Tc Electronic Impact Twin Driver Download Mac Updated

Tc Electronic Impact Twin Driver Download Mac

Compact and bijou it may be, but the Bear upon Twin offers 14 channels of simultaneous analogue and digital I/O and is chock-full of TC's clever DSP technology.

The Impact Twin is a new Firewire interface from TC Electronic that features four analogue inputs (two on loftier‑quality mic/line/musical instrument preamps, ii on line‑just inputs), four counterpart outputs and an additional 10 channels of digital I/O on ADAT and S/PDIF ports. The Impact Twin also functions as a monitor controller, headphone amp and MIDI interface, and is reinforced by a DSP-powered reverb for monitoring, equally well as compressors and de‑essers for recording. And if that'southward not plenty, there'south also a bundled suite of genuinely useful plug‑ins and a copy of Ableton Live Lite 8 TC Electronic Edition.

Overview

Supporting both Mac Os and Windows, the Touch Twin operates at 24‑bit resolution and sample rates of upwards to 192kHz — though the ADAT ports can only provide viii channels at 48kHz or below. Southward/MUX is supported, then you lot can use the ADAT port as a four‑channel 96kHz port (but not as a two‑channel, 192kHz port). At that place'southward as well S/PDIF I/O on RCA phonos.

All of this adds up to a substantial corporeality of I/O, and the analogue and digital ports may be used simultaneously, but the Touch Twin is more than just a simple interface: information technology as well includes a monitor control section with level control (plus Mono, Stereo and Side monitoring options) and a defended version of the TC About Control Panel software, more on which in a moment.

Visual Impact

At the rear we discover all of the unit'due south connections, except the headphone ports and the alternative inputs for channels 1 and 2, which are (conveniently) establish at the front.

Physically, the unit is designed for desktop use and has a rubbery plastic example somewhat reminiscent of diving gear! There is a 'foot' at the front to angle the unit upward slightly, and the main console is protected by a curved, overhanging hood.

On the left‑hand side of the forepart panel are the mic/line/instrument inputs bundled on two Neutrik combi jack/XLR sockets. These are each accompanied by a gain-control knob and a Pad/Inst push to select the high‑impedance jack input (if connected) or to pad the XLR input gain by 20dB. With the Inst push out, the jack input tin exist used for line‑level sources. Phantom ability is available, but tin can merely exist switched to both mic inputs every bit a pair and in that location'southward a simple three‑LED level meter over each input. A single button switches betwixt the forepart and rear line inputs, so those at the rear may be left connected.

Next in line is a single rotary control with integral push-switch and adjacent select push button. The push may be used to select Compressor Channel 1, Compressor Channel ii, Reverb or Mix, while the rotary command tin exist pushed to featherbed the currently selected processor or turned to adjust it. To the far right, the output level control is paired with a select button for choosing between Stereo, Mono and Side (left/right deviation point). Finally we have the two headphone sockets, the first of which mutes the main outputs when a pair of headphones is continued.

The rear panel houses the jack sockets for the four channels of line I/O, the RCA phonos for the coaxial S/PDIF and the optical I/O ports, which may be used every bit ADAT or Toslink ports. Two Firewire ports are present for connecting to your figurer, linking multiple Twin Impacts together or connecting an external hard drive. Power comes in from an included mains adaptor, though on many computers the interface can draw the necessary power from the Firewire coach. There'due south a status LED to show that the Firewire link has been established. Also found at the back are a standard pair of MIDI In and Out DIN sockets and a push‑button power switch.

Sonic Performance

The TC Near Command Panel software offers comprehensive control for the two mic/line input-channel strips and includes built‑in reverb, parametric EQ, compression and de‑essing.

Auditioned subjectively, the Impact mic preamps have a warm, solid audio that represents transient detail with a adept remainder of definition and smoothness. They stand well alongside other respectable interface and console mic amps and I'd certainly be very happy to use them for serious studio work.

Investigating the EQ shows that this too has a smooth, counterpart‑like quality, and although there are no calibration markings on the knobs themselves, the values show upward at the lesser left of the Control Panel window every bit you lot're making adjustments. The HF section can be set to bell or shelving, while the low EQ can be shelving or bass cut.

I rarely compress while recording, as the dynamic range of today'south systems means there's really no demand, but I tried the on‑lath compressor and found that at proceeds reductions upward to 6dB or so, it actually sounded very transparent. The preset styles are very effective — you can get very obvious pinch if y'all push button it, but at sensible settings information technology has a very classy audio. Depending on how you lot set up the input level, the output level can increment significantly as you turn upwardly the compression, which actually regulates multiple parameters, including threshold and gain. There's no make‑upward gain command every bit such, so you need to keep an eye on your DAW input level as you make adjustments. There is a safe limiter with yellow warning LED in the compressor section, but that's no reason to get sloppy with your level setting! A small triangle on the input meter indicates an optimal working level and if you lot stick to this, the compressor gain changes should be much less. The de‑esser works in a like way, post-obit the compressor 'style', and seems fairly forgiving — though I must admit that I find it hard to make my ain phonation generate much sibilance, then I couldn't give information technology a really tough test.

TC's reverbs are amidst the best around, and then it came as no surprise that the monitoring reverb was very smooth and natural‑sounding. It's also easy to suit, with only 3 controls and a reverb type to cull from. The M40 plug‑in equivalent out-performs many third‑party synthetic reverb plug‑ins, and so it's definitely i to apply in a mix, though I'd have preferred to have all the different infinite, ambience and spring‑type options that the monitoring reverb has. The other bundled plug-ins are the ResFilter and the excellent Assimilator EQ, which lets you take an EQ curve from whatever sound an apply information technology to your ain.

Determination

The bundled M40 reverb plug-in is based on TC'south 4000‑series processor.

As an interface, the Impact Twin combines proficient sound quality with the potential for expansion, then if the existing counterpart I/O isn't enough, you can add an 8‑channel, ADAT-uniform preamp unit. This would give you 12 analogue ins and outs with the selection of an additional stereo digital I/O, which is more enough to handle about project studio tasks.

Co-ordinate to Logic, my M-Audio 2626'due south round-trip latency with a 256-sample buffer size at 44.1kHz is 21ms and the Bear on Twin's 29ms. The higher latency of the Bear upon Twin is probably a function of its extra DSP processing, just you can withal get it low enough to play software instruments in real time, while vocal and instrumental overdubs tin can make use of the TC Near mixer for a latency‑free monitor mix.

The Firewire side of the interface seemed to work pretty well, although if I switched the interface off and then back on again, I found that Logic didn't e'er recognise its reappearance and offer me the option of using it — and the Control Panel usually quit. Nevertheless, on the occasions when this happened (during deliberate tests), it e'er came back on line if I closed and then relaunched the DAW software. The Bear on Twin'south firmware is likely to be tweaked and tuned a piffling more than, and then past the time y'all read this review that fairly minor gripe should accept been addressed.

Given its attractive price, impressive audio quality and sophisticated arranged effects, it is difficult to find error with the Bear upon Twin.

Alternatives

Although it's difficult to exactly friction match the TC's feature set, the Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP probably comes closest. The choice becomes much wider if you but need a basic interface without the DSP frills.

TC Near Control Panel Software

The included Near software is able to handle depression‑latency source monitoring with added 'condolement' effects, so you no longer have to trade high latency for the power to add reverb to the vocal monitor mix. On‑board DSP is used to power the Direct Monitor mixing, Direct Monitor reverb, two compressors, ii de‑essers (1 each for channels i and 2) and iCheck. The final, as I sympathise information technology, analyses the Side (difference) signal during playback to monitor quality loss caused by compression artifacts when creating data-compressed files. When the channel EQ and/or dynamic processing is being used, this is implemented prior to routing to the DAW, so that the furnishings of processing are recorded.

Channels i and ii each have a control department in the Control Panel window, which encompasses the four‑band parametric EQ, compressor and de‑esser. In that location are also controls for reverb send, pan, solo and mute, also as a level fader and level meter. The channel meters show both input and output levels.

Pinch and de‑essing are based on preset styles, selected from a card that relates to both processes. Each department has a simple one‑knob adjustment, but backside the scenes there's a sophisticated three‑ring compressor, so don't permit the simple controls put you off. All the other inputs have faders, reverb ship, solo and mute buttons, and all channels accept metering.

The Reverb module offers control over tonal color, pre‑delay and disuse time, but there's an impressive list of reverb types from which to choose and the quality is very good. However, the reverb is intended primarily for monitoring, so there's no mode to access it within the patchbay section of the mixer — yous'll demand to utilize the native M40 plug‑in (which uses the aforementioned algorithms, albeit only the room, plate and hall options) if you wish to include information technology in your mixes.

In the principal department, you can select which DAW channel pair should exist mixed with the Impact Twin'south physical inputs for monitoring purposes. To the right of the panel is the Patchbay Module used to road the Impact Twin'southward physical inputs, the vii stereo Firewire channel pairs from the DAW and TC Near's effects send to the Bear upon Twin'due south physical outputs. To make a routing, you simply click on the matrix indicate you'd like continued.

Equally far as ergonomics become, the TC Virtually mixer controls are a scrap on the small side, and then some mode to resize the window would exist welcome, but otherwise I found it very straightforward to operate, including the simple signal‑and‑click routing matrix.

Pros

Sensibly priced.
Good audio quality.
Dynamics and EQ on the 2 mic inputs.
Practical software control console for setting upwardly low‑latency monitor mixes with reverb.
Bundled plug‑ins, including the splendid M40 reverb.

Cons

The DSP reverb is only intended for monitoring, and the bundled native plug‑in M40 reverb doesn't have as many 'space' algorithms.

Summary

The Impact Twin combines the essential elements of an audio interface, a MIDI interface, a monitor controller and a good for you complement of counterpart and digital I/O options, with monitoring reverb thrown in for good measure.

Tc Electronic Impact Twin Driver Download Mac Updated