Interfaces/Hardware

Anyone who has ever been to a Monster Truck Rally can't deny that watching trucks crush things under-tire is one of the subtle joys that makes life swell. Unfortunately, the durable PreSonus AudioBox USB cares not for subtle joys.  

While we didn't have any problems using the PreSonus FaderPort with Logic 8 for our demo video a while back, PreSonus has only just announced that their full native Logic driver is available. I guess Bill's just that good.  

Dangerous Music announces that DAC-ST is out and shipping. It's a digital-to-analog converter that not only kicks off their Additional Switching System line, but also allows me to loosely tie together a vague Requiem For A Dream reference -- a once in a lifetime opportunity.  

Be careful when you watch this video featuring the Yamaha TQ5 tabletop synthesizer. Gearwire cannot be held responsible if during the course of this video, Mario Lopez, French Stewart or any other cast member of VH1's "I Love The 80s" 1988 episode haunts your dreams with terribly corny jokes.  

With the Korg PX5D's USB connectivity, you can do more than just edit effects presets from your PC. To that end, the PX5D ships with Ableton Live Lite, just to give you an idea of how much you can actually do with this little, evil thing.  

Don't let the name "Sparrow" fool you. The Black Lion Audio Sparrow Micro Series ADC will make your audio sound huge.  

With so many products on the market, Black Lion Audio has to pick and choose which gear they will modify. Matt Newport of Black Lion tells us about his standards for not only what products get modified, but who gets to modify them.  

Any company that wants to survive must recognize ways to improve towards the future and Matt Newport has a vision of what is next. Check out this video to see what exciting possibilities may come.  

Are your stock clocks a crock of poppycock? Matt Newport and Black Lion Audio has the clock mod for you, and guess what: they use the same oscillating crystals as NASA. Just like the shuttle, Lieutenant Dan!  

How cool is this? Matt Newport of Black Lion Audio happily vivisects both a standard Digidesign Digi 002 and his modified version. You don't have to be an expert at observing differences between two very similar photographs to see how much has been changed here.  

Right out of the box, the Digidesign Digi 002 is a pretty good "prosumer" grade system, but Black Lion Audio knows it can unlock even more potential without breaking the bank. Hear a side by side comparison that will show your ears exactly what makes Black Lion Audio roar.  

Bill Holland is out to prove that one person's garage-sale fodder is another's "highly desirable vintage synth module." In this GW Labs vid, Bill's cued up a sequence in Logic 8 that he's feeding to a mid-80's Yamaha TQ5. Hot Chip is getting ideas.  

Picture this. You're broke as a joke and you need a mixer, multi-effects and a USB interface. The sharks are after you, demanding that you pay your gambling debts, and you only have a couple hundred bucks to your name. That ain't gonna do. Plus, you need to record a song in response to your nemesis on the East Coast who just dissed you in his latest cut. On top of that, some goons busted into your place and trashed all of your outboard gear. That's where the Alesis MultiMix 8 USB comes in.  

Gerard Barretto of Milquetoast Sounds talks about how digital recording may have adverse effects on the performance of the musician. In days past where tape was king, musicians had to be spot on, and the pressure to play the right way added to performance. Gerard aims to get that back without tossing out his Pro Tools rig.  

The Eobody2 is the interface for a massive system of MIDI trigger sensors being developed and expanded by Eowave. The sensors include basic components you might expect like rotary knobs and pressure triggers, but there's also ribbon controllers, light sensors, flex sensors, temperature sensors . . . it just gets more ridiculous from there.  

Using a sophisticated guidance computer [one assumes] The Glyph PortaGig knows when you drop it, and shuts off to protect your precious data. It also -- thanks to new advances in artificial intelligence technology -- holds a grudge.  

Once associated with "intro" level recording interfaces, M-Audio has been remaking it's own image with the Fast Track series of USB interfaces. Now, at Musikmesse, they introduce the Ultra 8R, a rack-mountable, 16x8 unit that wouldn't be out of place in a professional recording studio.  

Mackie has unleashed more U.Series mixers at Musikmesse. The U.420 continues on the tradition of making intuitive mixers that are simple to use, which is why Mackie is a big name and companies don't last very long when they strive to make obtuse mixers that are near impossible to operate.  

Solid State Logic follows up their release of Duende Mini with the Duende PCIe. This gives users a high bandwidth option for Duende integration with user workstations.  

A while ago, I stepped up and took the Focusrite Liquid Mix Challenge, and to date, nobody has claimed a higher score. I've been waiting for months for the 4PRE to arrive, but since it hasn't Focusrite can make it up to me with one of their new Liquid Mix 16's instead.  

The Yamaha AUDIOGRAM interfaces don't have all sorts of special features that set them apart from your run of the mill USB interface. However, Yamaha has a reputation for building products in almost every musical arena that get the job done.  

SM Pro Audio has put the spotlight on their V-Machines at Musikmesse. These stand-alone VST hardware units come in three different forms [V-Box, V-Pedal and V-Rack] to suit different applications.  

Numark's Musikmesse presence was strong [like the Force] with the release of their Numark MixMeister Control. It's a dedicated hardware controller that focuses heavily on making MixMeister software a breeze to use live.  

Steinberg has something to say from MusikMesse. In conjunction with Yamaha, Steinberg announces the MR816, a FireWire interface designed to integrate in exciting ways with Cubase 4.  

Gearwire's Bob DiFazio finishes his look at the Mackie Onyx Satellite and the Mackie Tracktion software included with it. Get Bob's take on the software, but not until you learn how to use insert effects and export your Tracktion tracks.  

RME is pretty amped about bringing MADI to a PCI Express Card form. They'll be showing the brand new MADIface at MusikMesse 2008.  

Through parent company SIMS Audio, INFRASONIC releases the 2x4 FireWire Interface called DEUX. Though its features seem somewhat standard, SIMS Audio makes some pretty ballsy claims about the DEUX.  

PreSonus announces the release of StudioLive, a mixer / FireWire interface that aims to revolutionize studio and live recording. Expect to see it at MusikMesse2008.  

Pretty much every interface on the market comes with some kind of DAW so that you can actually use it. Most of them come with Steinberg Cubase LE, but Mackie has the intestinal fortitude to package their Onyx Satellite with their Tracktion software.  

Gearwire's Bob DiFazio takes a look at the Mackie Onyx Satellite, a FireWire interface that detaches from and reattaches to itself. Detached, it is a simple but transportable two units. Bring the satellite back to its base, and your possibilities multiply.