For the time being, the SK48 specs are tempting. And there’s more, with some really great features. First, there’s a remote (Cat5 connection, with a long cord, thanks). The big knob controls the Master Volume by default, and has a secondary function when pressed. It becomes the level controller when you switch on inputs, outputs, effects, etc. with the dedicated buttons, then goes back to Master Volume after an adjustable time. You can directly control the three Total Recall presets (too bad that the Master volume is included in the presets, be careful with your ears...), maximize/minimize the TCNear panel, etc. Thanks to the Shift function, you have access to six user parameters. If you look at the TCNear Remote Setup window, you’ll see that you can set the period of time before the controller goes back to Master Volume, set the secondary function and... two MIDI controllers, on up to two channels, via the Effect button and the controller! You can choose to send them via FireWire or the MIDI out. So, the remote is also kind of a mini MIDI controller, thanks TC! It was very easy to assign the CutOff of a virtual synth and its LFO when pressing the knob. And record everything in Logic’s automation...

There are also two clever details: a guitar tuner, with a led becoming the reference and a TalkBack function, the talkback mic being integrated into the remote. Note that choosing the TalkBack remote mic cuts channel 12 and vice versa. In the small world of audio interfaces, the trend is the integration of DSP effects, whether they be available when recording or mixing. It’s natural that TC should follow this trend, fortified by its experience as a DSP card manufacturer (PowerCore...). So you’ll find the Fabrik C Studio, a complete channel strip (EQ, deesser, compressor, limiter) and Fabrik R Studio (a reverb). The Fabrik C Studio seems to have been boosted, seeing that TC recommends it as a mastering tool, which is apparently not the case with the Konnekt 24D version.

As for the reverb, it has been enhanced with four new algorithms: Room, Box, Ambient, Live 2 and Spring. The Fabrik R Studio comes from the Reverb 4000, so we can infer from this that the algorithms are the same as in the VSS3. Indeed, after some A/B testing, they sound very similar. As for the Fabrik C Studio which is supposed to be derived from the System 6000, it seems very close to the MD3, EQwise in particular, with its four independent bands, and the frequency, gain and mode selection: Cut, Shelve, Parametric and Notch, including the famous Notch 0,02 oct. (a genuine surgical tool).

The most amazing thing is that you can use these plugs for recordings as well as for mixing sessions, simply by switching from Internal to Plug-In mode, in a VST or Audio Unit host. The amount of available plug-ins is related to the sample rate: from three plug-ins at 44.1 and 48 kHz (two C, one R) to zero at 176.4 and 192 kHz.