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Audio Express — 6 x 6 Hybrid Firewire/USB2 interface

Feature highlights

The Audio Express provides a wealth of professional features for producing broadcast-ready audio recordings.

The Audio Express can connect to any Firewire port. Just plug in and go, with any standard cable. If your computer has FireWire Type A ports, use the included 6-pin-to-6-pin FireWire cable. If your computer has either standard Type B ports or miniature Type A ports, use the appropriate 6-pin-to-9-pin or 6-pin-to-4-pin FireWire cable (sold separately).

Hybrid Firewire/USB 2.0 connectivity

FireWire has long been recognized as a reliable, high-performance connectivity standard for professional audio interfaces. Meanwhile, high-speed USB 2.0 has also developed into a widely adopted standard for connecting audio devices to personal computers.

To fully support both formats, the Audio Express hybrid audio interface is equipped with a FireWire jack (400 Mbit/sec) and a high-speed USB 2.0 jack (480 Mbit/sec). This gives you maximum flexibility and compatibility when connecting to today’s ever-expanding universe of Mac and Windows computers.

If your computer doesn't have FireWire, you can use USB. If it has both, then the choice is yours and may depend mostly on other peripherals you have.


Audio Express mic/guitar inputs

Mic/guitar inputs

The Audio Express combo mic/guitar inputs are equipped with pristine, transparent preamps and offer individually adjustable 48V phantom power and -20 dB pad. The quarter-inch guitar jack provides high-impedance load characteristics suitable for passive and active pickups alike. For even more authentic feel and response when using virtual guitar amp and cabinet plug-ins, use a ZBox guitar impedance adapter.

Digitally controlled analog trim

The Audio Express's analog trim circuits deliver clean sound, combined with the precision of digital control. Trim is adjusted at the input, before the mixer, so it applies to all mixes. Mix levels are controlled separately from trim, so you never sacrifice sound quality for a balanced mix.

Digitally controlled analog trim
MIDI input and output

MIDI I/O

The Audio Express provides MIDI input and output featuring sample-accurate timing with supporting software. Connect a MIDI keyboard, sound module or control surface, and you are ready to go. The FireWire or USB connection to the computer carries both MIDI and audio so you don't need to connect an additional USB cable for MIDI.

Foot switch

Connect any standard momentary foot switch to trigger hands-free punch-ins during recording. Or map the foot switch to any keystrokes you wish in your host audio software.

Foot switch

SMPTE time code sync

You can resolve the Audio Express directly to SMPTE time code, without a dedicated synchronizer, via any analog input. The Audio Express provides a DSP-driven phase-lock engine with sophisticated filtering that provides fast lockup times and sub-frame accuracy. This technology represents the very latest in extremely high-performance, yet cost-effective digital audio clocking. DDS also allows the Audio Express to maintain an extremely stable clock while resolved to incoming clock sources that have substantially more jitter than the Audio Express itself.

SMPTE Console software

The included MOTU SMPTE Console™ software (for Mac OS X and Windows) provides a complete set of tools to generate SMPTE for striping, regenerating or slaving other devices to the computer. Like CueMix, the synchronization features are cross-platform and compatible with all audio sequencer software that supports the ASIO2 sample-accurate sync protocol.

SMPTE Console software
Expansion

Expansion

Add another Audio Express (or other MOTU audio interface) as your needs grow via a standard Firewire or USB 2.0 hub. The Audio Express provides driver-level support for resolving multiple interfaces with each other so that their audio streams never drift apart over time during recording or playback.


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