PreSonus FIREstation: FireWire Digital Recording Interface
Get ready to jump start your digital recording system with the hottest thing in computer interfaces: The PreSonus FIREstation. This innovative piece is designed to be the heart of your digital recording studio. You can plug microphones, instruments and external preamps into the analog inputs while monitoring them in realtime without latency. Any mLAN compatible keyboard can be seamlessly patched into the FireWire ports of the FIREstation to send audio and MIDI information to your computer. Need more inputs? Just daisy chain multiple FIREstations for up to 40 channels of I/O.
The Presonus FIREstation solves many of the problems associated with recording into a computer while delivering uncompromising audio quality and world class features that put it ahead of any interface in its class. As a computer recording interface, the FIREstation provides connection to the recording software environment via a high-speed FireWire connection. FireWire, the ultimate data transfer protocol, solves the problem of having to use an internal recording interface sound card or large cables connecting to a recording interface. This lets you enjoy hundreds of channels of digital audio and MIDI on one network, easy connection of additional interfaces between products and a master clock control bus that precludes the need for Word Clock distribution.
The FIREstation can also be used without a computer in 'Stand Alone Mode' where all eight channels of analog inputs are directly routed to the ADAT Lightpipe outputs and vice versa. In this mode, you can use the FIREstation simply as an eight channel A/D and D/A converter. This is a great way to add I/O to many of today's popular digital recorders and interfaces such as Digi001, MOTU 2408 and many others. In addition, all eight channels of analog inputs are simultaneously routed to the FIREstation's line mixer. The mixed signal is sent out of the main outputs as well as the headphone outputs. This allows the FIREstation to be used as a stand alone 8x2 analog line mixer. Since the dual-path preamps have balanced direct outputs in addition to the mixed main outputs, the FIREstation offers even more flexibility by allowing you to use it as an independent stereo mic preamp.
Features:- Easy interface into the computer without having to install additional PCI cards
- Bidirectional audio, MIDI and word sync information - together on a single FireWire bus
- Zero-latency monitoring of recording sources while overdubbing
- Accepts multiple formats of analog and digital inputs and outputs: balanced/unbalanced analog, ADAT and S/PDIF
- Expandable up to 40 channels I/O
- May be used as a stand-alone A/D and D/A converter as well as an 8x2 analog line mixer
- Dual-path preamps provide a tube or solid state audio path to give maximum tonal flexibility
- Built in 1x1 MIDI port to interface keyboards or other MIDI devices
- -20 dB pad
- 48V phantom power
- 12-channel analog mixer
- Two high-speed FireWire ports
- Eight channels of analog I/O
- Eight channels of ADAT I/O
- S/PDIF I/O
- Control room and headphone outputs
- External recording punch input
- Compatible with Yamaha mLAN
- Mac and PC compatible; ships with ASIO drivers for use with today's hottest audio software