When the world ends, someone somewhere will still be using an M-Audio audio interface. The company’s affordable I/O boxes have been ubiquitous for the best part of two decades, and now we have a new range to consider: the Air Series.
There are five models in the range: the Air | Hub, which is a simple monitoring interface (there are no inputs) ad 3-port USB hub, and four ‘proper’ interfaces that offer different levels of I/O. Each of these operates at 24-bit/192kHz and comes with a high-speed USB-C connection that’s said to enable round-trip latency of 2.59ms for real-time monitoring.
Each interface has a nice chunky volume knob on its top surface and contains M-Audio’s Crystal preamps. We’re also promised “pristine” A/D converters for high-quality recording.
Whichever Air interface you choose, you’ll get a decent software bundle in the box. This includes both Pro Tools | First M-Audio Edition and Ableton Live Lite, plus a range of Avid and Air Music plugins and loop content.
Prices and specs for each model are as follows:
- AIR | Hub: USB Monitoring Interface with Built-In 3-Port Hub, $69
- AIR 192|4: 2-In/2-Out 24/192 USB Audio Interface, $119
- AIR 192|6: 2-In/2-Out 24/192 USB Audio/MIDI Interface, $149
- AIR 192|8: 4-In/4-Out 24/192 USB Audio Interface, $199
- AIR 192|14: 8-In/4-Out 24/192 USB Audio Interface, $299
All of the Air Series interfaces will be released in the fourth quarter of 2019. Find out more on the M-Audio website.
Both USB audio interface and multitrack recorder, Tascam’s retro-looking Studio Bridge is designed to be the missing link between your analogue console and DAW
“Slicker than ever and although some of the improvements are quite nuanced, the incoming Sonarworks SoundID integration and monitoring extras will no doubt be suitably welcomed”: Universal Audio Apollo x8 Gen 2 review
