HOPEWELL JUNCTION, NEW YORK: Metric Halo announces the immediate availability of the new Mobile I/O ULN-2 Expanded Mic Pre, Processor and FireWire interface. Powered by Metric Halo's new onboard 2d Processing Card and Version 5 of the MIO Driver and MIO Console software, the flexible ULN-2 Expanded may be operated as a FireWire recording/mixing interface or as a fully standalone 24-bit/96kHz mic pre/converter system complete with processing.

The ULN-2 Expanded provides two analog inputs with boutique-quality, ultra-low noise (EIN is -132 dBu @ 50 Ohms), ultra-high gain (72dB) preamps. Version 5 MIO software, included with the ULN-2 Expanded, provides Metric Halo's exclusive Character processing, which selectively adds fifteen different flavors of euphonic low-order distortions found in classic analog devices to the inputs and mix busses of the system.

Both input paths include balanced analog inserts. The ULN-2 Expanded also includes two analog outputs, a stereo control room/headphone output with individual level controls, AES/SPDIF I/O with SRC, front panel metering and Word Clock I/O. Newly added ADAT implementation makes the ULN-2 Expanded a 12-in/14-out interface and includes optical SPDIF support (independently switchable on both input and output) with asynchronous SRC for the optical SPDIF input.

The integrated 2d Processing, based upon new, next-generation DSP, offers 5.5 times the available processing power of the original Metric Halo +DSP implementation, while an SIMD engine enables an additional doubling in power for certain operations, such as mixing. The ULN-2 Expanded is the only unit in its class with an on-board processing engine that supports fully instantiable processing, providing full access to Metric Halo's world-renowned signal processing effects without sacrificing the computer's processing power or introducing any additional latency in the monitor path.

The ULN-2 Expanded includes a bundle of basic production plug-ins, including MIOStrip (a full-featured channel strip with Gate, Compressor and six-band EQ), HaloVerb, Mid-Side Decoder, Sample Delay and Dither. MIO Console Version 5 features a brand-new customizable mixer as well as unified control of all the mixing and processing resources of all connected Mobile I/O Expanded hardware.

Flexible signal routing and sophisticated patch and preset management systems are also featured in the ULN-2 Expanded, including a front panel, ten-preset register for standalone operation. In standalone mode, the ULN-2 operates with the converters directly routed to and from the AES/SPDIF I/O, ADAT or TOSLINK. It also functions seamlessly as a digital monitor controller, making it ideal as a digital headphone amp and studio monitor controller.

The balanced analog insert in each input path allows the ULN-2 Expanded to be used as a standalone analog mic pre/direct box. Alternatively, the sends may be used as an active splitter to drive a backup recorder or to patch in analog dynamics processing between the mic pres and integrated converters.

This single rack space interface may be run entirely from a laptop computer FireWire bus or from any DC power source (9V-30V), making it truly and completely mobile.

MSRP for the Mobile I/O ULN-2 Expanded is US $1,695. Also available for ULN-2 Expanded systems is the +DSP bundle license. This software license adds literally hundreds of plug-ins and processors to the zero-latency 2d Processing environment for $699.