Audio Interfaces

The first fruit of the Yamaha-Steinberg union is finally with us, but does it provide the hardware/software integration that Cubase and Nuendo users have hoped for? And what is there to tempt users of other DAWs? Let's find out...

TC Electronic keep the price of their newest audio interface low by cutting down the I/O count, but not the quality.

Cut-price Firestudio action for those users on tight budgets!

M-Audio's new interface is equipped with eight mic preamps, eight analogue outputs and an impressive range of digital I/O — all of which has been crammed into a 1U rack and given a very attractive price-tag.

Prism Sound's Orpheus interface brings the company's high­end digital conversion technology within reach of the project studio owner for the first time.

Zoom's first computer product is a guitar amp modelling system that offers an impressive list of features at a bargain price.

You can get a lot of audio interface for your money these days. The latest from ESI offers 18 ins and eight outs for a very reasonable price, and could be ideal if you need to record lots of sources simultaneously.

If you need a compact Firewire audio interface, the paperback-sized Duafire from ESI might be just the thing to slip into your laptop bag.

Designed to integrate with Cubase, and featuring new preamps and compressors, Yamaha's N-series digital mixers have been causing quite a stir. Could the N12 be the centrepiece of your project studio?

High-end digital converter manufacturers Apogee are Apple's audio partner of choice, and their latest Firewire interface is aimed squarely at Mac users with a taste for quality.

Put simply, if you want to send lots of audio inputs into your computer simultaneously, but don't want to pay too much for the privilege, the US1641 could be exactly what you're looking for...

The Studio Konnekt 48 is an appealing package, benefiting from extensive use of TC's trademark DSP technology and a remote control — but is that enough to secure its place in the audio interface race?

Novation's Nio offers a slightly unusual perspective and a generous collection of effects and processors, but does it have what it takes to stand out from the audio interface crowd?

The Matrix K is a low-cost, no-frills computer audio interface designed to do its job simply and efficiently.

Until now, there has been no ultra-portable hardware option for Pro Tools users who want to edit and mix on the go. The M Box 2 Micro seeks to fill that gap.