The Behringer Firepower FCA610 is a 6 x 10 FireWire/USB 2.0 audio/MIDI interface that offers a rich feature set, lots of I/O options, and a surprisingly low price. The half-rack unit sports 2 front-panel mic/instrument combo jacks—equipped with Behringer's top-of-the-line XENYX microphone preamps—as well as 2 balanced line inputs, 8 balanced line outputs, and MIDI in and out jacks on the rear-panel.
Digital I/O includes TOSlink optical and RCA coaxial connector pairs, each of which supports 2 channels of S/PDIF. When both analog and digital I/O are utilized, the unit is capable of streaming 6 inputs and 10 outputs simultaneously.
Each front-panel input channel is fully equipped, including an input-level control knob, a 48V phantom power switch, a switch for a low-cut filter (great for preventing the pickup of low-end rumble), and a Hi-Z switch with an LED indicator. When activated, the Hi-Z switch sets the input's 1/4-inch jack to handle high-impedance sources like guitars and basses.
The FCA610 features direct hardware monitoring, allowing you to monitor as you record without distracting latency delay. The Direct Monitoring knob lets you smoothly crossfade between the direct signal you're recording and the one returning from the DAW. The two headphone outputs offer source-select options, and each has its own volume control.
The unit is equipped with a variety of useful LED meters and status lights to give you visual feedback during recording. A master level knob lets you control the signal going to your studio monitors. The FCA1616 runs on AC power (an AC adapter is included), but can also be bus powered via a 6-pin FireWire cable, contingent upon a computer that feeds sufficient power.
Purchasers of the Firepower FCA610 are eligible to download a huge software bundle from Behringer.com. It includes Audacity (the most popular open-source audio editor); and a great selection of podcasting software: Podifier, Juice, Podnova, and Golden Ear.
- Audiophile ultra-low-noise, high-headroom audio interface with 24-Bit/96 kHz resolution
- Operates as multi-channel audio and MIDI interface via FireWire and USB 2.0
- Streams 6 inputs / 10 outputs plus 1 x MIDI I/O with ultra-low latency to your computer, supporting Windows XP/Vista/7 plus Mac OS X
- 2 state-of-the-art XENYX Mic Preamps with individual switches for Phantom Power, Pad, Low Cut and Hi-Z
- Flexible connectivity via analog and S/PDIF I/O ports (coaxial and optical)
- Direct Monitoring and Main Volume control on hardware front - no confusing software mixer panel
- 2 powerful Headphone outputs with individual Volume control, Mono and Source signal select for flexible monitoring purposes
- Level control of your stereo or 7.1 active speaker system with a single knob turn
- Smooth cross-fading between inputs and DAW playback signals while your record sessions
- Status and signal presence indication for all analog and digital I/O
- Powered via external power supply (included) or 6-pin FireWire bus
- Compact 9.5" half-rack form factor
- Free audio recording, editing, and podcasting software plus 150 instrument/effect plug-ins downloadable at www.behringer.com
- Standard port for Kensington security lock provided
- High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life
- Conceived and designed by Behringer Germany