The New Echo 2 Touch Panel Audio Interface and Personal Mixer

The new Echo 2 is a very compact USB 2.0 audio interface with a user-friendly touch panel interface. It enables you to record high-quality audio directly into a computer using multiple professional microphones, guitars, keyboards and line-level signals (such as the outputs of a mixing board). When not connected to a computer, the Echo 2 operates as a stand-alone mixer, so you can combine different audio signals together, such as a guitar and a vocal microphone, and output them to a PA system and its built-in headphone output. The Echo 2 is Mac and Windows compatible, and when using a separately available Apple Camera Connection Kit, it’s compatible with an iPad as well.

A bracket is included with the Echo 2 that lets you to mount it on a microphone stand. Having the interface up on a stand is very convenient when you’re recording and performing music by yourself. There are two balanced 1/4" TRS inputs and outputs on the rear of the Echo 2. Two short cables are included, which allow you to connect professional XLR microphones to the 1/4" inputs on the Echo 2. Condenser microphones can receive phantom power from the Echo 2, but using the included international power supply is required to do so. The Echo 2 can also be bus powered from the connected USB port, when the use of phantom power isn’t required. Digital DJs will appreciate that they can send different audio signals to its two TRS outputs and headphone output.   

The touch panel of the Echo 2 utilizes capacitive touch technology, which makes it easy to adjust the settings with the tap of a finger. A main vertical ribbon that’s coupled with a string of LEDs in the center of the Echo 2 controls various level settings, from the input and output gain to the headphone volume. You can also mute the main outputs with a dedicated touch button. Two pairs of eight-segment LED meters let you keep an eye on your signal levels, and simple touch buttons let you change the input sensitivities from Mic to Line to Guitar.

Setting input levels has traditionally been a difficult concept for beginners to master, so the Echo 2 includes a really handy function called EZ Trim. If you simply hold down the IN1 or IN2 touch buttons for two seconds, the corresponding LED will start to flash. Next, make the loudest sound you plan on creating during your recording. After just a few seconds of making your loudest sound, you can either press the IN1 or IN2 touch button again to exit EZ Trim mode, or just wait 12 seconds. Now the gain will be set so you can be sure that you won’t overload the input and clip.