I must say I am getting used with the absolute omnipresence of the iPod: there are way too many of these in the world and even more, there is way too much gear "made for iPod", sporting "iPod support" and all the like; I guess I'll buy myself one soon... NOT!
I won't say these players aren't cool, because they really are, but ranking the iPod as a professional tool it's more than I am willing to take. Indeed, since everyone owns one, the support is simply wonderful, and gives you confidence you'll get your job done carrying your show project on such a player...but I'd rather say it's a mere support for media and not THE way to go.
Belkin have used us with all sorts of cool little thingies and gadgets we more or less need or could ever find real, heavy use for. Their latest piece of tech, the TuneStudio mixer is exactly such a thing: looking awesome, with a very neat and careful engineering, and over-rated. If you want to have your audio job done the way pros or semi-pros do it, you need a PC and if you have one, all your troubles are over: recording, playing back, editing, tracking, everything. You need a mixer and that's all!
Now, the Belkin TuneStudio claims to be the real thing in case you are a band or a pro podcaster... you just need this 4-channel mixer with a neat iPod dock. It looks great, I must say this again, but why the heck should anyone desperately need a "made for iPod" mixer , especially as there are so many other great solutions with better results out there? If you feel like recording your band, get your music via any console to a PC, not to a friggin' iPod you'll probably lose on your way back home after some beers you all drank happily because your new rehearsal being taped. Or get one of the exceptional field recorders like the
Zoom,
Olympus,
Edirol and their like. For the same money!
The Belkin TuneStudio for iPod sells for $399.99:
-Acts as an external USB sound card, allowing the input of audio from a PC source as well as output to a PC from any of its connector inputs
-Compact, portable, and tough enough to withstand life in a rehearsal room or in a garage
-Records directly to iPod in 16-bit, 44kHz quality
-Streams audio through built-in USB interface to and from a PC or Mac computer
-Each channel is equipped with 3-band EQ, pan and level controls
-Phantom-power-enabled XLR inputs provide up to 60 dB of microphone gain
-High-quality stereo compressor with makeup gain enhances audio dynamics and keeps audio levels within recording limits of the iPod
-Features one-knob compression control
-LEDs indicate master audio level, power status, peak indication, compressor activity, and recording status.
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