Focusrite ISA One Mic Pre

Focusrite ISA One | Reviews
85
S/PDIF and AES connectors on a 9-pin
break out cable.
To get the most out of the ISA One
it’s worth taking a little time to
understand the signal fl ow. In addition
to the headphone option (see the box
below), I was particularly interested to
see how the two separate inputs worked
both on their own and in combination
with the AD card. The main mic input is
pretty obvious, feeding its own XLR
output, channel one of the AD and the
main VU meter.
However, using the main input
selector you can bring it up the main
channel to use the insert point. At this
point it also feeds the main VU and LED
meter (as well as channel one of the AD
and the main XLR out). Plugging into
the external input jack on the back
steals the second channel AD and
output from the DI (see the box out for
how to use this).
Although functionality is important,
anyone buying this unit will want to
know how good it sounds.
Unsurprisingly it is excellent. For me
this comes across as a combination of
clarity at all frequencies, combined with
amazing headroom. So, whether you’re
pushing it or just experiencing some
peaks, it doesn’t sound ‘choked’.
The impedance options do allow
some fi ne-tuning, and in addition to
level changes, you’ll experience
frequency response differences too. The
instrument impedance option is a nice
touch, but I found
the more typical
‘high’ setting best
suited to my
weedy passive
bass guitar output.
One for all
In typical Focusrite
style the ISA One’s features and sound
take an everyday item and make it
much more desirable. The inclusion of
headphones option is interesting,
although I think the stereo cue mix
should allow you to blend in the input
between the two as well.
In terms of price the basic unit is
fantastic value. However, for full benefi t
you’ll need the AD card and that adds
another 60% to the price, which seems
steep. But overall this box will last you
years, and represents an extremely wise
investment for the project studio.
SPECS
Main Connections
Inputs: Mix XLR, Line TRS
jack & XLR, Instrument
TS jack
Outputs: Main XLR, DI XLR,
DI through TS jack
Additional Connections
Inserts send and return on
separate TRS jack, external
input TRS jack, cue mix
inputs TRS jack, phones out
TRS jack
Gain
Mic: 0dB to 80dB (inc 20dB
additional gain)
Line: –20dB to +30dB
Instrument: 10dB to 40dB
Input Impedance
Mic: 600 Ohms, 1400 Ohms
(ISA 110), 2400 Ohms,
6800 Ohms
Line: 10 kOhms
Instrument: >1 MOhm
(high), >300 kOhms (low)
Additional Features
High-pass fi lter: 18dB/
octave @ 75Hz
Phantom power, phase
reverse, insert point, VU
meter, two LED meters
Optional AD digital board
> ADC with 44.1, 48, 88.2,
96, 176.4, 192kHz
> Built in S/PDIF optical,
AES & S/PDIF coax on break
out cable
> Word clock in & out
(standard and x256)
Dimensions:
220 x 104 x 254mm
Weight:
3.9kg
VERDICT
BUILD
VALUE
EASE OF USE
VERSATILITY
RESULTS
The ISA One oozes quality and
delivers a top sound and top
features without breaking the bank
From a technical perspective, the
ISA One ticks many of the same
boxes as other ISA units
Monitoring
Borrowing some ideas
from the Platinum
VoiceMaster Pro, the ISA
One addresses the typical
problem of low-latency
monitoring. This works in
two ways. First up there’s
a pair of TRS jacks on the
back for a stereo cue mix
feed from your DAW.
Selecting the ‘cue mix’
button on the front panel
routes this mix to the
headphones and cuts any
feed from the input
stages. Essentially, it’s
designed for people who
already have a low latency
monitoring facility
elsewhere in their chain,
such as an interface or Pro
Tools HD. The ISA One
merely lets you access this
near to your mic pre –
useful but not
groundbreaking.
The other option is in
mono. With ‘cue mix’ not
selected, the headphone
feed automatically gets
both inputs. However, you
can also plug into the
external source socket on
the back. Unfortunately,
this steals the second
channel, but does allow
you a mono blend of one
input plus whatever you
feed to the external input.
Even so, I wonder why
they didn’t simply include
a mute in the stereo cue
mix, so you could listen to
stereo feed with or without
the inputs.
ALTERNATIVES
SSL Alpha Channel
£999
A truly fl exible full channel
strip with AD converter
included in the price.
solid-state-logic.com
Rupert Neve Designs
Portico 5016
£900
RND’s range includes this
compact transformer-based
dual mic pre with
innovative time alignment
for mic and DI inputs.
rupertneve.com
Universal Audio
Solo/110
£704
Simpler than the ISA One,
but a worthy US-made
desktop mic pre.
uaudio.com
FMU204.rev_fcsrite 85 16/7/08 17:54:12