iCON Touch 8 audio interface

General

For many many years, we have seen audio interfaces with a similar form-factor. A small box with buttons and dials on the side. Sometimes there are desktop models with the controls on the top. Meanwhile, smartphones and tablets are getting cheaper and cheaper, so why not take advantage of the equally inexpensive touch screens for audio interfaces? Take the iCON Touch 8 audio interface; the usual connectors on the back, two headphone jacks on the front, a rotary knob on top, but the rest is a 10-inch colour touch-screen! And then suddenly there are nice features, such as virtual faders. But above all: the settings are just generously (and nicely!) presented on the screen, instead of in the old fiddly way on the side. And, there's no denying it, of course, it also just looks really cool!

Features of the iCON Touch 8

Four analogue inputs (XLR/jack, with phantom and hi-Z), and four analogue outputs form the core. However, ADAT (in + out) is also present. So that already provides eight extra inputs if you combine the Touch 8 with a separate eight-way ADAT pre-amp. And that alone makes it an interesting interface for large-scale users. Just to give an example: a remote-session drummer with an ADAT interface can connect twelve mics with the Touch 8. That's very nice and spacious, e.g. a mic for the batter and a mic for the resonator drumhead, for kick and snare. And then you still have eight left for room mics and close mics for tom and cymbals. With ADAT as output, you have possibilities for surround configurations. And so everyone can invent their own applications. It also comes with a very nice bundle of software, including an (entry-level) DAW. All in all, this is a very nice interface, a real next-gen machine!