Alesis IO|26

The Alesis iO 26 Firewire interface 26 input compact table-top unit with 8-mic/line input trims with 8- XLR-1/4 inch combo-jacks with 4-pairs of phantom power switches and with eight 1/4 inch TRS insert send and returns.

The first 2 inputs can be switched from Mic/line to instrument/guitar level, 12-6 segment bar-graph LED meters and with 2 click-stop continuously rotating controls for the main output level which controls the signals from your DAW, and a separate control for matching or combining the signals coming from the inputs of the interface along with controls for routing 2 discreet headphone sends on its uncluttered brushed aluminum top panel.

On its rear panel are eight-?? inch -TRS impedance balanced analog outputs (that can be software switched from -10 to +4 for easy interface to pro and consumer levels) and 2- ?? inch TRS phone jacks with 18 digital inputs 2-SPDIF and 16 ADAT light pipe, MIDI I/O, 2- Firewire ports and 2 RCA phono inputs for turntables or I-pods.

It appears to be a very high quality build device and it controls feel rock solid and seem to be arranged in an orderly and intuitive fashion with the top mounted combo XLR and Phone Jack and inserts making for easy access in getting all of your microphones and instruments hooked up while having the analog and digital outputs and ADAT inputs located on the units rear panel helps to eliminate any chance of looking like a cheap table top mixer with a rats-nest of wires hanging out of it.

I???ve found that using a few multi-pair cables keeps the interface looking aesthetically appealing and professional. I think I prefer it to a rack-mount model already!

On the computer screen all 26 of the fader strips can address the various inputs and outputs as they would appear on the iO26 and they can be labeled, stored and recalled along with user setups for routing the 8-outputs as well as the digital S/PDIF inputs and outputs and ADAT light pipe inputs. The software installation is straight forward and the ASIO and WDM drivers and updates make it very easy to get up and running. The only time I needed the manual was to learn the mixers routing functions.
OK, how are the sound and the routing flexibility? The ($350) Alesis I/O is replacing a (8 year old $5000) RAMSA-WR-DA7 40-input digital mixer with ease. With its 8 analog mic line inputs and seeming unlimited Firewire input capabilities it has as much signal routing as most any small format digital mixer only without the need of any noisy cooling fans and I???ll personally never look back.

Included with the Alesis I/O software is a virtual mixer panel with on-screen controls for SOLO/PAN/MUTE ???Fader level, high resolution metering with meter ballistics and routing for all 26 inputs to the 8 outputs (for 7.1 Surround Sound or that can be used as 4 stereo pairs) and headphone jacks for 2 separate headphone mixes all clearly arranged with easy access that should make the hardware I/O box a set-it and forget-it affair.

24 bit-192kHz

The mic-preamps have plenty of gain for low impedence ribbon microphones and stay very quite at all settings with plenty of headroom. They seem to be very transparent with lots of sparkle and allow all of the character of what you???re plugging into them to come through without adding any of its own sonic characteristics.

My overly opinionated guitar and bass playing friends didn???t have a single complaint. So, in other words go ahead and plug-in the world???s best outboard s pre-amps and comp/limiters you can find.

I???ve found the A/D???s and D/A???s (at 44.1 and 48 kHz) to be both musically pleasing with wide stereo imaging and with more detail than my mixers digital to analog convertors and with support for high sample (192kHz) rates which should handle my next 8 years of digital gear purchases

Cubase LE and mixer software

O.K., sure there are no built-in LED Screens or DSP for EQ-COMP/LIMITER/Gating nor are there any moving faders , MIDI CC controller or control-room monitoring facilities to speak of (all of which the digital mixer I was using has) and which personally I don???t miss having. I much prefer the much smaller footprint of the Firewire interface. However, if I was going to miss having Moving Faders, Speaker Switching and Control Room Monitoring then they can be easily added on as USB or Firewire devices and with even better DSP plug-ins.
So far it???s only shortcomings are -NO SIP (SOLO-IN ???PLACE) for monitoring the reverb returns along with any soloed inputs (my mixer didn???t do that either) and a fixed (non user edit-able) input output channel strips in the software mixer. Other than that it gets solid marks with me and from my friends that are playing through it. And that???s what it???s all about after all. YMMV

It's a very nice size; you don't have to squint to work with it and it could easily be portable to take where ever. 8 inputs with nice pre's. 5-step LED meters for all in's and the stereo out. Built solid and looks nice.

Two FireWire connections.
It can be daisy-chained to another of the same device to double your in's/out's which is cool.

Two FireWire out's, S/PDIF, MIDI, ADAT and Phono.
I've heard of a lot of pre's "coloring" the sound you put into them. These seem to not do that which is very nice. It allows you to apply whatever you want to the sound rather than working with or around what you've already got. It also has seperate 1/4" inserts under each channel to connect outboard devices which I think is convenient and great. It comes with "HDM" (Hardware Direct Monitoring) which allows you to bypass the DAW and have your recording musicians listen directly through the unit as to negate latency and other problems.
2 headphone out's with individual controls. Tons of out's as well.
Gets a 9 because I haven't had to use anything more than the FireWire and channel 1 input.

It can either be powered by the FireWire or an included AC power adapter. 4 on/off phantom power switches (channels 1-2, 3-4, etc.)
The only weird thing is there is no power switch so every time you have to plug/unplug the power and/or FireWire; a little annoying.

Check out Alesis' site for all the specs. And please for the love of God, download the new driver when you get yours home! I spent several frustrating hours trouble shooting as to why I could use the HDM and nothing else with mine when I hooked it up.

It comes with Cubase.
There is a grounding post for the turntable in.
Channel 1 and 2 have mic/line or guitar switches which is awesome and handy.
Gets an 8 because it is what it is and nothing spectacular in this category.

Overall I really like this unit. Comparably, for the price, you'r getting one hell of a deal. Alesis always seem to make the best product in the middle-of-the-road price ranges.
I have only two complaints and they both regard the volume control:
- When you start it up the volume's default is MAXIMUM buhjesus loud. Not great when you forget it happens.
- The master volume knob has no 0-10 setting. It just turns endlessly either way so you have no immediate reference as to where the volume is at any given point. Small annoyance though.

If I had to, I would definitely buy another.