Recording - June 2011 - 61

- set whether the meter automatically switches to show computer audio levels when the interface senses audio playback; - swap the functions of the small lockable output gain knob and large headphone level knob; - set the outputs to only take audio from the computer, or to share the headphone signal that’s affected by the Monitor Mix control; and - lock out the input select buttons. These settings cover a lot of functions and really let you tailor the USBPre 2 to work the way you need it to during a gig. This design also reflects the unit’s partlyinterface, partly-standalone nature by being completely independent of a computer. There’s no control panel application and no software-switchable features. In use The USBPre 2’s stated frequency response is flat (±0.5 dB) out to 40 kHz, 3 dB down at 65 kHz. From my listening tests with high-resolution audio files, I see no reason to doubt these claims; the D/A conversion on this box is just gorgeous, and really takes things up a level from budget-grade converters. While the overall quality of D/A continues to improve every year, the USBPre 2 really is something special. In practical terms, I found the preamps to be very clear and honest, providing

good results from condenser and dynamic mics on a variety of acoustic instruments and on my vocals. I would recommend being a little cautious when using these pres with mics that require a lot of really clean gain, such as vintage passive ribbons; while the spec sheet claims 80 dB of available gain, to my ears the pres get audibly noisy when you crank them all the way up. In an early test, my noise floor measurement with the gain set to minimum was about –70 dB, whether with nothing plugged in at all or with a 150 ohm dummy load; this turned out to be a DC offset problem, and a firmware update (version 4.01 in a prerelease version) fixed it handily, bringing the noise floor below –90 dB. Sound Devices earns major points for a fast and helpful followup here! Once that one question mark was sorted out, everything else worked as advertised. The Loop function that brings an audio channel out of the computer and sends it back into the interface for use with reference tones worked like a treat, the ability to configure output levels and routing was delightful, and those meters... oh, those meters... they reminded me of why we use meters in the first place, and why good ones are so fantastic while bad ones can be worse than no meters at all. They pretty much spoiled me after years of

reviewing interfaces with two- or threestep LED ladders that barely do more than show “signal present” or “clipping”. Final thoughts The USBPre 2 is designed with performance in mind—it offers a whole slate of features that most entry-level recording musicians don’t yet know enough to ask for but which experienced engineers adore, especially in field work. Being able to quickly check your inputs in mono, control routing of zero-latency monitor signal vs. what goes to your DAW, and see what’s going on with real meters... those are things the field recording expert expects not as luxuries but as necessities, and the USBPre 2 delivers. All in all, this is a timely update to a well-respected device, with its capabilities as a standalone preamp and converter (especially its luscious D/A) just adding value to a very rugged and feature-rich interface. If you’re going to be doing a lot of remote recording and want an interface that works with you rather than making you figure out ways to work around it, give the USBPre 2 a listen. Price: $649 More from: Sound Devices, www.sounddevices.com.

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Recording - June 2011

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