Products of Interest

iConnectivity Audio Interfaces

The iConnectMIDI 2+ is a MIDI and audio interface made by iConnectivity and designed for use with iOS devices (see Figure 1). The interface can be used with two computers simultaneously and these can be Macintosh or Windows computers, or iOS devices. An audio passThru feature allows the user to route audio between computers without signal degradation. This means that effect or plug-in parameters on a digital audio workstation (DAW) could be controlled through an iPhone or iPad.

Two MIDI inputs and outputs are provided, with ten ports of 16 channels on each port. A Port Manager software application is provided to control the MIDI routings for Macintosh, Windows, and iOS devices. The interface is plug and play, and bus powered. An optional adapter is available for charging iOS devices. A 5-ft, 30-pin cable for use with iOS devices and a USB-A to USB-B cable for computers is included with purchase. The interface measures 4.17 × 1.46 × 2.76 in and weighs 0.69 lbs.

The iConnectMIDI 4+ was also planned for release at the time of writing. Four MIDI inputs/outputs are provided, along with a USB host port for use with up to eight further MIDI devices. An Ethernet port allows the interface, and any connected devices, to be controlled over a network. On this larger interface, up to three different computer devices can be used concurrently, with audio passThru capable of routing audio between any of them. The iConnect-MIDI 4+ measures 8.43 × 1.46 × 5.51 in and weighs 2.13 lbs.

Figure 1.

The iConnectMIDI 2 + MIDI and audio interface.

The iConnectMIDI 2+ is listed for US$ 99.99 and the iConnect-MIDI 4+ for US$ 249.99. Contact: iConnectivity; telephone (+1) 403-536-8271; electronic mail sales@iconnectivity.com; Web iconnectivity.com/.

Yamaha Nuage Modular Console System

The Nuage Console from Yamaha is a flexible modular console system with Steinberg Nuendo 6 integration. The user can combine Fader and Master control surface module units with a choice of three different audio interfaces, a PCI-Express Dante Accelerator card, a hardware synchronizer, standard keyboard, monitors, and 19-in rackmount units, with large and small workspace units.

The Fader unit gives the user direct access to all Nuendo functions. It has 16 touch-sensitive 100-mm faders, a monitor and transport section, and high-resolution OLED displays. A 24-in LCD monitor display can be used to give visual feedback of the physical fader channel strips in the Nuendo mixer window. Touch sliders are provided for navigating between channels and banks, and channels can be color-coded. Each channel strip has two touch-sensitive knobs with integrated push buttons. Up to four HUI-compatible DAWs can be connected to the console. A DAW select control on the Fader unit is used to switch between DAWs.

The Master unit includes a precision-machined, solid stainless steel, high-resolution jog wheel (see Figure 2). The transport controls are located above the jog wheel and the control section is also within easy reach on this unit. A user-assignable section is included for customized access to functions and parameters. It also includes a touch-screen display, with eight touch-sensitive multi-function knobs for control of parameters, plug-ins, and effects. A single Master unit can be used with up to three Nuage Fader units.

Figure 2.

The Master module from Yamaha’s Nuage modular console system.

The user can choose from three types of audio interface: a 16-channel analog, 16-channel digital, or a combination 8-channel analog/8-channel digital interface. The interfaces include BNC, AES/EBU connectors, and support for the sample-accurate Virtual Studio Technology (VST) System link. The console operates at a sampling rate of 192 kHz and sample depth of 24 bits. It uses JetPLL jitter reduction and its latency is below the perception threshold, thanks to the DSP hardware and True Integrated Monitoring technology used. A hardware synchronizer, the Sync-Station, provides sample-accurate timecode synchronization. A PCI-Express Dante Accelerator...