Product Review – KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 From Native Instruments

Komplete Audio 6 is a 6-channel audio interface that has been reintroduced from Native Instruments. It gives you everything that you need to record, play and perform music in one compact and portable unit. It comes with four analog inputs and outputs, digital in and output, MIDI input and output, and is a low latency unit.

To record music in the modern recording world – where most everything is digital, you need an interface. An audio interface is a physical unit that allows you to connect your analog inputs into such as vocal microphones and electric guitars and basses. The unit can also act as your sound card when you connect it to your computer. It also gives you the ability to connect your monitors (speakers) and headphones as well.

As with anything else in the digital world the type and complexity of interface is all based on needs and cost. The KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 is geared for the home or small studio as well as for those who perform live. It can handle 16 and 24-bit resolution and from 44.1 to 96 kHz sampling rates. Check out the Native Instrument specifications page for full information.

KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 is 2" x 6.3" x 4.8" in size and weighs in at 1.9 lbs. and has a very solid feel to it – in fact it feels like it could be kicked off a stage or dropped onto the floor and not sustain any measurable damage. The look and feel of it is very elegant and is pleasing to watch as you are recording or playing back.

It has controls on three faces. The front face is segmented into four areas. Input 1 and input 2 contain combo XLR and ¼ " jacks that you can plug in instruments and/or microphones. When using the XLR, there is a XLR lock which can be released by pressing the release tab. There is also a line/instrument toggle button where you can choose line for strong-signaled inputs such as a synthesizer or electric piano, or instrument for weak-signaled instruments like guitar or bass – this does not affect the XLR connected gear. There is also an input gain knob that controls the gain that is coming into the unit.

Article Author: T. Michael Testi

T. Michael Testi is a writer and a photographer out of Edmond Oklahoma. You can see his photographic and art work at T Michael Imaging.

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