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Zoom TAC-2R Thunderbolt Audio Converter

The compact, rugged TAC-2R audio interface uses the latest Thunderbolt™ technology  for blazingly fast speed, near zero latency and the ultimate in high-quality audio, up to 24-bit/192kHz. With its easy-to-use design and advanced converters, the TAC-2R is perfect for studio and field recording of mics and instruments, onstage playback, and pristine audio streaming. It can even serve as an ultra-stable MIDI interface.

Features:

  • 2-in/2-out high speed Thunderbolt™ audio interface
  • Support for recording and playback up to 24-bit/192kHz
  • Ultra-low latency audio streaming
  • Two combo balanced XLR/TRS input connectors accept both mic- and line-level signal
  • Hi-Z switches allow direct connection of electric guitar or bass
  • Switchable +48V phantom power
  • Two balanced TRS output jacks for connection to amplifiers or self-powered speakers
  • ¼" headphone jack with dedicated level control
  • Independent gain controls and clip LEDs for each input
  • Large knob output volume control
  • Direct Monitoring switch for zero latency monitoring in mono or stereo
  • MIDI In and Out
  • High-performance mic preamps with up to +60dB of amplification
  • 4x upsampling during A/D and D/A conversion for reduced noise and enhanced fidelity
  • Asynchronous transfer system unaffected by computer jitter
  • Bus powered—no AC power required
  • Robust metal housing ensures roadworthiness
  • Works with all Thunderbolt-equipped Macintosh computers running OS X 10.8.5 or later

Onstage
Take your performance to the next level. Use the TAC-2R onstage to get the best sound quality from your laptop. With its Thunderbolt speed, high quality converters, and rugged chassis, you can trust the TAC-2R to deliver superior audio night after night.

In your home and office
Enhance the audio you enjoy everyday. Plug your headphones or speakers into the TAC-2R instead of your computer's audio outputs and enjoy streamed high-resolution audio—all the way up to 24-bit/192kHz—in full fidelity.

In the studio
The TAC-2R gives you all the tools you need to create great audio. Flexible routing options allow you to use a variety of microphones and instruments, with high-quality preamps to ensure crystal clear sound. There's even Direct Monitoring for zero latency overdubbing.

MIDI
The TAC-2R serves as an ultra-stable MIDI interface too, allowing you to use your electronic keyboards and controllers as well as sound generating devices such as synthesizers and drum machines. The extreme speed and low latency of Thunderbolt ensure that your audio and MIDI tracks line up perfectly, every time.

Thunderbolt Fast. Creator Driven.
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-2R are also unaffected by computer jitter (slight variations in timing), so there's no need to connect an external master clock source.

In addition, Thunderbolt carries 10 watts/18 volts of power (as compared to the 2.5 watts/ 5 volts carried by USB 2.0)—enough to provide stable phantom power. This also allows the use of high-end components such as the Burr Brown PCM4202 analog-to-digital converter and AKM AK4396 digital-to-analog converter in the TAC-2R.

The TAC-2R 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 TAC-2R processes the signal at high resolution 176.4kHz or 192kHz. For A/D conversion, this means less aliasing noise; for D/A conversion, this means increased clarity and fidelity.

* Latency time in the TAC-2R is just 4.17 msec round trip when operating at a 44.1kHz sampling rate with a 64 sample buffer size.

The Hardware
The Thunderbolt port on the rear panel carries digital signal to and from your computer in addition to providing power to the TAC-2R—no external power required. Dual front panel combo XLR/TRS inputs allow you to connect a wide variety of microphones as well as line-level signals from electronic keyboards and music players—even passive instruments such as electric guitars and basses. Dual balanced TRS output jacks enable you to connect the TAC-2R to amplifiers or self-powered speakers, and there's an independent ¼" stereo headphone jack with dedicated volume control for private monitoring of the input or output signal. In addition, MIDI In and Out is provided to allow precise synchronization with devices such as electronic keyboards and drum machines.

Dedicated input gain controls and Clip LEDs make it easy to set optimum input levels, and a large Output knob enables fast control over overall output level. A phantom power switch applies +48 volts to the mic inputs, allowing you to use the TAC-2R with studio-quality condenser microphones, and a three-way Direct Monitoring switch enables monitoring of input signal with zero latency in both mono and stereo.

Extend your capabilities with software
TAC-2 MixEfx is a free Macintosh application designed specially by Zoom for the TAC-2R. With TAC-2 MixEfx, you can set mix parameters and add high-quality effects such as reverb and echo. Other features include a low cut filter, phase reverse, AUTO GAIN control for each input. TAC-2 MixEfx even has three memory slots for saving user settings with quick recall.

State of the art editing with every interface
The Zoom TAC-2R comes with a free download license for Sternberg’s Cubase LE music production software, providing not just the ability to capture incredible high-resolution / low-latency audio in every box, but to do spectacular things with it.

Take your recordings to a more professional level. Steinberg’s powerful and state-of-the-art audio software used by creators around the world now comes with every Zoom TAC-2, TAC-2R, and TAC-8 purchase.

Currently shipping with:
Cubase LE7 for Mac OS X 10.7, 10.8, 10.9 and Windows 7/8

Here's what comes included with the TAC-2R: 

  • Operation manual
  • Thunderbolt cable (1m)
  • Cubase LE software download