• Blogs
• Forums
• Tradeshows
• Partners
• White Papers
• Events

 

Edit Review —
Digidesign Digi 002

May 1, 2004 12:00 PM, By Gary Eskow

FireWire-based audio production hardware for Pro Tools LE

When the history of audio production and post is finally written, the brilliance of the Digidesign business plan and its effective implementation will constitute an entire chapter. Thanks in large part to these folks, back in the late 1980s, the revolutionary notion that a Mac's CPU could be harnessed to provide multi-track recording in homes everywhere captivated musicians.

As computers got more powerful, Digidesign expanded its product line. Digital audio workstations had made their first effective encroachment into the audio post world, and so the company aimed for this market. By the late 1990s Pro Tools was the de facto industry standard. These days, if you are a shooter working on a budget who feels capable of doing pre-production audio work (or even finishing audio mixes) or a composer/sound designer/engineer who wants to work in this world, you must be able to interface with Pro Tools users.

Having captured the lion's share of the audio post market, and then branching into the recording industry, Digidesign executives could have focused exclusively on the high-end market. However, while its engineers worked on Pro Tools HD, the current flagship version of its main product, the company was also releasing products aimed at budget-minded recordists and established musicians previously committed to other platforms. These products, including the Digi 002, are affordable and offer integration with higher-priced Digidesign products.

Several months I ago I reviewed the Mackie Control Universal. Like that unit, the 002 offers an automatable control surface with eight faders, rotary knobs, LED displays, and more. However, the Mackie Control Universal belongs to a class of devices that are intended to integrate with various host-based DAWs. The 002 is a closed system. Bundled with Pro Tools LE, a 32-track version of Digidesign's famous software package, the 002 lets the user create finished product or — and this is critical — open up projects that have been created at other Pro Tools studios.

Connecting the 002 to either a Mac or Windows computer is painless. I ran the system on a Mac G4 computer running at 733MHz with 512MB of RAM. Digidesign documentation states that the lowest supported Mac is a G4 677MHz machine. Based on my experience, I'd hesitate to begin a serious project on my system unless I intended to render tracks (burn them to disc with effects, which lessens the load on the CPU) periodically.

The I/O that the 002 needs to communicate with all external equipment — synthesizers, ADAT lightpipe devices, and your recording computer — are all found on the unit itself. Running the included FireWire cable between the 002 and my Mac created the necessary handshake between the two pieces. Because the 002 has built-in converters, no third-party converters are required or allowed.

Where do you get your source audio from? The easiest way to get started with the 002 is simply to hook up your studio monitors and a DAT deck, for example. Using the 002's S/PDIF inputs, one of the device's four mic inputs, or a pair of line inputs for a stereo synthesizer, you'll be porting sound to your speakers in a matter of minutes in standalone mode. Standalone mode lets the 002 act as you would expect, as an independent hardware device that does not need to communicate with your computer or Pro Tools LE.

For this early test, I hooked up my Roland JV1080 synthesizer to the 002 and created a part in Digital Perform 4.12. Using the 002 as a standalone device did not prohibit me from routing MIDI to the synth using another sequencer. However, in Pro Tools mode, which is where you'll most likely be working, you are not allowed to use a third-party sequencer like Performer or Logic, because Digidesign does not provide drivers that give these programs access to the 002.

My first test was to apply equalization and some reverb to the JV1080 piano parts I'd performed. In all honesty, I was not impressed with the quality of this processing. To be sure, Pro Tools LE recognizes all the third-party plug-ins that high-end Pro Tools owners use on a regular basis, but if you're going to include plug-ins as part of a basic package they should, in my judgment, be of a higher quality than these.

While we're discussing sound quality, the relative merit of converters — the equipment that digitizes analog signals and vice versa — is hard to pin down. After all the science is analyzed and disregarded, the impression that converters make remains subjective. I have certain tests that I like to perform to help me judge converters, using sounds at various ends of the frequency range that I'm familiar with. I was not taken with the sound of the 002 converters, which I would judge as OK but not great. Bass frequencies were not as round and fat as I would have liked, and a bit of digital grain colored the upper frequency material. But again, that's my subjective impression. You may hear things differently.

On the other hand, Pro Tools LE was extremely attractive and a breeze to work with. Pro Tools sessions are easy to create. Most digital audio sequencers offer similar packages with different dressing and some unique features, so Pro Tools LE will require little time to understand if you've worked with Logic, Cubase SX, or Digital Performer. The big limitation is in the MIDI area. There are only three physical MIDI connections on the 002 — one for a keyboard controller input and two MIDI outputs that connect to a pair of MIDI playback devices. The 002 is clearly meant to act primarily as a recording environment that includes a control surface (a rackmountable version of the 002 is also available) with some minimal MIDI implementation.

In fact, Pro Tools LE is such an easy and attractive work envirornment that I found myself working inside it even when I could reach over to the 002 and execute moves there. With the exception of volume moves, which still feel better with faders under the hand than a mouse, I simply was more comfortable working on screen.

The 002 has many features that are now standard on control surfaces, including a set of Transport and Navigation Controls that let the user scroll through multiple banks and remotely control Pro Tools LE. These were simple and easy to use. Pans, Sends, and Inserts can all be assigned from the control surface with minimal scrolling, and the rotary knobs that help handle this work have a solid feel.

Over the last several years, the low end of the music market has seen an influx of products that rate high on the price/performance scale. Where does the 002 rank? That depends entirely on your needs. For about $2,500 MSRP, you could buy a host-based digital audio sequencer and some good converters, and it is possible to save your work as files that Pro Tools can recognize. However, if you want full compatibility with other Pro Tools users, including the ability to open Pro Tools sessions and save your work in this format, you must become a member of the Digidesign community. If that's your choice, the 002 is a perfect way to go.

---

BOTTOM LINE

Company: Digidesign, a division of Avid
Daly City, Calif.; (800) 333-2137
www.digidesign.com

Product: Digi 002

Assets: Transport and navigation controls easy to use; easy integration in a Pro Tools-based environment.

Caveats: Disappointing reverb and EQ processing; only three MIDI connections.

Demographic: Pro Tool LE users desiring hands-on control.

Price: $2,500

© 2008 Penton Media, Inc.