Zoom TAC-2 Thunderbolt Audio Interface

No longer available at zZounds
This slick desktop interface delivers 2 channels of pristine analog I/O at up to 192 kHz/24-bit. Thunderbolt connectivity means ultra-low latency and jitter.

In today's world, speed is everything. The blazingly fast Zoom TAC-2 interface uses Thunderbolt technology for ultra-low latency and the ultimate in high-quality audio, up to 24-bit/192kHz. Lightweight and portable, the TAC-2 is also easy to use, with a single large rotary knob controlling all parameters.

Features:

- 2-in/2-out high-speed Thunderbolt audio interface
- Support for recording and playback up to 24-bit/192kHz
- Ultra-low latency audio streaming
- Two combo balanced XLR/TRS input connectors
- +48V phantom power for each input
- Hi-Z input jack allows direct connection of electric guitar or bass
- Two balanced TRS output jacks for connection to amplifiers or self-powered speakers
- Dedicated headphone jack with independent level control
- 7-position LED metering for input, output and headphone volume
- High-performance Burr Brown mic preamps with up to +60 dB of amplification
- 4x upsampling during A/D and D/A conversion for reduced noise and enhanced fidelity
- Asynchronous transfer system unaffected by computer jitter
- Simple user interface -- all operations controlled by a single rotary knob
- Bus powered -- no AC power required
- Rugged yet compact and lightweight
- Works with all Thunderbolt-equipped Macintosh computers running OS X 10.6.8 or later

Thunderbolt: The ultimate in high-speed connectivity

More than twice as fast as USB 3.0 -- not to mention twenty times faster than USB 2.0 and twelve times faster than Firewire 800 -- Thunderbolt is read more the interconnection technology of the future. Co-developed by Apple and Intel Labs, it allows signal to be transferred at an incredibly fast 10 gigabits per second, which means virtually no latency. Thunderbolt interfaces such as the TAC-2 are also unaffected by computer jitter (slight variations in timing), so there's no need to connect an external master clock source.

In addition, Thunderbolt carries 10 watts/18 volts of power (as compared to the 2.5 watts/5 volts carried by USB 2.0) -- enough to provide stable phantom power. This also allows the use of high-end components such as the Burr Brown PCM4202 analog-to-digital converter and AKM AK4396 digital-to-analog converter in the TAC-2.

The TAC-2 performs 4-times upsampling during both analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion. In other words, when the sampling frequency is set to 44.1kHz or 48kHz, the TAC-2 processes the signal at high resolution 176.4kHz or 192kHz. For A/D conversion, this means less aliasing noise; for D/A conversion, this means increased clarity and fidelity.

The Ins and Outs

The Thunderbolt port on the rear panel carries digital signal to and from your computer as well as carrying power to the TAC-2. Two combo XLR/TRS inputs are provided for the connection of mic- and line-level signals, and there's a handy Hi-Z (high impedance) unbalanced input on the front panel for direct connection of passive electric guitars and basses using a standard 1/4" guitar cable. The TAC-2 also offers two balanced TRS output jacks which allow you to connect the TAC-2 to your monitors, as well as a dedicated 1/4" stereo headphone jack.

The TAC-2's single rotary control knob is used to set input, output and headphone levels and to provide +48 volts of phantom power to the selected input, allowing you to use the TAC-2 with any kind of microphone, from low-cost dynamics to expensive studio-quality condensers. Seven-position LEDs show continuous signal strength as well as input/output overload clipping.

Zoom TAC-2 MixEfx

TAC-2 MixEfx is a free Macintosh application designed specially for the TAC-2. With TAC-2 MixEfx, you can set mix parameters and add high-quality effects such as reverb and echo. Other features include a low cut filter, phase reverse, AUTO GAIN control for each input. There's also a LOOPBACK function that allows you to blend the input signal and playback signal for zero latency. TAC-2 MixEfx has three memory slots for saving user settings with quick recall.
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- Inputs:
- INPUT 1/2 connectors:
-- Type: XLR/TRS combo jacks (XLR: 2 hot / TRS: TIP hot)
-- Input gain: 0, 9 to 60 dB (3dB step)
-- Input impedance: 3kO
-- Maximum input level: +12 dBu (@0dBFs)
-- Phantom power: +48V
- Hi-Z (INPUT1) connector:
-- Type: 1/4" phone jack
-- Maximum input level: +10 dBu (@0dBFs)

- Outputs:
- L/R connector:
-- Type: 1/4" TRS phone jack (Balanced)
-- Maximum output level: +14 dBu (@0dBFs)
-- Output impedance: 100O
- PHONES connector:
-- Type: 1/4" stereo phone jack
-- Maximum output level: +8 dBu (@0dBFs)
-- Output impedance: 30O
- Audio channels (recording): 2
- Audio channels (playback): 2
- S/N ratio EIN: 125dB (IHF-A) @ 60dB, 150O input
- Sampling frequency: 192kHz, 176.4kHz, 96kHz, 88.2kHz, 48kHz, 44.1kHz
- Bit depth: 24-bit
- Interface: Thunderbolt
- Power: Thunderbolt Bus Power
- Dimensions: (D x W x H) 129.5 x 120.0 x 51.3mm
- Weight: 420g

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 631-542-5270
Email: info@zoom-na.com
Web: https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/contact/

No longer available at zZounds

In most cases, a product is unavailable because it has been discontinued by the manufacturer