Edirol UA-1A

Bought from www.edirol.com.au for AUD$240. It's a 2 in, 2 out audio interface using the USB port on either a Mac or PC. I bought it because I have a laptop and it is a cheap alternative to laptop PCMCIA cards which can be very expensive. I have Cakewalk on the laptop for my recording software, and it's only home use stuff so the 2in/out is all I need.

I like the size of this unit (small). The USB cable is easily long enough to wrap around a computer.

It only has 16 bit, 44k sample rate. This is fine for me but it might be cool to have a selection. The inputs and outputs are on RCA plugs. TRS jacks would have been cooler.
Installation! Man, USB is cool. I had it unpacked, installed and was recording audio in under 10 minutes! A record for me. No messy PCI cards or taking things to bits. The PC recognised it instantly (Toshiba laptop), found the drivers all by itself (Win98SE) and proceeded to do it's thing! It is also self powered via USB....no wall wart.

The covering is made of plastic. Bit flimsy I feel. The inputs/outputs are gold plated which is a nice touch. The USB cable is nice a strong with a metal connector.

I like this little unit. It is a great and easy to use device for getting audio in and out of a computer. For home recording where your soundcard is less than average or maybe you need portability, this unit is a winner.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This product is very simple: a USB cable a ct, the other two RCA jacks for analog audio input and two RCA jacks for analog audio output. On top of a green LED that indicates it's on. The case is powered by USB.
The package contains all in all the case and a paper user manual.
My goal to be able to make a silent. Wav from an audio cassette. With the sound card on my computer based your exact silent enough rotten (breath, wheezing, his cudgel), so I was looking for a more efficient interface. I had the choice between buying a good sound card to replace mine (there are now good from 100 euros) or buy a USB-audio interface. I chose the USB solution because it is easily dplace a PC to another.
I use the UA-1A with an AMD K6 / 2 233 MHz, 192 MB RAM, Windows 98, in short, a wheelbarrow.

UTILIZATION

When installing on W98 was without problem, the first time, the manual is well done on this. We must have the disk installed W98 because the drivers are in it. So these are standard windows drivers are used. The configuration is almost nonexistent. It says in windows if you want the incoming sound and / or its use out AU-1A, and is chosen with its software edition sound audio format you want (number of bits, d frquence 'Sampling). I use the UA-1A 16-bit 44.1 KHz Stereo, CD format what. It certainly can do other formats but I do not know the list. I record in SoundForge.

GETTING STARTED

I do not have this unit long enough to judge the stability of drivers. As I do TRANSFR used for analog audio tapes to the PC, I do not mind the latency. My application is limited the recording of a channel Stereo. The UA-1A in principle can do full duplex in Stereo.
The UA-1A fulfills its function. It converts my tapes without breath, without hum or hiss. It's really much better than the PC sound card (like low-end SB16 compatible). Consumption of 120 mA will not load the USB lot. The converter is an AKM AK4520AVF. In gnral takes AKM designs Cirrus Logic / Crystal, that is my opinion the best manufacturer of inverters, so even if the convert is old, it is correct.
The only slightly dtail that ESG is the maximum level of analogue which is a bit too low, -10 dBu. Output of my magntocassette I have to insrer a mixer for a few attnuer signal saturation or I risk my ds vumtre of magntocassette Exceeds 3 dB . I takes only 6 points because of it.

OVERALL OPINION

I pay 89 euros in a promotion. You should know that a product is deprecated. This is both expensive and cheap. It's expensive because it is made in china, plastic housing, a small printed circuit on which everything is welded or no knob switch, I would say qu'Edirol must live with such products. It's cheap because the AA seems to work well and it was so simple that must be reliable.
Today he released products that look more INTERESTED on paper, but there is still much smaller price, and we must also mfier of boxes that only work with powerful PCs and / or operating systems rcents.