You don't have to read many issues of Sweet Notes to realize that we cover certain digital workstations a lot. Thats because we sell so many of them and because they're so darn good! However, we sell other workstations and support hardware that doesn't get much exposure, yet each one has something unique to offer. Here's just a sampling.

Aark24. Achieving superior sound requires simple, foolproof gear. That's why studio pros worldwide trust Aardvark digital audio products to always deliver natural dynamic sound. Built upon a decade of experience in engineering high-end digital audio gear, the Aark24's premium 24-bit outboard A/D converters and innovative design give your sound supreme clarity and precise accuracy. You'll notice the difference in any recording session where sonic excellence is an absolute must.

The Aark24 Includes: True 24-Bit A/D and D/A, eight 1/4 " TRS Analog I/O, switchable +4 dBu / -10 dBv, ADAT Optical I/O and Sync, S/PDIF Digital I/O, MIDI In and Out, TOSLINK Optical I/O, Word Clock I/O, 10-channel full duplex simultaneous Rec/Play, monitor mixing software, easy and flexible signal routing, shielded PCI host card w/24-bit DSP, Win 95/98 & Steinberg ASIO drivers and much more. The most surprising part of the package? The list price of the Aark24 is just $899. Your Sweetwater pricing will (of course) be lower.

Digigram VXpocket. When used with editing software and equipped with a communications board (ISDN or modem), the VXpocket actually transforms a laptop into a complete mobile audio workstation. The VXpocket has 24-bit converters, two balanced analog inputs at microphone or line level, and two balanced analog outputs. S/PDIF input and output allow for direct digital transfers. It is designed to work with the wide choice of applications using Digigram's exclusive Virtual PCX audio resource modules, Microsoft's WAVE protocol, or the Mac OS Sound Manager. What's more, an ASIO driver is also available.

The VXpocket is full duplex, offering simultaneous and independent record and playback capabilities. Sampling rates supported are 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, and 48 kHz. PCM encoding/decoding rates are 8, 16, or 24 bits. When supported by the user application, analog inputs and outputs may be configured as one stereo or two mono channels. List price for the Digigram VXpocket is just $729.

Sea Sound Solo EX. Hard disk recording interface, mic preamps, headphone amp, MIDI interface, mixer all in one! Hard to believe, but it's true! The Solo Digital Audio Recording System provides a variety of common functions required by today's digital-audio musician: pre-amplification for microphones and low-level instruments (such as guitar, bass, etc.), line-level input controls, input mixing, monitoring, complete compatibility with popular recording and editing software and 24-bit / 96kHz conversion of audio signals to / from the digital domain.

Solo also features two high quality, custom mic preamps (with a full 65db of gain control), S/PDIF In and Out, two high-Z instrument preamps, sample rates of 8kHz right out to 96kHz at 24-bit resolution, channel inserts, ASIO, Sound Manager and WAVE drivers, a built-in mixer, MIDI In, Out and Thru, signal activity / clip indicators for recording or playback with both peak-average and peak-hold display modes, footswitch transport control interface and two headphone amps. The best news is that Solo is fully Mac or PC compatible via the supplied PCI card. List price for Sea Sound Solo EX is just $849.95.

Midiman DiO 2448. The DiO 2448 PCI Digital I/O Card from Midiman combines coaxial and optical digital I/O with stereo analog outputs at a remarkably low price. It's perfect for interfacing to S/PDIF-capable equipment such as DAT machines, MiniDisc recorders, dedicated audio converters, and more. In addition, the built-in D/A converter provides analog audio output for monitoring incoming digital audio. Plug your CD-ROM or CD-R to the internal analog or digital connector, and use the DiO 2448 as your Windows Sound System card.

Features include a two-in, two-out 24-bit / 48kHz full-duplex PCI audio interface, S/PDIF inputs and outputs on coaxial (gold-plated RCA) and optical (TOSlink) jacks, stereo analog output on gold-plated RCA jacks (-10dbv levels). Onboard headers accept digital or analog audio from your computer's internal CD-ROM player and the D/A converter may be used to monitor digital input or output. Digital input may be bypassed directly to digital output (in "audio thru" mode). DiO2448 supports 44.1kHz and 48kHz sample rates and works with either Windows 95 or 98 drivers. Minimum system requirements are a Pentium 200 MHz-equipped PC with 32MB of RAM. UDMA EIDE or SCSI hard disk recommended. List price of the Midiman DiO2448 is just $149.95.

WaveCenter / PCI. Need an affordable new ADAT digital lightpipe card for your Windows and Macintosh computer? Look at the WaveCenter/PCI from Frontier Design. It combines eight channels of lightpipe I/O, two channels of S/PDIF, and a 2x2 MIDI interface on one compact PCI card. WaveCenter/PCI combines the sonic benefits of all-digital 24-bit I/O with the convenience and flexibility of industry-standard interfaces. And now with drivers for Windows 95/98 and MacOS, WaveCenter/PCI can be used with all of your favorite editing and sequencing software.

Digital mixers have grown in popularity in recent months, and it's easy to see why. They've got incredible sonics, built-in effects, they're automatable, and they've got faders! Moreover, most popular digital mixers either have ADAT lightpipe and S/PDIF digital I/O built in, or they're available as inexpensive options. WaveCenter/PCI is the perfect partner for these machines. Simply plug the card into your computer and connect it to the digital I/O on your mixer, and voila! instant digital studio. Now you can track directly to disk, perform lightning-fast edits with your favorite software, and use your digital mixer to provide automated mixing, effects, and A/D and D/A conversion.

If you're using ADATs, DAT machines, or a MiniDisc recorder to lay down your tracks, you know how convenient they are to use: You just load a tape and press the red button. There's just one problem: You can't edit the tape! No problem. Just connect the WaveCenter/PCI to your tape deck's digital I/O, and you can easily transfer bit-for-bit copies of your tracks into and out of your computer. You can transfer up to 10 channels simultaneously, with 24-bit resolution on each channel! Now you can do all the stuff you could never do with just tape alone: Edit, rearrange, mix down, add effects, burn a CD, create an MP3 file -- it's entirely up to you! When you're done editing on the computer, just transfer your finished song back to a fresh tape, stick a label on it and start tracking the next one! WaveCenter/PCI carries a list price of $389.

If some (or all) of these products are surprising you, you should know that they're just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many new and innovative products being unveiled just about every day that it would be impossible for us to cover them all here in Sweet Notes. That's why you need to talk to your Sweetwater Sales Engineer. They have all the up-to-the-minute information on all the hottest new products including a few you didn't even know about. So call today for the complete rundown, as well as your special Sweetwater pricing on these digital workstations and other cool gear you just might need.