ProAudio Review - November 2008 - (Page 6)

first look by Dr. Frederick J. Bashour M-Audio ProFire 2626 This past summer—after redoing my control room and streamlining my digital audio life—I decided to purchase two new interfaces, one FireWire and one USB. Since I’ve had good luck with previous M-Audio interfaces (and I often use Pro Tools M-Powered), I decided on MAudio’s two newest ones, the ProFire 2626 FireWire ($899 list) and FastTrack Ultra 8R USB interfaces using the former in my control room setup, and the USB unit for remotes done via laptop. Both units feature eight top-ofthe-line M-Audio mic preamps and a sophisticated, built-in, DSP-based cue mixer; the ProFire 2626 also offers standalone operation as A/D and D/A converters while handling eight channels of ADAT/ODI digital I/O at 96 kHz, four channels at 192 kHz via S/MUX and can sync to word clock. Ins And Outs Its eight analog inputs (XLR and quarter-inch TRS balanced combo jacks) can be fed from any combination of eight phantom powered XLR mic inputs, eight quarter-inch TRS balanced line inputs, or two quarter-inch TS instrument inputs. To get to 26 channels, one can also add 16 channels of ADAT Lightpipe I/O (via its four TOSLINK ports); optical port B can also support S/PDIF. A breakout cable identical to the one used with the FireWire 1814 and the ProFire Lightbridge provides coaxial customary generic M-Audio FireWire application that “knows” which interface is connected and then comes up with an appropriate window set, the ProFire 2626 has its own comprehensive console application. There are four windows: Mixer, Router, Settings, and About. In Settings, one can change the sync source, sample rate, optical port B mode, S/MUX mode, and set the parameters the 2626 will remember when powered up in standalone mode. Users can also set the frontpanel master volume knob to control any or all of the four analog output pairs, giving the 2626 flexibility to drive a surround setup without additional equipment. The Router window contains many parameters affecting how audio is sent through the interface; each pair can be switched between analog and software returns. This is important since the 2626 allows for a maximum of 26 returns. Users can also drag the four icons at the bottom around to change the input channel order in the cue mixer. The Mixer window features an 18-input, 16-output DSP mixer, which allows users to create up to eight different stereo mixes S/PDIF, word clock, and MIDI I/O. The rear panel also contains eight quarter-inch TRS balanced outputs, two six-pin FireWire connectors and an input for its hefty 3.5 amp, 12VDC wall wart. Application I first tried the mic preamps (since they’re advertised as being something special) and, in fact, they were really nice; they offered a big, warm sound, lots of available gain, and very low noise. Now I don’t have to carry so many extra “boutique” preamps on many of my remote sessions! The S/MUX digital I/O works effectively and being able to transfer four channels of high-resolution 176.4 kHz or 192 kHz digital audio between my standalone Genex converters and a DAW is a first for Studio Dufay. The control panel deserves special mention. Rather than the from 18 hardware input sources and software returns, permitting near-zero latency cue mixes. Since there are 26 possible hardware inputs and the same number of software returns, it’s great to have such flexibility in the monitoring console application. Users can also rename the input channels to reflect actual usage. In either of the S/MUX modes, the number of active channels is reduced appropriately. One Sophisticated Interface As a super-highway of audio inputs and outputs for one’s computer, the M-Audio ProFire 2626 is one of the most sophisticated interfaces I’ve ever used. It is the best-sounding DAW interface I’ve ever owned, with converters and mic preamps of a quality that would have been undreamed of just a few years ago at this price level. I recommend it highly. For more information, please go to www.m-audio.com 6 ProAudioReview | November 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.m-audio.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ProAudio Review - November 2008

ProAudio Review - November 2008 Contents Technically Speaking First Look 2008 PAR Excellence Awards New Studio Products Studio Sense Review: Solid State Logic Matrix Review: Arsenal Audio by API R24, V14, and R20 Mini-Review Review, Second Opinion, and Benchtest Review: A-Designs HM2EQ HAMMER Review: Sontronics Sigma Phantom Powered Ribbon Microphone Analog In The Studio: Nostalgia Ain’t What It Used To Be New Live Products Worship Audio Review: Community VERIS Series Loudspeakers Installation Profile Single Slice

ProAudio Review - November 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.