Pushing the limits of what an audio interface can be, Tascam announced the FireOne in January 2007 with a retail price of £209 inc.vat.
Digital Village can now offer this popular FireWire interface in-store, online and via telephone mail-order for £94.99 inc.vat - probably the best FireWire Audio Interface deal in Europe!
The Tascam Fire One is a FireWire Audio Interface with shortcut
keys and a weighted & illuminated jog wheel to inspire creative
interaction. The FireOne is the first stereo
audio interface in its class that records two mic ins and two outs over
FireWire at 192kHz/24-bit audio resolution.
The unique feature of the FireOne is the large, weighted, backlit jog wheel, which allows
musicians to zip through their song while the backlight provides useful
feedback such as a visual metronome.
The FireOne features a pair of mic inputs with phantom power
and pad switches. A front panel guitar input allows convenient direct
recording of guitar or bass. MIDI input and output are also provided
for 16 channels of MIDI. It's the first FireWire interface in its class
to record and play at up to 192kHz/24-bit resolution. It includes
multitrack recording software, so you'll be set to go right out of the
box.
The main features of the Tascam FireOne include:
- 2-in / 2-out FireWire Audio Interface
- Up to 192kHz/24-bit audio resolution
- Two XLR mic inputs with phantom power and pad
- 1/4" high impedance input for recording guitar direct
- Two 1/4" stereo headphone outputs
- Weighted, backlit jog wheel
- Transport control keys: rewind, fast-forward, stop, play,
record
- Headphone output with level control
- Eight DAW shortcut keys
- Stereo LED meter
- MIDI in and out
- 1/4" Footswitch input
- Buss powered through the FireWire connection or use the
included power supply
Tascam FireOne Review of Reviews
“Is it merely more of the same or should it command your attention?” asks Mac User’s Jonathan Wilson. “It certainly makes a good case for itself,” he answers. “It’s small and portable. It has two mic/line combo jacks, plus a switchable front-panel Hi-Z input for direct recording of guitars. It has phantom power and -18dB pad switches on both channels. It can currently record at 24-bit/96kHz resolution. It has MIDI input/output on board, transmitting MTC. It has two headphone sockets with dedicated volume controls, allowing the engineer and the talent to have separate cue feeds. And there’s the price: under £200.“
How about under £100 from DV, Jonathan?
“Recording with FireOne is straightforward.The sound quality coming back from FireOne is fine: acceptably professional..... FireOne feels like the digital descendant of the cassette Portastudios. It captures the same sense of an enabling product, laying core functions out for the user in an easy-to-operate form. FireOne offers a good balance between utility and simplicity and only the desire for more inputs and outputs may necessitate an upgrade for most users.”
Sound On Sound’s John Walden comments, “When it comes to audio and MIDI interfaces, we’re spoiled for choice these days. There are products to suit almost any budget and whatever I/O format is required, and most of the current crop of audio interfaces are capable of making clean recordings, provided that due care and attention is paid to the rest of the signal chain. So how do manufacturers make their products distinctive and attractive to potential purchasers?”
“Audio quality aside, the obvious answer is the specific combination of features and the price. In some cases, this aims particular products at a certain niche – and I think Tascam’s FireOne is just such a product. As well as offering MIDI I/O and a two-in/two-out FireWire audio format, it’s also a control surface with a very compact size.”
“A unique feature of the unit is its large, weighted, backlit jog wheel, which allows musicians to zip through their song while the backlight provides useful feedback such as a visual metronome,” writes Grga Curkovic in the Croation-based IT-Review. “Aside from the shortcut controls, the FireOne is the first stereo audio interface in its class that records two mic ins and two outs over FireWire at 192kHz/24-bit audio resolution… The edit control interface makes it a perfect choice for video editing applications like Final Cut Pro and Premiere.”
Reviews sampled: Mac User, July 2007, www.macuser.co.uk / Sound On Sound, November 2007, www.soundonsound.com / IT-Review, January 2007, www.It-review.net