Audio Interfaces

The baby of Tascam's US range of interfaces dispenses with its big brothers' control faders, but does boast stereo audio I/O with phantom power supplied over USB, as well as MIDI I/O.

Is it an effects processor? Is it a Variphrase processor? Is it a virtual analogue synth module? The truth is, Roland's VariOS can be any of these. Is this the flexible future of hardware? We find out...

Creamware's SCOPE Fusion Platform is a powerful and flexible PC and Mac-based music-production system that's often overlooked by computer-based musicians. We take a detailed look at the system and investigate what you might be missing.

A unique problem-solver from Roland combines line mixing, sample rate conversion and a USB audio interface in a single rack space.

With the recent announcement of Yamaha's keenly priced 01X Music Production Studio, it looks as though mLAN, the Firewire-based protocol for multi-channel digital audio and MIDI, might be about to come of age. We take an early look at the new system.

Terratec's new professional division are looking to make a splash with their rackmounting multi-channel A-D/D-A converters, which feature SPL-designed mic amps and close integration with their EWS 88MT soundcard.

Price barriers continue to tumble in the soundcard market, as ESI Pro introduce an interface offering four analogue inputs and eight outputs, plus digital I/O, two mic preamps and 192kHz playback, for under £200.

Edirol's latest audio and MIDI interface fills another niche in the increasingly competitive market for USB devices.

PreSonus' eight-channel Firewire interface is the first to use Yamaha's much-touted mLAN protocol. How does it compare to the proprietary driver systems developed by the likes of MOTU and Metric Halo?

ST Audio's recording interface provides multi-channel, multi-client audio I/O, as well as MIDI In and Out and full 24-bit/96kHz capability, for a highly affordable £230.

FireWire audio and MIDI interfaces are gaining in popularity, as are fader surfaces designed for hands-on control of computer recording packages. Now Digidesign have combined the two.

Much more than just an audio and MIDI interface, Edirol's UA700 also incorporates a preamp with DSP effects, microphone and guitar amp modelling.

Despite the obvious advantages of FireWire as an audio interface protocol, MOTU have had the market to themselves. Now, however, Metric Halo's Mobile I/O looks likely to threaten their dominance, offering true portability and built-in DSP mixing.

An hour spent fine-tuning the performance of your soundcard can yield permanent improvements in background noise, distortion levels and frequency response.

With their latest recording tool, Tascam aim to entice hobbyists away from their cassette multitrackers and onto their computers.

As well as bringing 192kHz capability to the project-studio market, ESI Pro's new range of soundcards also features revolutionary drivers which allow the PC user new freedom to route audio between applications.

Edirol are best known for their desktop music products, but they're heading into the professional arena with the DA2496, a high-quality eight-channel audio interface with a PCI card and breakout box.

The Edirol SD90 combines Roland's Sound Canvas sound set with a USB audio and MIDI interface.

Mark of the Unicorn were first to market with a multi-channel FireWire audio interface, the 828. Their new 896 adds 96kHz support among other features.

The most affordable Pro Tools system ever promises trouble-free USB recording, high-quality audio hardware and the freedom to record wherever you want. Is it too good to be true?

Despite the obvious attractions of portable recording systems based around laptop computers, high-quality compatible audio hardware is scarce. That looks set to change, however, now that Echo Audio have adapted their popular Mona and Layla 24 interfaces for laptop use.