Recording & Production

n nThe U-CONTROL UCA222 from Behringer is a low-cost solution for getting audio in and out of a computer. The USB 1.1 interface is USB bus powered and features two analog RCA phono inputs for connecting any line-level device, such as a mixer or tape deck, and two analog RCA phono outputs for connecting active speakers or studio monitors. n nThe interface also provides a stereo S/PDIF output on an optical connector. Headphone monitoring is via a stereo mini-jack with a dedicated volume control. No special setup or additional drivers are required, and wide computer operating system compatibility is available for both the Mac and Windows platforms. The interface includes a large selection of audio software. n n

The Behringer Firepower FCA1616 is a 16x16 FireWire/USB 2.0 audio/MIDI interface that offers a rich feature set and plentiful I/O options for a surprisingly low price. The unit sports 4 front-panel mic/instrument combo jacks—equipped with Behringer's top-of-the-line XENYX microphone preamps—as well as 4 balanced line inputs, 8 balanced line outputs, and MIDI in and out jacks on the rear-panel. Digital I/O includes TOSlink optical in and out connectors, which support up to 8 channels of ADAT, 4 channels of S/MUX, or 2 channels of S/PDIF. A pair of RCA jacks are also included for S/PDIF. When both analog and digital I/O are utilized, the unit is capable of streaming 16 inputs and 16 outputs simultaneously. If you want to expand the channel count, the optional Behringer ADA8000, an 8-Channel A/D and D/A converter equipped with 8 mic preamps and an ADAT interface, can be easily integrated. Each front-panel input channel is equipped with an input-level control knob, a 48V phantom power switch, a switch for a low-cut filter (great for preventing the pickup of low-end rumble), and a Hi-Z switch with an LED indicator. When activated, the Hi-Z switch sets the input to handle high-impedance sources like guitars and basses.  

The U-PHORIA UMC204HD from Behringer is a two input, four output, USB 2.0 audio interface that features MIDAS-designed preamps. Powered from the USB bus, the cross platform interface includes zero-latency direct monitoring for recording, LED indicators for status, signal and clipping, and a dedicated headphone output with volume control and a monitor A/B source select for DJ-style cueing. Connectivity includes a pair of XLR/TRS combo inputs, while the outputs feature two 1/4" TRS and four RCA phono connectors. A pair of 1/4" TRS insert allow for processing using external effects. Dedicated MIDI input and output terminals provide additional MIDI connectivity and global phantom power is available for use with condenser microphones. Free software downloads are available on registering the item.