewire interfacing technology to deliver seamless integration, excellent routing flexibility and rock-solid driver stability. With Saffire PRO 40, sonic integrity reigns supreme. The eight Focusite pre-amps ensure low noise and distortion, whilst quality digital conversion and JetPLL jitter elimination technology ensure pristine audio quality as your audio flows between the analogue and digital domains.Alongside the eight Focusrite pre-amps are a host of i/o options; 10 analogue outputs, ADAT i/o, stereo SPDIF i/o and 2 virtual loopback inputs for routing digital audio between software applications - ideal for capturing online audio. Every channel features phantom power, with the first two channels also featuring -9dB pads for additional headroom. Front panel 5-LED metering for each analogue input offers accurate viewing of levels.Saffire PRO 40 comes with a Suite of Focusrite plug-ins. All-new Focusrite Compression, Reverb, Gating and EQ VST/AU plug-ins provide a significant upgrade from standard sequencer effects, bringing a touch of class to your session. Focusrites established xcite+ bundle is also included. The bundle includes Ableton Live Lite, Novations Bass Station soft synth and over 1 gig of royalty-free samples. Saffire PRO 40 Control, the zero-latency 18 x 16 DSP Mixer/Router software provided with Saffire PRO 40, sets a new standard at this price point for audio interface control. It features unparalleled output routing and monitoring, as well as intuitive one-click set-up solutions, a clear and concise mixing layout and large on-screen metering for inputs, outputs and submixes.Two independent headphone buses are provided, each with their own level controls available on the front panel. A dedicated stereo monitor mix output features pads for improved sound quality when conn...

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MAudio GuitarBox Review

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(More customer reviews)Let's start with the downside. For a semi-pro guitarist, the sounds are too amateurish. I could never use these sounds to record anything for public release. For home recording use, it is pretty good. The hookup is easy and you just can't beat ProTools.

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With the Black Box, M-Audio gives guitarists the power they need to produce astounding guitar tones and mind-blowing sounds that no one has ever heard before. This is due in part to the collaboration between M-Audio and Roger Linn while developing the Black Box. With Linn on board, a good idea - a user-friendly interface aimed at guitarists - became a powerhouse, with the addition of Adrenalinn technology, allowing beat- and MIDI-syncing of the effects. The USB connector pumps the output of the Black Box into a computer. And the new firmware update recently added a handful of new features to this already impressive unit, one of which is adding the Black Box to the list of Pro Tools M-Powered interfaces. If you?re a guitarist, you can?t afford not get one of these! And with Pro Tools M-Powered and the Black Box, you can now work anywhere, anytime with the industry standard in music production software! Create and record your project using any of the M-audio interfaces listed below, with genuine Pro Tools software. You can open sessions created in Pro Tools M-Powered software with any Windows XP or Mac OS X Digidesign Pro Tools TDM or LE system, giving you unprecedented production options for your music. Realize your creative vision with the perfect interface for guitarists - the Black Box - and the industry-leading DAW software.

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M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R Review

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(More customer reviews)Both this and the Presonus FireStudio are quite awesome audio interfaces. Never heard a pop and static is phenomenally low. It is built like a TANK and I'm sure it could withstand a beating. Preamps work great. The only downside, and I mean the only bad thing about this interface is that MIDI requires a breakout cable. Not a big deal but it's just something you could lose easily. I definitely recommend getting this. It really is great.

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Designed for comprehensive studio work, the Fast Track Ultra 8R audio/MIDI interface delivers 8 x 8 I/O, high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity, MX Core DSP mixing/effects and eight preamps with award-winning Octane technology. Top Features -high-speed USB 2.0 interface -24-bit/96kHz professional audio on all I/O simultaneously -MX CoreTM DSP technology -flexible channel routing, monitor sub-mixing, and effects processing -8 preamps with award-winning M-Audio OctaneTM technology -premium input circuitry for recording an entire band -compatible with Mac and PC -works with most audio production software Record drum kits and full bands on all eight inputs simultaneously-with superior 24-bit/96kHz fidelity. The on-board MX Core DSP mixer processes eight hardware inputs and eight software returns to the eight hardware outputs, expanding the total I/O to an impressive 16 x 8 configuration and delivering flexible routing and monitoring with delay and reverb. With reliable, low-latency M-Audio drivers and compatibility with most major recording software, the Fast Track Ultra 8R puts the core of your powerful project studio in a single rack-mount unit. High-speed USB 2.0 Technology The next generation of recording interfaces has arrived. Fast Track® Ultra 8R utilizes high-speed USB 2.0 technology to deliver the bandwidth for 24-bit/96kHz audio resolution throughout the recording and monitoring process. With a maximum data transfer speed of 480Mbps, this jump in performance allows you to enjoy outstanding sound quality on all inputs and outputs simultaneously. Speed Comparisons in Mbps Connection Maximum Speed USB 1.1 12Mbps USB 2.0 480Mbps FireWire 400 400Mbps Built-in Effects Processing Tired of tracking vocals and instruments dry becaus

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Yamaha MG166CX 16 Input 6 Bus Rack Mountable Mixer with Digital Effects Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this mixer to be used at small clubs and venues when I don't want to carry loads of stuff and for me it is perfect. The preamps, one knob compressors and effects sound really good, the sweepable mids on the EQ's are nice and the board has a very solid feel to it, for the price of this board you get alot of features.

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The MG166CX is a compact mixer with 16 input channels, ten mono and four stereo line inputs, Mono inputs have switchable 80Hz high pass filters, switchable 48V phantom power andcan accept either ¼" or XLR connections, while stereo inputs can accommodate either RCA or ¼" connectors. All inputs have three band EQ, with a sweepable midrange band on mono channels, as well as 3 aux sends, one switchable pre/post. Six channels offer Yamaha's exclusive single-knob compression. Lighted channel on/off and phantom power switches are easily seen. Built in high quality digital effects have 16 different reverb and delay presets. Dual 12 segment LED meters allow visual monitoring of the main stereo outputs.

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PreSonus Central Station Studio Control Center Review

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(More customer reviews)Prior to buying this box, I had my DAW's analog output directly connected to my studio monitors and used an old stereo receiver as a headphone amp. I would not have expected the Central Station to make such a huge difference to my way of working but it's been incredibly convenient to be able to control the system volume with a real knob, switch between studio monitors and a cheap boombox and to have the built-in headphone amp with plenty of volume. I can't explain why but being able to run my sound card (Digital Audio Labs CardDeluxe) at full output has made my mixes come out better in the form of crisper sound and better separation of instruments. Next step is to hook up the DAW's digital output to the CS so that I can have a custom headphone mix and leave it up during the tracking process without disrupting whatever mix decisions I've made. This box did exactly what I needed and helped me streamline my workflow without degrading my audio quality.

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The Central Station is the ultimate studio-monitoring interface for the modern digital studio. The Central Station features three sets of stereo analog inputs to switch between input sources such as: DAW, mixer, CD/DAT/Tape player, or keyboards/samplers. Two stereo analog inputs feature TRS balanced and the third stereo input features RCA inputs with trim control for level matching of input signals. In addition, the Central Station will accommodate two digital inputs via S/PDIF or ADAT lightpipe providing D/A conversion up to 24Bit/192kHz. This allows you to monitor DAW and CD/DAT outputs through the same professional quality converter for the most accurate A/B comparison and highest quality monitoring environment. The digital to analog converter offers the highest possible audio quality with over 117dB dynamic range and ultra high quality analog circuitry. The Central Station features three sets of monitor outputs, each with their own set of passive trim controls. The monitoring section also provides MUTE, DIM and MONO switches. In addition, the Central Station includes a set of CUE outputs that can feed headphone amplifiers and a separate stereo MAIN line level output.

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