Electronics | Imagination Works

ESI U24 XL – external audio interface for recording, playback and transmitting of completed signal

Lets meet with external sound card ESI U24 XL, which is designed for recording, playback and transmitting of completed signal ( because it has no specialized microphone and instrumental Hi-Z inputs and MIDI connectors ). Its frontal panel has : analogue TRS ( 1/4″ jack ) inputs and outputs for left and right channels with gold-plated contacts and their work indicators, one of outputs can be used for monitor headphones. Its rear panel has : coaxial digital RCA input and output with gold-plated contacts, USB port, through which it is powered and communicates with computer, and optical Toslink digital input and output.

External sound card ESI U24 XL ( rear view )

Card supports 96 kHz sampling rate and 24 bits precision of digital to analogue and analogue to digital conversions. For it drivers are released for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and newer with support of ASIO 2.0 interface and for Mac OS X 10.4 and newer with support of Core Audio interface, via which it tightly integrates with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others. Card sizes are 10 x 9 cm, package contains : ESI U24 XL external sound card itself, USB cable, optical disks with drivers and software and user’s guide. It is good sound card for recording, playback and transmitting of already completed audio signal with optimal price; but if card will be used for wider spectrum of tasks, then it is better to buy device with wider amount of connectors and functions.

Tokina AF 100mm F2.8 AT-X M100 AF PRO D – fixed tele-photo lens for Nikon and Canon mounts

Lets review fixed tele-photo lens Tokina AF 100mm F2.8 AT-X M100 AF PRO D, that is released for full-frame and APS-C mounts of Canon and Nikon cameras. Its focus is equal to 100 mm, aperture can be set in f/2.8 – f/32 range ( it is lens of middle level light strength ) with use of 9 diaphragm blades, field of view is 24 degrees, minimal focusing distance is 0.3 m with macro ability and support of focusing on infinity ( with use of this lens there is ability to make photos of astronomical objects and of distant land objects ). Lens supports automatic and manual focusing and aperture control and does not support optical image stabilization ( which camera can perform by itself via sensor shifting, if it supports it ), there is ability to attach 55 mm optical filters to it. 9 lens elements in 8 groups are built into it ( this is relatively large amount for fixed lens ), they all are covered with protective and anti-reflective multi-coating. Its sizes are 73.66 ( diameter ) x 95 ( length ) mm, mass is 540 g, it is eligible to 2-years manufacturer’s warranty. Package contains : Tokina AF 100mm F2.8 AT-X M100 AF PRO D photo-lens itself, frontal and rear caps, storage and carrying case and user’s guide. In technical characteristics respect, this is a middle tele-photo lens with automatic focusing support, which is useful for photos and videos making ( especially if camera can perform image stabilization ). But, if there is no need in automatic focusing, then there is ability to buy tele-photo lens with similar characteristics at much lower price.

SOL RELAYS SPORT – in-ear headphones for sports exercises

Lets review audio novelty SOL RELAYS SPORT – in-ear headphones for sports exercises. Manufacturer tells almost nothing about their technical characteristics, this points thoughts in suspicious direction. Judging by their view, 8 or 10 mm drivers are built into them, they are protected from sweat and moisture and has small mass and low-profile. Their volume control unit has built-in buttons for phones control, they are supplied with changeable tips for comfortable wearing by different people and are subject to 1-year manufacturer warranty. Package contains : SOL RELAYS SPORT headphones themselves, storage pouch and user’s guide. Overall, with lack of technical details from manufacturer and high price ( 50 USD at the end of Autumn 2015 ) it seems, that these headphones are simply marketing money pumping from customers, so, if there are no special sympathy to their design, then it is better to look on devices of other manufacturers with known technical details and more acceptable price.

Roland QUAD-CAPTURE – advanced audio interface with full spectrum of connectors and functions

Lets meet with external audio interface Roland QUAD-CAPTURE, which has full spectrum of connectors and functions for use in small studio. It can process and transmit sound with sampling rates up to 192 kHz with 24 bits precision, internal processing is performed with 40 bits per sample precision; digital signal through specialized connectors is accepted and transmitted with sampling rates up to 96 kHz. Its frontal panel has : instrumental Hi-Z and microphone combined balanced XLR/TRS ( 6.3 mm jack ) inputs ( phantom power +48 V can be connected to microphone input, instrumental input can be switched into linear mode ); amplification control knobs for these inputs with automatic control switch and clip indicator; TRS ( 6.3 mm jack ) output for monitor headphones with Direct Monitor switch, playback volume control, card work mode switch and USB connection indicator. Its back panel has : USB port, through which it powers and communicates with computer; MIDI input and output; coaxial digital RCA input and output; main balanced TRS ( 6.3 mm jack ) outputs; and following switches Ground Lift, phantom power and Hi-Z/linear mode of instrumental input.

External sound card Roland QUAD-CAPTURE ( rear view )

Card’s noise level is -95 dB, dynamical range of analogue to digital conversion is 104 dB and of digital to analogue : 109 dB. For analogue inputs it uses quality VS Preamps, its power unit has low noise level, body is made of aluminum and it supports Direct-Box ( DI ) function for electro-magnetic interference protection on live concerts. Card supports Roland VS Streaming technology and ASIO 2.0 and WDM ( in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and newer ) and Core Audio ( in Mac OS X ) interfaces for tight integration with modern DAWs : Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio and others. Its sizes are 185 ( width ) x 134 ( depth ) x 44 ( height ) mm, and mass is 570 g. Package contains : Roland QUAD-CAPTURE external sound card itself, USB cable, optical disk with drivers and software and user’s guide. Roland CAPTURE sound cards in functionality and set hardware are superior to cards of Behringer and other manufacturers, and are on approximately the same level as Steinberg cards and, in reality, together with Steinberg cards has no competitors among these devices at these days. So, if there is need to buy external sound card, then cards of these manufacturers are first candidates for this task.

MEE audio M7P Secure-Fit Sports – new sportive in-ear headphones

Compact in-ear headphones MEE audio M7P Secure-Fit Sports

Lets review new compact sportive headphones MEE audio M7P Secure-Fit Sports, designed for in-ear use. Their drivers size is 8 mm, they can reproduce sounds in 20 – 20000 Hz frequency range, impedance on 1 kHz equals to 16 Ohms, sensitivity is 98 dB and maximal power input is 5 mW. They are supplied with 1.3 detachable cable with 3.5 mm mini-jack connector. To its volume control unit microphone ( with 100 – 5000 Hz perceived frequencies range and -40 dB sensitivity ) and phone remote control are attached. Cable additionally has over-ear parts to distribute its weight evenly; pads, cable and its volume control module are protected from sweat and moisture. Headphones are released in 4 color variants : gray, red, blue and green. Package contains : MEE audio M7P Secure-Fit Sports headphones themselves, detachable cable, pouch of according color, 4 pairs of silicon ear-tips of different sizes, clothes clip and user’s guide. Characteristics of these headphones are mainly similar to those ones of other devices of such type, so, this model should be preferred for purchase only in case of sympathy to their design, reliability and convenience of their construction and adequate price.

Preview of Canon EOS M10 – new compact mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses

Lets preview compact mirrorless camera Canon EOS M10 with interchangeable lenses, it will be available in shops from 4th November. For lenses it uses Canon EF-M mount, APS-C Hybrid CMOS AF II sensor with 18 MP effective resolution and ultrasonic anti-dust system is set in it. Camera can shoot photos with 5184 x 3456 pixels maximal resolution ( with ISO 100 – 25600 levels ) and save them in JPEG, RAW ( with 14 bits per channel precision ) and RAW+JPEG formats; and can record videos in Full HD ( 1920 x 1080 30/24 ), HD ( 1280 x 720 60 ) and VGA ( 640 x 480 30 ) resolutions, saving them in MP4 format ( with MPEG-4 AVC or H.264 image encoding ). It supports manual control of focus, aperture and exposition and can be used for astronomical photos shooting. It has tilting 3″ TFT screen with 1.04 millions dots resolution, built-in flash and has no viewfinder. It saves photos and videos on SD, SDHC and SDXC flash memory cards and connects to computer via USB 2.0 connection for data transmitting and battery recharging; it also supports Wi-Fi connections for wireless data transmitting and remote control. One charge of its Li-ion battery is enough for 360 photos making; its sizes are 108 ( width ) x 66.6 ( height ) x 35 ( depth ) mm, and mass ( with battery and memory card ) is 301 g; it can work in 0 – 40 degrees on Celsius temperatures range and relative air humidity level up to 85 %.

Camera Canon EOS M10 ( top view ) with Canon EF-M 15-45mm f3.5-6.3 STM IS lens

Camera is shipped with standard zoom-lens Canon EF-M 15-45mm f3.5-6.3 STM IS, with 15 – 45 mm focal distance, f/3.5 – f/6.3 and f/22 – f/40 maximal and minimal apertures ( depending on selected focus ), which is controlled via 7 diaphragm blades ( given model has no aperture manual control ring ), and support of optical image stabilization. Minimal focusing distance is 0.25 m with support of automatic and manual internal focusing. 10 lens elements in 9 groups are built into it, they all are covered with protective and anti-reflective multi-coating. There is ability to attach 49 mm optical filters to it, its sizes are 45 ( length ) x 61 ( diameter ) mm and mass is 130 g. All in all, it is middle-level standard zoom-lens, which is able to do its job before purchasing of more specialized lenses. Camera package contains : Canon EOS M10 – it itself, USB cable, Li-ion battery, user’s guide and Canon EF-M 15-45mm f3.5-6.3 STM IS lens with frontal and rear caps. It is interesting novelty among compact mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses, which is able to give competition to similar lenses of other manufacturers, for example, in the sensor size respect ( APS-C ) it is superior to cameras of this type of following manufacturers : Olympus and Panasonic ( Micro Four Thirds ) and Nikon ( 1″ ), reaching Sony NEX level with APS-C sensors.

Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202 audio interface review

Lets review external sound card Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202, designed for professional use. It can work with sampling rates up to 192 kHz and 24 bits precision. Its frontal panel has : 2 combined XLR/TRS ( 1/4″ jack ) microphone inputs, to which MIDAS preamplifiers are connected and +48 V phantom power can be connected; for each of them there are linear/Hi-Z work mode and PAD switches, amplification control knobs and signal and clip indicators; TRS ( 1/4″ jack ) output for monitor headphones with volume control, Direct Monitor function switch, power and phantom power application indicators and main outputs volume control knob. Its back panel has : USB port, through which it is powered from computer and communicates with it; phantom power switch; Kensington Lock slot; and TRS ( 1/4″ jack ) linear outputs

External sound card Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202 ( rear view )

It works in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and newer and Mac OS X operating systems, with support of ASIO and CoreAudio interfaces, with which it tightly integrates with modern DAWs : FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase and others. After purchases there are free recording software and instruments and plug-ins are available for download from manufacturer’s web-site. Card is covered with 3 years manufacturer warranty. Package contains : audio card Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202 itself, USB cable, optical disk with drivers and user’s guide. To speak shortly : it is one of the best external sound cards in respect of value/price relation : support of 192 kHz and 24 bits, large amount of connectors and functions and high-quality hardware. So, if there is need to buy external audio interface, then this one is one of the main applicants for this role.

Korg Taktile 49 – MIDI keyboard with drumpads and arpreggiator

In audio part lets review MIDI keyboard Korg Taktile 49 wih drumpads and arpreggiator. It is high quality keyboard, which has 49 full-size velocity-sensitive keys, 16 velocity-sensitive drumpads, arpreggiator module, 8 of each type programmable switches, sliders and knobs, 7 transport control buttons, pitch-bend and assignable wheels, and touchpad and OEL display. It communicates with computer and receives power via 1 USB port and has MIDI input-output, optional peal can be connected to it. It is supported by Windows 7 and newer and Mac OS X version 10.6.8 Snow Leopard and newer operating systems, in which it tightly integrates with modern DAWs, their instruments and VST plugins : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others. Its sizes are 750 ( width ) x 290 ( depth ) x 83 ( height ) mm, and mass is 3.8 kg. Package contains : MIDI keyboard Korg Taktile 49 itself, USB cable, user’s guide and card with PIN code for licensed software downloading and discounts receiving on various applications. It is high-quality MIDI keyboard with full spectrum of functions for home studio and professional use and it worth its money, especially, if it is bought with discount.

Pentax HD DA 21mm f/3.2 ED AL – fixed wide angle photo-lens for Pentax K mounts

Lets review fixed wide angle photo-lens Pentax HD DA 21mm f/3.2 ED AL for Pentax K mounts. Its focus equals to 21 mm, diaphragm can be set in f/3.2 – f/22 range ( it is middle light strength lens ) with use of 7 diaphragm blades, it is designed for APS-C sensors and gives 68 degrees field of view with them. Minimal focusing distance is 0.2 m with auto-focusing support and without support of optical image stabilization ( which camera can perform itself via sensor shifting, if it has such function ). 8 lens elements in 5 groups are built into it ( it is relatively big their amount for fixed lens ), they all are covered with protective and anti-reflective multi-coating Pentax HD. 49 mm optical filters can be attached to it, its sizes are 63.5 ( diameter ) x 25.4 ( length ) mm, and mass is 119 g, it is released in 2 color variants : black and silver. Package contains : Pentax HD DA 21mm f/3.2 ED AL photo-lens itself, frontal and rear caps, carrying and storage case, 1 year warranty card and user’s guide. From one side : it is good lens with average glasses amount, average light strength, wide field of view and auto-focusing support, but from the other side : its price is quite big ( 390 USD in the middle of Autumn 2015 ). So, it should be bought only for auto-focusing with such focal distance, but if it is not needed, then it is better to buy other lens and use it via adapter or converter.

ESI MAYA22 USB – compact studio audio interface for analogue sound recording

Lets meet in audio part with external studio audio interface ESI MAYA22 USB, which is oriented on professional recording of analogue sound. Card can work with 96 kHz sampling rate and 24 bits precision and has 102 dB range of analogue to digital conversion and 108 dB range of digital to analogue conversion. Frontal panel of card contains : microphone XLR input, to which +48 V phantom power can be connected; phantom power switch; instrumental TRS ( 1/4″, 6.3 mm jack ) Hi-Z input; and the same type headphones output; 2nd and 3rd connectors are gold-plated. Rear panel contains : USB port, through which it communicates with computer; linear analogue balanced TRS ( 1/4″, 6.3 mm jack ) inputs ( this allows to neutralize all noise, which is added to signal in cables ); and linear analogue RCA inputs; they all are covered with nickel coating. Card can simultaneously record microphone and instrumental inputs.

External sound card ESI MAYA22 USB ( rear view )

It can work in operating systems Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8.1 and newer via special drivers with support of ASIO 2.0, MME, WDM and DirectSound interfaces and DirectWIRE; and Mac OS X 10.4 and newer without additional drivers installation with support of CoreAudio interface. In them it tightly integrates with modern DAWs : FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase and others. Package contains : ESI MAYA22 USB external sound card itself, optical disks with drivers and software, USB cable and user’s guide. It is good sound card with high sampling rate and precision, which is oriented on professional recording of microphone and instrumental inputs and completed signal transmittance. So it is good device for home studio. Wherein there is need to note, that if card will be used for work with MIDI instruments and digital signal transmittance, then it is better to buy card, that has corresponding connectors.

Tag: Electronics