Fast Track Pro 4x4 Mobile USB Audio / MIDI Interface
Okay we love this thing because it makes our lives easier. There's the Openlygeek Podcast on the way and we make it with this little box. A single USB connection gives you access to all the I/O you need for microphones and instruments like guitars, as well as MIDI- and S/PDIF-equipped digital audio gear. The microphone inputs are phantom powered. That means you can skip the pre-amp normally required to accommodate the studio-quality condenser microphones like the M-Audio Nova. The headphone input has a bbuilt-in amp as well giving you hardware direct monitoring of your wonderful voice or really bad guitar playing. Hardware direct monitoring eliminates the latency or delay inherent in even the best internal circuitry while listening to your input and existing tracks. This is important when you are listening to yourself talk. You can also monitor your input with piped in effects while recording. GT Player Express! GT Player Express software is included! This software includes a variety of effects and virtual stomp boxes that eliminate the need for a guitar amp for basic recording and practice! It even plays music of various file formats and lets you control the speed so you can learn and jam along! We told you this was simple. This is all from one small box. Ableton Live Lite 5 For the heck of it M-Audio throws in multi-award winning Ableton Live 5 software. Experience what the critics have been raving about. Live 5's revolutionary loop-based paradigm makes production as simple as dragging and dropping audio clips in real time. You can also record linear tracks, add effects, perform live remixes and much more. Whether your podcasting, producing music for video podcasts, making your own album, broadcasting your own internet radio show, or plain old having fun with music this box makes your instruments and mics and your computer and turns it all into a full fledged recording studio.....and the price....unbelievable.