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E-MU 0204 The recently released 0204 USB audio interface from E-MU replaces the company’s existing 0202 and features

24-bit/192kHz AD/DA convertors, a headphone output that doubles as an auxiliary 24-bit stereo out, plus two mic preamps with 60dB of gain. Compatible with both Mac and Windows PCs, it comes bundled with a copy of Acoustica

Mixcraft LE 4. £130, www.emu.com

M-AUDIO PROFIRE 2626 First released in 2008 but still selling strongly, the Pro Tools-compatible ProFire 2626 offers eight combination XLR/jack inputs with a 20dB pad per channel, eight balanced jack outputs,

two optical I/O ports and a breakout connector to add MIDI, word clock and S/PDIF. There are two headphone outs and it comes with management software, so all ins and outs can be assigned via a matrix system.

£400, www.maudio.co.uk

Studio Essentials

Our regular look at the best equipment buys on the market.

This month: audio interfaces

FOCUSRITE SAFFIRE PRO 14 Picking up nine stars when we reviewed it in Issue 91, the PRO 14 is the most affordable FireWire-based interface in Focusrite’s range. It features four jack inputs, four jack outputs, MIDI in/out and RCA S/PDIF connections in addition to the FireWire port. It has two DI sockets but only the one heaphone socket; sound quality is great and latency is impressively low. £200, www.focusrite.com

TASCAM US-800 With six microphone preamps, two XLR/ TS jack inputs, four XLR/TRS jack inputs, 16-channel MIDI I/O, coaxial S/PDIF and two headphone sockets – and coming bundled with a copy of Cubase 5 LE –

this USB 2.0 interface from Tascam represents great value for money. It’s an ideal choice for location recordists thanks to its compact and lightweight form – which is another reason why it picked up eight stars in Issue 93

£249, www.tascam.co.uk

SOUNDBYTES Pioneer gets it white Pioneer has extended its DJ range with new pearl-white versions of its CDJ350 CD deck and DJM-350 mixer.The CDJ-350W retails for €650, while the DJM-350W will cost you €550. More info at www.pioneerdj.com

12 | February 2011 magazine

SOUNDBYTES The Montavillian of the piece New from Catalinbread comes the Montavillian Echo pedal, which its maker says has been designed to offer as clean a signal path as possible. There’s a selectable delay of 50–600ms and a low-pass filter. It costs $160. More at www.catalinbread.com Tiny Kemper

New ‘profiling amplifier’ unveiled

Launching at the NAMMShow in Anaheim and expected to hit stores within the next couple of months, the Profiling Amplifier from German manufacturer Kemper takes the concept of ampmodelling to a new level, as its clever technology gives the user the ability to ‘teach’ his or her Kemper amp the sound of any other amplifier.

This means that, as well as a range of classic amps, the Kemper can be used as a replacement for an existing favourite amplifier – to save taking an expensive classic out on the road, perhaps, because you want to keep the sound but sell the amp, or simply to bring its sound more readily into the digital realm.

The lunchbox-size device also features a stompbox section, a master FX section and a set of parameters for further tweaking amp profiles. Pricing was still TBC as we went to press. Web  http://kemper-amps.com

SOUNDBYTES Everybody needs a Theremin Few electronic instruments make a sound as distinctive as the Theremin. If you’ve got a whole lotta love for this classic noise-maker (see what we did there?), you’ll be pleased to hear that the BTS SuperTheremin VST plug-in is now available for free to Windows users. More info at http://blechturmstudios.at

Veteran producer joins the SAE team WELCOME TO PLANET EPPS

Stuart Epps has worked with some of the biggest stars in music: Elton John, George Harrison, Led Zeppelin, George Michael and Oasis are just some of the A-list names that litter his production CV. However advanced your own production skills may be, we seriously doubt there are many Music Tech readers who couldn’t learn something from the man!

So news that Mr Epps is now joining the teaching staff at SAE Online really is quite exciting. Students signing up for his Music Production: The Epps Factor ‘VIP signature course’ can expect to benefit from the knowledge he’s picked up during some 40-plus years in the music business during a four-week course covering all aspects of music production, from booking studio time and setting budgets to the final mixdown and dealing with clients (and their egos).

The course costs £382. Contact Via website Web http://online.sae.edu

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magazine November 2010 | 15