You've got it: the burning passion that's inside all true recording engineers. And you demand an interface that sounds amazing, handles a high number of inputs, and will grow with your studio setup. With up to 26 x 26 routing, digital sampling rates of up to 192 kHz, and compatibility with the industry-standard Pro Tools M-Powered, the M-Audio ProFire 2626 will meet and exceed all your recording needs. It's the spark that'll ignite your engineering career.
High-Fidelity Digital Recording Right Out Of The Box
Without any additional gear--save mics and your computer setup, of course--the ProFire 2626 is capable of producing incredible-sounding recordings. Eight front-mounted gain knobs control the eight Octane microphone preamps with XLR connections and true phantom power for studio microphones, as well as a 75dB gain range, super-low noise floor, and crystal clear sound. The preamps even sport -20dB input pads for recording guitar stacks, drums, and other hot sources. These preamps feed an impressive analog-to-digital conversion section which boasts JetPLL jitter-reduction technology for error-free tracking. The ProFire 2626 is capable of sampling rates of up to 192kHz (CDs are at 44.1kHz), so you'll really be able to hear the clarity of those Octane preamps. . . as well as every detail of your performances.
Digital Routing And Mixing For Flexibility
The ProFire boasts internal DSP-powered mixing and routing capabilities. What does that mean for you? For starters, it means instant control over monitor routing and input source assignments without having to deal with the hassle of a patchbay, or even touching chords at all. The easy-to-use software lets you reroute and mix inside the ProFire, and without taxing your computer's CPU. This allows you to make full use of the unit's eight built-in analog outputs. Instantly switch between four different monitor pairs, or--by making the assignable master volume knob control all eight outs--use the ProFire for up to 7.1 surround mixing. The huge number of analog outputs matched with digital routing make this FireWire mixing interface a truly "Pro" piece of gear.
Expandable Ins And Outs For Growing Your Studio
You'll have eight in and eight out right our of the box with the ProFire 2626, but that's just the beginning. If you plan on scaling your studio up, this the perfect interface for you, as it provides a wealth of digital I/O options for hooking up external gear. Two sets of ADAT 8 x 8 I/O and a 2 x 2 S/PDIF interface equals a total of 18 x 18 channels of digital routing. And with the ProFire's Word Clock output, all your peripheral digital gear can benefit from the ultra-stable active JetPLL jitter elimination technology.
If you're building a serious project studio, you're going to need a serious interface at the core of your operation. The M-Audio ProFire gives you the flexibility, scalability, and fidelity to get your studio started off right, and keep you recording well into the future.
Building on a legacy of award-winning FireWire audio interfaces, the M-Audio ProFire 2626 brings next-generation performance to your PC or Mac host-based recording system. This powerful interface delivers 26 x 26 simultaneous I/O, complete with an onboard DSP mixer sourced from up to 52 audio streams. It features every kind of connection you need—including award-winning Octane preamp technology on all eight analog inputs, ADAT, S/PDIF, word clock and MIDI. Critically acclaimed JetPLL jitter elimination technology ensures pristine audio quality and reliable synchronization all the way up to high-definition 24-bit/192kHz resolution. In addition, ProFire 2626 offers easy FireWire connectivity, extremely low latency, dual headphone outputs, front-panel 1/4 inch instrument inputs and standalone operation. Pro Tools M-Powered compatible.*
Includes Award-winning Octane Preamp Technology
The quality of your preamps is critical to how your music sounds. Embraced by reviewers and audio professionals alike, M-Audio set a new standard with the 8-channel Octane™ preamp. The ProFire 2626 delivers the same award-winning Octane technology with its eight onboard mic preamps, giving you pristine audio fidelity right from the start of your signal path. In addition to exceptional sound, each preamp has a generous 75dB gain range, 48V phantom power, and a -20dB pad.
User-assignable Master Volume Control
The ProFire 2626 interface delivers a new level of flexible control via the customizable master volume knob. It’s assignable to any or all of the four analog output pairs, so you can choose which output pair will feed your main monitors. You can also choose whether the master volume knob influences either or both of the two headphone outputs, or operates independently of them. In addition, you can assign the master level control to all four output pairs to uniformly attenuate up to a 7.1 surround mix.
High-definition 192kHz Sound and Solid Performance
The ProFire 2626 employs high-quality converters to deliver sampling rates up to 192kHz for pristine, high-definition sound quality. The unit also features critically acclaimed JetPLL technology to provide extremely stable synchronization and eliminate jitter that can degrade audio quality. In addition, the ProFire 2626 allows master or slave operation via internal clock, ADAT optical, S/PDIF and word clock. M-Audio’s mature, stable drivers deliver solid performance and ultra-low latency. Complete with Octane preamp technology and premium A/D-D/A converters, you won’t find a better sounding or more flexible host-based audio interface.
Pro Tools M-Powered Compatible
The ProFire 2626 is an extremely powerful interface for Pro Tools M-Powered. Flexible I/O, top-quality sound and low latency round out an incredible recording environment that is file-compatible with many other pro and project studios around the world.*
Onboard DSP Mixer and Router
Customize your setup and record the way you want thanks to the power and flexibility of the ProFire 2626 onboard DSP mixer and router. Use the router to select from up to 52 audio streams and send them to any of the 26 hardware outputs.* The adaptable onboard DSP mixer allows you to select from any of the 26 hardware inputs and 26 software returns as sources for any of its 18 input channels—allowing you to create up to eight stereo mixes. You can also create presets and instantly recall these setups at a later date.
*Routing in stereo pairs.
Standalone operation
The ProFire 2626 doubles as a standalone 8-channel preamp, 8-channel A/D-D/A converter and digital format converter. In standalone mode, the eight analog inputs route to the first eight ADAT optical output channels. This facilitates use of the line, instrument and mic ins—including the preamps—with other digital gear. Similarly, the first eight ADAT optical input channels feed the eight analog outputs to provide D/A functionality. You can also disable the D/A conversion to allow the analog input channels to route to both the analog and ADAT optical outputs—transforming the ProFire 2626 into a standalone 8-channel mic pre with eight discrete analog outputs plus 8-channel ADAT output. When the second optical port is not used for A/D conversion, the ProFire 2626 can also convert coaxial S/PDIF to optical S/PDIF.
Professional Connectivity for the Most Demanding Projects
The ProFire 2626 features essential connectivity for any studio, delivering rock-solid stability and optimal sound quality. Analog inputs are sourced from the eight combo jacks as either XLR mic or 1/4 inch TRS balanced line inputs. In addition, analog channels 1 and 2 provide easily accessible 1/4 inch TS instrument jacks on the front panel. Eight 1/4 inch TRS connectors provide balanced line outputs for monitoring and interfacing with other outboard gear. Digital I/O is available via 2 x 2 S/PDIF and 16 x 16 ADAT Lightpipe. The two front-panel headphone jacks feature separate sources and independent level controls for additional cue mixing flexibility.
**Compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered 7.4 with downloadable update. 96kHz and 18 x 18 I/O maximum with Pro Tools M-Powered.
Technical Info
Up to 24-bit/192kHz for high-definition audio
Eight analog inputs sourced from:
- eight XLR mic inputs with phantom power
- eight 1/4 in. TRS balanced line inputs
- two 1/4 in. TS instrument inputs
Optical I/O in the form of:
- 2 x 2 S/PDIF (on optical port B) or
- 16 x 16 ADAT (8 x 8 in S/MUX II mode, 4 x 4 in S/MUX IV mode)
2 x 2 coaxial S/PDIF (via included breakout cable)
Eight 1/4 in. TRS balanced line outputs
Two 1/4 in. TRS headphone outputs
1 x 1 MIDI I/O (via included breakout cable)
Word clock I/O (via included breakout cable)
Eight preamps with award-winning Octane technology
User-assignable master volume knob
Flexible onboard DSP mixer:
- Select from any of the 26 hardware inputs and 26 software returns as sources for its 18 input channels
- Create up to eight stereo mixes
Standalone eight mic pre/eight-channel A/D-D/A converter
JetPLL jitter elimination technology
Sync options include internal clock, ADAT optical, S/PDIF and word clock
Compatible with most popular DAWs
Pro Tools M-Powered compatible*
**Compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered 7.4 with downloadable update. 96kHz and 18 x 18 I/O maximum with Pro Tools M-Powered.
Minimum System Requirements (PC)
Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista* (32-bit)
Pentium 4
1.6GHz, 512MB RAM (1GB RAM with Windows Vista)
FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) port
Recommended System Specifications
Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista (32-bit)
Pentium 4
2GHz, 1GB RAM
FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) port
Minimum System Requirements (Mac)
Mac OS X 10.4.10
Macintosh G4*
1GHz, 512MB RAM
FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) port
G4 accelerator cards not supported/G5 required for sample rates above 96kHz.
Recommended System Specifications
Mac OS X 10.4.10
Macintosh G5
2GHz, 1GB RAM
M-Audio recommends that you check your software's minimum system requirements, as they may be higher.
High-definition recording for the whole band! This FireWire interface features 26 I/O tracks, including eight Octane preamp channels with XLR/TRS combo inputs. Channels 1 and 2 offer direct, Hi-Z guitar recording. With up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution, all your audio is pristine and jitter-free! Onboard DSP mixer/router lets you create up to eight custom stereo mixes. Assignable master volume for customizing your studio setup. Standalone operation/format conversion for use with studio hardware.