TECH NOVATION NIO 2/4 Keep an eye on the levels
Hands on controls for monitoring mixes
Record vocalists through the mic input
Two headphone outputs with independent volume controls
SPECS
Novation have crammed so much recording goodness into the Nio, it’s just too handy to ignore. THE first thing about the Nio that hits home is how solid and satisfying it is in the flesh (or rather plastic) than in pictures. The casing is chunky and tough with knobs firmly in place and the underside sits steady on any surface thanks to the rubber grip: put Nio down, and it will stay put. A quick rundown of the Nio’s features reveals it to be a versatile little blighter. The stereo input can be switched between recording from the RCA line inputs or from the mic/instrument /¼” line jacks. The four outputs are arranged as stereo pairs of RCA jacks, ideal for connecting to DJ mixers and hi-fi equipment. Midi in and out are on hand for talking to hardware synths and studio gear. The Nio has been designed to provide controls on the box to access its features. A smart move on the part of Novation, this makes for a faster, smoother workflow in the studio and live.
MANY WAYS IN The microphone input is different to that of the Xio synth. Novation informed me that it’s a step up in terms of recording quality and the XLR input supplies +48v phantom power for studio condenser mics.
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The dual headphone outputs and flexible monitoring proved invaluable for recording vocals. We could hear the vocals and music with zero latency lag, and adjust the volume level to suit our needs. Nio is the ideal companion for the virtual DJ. The dual stereo outputs are perfect for streaming tracks to a hardware mixer or for internal mixing, and using the second channel for headphone monitoring. When tested with Traktor it worked flawlessly; with an ultra low latency of 1ms on the MacBook, it was as good as mixing with CDs.
Continuing on the software tip, the Xcite pack adds even more value to the equation and together you get a decent chunk of software studio for not a lot of coinage.
BUILT QUALITY EASE OF USE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY SOUND QUALITY
Novation aren’t content with just selling us a damn good sound card: instead, they’ve upped the ante by throwing in the Nio FX rack. This is their first product to contain the collection of 20 plugin FX units, drawn from their Supernova synth, Focusrite recording suite and new Overloud guitar models. Accessed through the standalone FX Rack software, they match any hardware FX rack as far as latency goes. Apart from the superb guitar simulators, there’s also the excellent set from Focusrite, covering the essentials of EQ, compression, gating and reverb, while the Supernova
5.0 4.5 4.5 5.0 5.0
HYPE
A versatile soundcard with all kinds of inputs for the studio, outputs ideal for virtual DJ software and a bonus set of effect plugins.
GRIPE
Hard to fault at this price, but VST/AU plugins cannot be automated.
An absolute bargain for studio production and digital DJs. TECH VERDICT (OUT OF 5)
CONTACT novationmusic.com 0149 446 2246 TECH SPECS * USB 1 audio interface * Two inputs and four RCA outputs * Dual headphone outputs * XLR mic input * Midi in/out * Nio FX rack and Xcite software pack
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VERDICT
MORE THAN YOUR AVERAGE BOX
PRICE £149
5.0
* Audio recording at
44.1/48khz, 24-bit
* Headphone and monitor
controls on box for ease of use * Nio FX rack features 20 plugins from Focusrite, Novation Supernova plus guitar distortion and amp simulators by Overloud * Nio FX rack can be used live with ultra low latency, or as VST/AU plugin * Xcite software collection features Lite versions of Ableton Live 6, Novation’s own Bass Station, Guru and BFD for drums, Arturia Analogue Factory SE, Waldorf collection and a gig of drum samples * Mac and PC compatible * Weight: 633g * Dimensions: 45.4 x 144 x 149mm
words MARC ‘01’
BANG THE BOX
suite resurrects the multi-mode filter, chorus, flange, phase and delay. The rack is easy to use and lets the user pile on the plug-ins to build up processing chains and save them as presets for recall. As well as the obvious guitar angle, this rack is perfect for vocalists and MCs who want a better sound. Best of all, the effects are now accessible for producers in the form of VST and AU plugins for use with Cubase, Logic etc. The only minor niggle was that we couldn’t find a way to automate any of the parameters.
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22/1/08 00:45:51