Phonic Helix Board 24 FW
by Chris Hafner | Published May 2008 | In the Mix Archives
The Helix Board is the latest offering from Phonic, combining both digital and analog in one high-powered mixer. Among the features here is a 96 KHz interface that streams as many as 18 independent channels to the computer the Helix is plugged into, returning two channels to the monitor with very little latency. Particularly impressive is the digital S/PDIF output, which allows you to plug an external recording device straight into the Helix. You never know when you may have to bootleg yourself!
The big selling point for some will be the dual position I/O pod (everything is a "pod" these days, isn't it?) capable of turning the Helix Board into either a desktop mixer (i.e., makes it mobile) or a normal, rack-mounted board. The 32/40 digital effects processor has 16 programs built-in, and they're about what you'd expect at this price. Included with the Helix is a copy of Cubase - a rather aged music program, though I still know a few people that swear by it.
Phonic Helix Board 24 FW
Retail price:
$699.95 from Madman Audio, 847 W. Belmont, 773-477-5555, madmanaudio.com.
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