Better Mobile Audio
FireWire
FireWire devices have become the de facto pro audio standard for laptops. Choices range from simple, musician-oriented boxes like the PreSonus Inspire and Firebox to devices like MOTU's cross-platform UltraLite FireWire. This packs a lot into a half-rack size aluminum box: eight analog ins (with two mic pres and +48V phantom power), ten TRS outs, an 8-bus mixer, and SMPTE time code sync.
Mackie's Onyx Satellite gives a unique twist to the FireWire interface concept, as it actually is a combined desktop and laptop interface with a "dock" and "pod." You make all your connections from your desktop to the dock, which has input selection, routing, and monitoring facilities. But when you need to do mobile recording, the pod part lifts out and contains all the necessary controls and jacks for recording on the go.
The Onyx Satellite "pod" (the oval section in the middle of the dock) lifts out of the dock for mobile recording.
Yet another option, TC Electronic's Konnekt 24D, has analog, digital, and MIDI I/O. But it also includes on-board DSP with reverb, equalization, and dynamics control; you can use this while recording or playback, and of course, it doesn't load down your host.
Interface Software
Most of these applications include some kind of mixing applet that lets you route audio to and from your host program. In the process, they often include a feature called "zero-latency monitoring." This lets you monitor the various input signals at the interface's audio output, rather than monitoring from the output of the computer. The advantage is that you then hear the audio without any latencies introduced by the computer, but the downside is that you won't hear any processing done within the computer (e.g., plug-ins). For example, if you plug a guitar into an interface and use an amp simulator plug-in, with zero-latency monitoring you'll only hear the dry guitar signal.
The applet for TC Electronic's Konnekt 24D shows the various inputs and outputs. There are also send controls, and the option to insert processors in the signal path.
FireWire devices have become the de facto pro audio standard for laptops
Wrapping Up
The world of audio interfaces is always in flux, and we've just touched
on the highlights here. But suffice it to say that when you match a
quality interface with your LiveBook, you'll have audio fidelity and
capabilities that would have cost tens of thousands of dollars (if not
hundreds of thousands of dollars) only a few decades ago. Let's hear it
for progress!
Copyright 2006 by Craig Anderton and licensed to Rain Recording. All rights reserved.
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