IK Multimedia AXE I/o

review
IK MULTIMEDIA AXE I/O
104
Guitarist auGust 2019
The secret sauce is the
Z-Tone knob, which
changes the input
impedance and can
undertake dramatic
tonal shading
In Use
Connect the AXE I/O to your computer
via USB, set it as the preferred interface
for the software you’re using, connect
some monitoring – and you’re ready to go!
Two sets of rear-panel line outputs can
connect to powered monitors or any other
monitoring setup, but if you prefer to be
using headphones, there’s a socket right on
the front panel with its own volume knob.
Another front panel knob adjusts where
you’re hearing the sound from: fully left,
it offers the direct sound at the input; fully
right, you get the sound coming from your
DAW. Blends between the two could help
combat any audible delays through round-
trip latency, but we experienced no latency
issues at all in use. If you want to record
microphones or line level inputs, there’s a
pair of XLR/6.4mm combi sockets on the
rear panel with switchable 48-volt phantom
power for condenser mics.
While we get good results from using
mics and line inputs, with each channel’s
levels easily set by a gain knob allied to
a five-way LED ladder, it’s really the
guitar recording that we’re most keen to
THE RIVALS
New to the market is the Audient Sono (£419),
which the company describes as “the ultimate
audio interface for guitarists and musicians”.
It combines Audient’s analogue recording
technology with speaker-cab simulation from
Two Notes and features a built-in 12AX7 valve
and three-band tone control. Elsewhere, the
Line 6 HX Stomp (£429) is an amp and effects
processor that’ll sit on your tabletop offering
a two-in/two-out USB audio connection for
recording. If you’re looking for something less
expensive, however, maybe as an easy entry
into computer-based recording, the Focusrite
Scarlett Solo (£85) features a mic input, an
input for guitars, plus monitoring via line
outputs and headphones.
6. Round the back you’ll
fi nd all you need for
connecting things other
than guitar, sending
audio out and adding
MIDI control
4. Here’s where you can
set up the Preset knob
function and the two
controller inputs. Set
behaviour, MIDI channel,
MIDI CC #, minimum and
max values and more…
3. Push the switch to access
the tuner. While it’s good
to see a tuner fi tted to
an audio interface, we
wouldn’t abandon our
regular tuner for this
rudimentary one
5. This app offers more
sophisticated monitoring
than the unit’s front
panel and lets you
change the sample rate,
set up routings and
adjust levels
investigate. The second guitar channel
simply has a gain knob, but the main guitar
channel offers the adjustable input choices,
the first setting being for active or passive
pickups. Beyond this, you have a choice of
two different preamp topologies: the Pure
setting gives you the cleanest signal path
possible, while JFET is designed to add
colour and harmonics to the guitar signal.
It’s a subtle difference, but it’s good to have
that choice.
The secret sauce here, though, is the
Z-Tone knob, which changes the input
impedance and can undertake more
dramatic tonal shading. The knob is marked
from Sharp to Bold and that pretty much
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GIT448.rev_ik_axe.indd 104 13/06/2019 11:28