EQ Magazine - August 2008 - (Page 50)

FINALLY: NO MORE EXCUSES NOT TO BACK UP You know you should back up your data (which is on a separate drive from your operating system—right?), but don’t “because it’s a hassle.” So, grab a 500GB, 750GB, or even 1TB USB 2.0 hard drive. Just before dinner, plug it into your computer, and copy over all your data. Do this at least every couple of weeks, and when your data dies a horrible death (which it will), you’ll be soooo glad everything’s backed up. You can even buy packages at office supply stores with a hard drive and backup software that makes the process even easier. SE ELECTRONICS pad, low-cut filter, and a “Mac/PC” switch that optimizes levels for the way the two platforms handle audio (there’s also a third position you can try). Sound-wise, the USB2200a is “honest” and neutral, with a smooth response over the frequency spectrum. I’d use this more for, say, piano and other acoustic instruments where I wanted a natural, warm sound. Although it records at 16-bit/ 48kHz and outputs at 24-bit/48kHz, sE claims the USB2200a will lock to 88.2/96kHz clocks with “most software, writing files as 16 bit and, with the automatic conversion (bit stuffing), 24-bit files.” Bottom line: It’s about $100 more than the non-USB version, but that buys you portability to go along with quality electronics. (WWW.SEELECTRONICS.COM) sE made a name for itself with the sE 2200a, so sE adapted the cardioid, large diaphragm, gold-sputtered 2200a to the USB2200a ($499). However, it wasn’t just a straight adaptation, and sE has added a couple ideas other manufacturers would do well to steal—I mean, emulate. Most importantly, while the USB2200a is a USB mic, it also includes an analog, XLR out (that requires +48V) so the mic’s lifetime is not tied to USB’s lifetime—good move. What’s more, both outputs are available simultaneously, so you can record straight with one out and at, say, –10 for the other as a “safety” in case of overload on the primary channel. It also includes headphone monitoring with a mix control (and headphone minijack) for zero-latency monitoring, –10dB SORTING OUT USB SPEEDS USB 1.1 is slow—good for computer peripherals, and audio interfaces up to about four channels at 44.1kHz, but that’s about it. USB 2.0 is much faster. You’d think a port labeled “Full Speed” would be USB 2.0compatible, but actually, that term applies to USB 1.0 and 1.1. USB 2.0 is called “High-Speed” and has a maximum rate of 480Mbps, as opposed to USB 1.1’s 12Mbps. Got it? Thankfully, USB devices are totally compatible. A USB 1.1 device will work with a USB 2.0 port, and a USB 2.0 device will work with a USB 1.1 port—but only at 1.1 speeds, of course. All modern Macs use USB 2.0 ports. USB has been standard on Windows machines going back to Windows 98SE, so with older machines you may not know if it has 1.1 or 2.0 ports. To find out, right-click on “My Computer” then go Properties > Hardware tab > Device Manager. Expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers tree; if you see “enhanced” for a host controller, then your computer has USB 2.0. You should also see standard controllers too, which handle 1.0 and 1.1 devices transparently. 50 EQ AUGUST 2008 www.eqmag.com http://WWW.SEELECTRONICS.COM http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - August 2008

EQ Magazine - August 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Lyrics Born, Fink, David Kahne on Working with Paul McCartney, What a Future with no Record Industry looks like Tool Box ?uestlove Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Cakewalk Sonar 7 Apple Logic Pro 8 USM Mic Round-Up USB Mics Chameleon Labs 7720 Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - August 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.