Make an "Impact!"

If you're gonna make an impact, you gotta have the right tools for the job. In a computer-based studio, you can abandon the traditional console and racks of effects in lieu of a solid interface - TC Electronic's Impact Twin, for instance - with good pres and the right software to take the project from the cradle to the grave. Let's start at the front end. The Impact Twin sports a duo of TC preamps rockin' Impact III technology. These pres are fed into the convertors, which can conjure digital audio at up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution with JetPll jitter reduction for premium sound.

It's an old studio trick to monitor the vocals through a reverb during tracking to coax the best performance from the singer. Impact Twin comes ready to do this right out of the box. Just dial in the right amount of monitor reverb and your singer will think he or she is singing in the best studio in the world! And to compliment all of this goodness, TC added a handful of stunning plug-ins, including the fantastic M40 Studio Reverb, the fat-sounding ResFilter, and the Assimilator EQ curve assimilation tool. That last one sounds fancy, huh? but what does it do? This cool plug-in can actually "borrow" an EQ curve from any sound that catches your ear. Add to this a copy of Ableton Live Lite 8 TC Electronic Edition and a ton more I/O (both analog and digital) and the Impact Twin is certain to have an "impact" on your recordings (OK, we're done now!).

TC Electronic Impact Twin 2-channel FireWire Interface Features at a Glance:

• Easy to use and loaded with the features you need
  
• 24-bit/192kHz conversion quality
  
• 14-in/14-out
  
• Comes complete with TC plug-ins, easy-access compressor, built-in tuner, and Ableton Live Lite 8 TC Electronic Edition software
  
• Direct monitor reverb
  
• iCheck integrity check helps you maximize quality when you're encoding MP3 or AAC files
  
• Sturdy, compact design
  
• Two premium TC preamps with Impact III Technology
  
• Two front-panel combo inputs allow for XLR or Hi-Z instruments
  
• Two front-panel knobs give you multiple functions
  
• Four line inputs, four line outputs on rear panel
  
• MIDI, ADAT/TOS, and S/PDIF I/O
  
• Channel Tools let you optimize your sound
  
• JetPLL jitter reduction for superior audio quality

TC Electronic Impact Twin Specs: Computer Connection Type FireWire Form Factor Desktop Simultaneous I/O 14 x 14 A/D Resolution 24-bit/192kHz Built In DSP/FX Yes Number of Audio Inputs 6 Audio Input Types 2 x Combo (Mic/Hi-Z), 4 x TRS Number of Audio Outputs 6 Audio Output Types 4 x TRS, 2 x TRS (Headphone) Number of Digital Inputs 10 Digital Input Types 1 x ADAT (Optical, 8 Ch.), 1 x S/PDIF (Coax) Number of Digital Outputs 10 Digital Output Types 1 x ADAT (Optical, 8 Ch.), 1 x S/PDIF (Coax) Number of Mic Preamps 2 Phantom Power Yes MIDI I/O In, Out Bus Powered Yes Depth 9.5" Width 9.28" Height 2.48" Weight 3.3 lbs.