The 2d Card
In 2001 we introduced the Mobile I/O 2882 and called it “Future Proof”. While the competition has obsoleted multiple generations of products, the 2882 is still arguably the best FireWire interface in its class available on the market. In 2003, we released the ULN-2, with the finest preamps available in any interface, (until we developed the ULN-R mic pres in the ULN-8). With the release of the 2d Card and v.5, we delivered yet again on our commitment to making “Future Proof” products that stand the test of time.
The 2d Card was introduced in 2008 as a massive hardware upgrade for Mobile I/O 2882 and ULN-2 interfaces (without the 2d card these are known as "Legacy" units). All 2882 and ULN-2 interfaces manufactured since are known as "2d Expanded" units. The ULN-8 and LIO-8 were designed after the 2d card, and were built around it.
The 2d Card greatly enhances the DSP processing power of the original 2882 and ULN-2, adds a brand new ADAT implementation and also improves the clock of any unit into which it is installed. Of course, the ULN-8 and LIO-8 possess these features (while trading eight channels of AES I/O for the ADAT ports).
In 2001 we introduced the Mobile I/O 2882 and called it “Future Proof”. While the competition has obsoleted multiple generations of products, the 2882 is still arguably the best FireWire interface in its class available on the market. In 2003, we released the ULN-2, with the finest preamps available in any interface, (until we developed the ULN-R mic pres in the ULN-8). With the release of the 2d Card and v.5, we delivered yet again on our commitment to making “Future Proof” products that stand the test of time.
The 2d Card was introduced in 2008 as a massive hardware upgrade for Mobile I/O 2882 and ULN-2 interfaces (without the 2d card these are known as "Legacy" units). All 2882 and ULN-2 interfaces manufactured since are known as "2d Expanded" units. The ULN-8 and LIO-8 were designed after the 2d card, and were built around it.
The 2d Card greatly enhances the DSP processing power of the original 2882 and ULN-2, adds a brand new ADAT implementation and also improves the clock of any unit into which it is installed. Of course, the ULN-8 and LIO-8 possess these features (while trading eight channels of AES I/O for the ADAT ports).
MIO Console
Along with the 2d card we introduced version 5 of our MIO Console software. MIO Console is the software "front end" for all of our interfaces. All our 2d interfaces have the same processing power and software features- the only differences are:
While other manufacturers churn you with the special of the day, we build products that preserve your investment and deliver for you year after year and project after project. It is our philosophy and we take it seriously.
Along with the 2d card we introduced version 5 of our MIO Console software. MIO Console is the software "front end" for all of our interfaces. All our 2d interfaces have the same processing power and software features- the only differences are:
- The physical interfaces themselves (I/O, mic pres, ports, etc.)
- The number of plug-ins, determined by whether or not the interfaces has a +DSP license
While other manufacturers churn you with the special of the day, we build products that preserve your investment and deliver for you year after year and project after project. It is our philosophy and we take it seriously.
Samples
Guitar Loop, Character, HaloVerb, MIOStripDrum Loop, Character, HaloVerb, MIOStrip, MIOLimit (requires +DSP)Guitar Loop, Different AmpsGuitar, Multiple ModelsDrum Loop, Graph Processing, Mid/Side Compression, Parallel Limiting (requires +DSP)
Guitar Loop, Character, HaloVerb, MIOStripDrum Loop, Character, HaloVerb, MIOStrip, MIOLimit (requires +DSP)Guitar Loop, Different AmpsGuitar, Multiple ModelsDrum Loop, Graph Processing, Mid/Side Compression, Parallel Limiting (requires +DSP)
The v.5 Mixer is based upon the +DSP graph technology originally designed for +DSP. Since the +DSP graph provides infinite routing and multing capabilities with integrated latency compensation, the addition of full access to all I/O resources means that everything can go everywhere in the interface, with the unique benefit that all signal paths are automatically time-aligned. This has incredible implications — you can route anything anywhere and never have to worry about routing delays. All sends and busses are automatically realigned with the primary bus, bringing back analog simplicity to parallel routing, with digital simplicity in set up and recall.
The v.5 Mixer manages all of the plug-ins and connections within the DSP for you. So, even though you may be creating an incredibly complex network of plug-ins with many mults and bus to bus routes, the user interaction required for you to control the system is simple and direct.
The v.5 Mixer works as complex routing manager, adding plug-ins (including mixer plug-ins) to the DSP based upon your configuration commands. Because the DSP engine automatically configures the runtime environment to compensate for routing latency in the configured DSP graph, you can rely on the fact that bus to bus routes all arrive with no routing latency. This allows you to configure sub-mixes and stems, including sub-bus processing, without having to worry about phase-cancellation problems or other latency related issues.
“The MIO v.5 Console and 2d Card’s routing capabilities are unmatched, its DSP processing unrivaled, and its familiar mixer interface ensures that this power and flexibility is easily accessible…”— Orren Merton
Author of Logic Pro 8 Power
Read More…
With the v.5 Mixer, you can now take advantage of a sophisticated direct insert model. Just insert the plug where you want to process the signal. Done!
v.5 Mixer Direct Plug-in Insert (in the inserts!)
With the included 2d plug-in bundle, you can put plugs in inserts in a linear routing of Plug-ins. If you add +DSP, you can insert a +DSP graph in any insert in the mixer to add a routing playground, allowing you to split, mult, parallel and feedback signals to your heart’s content. And then you can save the graphs as your own “Secret Weapons” - instantly instantiable with two mouse clicks.
The v.5 Mixer manages all of the plug-ins and connections within the DSP for you. So, even though you may be creating an incredibly complex network of plug-ins with many mults and bus to bus routes, the user interaction required for you to control the system is simple and direct.
The v.5 Mixer works as complex routing manager, adding plug-ins (including mixer plug-ins) to the DSP based upon your configuration commands. Because the DSP engine automatically configures the runtime environment to compensate for routing latency in the configured DSP graph, you can rely on the fact that bus to bus routes all arrive with no routing latency. This allows you to configure sub-mixes and stems, including sub-bus processing, without having to worry about phase-cancellation problems or other latency related issues.
“The MIO v.5 Console and 2d Card’s routing capabilities are unmatched, its DSP processing unrivaled, and its familiar mixer interface ensures that this power and flexibility is easily accessible…”— Orren Merton
Author of Logic Pro 8 Power
Read More…
With the v.5 Mixer, you can now take advantage of a sophisticated direct insert model. Just insert the plug where you want to process the signal. Done!
v.5 Mixer Direct Plug-in Insert (in the inserts!)
With the included 2d plug-in bundle, you can put plugs in inserts in a linear routing of Plug-ins. If you add +DSP, you can insert a +DSP graph in any insert in the mixer to add a routing playground, allowing you to split, mult, parallel and feedback signals to your heart’s content. And then you can save the graphs as your own “Secret Weapons” - instantly instantiable with two mouse clicks.
One of the primary advantages that dedicated DSP-based systems have traditionally had over native DAWs is their latency performance. Round-trip Latency is how long it takes for a signal sent into the DAW to come back out, and it is a primary consideration for musicians when monitoring their performances. With the 2d card in every Expanded interface and v.5, you get the best of both worlds — ultra-low latency native performance and even lower dedicated DSP latency performance when you want it!
“…Now, with the 2d upgrades and v.5 Console, with its super efficient, super low latency drivers and drastically reduced internal latency I can do software monitoring from my DAW at latencies that are imperceptible to even the pickiest of my clients. And in the unlikely case that an even pickier customer than I have met so far turns up I am completely confident I can still satisfy his monitoring needs with the new zero-latency internal effects, because, in addition to the already excellent compressors and EQs MIO users have been enjoying for years, the new effects include reverbs and amp simulations that are so spot-on that they hang with any of the dozens of high quality native effects in my arsenal…”
— Dennis Gunn
Independent Musician/Producer, Tokyo Japan
Read More…
With roundtrips through the computer to utilize native Plug-ins, the combination of the hardware and driver allows the use of extremely small buffers (32 samples) on modern computer hardware. Coupled with the best-in-industry safety buffers of the MIO Driver, you can achieve less than 5ms (4.53ms) Round-Trip latency at 32 samples @ 44.1k, and you can go below 3ms (2.6ms) Round-Trip latency at 32 samples @ 96k, again rivaling the performance of PCI-based solutions, yet with the convenience and portability of FireWire.
And if that performance is not sufficient for your monitoring needs, you can monitor through 2d Plug-ins with an incredible 1.5 ms of latency @ 44.1kHz and less than 0.7 ms of latency at 96k. This gives you dedicated processing at latencies that correspond to less than 2 ft of sound propagation through the air. As good or better than dedicated digital mixers!
“…Now, with the 2d upgrades and v.5 Console, with its super efficient, super low latency drivers and drastically reduced internal latency I can do software monitoring from my DAW at latencies that are imperceptible to even the pickiest of my clients. And in the unlikely case that an even pickier customer than I have met so far turns up I am completely confident I can still satisfy his monitoring needs with the new zero-latency internal effects, because, in addition to the already excellent compressors and EQs MIO users have been enjoying for years, the new effects include reverbs and amp simulations that are so spot-on that they hang with any of the dozens of high quality native effects in my arsenal…”
— Dennis Gunn
Independent Musician/Producer, Tokyo Japan
Read More…
With roundtrips through the computer to utilize native Plug-ins, the combination of the hardware and driver allows the use of extremely small buffers (32 samples) on modern computer hardware. Coupled with the best-in-industry safety buffers of the MIO Driver, you can achieve less than 5ms (4.53ms) Round-Trip latency at 32 samples @ 44.1k, and you can go below 3ms (2.6ms) Round-Trip latency at 32 samples @ 96k, again rivaling the performance of PCI-based solutions, yet with the convenience and portability of FireWire.
And if that performance is not sufficient for your monitoring needs, you can monitor through 2d Plug-ins with an incredible 1.5 ms of latency @ 44.1kHz and less than 0.7 ms of latency at 96k. This gives you dedicated processing at latencies that correspond to less than 2 ft of sound propagation through the air. As good or better than dedicated digital mixers!
Every channel in the v.5 Mixer, including Bus Masters, has our exclusive Character signal processing available. We took a hard look at the characteristics of the euphonic distortion found in “classic” analog devices and components (like tubes, fets, and transformers) and built a process to integrate that euphonic distortion directly in the hardware.
Character allows you to turn the pristine ultra-low distortion preamp inputs in the HW into classic “character” pres. By adding Character to your summing bus, the v.5 Mixer instantly acquires the characteristics of classic (and modern) analog summing busses.
The best part is that you can choose the Character that suits your Mic, Source or mix — because v.5 ships with more than 15 different types of Character — and one is sure to suit your needs.
It is hard to describe the effect of Character in words, but our beta testers have been moved to try. This is what they have to say:
“…The new Character analog hardware emulation Plug-in on each mixer strip is totally addictive. Pure audio crack!…”
— Brian Monroney
Guitarist/Musical Director for Tom Jones
Read More…
“…There was a moment when I was tracking some guitar, I switched on some Character Plug-ins on the input and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing — it’s gorgeous… the CharacterPlug-ins are so cool they have made me stop using some of my outboard gear altogether; yes they are that good…”
— Rico Sergeant
Singer Songwriter
www.ricosergeant.com
Read More…
“…The new console is absolutely amazing and Character is worth the price of admission alone. It's not an upgrade, it's a rebirth.”
— Marc Schonbrun
Guitarist - Author - Music Technology Educator
www.marcschonbrun.com
Read More…
“…Character in particular has brought new life to the already exemplary MH preamps by giving them the personalities of my favorite boutique and vintage pres.”
— Don Gunn
Recording/mixing engineer
www.dongunn.com
Read More…
“…My favourite features? Well, the one that jumps out has to be the astonishing sonic choices available through the Character settings. Honestly, most other software companies would launch substantial marketing campaigns around this single feature, it would more than fulfill the needs of many companies to show as a major new product in itself and cause software engineers to deservedly sit back and savour a job well done, and, most significantly, would most certainly come with a very substantial price tag…”
— Mark Cahill
Owner, Logic Users Group
Co - Administrator, logicuser.de
Read More…
“…Character emulation adds a full microphone cabinet to features already contained in an easily transportable 1U package…”
— Christopher Jones
Live Audio Archivist
Read More…
“…In a mixing environment, I have found no better mixer than the new v.5 Console to take my DAW outputs to new levels of clarity and life. With the Character processing added to the extremely flexible routing and the new macro inserts, mixes have now moved way beyond the sonic possibilities of the standard DAWs output. The v.5 Mixer bus summing far exceeds that of any DAW available…”
— Michael Romanowski
Mastering and Recording Engineer
Michael Romanowski Mastering
Read More…
“…The Character emulations of preamp characteristics sounds great, and gives me the sound of my vintage studio gear when I am traveling to do location recordings…”
— Erlend Myrstad
Engineer / Producer
Atlantis Audio
Read More…
“…Best of all, Character options can subtly and magically color sounds, selectively adding the desirable qualities of tubes, transformers or transistors without their negative characteristics (noise, circuit design variables, part variance, etc.)…”
— Dave Davis
Media Designer & Mastering Engineer
Sound Images
Read More…
“…The plug-ins provide everything I need in the mastering room. Character lets you add color as desired and for those jobs where only a pristine path will do, I’ll take v.5 over any other option on the market…”— Barry Diament
Legendary Recording and Mastering Engineer
Soundkeeper Recordings
Read More…
Character allows you to turn the pristine ultra-low distortion preamp inputs in the HW into classic “character” pres. By adding Character to your summing bus, the v.5 Mixer instantly acquires the characteristics of classic (and modern) analog summing busses.
The best part is that you can choose the Character that suits your Mic, Source or mix — because v.5 ships with more than 15 different types of Character — and one is sure to suit your needs.
It is hard to describe the effect of Character in words, but our beta testers have been moved to try. This is what they have to say:
“…The new Character analog hardware emulation Plug-in on each mixer strip is totally addictive. Pure audio crack!…”
— Brian Monroney
Guitarist/Musical Director for Tom Jones
Read More…
“…There was a moment when I was tracking some guitar, I switched on some Character Plug-ins on the input and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing — it’s gorgeous… the CharacterPlug-ins are so cool they have made me stop using some of my outboard gear altogether; yes they are that good…”
— Rico Sergeant
Singer Songwriter
www.ricosergeant.com
Read More…
“…The new console is absolutely amazing and Character is worth the price of admission alone. It's not an upgrade, it's a rebirth.”
— Marc Schonbrun
Guitarist - Author - Music Technology Educator
www.marcschonbrun.com
Read More…
“…Character in particular has brought new life to the already exemplary MH preamps by giving them the personalities of my favorite boutique and vintage pres.”
— Don Gunn
Recording/mixing engineer
www.dongunn.com
Read More…
“…My favourite features? Well, the one that jumps out has to be the astonishing sonic choices available through the Character settings. Honestly, most other software companies would launch substantial marketing campaigns around this single feature, it would more than fulfill the needs of many companies to show as a major new product in itself and cause software engineers to deservedly sit back and savour a job well done, and, most significantly, would most certainly come with a very substantial price tag…”
— Mark Cahill
Owner, Logic Users Group
Co - Administrator, logicuser.de
Read More…
“…Character emulation adds a full microphone cabinet to features already contained in an easily transportable 1U package…”
— Christopher Jones
Live Audio Archivist
Read More…
“…In a mixing environment, I have found no better mixer than the new v.5 Console to take my DAW outputs to new levels of clarity and life. With the Character processing added to the extremely flexible routing and the new macro inserts, mixes have now moved way beyond the sonic possibilities of the standard DAWs output. The v.5 Mixer bus summing far exceeds that of any DAW available…”
— Michael Romanowski
Mastering and Recording Engineer
Michael Romanowski Mastering
Read More…
“…The Character emulations of preamp characteristics sounds great, and gives me the sound of my vintage studio gear when I am traveling to do location recordings…”
— Erlend Myrstad
Engineer / Producer
Atlantis Audio
Read More…
“…Best of all, Character options can subtly and magically color sounds, selectively adding the desirable qualities of tubes, transformers or transistors without their negative characteristics (noise, circuit design variables, part variance, etc.)…”
— Dave Davis
Media Designer & Mastering Engineer
Sound Images
Read More…
“…The plug-ins provide everything I need in the mastering room. Character lets you add color as desired and for those jobs where only a pristine path will do, I’ll take v.5 over any other option on the market…”— Barry Diament
Legendary Recording and Mastering Engineer
Soundkeeper Recordings
Read More…
Metric Halo’s exclusive ConsoleConnect Plug-in allows you to work with your MIO as if it were a part of your DAW or Host of choice. Whether you work in Logic, Nuendo, Cubase, Pro Tools, Digital Performer, GarageBand, Live or any other AU, VST or RTAS host, you can interact with MIO Console directly from within your host, and enjoy Total Recall of all your MIO configuration (Analog Levels, Routing, Mixing, Plug-ins, Monitor Control, etc.) directly from your host application’s session. No other product has integration this complete, and no other product on the market integrates with every host!