FOCUSRITE LIQUID SAFFIRE 56

FOCUSRITE LIQUID SAFFIRE 56 LIST PRICE: $1299.00 WWW.FOCUSRITE.COM Some interfaces, like the Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56, offer zero-latency monitoring by allowing you to route any input directly to any output (an artist’s headphone mix, for example). The "liquid" in the Liquid Saffire 56 refers to two of its eight microphone preamps. Using the included Saffire Mix Control software, users can select between ten emulations of vintage preamps based on classic models by Neve, Telefunken, Pultec, Manley, Millenia and others. The software also allows the addition of harmonic distortion to the preamps to further color your sound. Along with 28 IO options, the Liquid Saffire 56 also offers two independent headphone busses and two instrument inputs that allow you to plug a guitar, bass or keyboard directly into the interface without the need for an additional direct box. This review is part of “The Art of Home Recording” feature in the March/April 2010 issue.