Zoom TAC-8 18x20 Thunderbolt Audio Interface

Track Your Whole Band with Thunderbolt

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

With ample analog and digital connectivity plus stellar 24-bit/192kHz audio quality, the Zoom TAC-8 Thunderbolt audio interface brings you amazing functionality and enough preamps to record your full band. Connections for mics, instruments, line level signals and MIDI give you the versatility you need to tackle a wide variety of recording and live applications. And thanks to its all-metal design, the TAC-8 has the reassuring build quality you want when using your interface out in the field. Factor in the easy-to-use control software and sweet-sounding reverb and delay effects, and you've got a lot of production potential with the Zoom TAC-8.

Related Videos: TAC-8 18x20 Thunderbolt Audio Interface

• Great recording interface for your band
• High-end processing delivers better sound
• Blazing-fast performance with Thunderbolt

The Zoom TAC-8 Thunderbolt interface is simple to use, and Sweetwater has been impressed by the high sound quality. A set of XLR/TRS combo jacks in the front lets you hook up mics, instruments, or line signals in seconds. The TAC-8 uses high-end Burr Brown converters to capture top-notch audio. A full set of TRS jacks in the back let you hook up your powered monitors and studio processors, and you've got ADAT and S/PDIF digital I/O for expanding your rig.

The power and speed of Thunderbolt is sure to change the face of audio recording. The TAC-8 not only records, but it also performs four times upsampling of your signal during the analog-to-digital and the digital-to-analog conversion. So, when the sampling rate is set to 44.1kHz, the TAC-8 is processing the signal at 176.4kHz, which helps minimize aliasing noise and increases clarity. In other words, your audio will sound amazing.

Apple's Thunderbolt connectivity has opened up a world of professional recording possibilities. Thunderbolt is five times faster than USB 3.0 and up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0 and FireWire 800. This gives you the speed to record and monitor with virtually no latency. In fact, Thunderbolt is so fast, it isn't bothered by computer jitter, so you don't need a master clock. No more hunting for an extra power outlet because Thunderbolt is bus powered from your computer. It even gets enough juice to provide your mics with phantom power. Super fast, super stable, and bus powered - that's Thunderbolt!

• 18-in, 20-out Thunderbolt audio interface
• Extremely low latency audio
• MIDI I/O lets you use MIDI control surfaces and sequence external hardware
• TAC-8 MixEfx application allows you to add reverb or delay effects to inputs and outputs
• Phantom power to run your favorite condenser mics
• Eight XLR/TRS combo input jacks for mic and line sources, enough for your whole band
• LED meters to monitor your input and output levels
• All-metal design is ready for reliable use in the field
• Bus powered directly from your computer
• Works with Thunderbolt-equipped Macs running OS X 10.8.5 or later
• Requires Thunderbolt cable, not included