IK Multimedia – Axe I/O Solo

Compact Audio Interface with Advanced Guitar Tone Shaping – Best-in-Class Guitar Recording Starts Here:
– Axe I/O, IK’s award-winning audio interface, set a new standard for guitar-oriented recording interfaces. Now Axe I/O Solo brings the same great tone shaping, convenient features and premium sound to everyone, everywhere, in a compact and affordable 2-in / 3-out format.

Key Features:
– 2-In / 3-Out USB Audio Interface
– Active/Passive Pick-Up Selector
– Pure and JFET Input Stages
– Z-Tone Impedance-Adapting Circuit
– Amp Out for Reamplification or Tone Modeling Using Tonex for Mac/PC
– High-Resolution, Class-A Mic Preamp
– 24-Bit, 192-kHz Sound Quality
– Wide Frequency Response Ideal for Instruments
– Best-in-Class Analog/Digital Conversion
– Ultra-Low Noise Floor for High-Gain Recording
– Designed and Made in Italy

Axe I/O Solo Combines IK’s 2 Decades of Innovation in Analog Modeling and Hardware Design to Make Recording Guitar Faster, Easier and Better Than Ever.

Your Guitar’s Golden Channel:
– Axe I/O Solo offers a triple-topology instrument input designed to preserve your guitar’s unique character, combined with powerful tone-shaping features to adapt to any guitar or bass, and helps you coax a wider range of sounds from any instrument.

Pick Your Pickup:
– Passive: Designed to accommodate everything from low-output vintage pickups to hotter modern humbuckers with ultra-low noise and extended frequency response
– Active: Bypasses unnecessary gain stages when using active pickups, to keep your signal path as direct, transparent and clean as possible

Choose your channel:
– Pure: A completely transparent and ultra-accurate preamp circuit that won’t color your sound in any way
– JFET: A Class A JFET input buffer for subtle harmonic enhancement, midrange focus and warmth

– Axe I/O Solo also offers IK’s patent-pending Z-Tone circuit, letting you dial in impedance from 1 M Ohm (“sharp”) down to 2.2 k Ohms (“bold”) that interacts with your pickups.
– At the maximum impedance, you’ll find your sound tighter, sharper and more precise. Increase the load and the sound becomes thicker and bolder.
– You’ll quickly find yourself using these controls to give your guitars even more sonic character with just a few minutes’ experimentation you can dial in a sound that fits the mix beautifully.

Pure Mic Preamp for Transparent Recording:
– Axe I/O Solo offers a high-definition, Class A mic preamp designed for transparent and clean recording. An extended, flat frequency response captures the full tonal range of your voice or instrument without coloring the sound, and best-in-class dynamic range ensures ultra-quiet recordings.

Tone Modeling and Reamplification Made Easy:
– Axe I/O Solo also includes a dedicated Amp Out so you can create the perfect tone models of your amps and pedals using Tonex for Mac/PC. Or process your recorded tracks using real guitar amps and stomps without the need for external accessories (and without having to unplug your gear). This low-noise output also eliminates ground loops during amplification and tone modeling to keep your high-gain amps as quiet as possible.
– It’s simple: Connect the Amp Out to your amp, then mic it up using Axe I/O Solo’s microphone preamp. Now you can create a perfect tone model using Tonex for Mac/PC. Capture a clean copy of your signal while recording and feed it back to your amp afterwards to experiment with different amp, stompbox and microphone settings without re-recording countless takes.

A Truly High-End Audio Interface for Everybody:
– The original Axe I/O set a high bar for sound quality. Axe I/O Solo preserves the best-in-class dynamic range, ultra-low self-noise and wide, extended frequency response essential to capturing the most accurate details of your performance, and for keeping your sound completely pure and transparent.
– Axe I/O Solo offers separate master & headphone volume and a monitor knob to blend direct signals and the audio from your computer for zero-latency monitoring.
– 24-bit, 192-kHz conversion and an ultra-stable, low-jitter internal clock ensures the highest fidelity, delivering truly professional-grade recordings for everyone.

Advanced Digital Control & Routing:
– Axe I/O Solo also includes a powerful, convenient Control Panel application to manage inputs & outputs and assign routing & controller inputs.
– In the Interface tab, you can view the active inputs, enable phantom power and control the ground lift to dial in the least noise for your setup. Adjust output volume, direct-monitoring routing, select the sample rate and more.
– The Controller tab gives you control over the 2 controller inputs. Set behavior, MIDI channel, MIDI CC #, minimum and maximum values, and more, to dial in the best settings for any application you want to control.
– The Axe I/O Solo Control Panel lets you keep focused on your work, instead of adjusting settings on the unit itself, for a faster, freer workflow.

Specs:

Common
– AD and DA Resolution: 24-Bit
– Sampling Rate: 44.1 kHz | 48 kHz | 88.2 kHz | 96 kHz | 176.4 kHz | 192 kHz
– Host Connection: USB Type-B Receptacle | USB 2.0 (High Speed)

Line Outputs 1 – 2 (Monitor)
– Configuration: Electronically balanced and floating, automatically compensates level when connection is balanced or unbalanced, tip hot
– Output Impedance: 150 Ohms balanced, 75 Ohms unbalanced
– Output Level: 0 dBFS corresponds to +13.5 dBu
– Frequency Response: From 1 Hz to 46 kHz within 0.5 dB (96-kHz sample rate)
– Dynamic Range: 113 dB(A)
– THD @ -1 dBFS: 0.001%
– THD+N: -103 dB(A) at -1 dBFS
– Channels 1 – 2 Crosstalk: 112 dB(A)

Output 3 (Amp Output)
– Configuration: Unbalanced, floating, with selectable ground lift
– Output Impedance: 75 Ohms
– Output Level: 0 dBFS corresponds to -3 dBu
– Frequency Response: From 20 Hz to 42 kHz within 0.5 dB (96-kHz sample rate)
– Dynamic Range: 106 dB(A)
– THD+N: -93 dB(A)

Headphones Out
– Output Impedance: Virtually ideal source (0 Ohms) until clipping
– Maximum Output Level: +9 dBu into 50 Ohms load (Approx 95 mW)
– Frequency Response: From 1 Hz to 42 kHz within 0.5 dB (96-kHz sample rate)
– Dynamic Range: 111 dB(A)
– THD+N: -102 dB(A)

Instrument Input
– Configuration: Multiple-topology instrument preamp
– Input Impedance, Passive Mode: Variable from 1 M Ohms down to 2.2 k Ohms
– Input Impedance, Active Mode: 10 k Ohms
– Input Level, Min Gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a +12.5 dBu signal at the TS input
– Input Level, Max Gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a -19 dBu signal at the TS input
– Frequency Response: From 6 Hz to 42 kHz within 0.5 dB (96-kHz sample rate)
– Dynamic Range: 117 dB(A)
– THD, Pure Mode: 0.002% (-1 dBFS input)
– THD, JFET Mode: 0.5%

Mic Input
– Configuration: Class-A discrete differential microphone preamp, pin 2 hot
– Input Impedance: 4 k Ohms differential
– Input Level, Min Gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a +9 dBu signal at the XLR input
– Input Level, Max Gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a -44 dBu signal at the XLR input
– Frequency Response: From 7 Hz to 32 kHz within 0.5 dB (96-kHz sample rate)
– Dynamic Range: 116 dB(A)
– THD+N: -104 dB(A) at -10 dBFS

Line Input
– Configuration: Class-A discrete differential line receiver, tip hot
– Input Impedance: 20 k Ohms differential
– Input Level, Min Gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a +26 dBu signal at the TRS input
– Input Level, Max Gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a -27 dBu signal at the TRS input
– Frequency Response: From 7 Hz to 32 kHz within 0.5 dB (96-kHz sample rate)
– Dynamic Range: 117 dB(A)
– THD+N: -104 dB(A) at -10 dBFS

Connections and Controls:

Front Panel
– 1 x 1/4″ Instrument Input Jacks
– 2 x Analog Potentiometers for Input Gain
– 2 x 5-Segment Input Level Meter (Peak)
– Analog Potentiometers for Z-Tone Control
– Pick-Up Selector (Passive/Active)
– Preamp Topology Selector (JFET/Pure)
– +48 V Phantom Power Switch
– USB LEDs
– MIDI In/Out LEDs
– Monitor Knob
– 1/4″ Headphones Output Jack
– Master Potentiometer for Main Output Control
– 1/4″ Amp Output Jack

Rear Panel
– MIDI I/O 5-Pin DIN Connectors
– B-Type USB Socket for Connecting a Computer (Mac/PC)
– 2 x 1/4″ TRS External Controllers Sockets
– 2 x 1/4″ TRS Balanced Floating Line Outputs
– 1 x Combo Socket for Mic Input and Line Input (Auto-Selecting)

Package Includes:
– Axe I/O Solo
– USB A-Type to USB B-Type Connection Cable (1.5 m | 4.32 ft)

Dimensions:
– Size: 19.5 cm x 19.5 cm x 5.3 cm
– Weight: 1.0 kg

Compatibility:
– Computers: 64-bit application. Requires a 64-bit CPU and operating system.
– Mac (64 bits): Minimal: macOS 10.11 or later. 1 x free USB port.
– Windows (64 bits): Minimal: Windows 10 or later. 1 x free USB port.