Thunderbolt technology opens up new doors for creators. 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 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-8 are also unaffected by computer jitter (slight variations in timing).
The TAC-8 provides a wide variety of both analog and digital connectors. Eight front panel combo XLR/TRS inputs accept mic- and line-level signals. Inputs 1 and 2 can also accept instrument-level signal from electric guitars and basses. Dedicated input gain controls and Clip LEDs make it easy to set optimum input levels, and a Phantom Power switch enables the use of condenser microphones.
Dual balanced analog ¼" TRS output jacks allow you to connect the TAC-8 to amplifiers or self-powered speakers, and there are also 8 discrete balanced TRS analog line outputs for multichannel monitoring or connection to external effects devices. A large front-panel Output knob offers fast control over output level, and there are two independent ¼" stereo headphone jacks, each with its own dedicated volume control, for private monitoring.
The TAC-8 provides 10 channels of digital inputs and outputs, including 8 channels of I/O on ADAT Optical connectors and an additional 2 channels on S/PDIF connectors. In addition, Word Clock I/O enables the TAC-8 to be easily integrated into any system.
In addition, MIDI In and Out allow electronic keyboards, sequencers, and drum machines to be connected to the TAC-8, with Thunderbolt speed ensuring precise audio and MIDI sync.
In standalone mode, the TAC-8 can be used as an 8-channel mic preamp and analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog converter without being connected to a computer. The TAC-8 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 signal is processed at high resolution 176.4kHz or 192kHz, respectively. For A/D conversion, this means less aliasing noise; for D/A conversion, this means increased clarity and fidelity.