Metric Halo Mobile I/O ULN-2

Metric Halo announces the immediate availability of the new Mobile I/O ULN-2 Expanded Mic Pre, Processor and FireWire interface. Powered by Metric Halo’s new onboard 2d Processing Card and Version 5 of the MIO Driver and MIO Console software, the ULN-2 Expanded may be operated as a FireWire recording/mixing interface or as a fully standalone 24-bit/96kHz mic pre/converter system complete with processing.

The ULN-2 Expanded provides two analog inputs with boutique-quality, ultra-low noise (EIN is –132 dBu @ 50 Ohms), ultra-high gain (72dB) preamps. Version 5 MIO software, included with the ULN-2 Expanded, provides Metric Halo’s exclusive Character processing, which selectively adds fifteen different flavors of euphonic low-order distortions found in classic analog devices to the inputs and mix busses of the system.

Both input paths include balanced analog inserts. The ULN-2 Expanded also includes two analog outputs, a stereo control room/headphone output with individual level controls, AES/SPDIF I/O with SRC, front panel metering and Word Clock I/O. Newly added ADAT implementation makes the ULN-2 Expanded a 12-in/14-out interface and includes optical SPDIF support (independently switchable on both input and output) with asynchronous SRC for the optical SPDIF input.

The integrated 2d Processing, based upon new, next-generation DSP, offers 5.5 times the available processing power of the original Metric Halo +DSP implementation, while an SIMD engine enables an additional doubling in power for certain operations, such as mixing. The ULN-2 Expanded is the only unit in its class with an on-board processing engine that supports fully instantiable processing, providing full access to Metric Halo’s signal processing effects without sacrificing the computer’s processing power or introducing any additional latency in the monitor path.

The ULN-2 Expanded includes a bundle of basic production plug-ins, including MIOStrip (a full-featured channel strip with Gate, Compressor and six-band EQ), HaloVerb, Mid-Side Decoder, Sample Delay and Dither. MIO Console Version 5 features a brand-new customizable mixer as well as unified control of all the mixing and processing resources of all connected Mobile I/O Expanded hardware.

Flexible signal routing and sophisticated patch and preset management systems are also featured in the ULN-2 Expanded, including a front panel, ten-preset register for standalone operation. In standalone mode, the ULN-2 operates with the converters directly routed to and from the AES/SPDIF I/O, ADAT or TOSLINK. It also functions as a digital monitor controller.

The balanced analog insert in each input path allows the ULN-2 Expanded to be used as a standalone analog mic pre/direct box. Alternatively, the sends may be used as an active splitter to drive a backup recorder or to patch in analog dynamics processing between the mic pres and integrated converters.

This single rack space interface may be run entirely from a laptop computer FireWire bus or from any DC power source (9V-30V), making it truly and completely mobile.

MSRP for the Mobile I/O ULN-2 Expanded is US $1,695.

For more information, visit their web site at www.mhlabs.com.